Ten Days in August by Kate McMurray Read Free Book Online

that’s a good idea.”
    â€œProbably not, but how else do you propose we find information?”
    Stephens frowned. “You want to go today? You do not wish me to accompany you, do you?”
    â€œNo. Go home to your family tonight. I’ll be all right on my own.”
    â€œYes. Thank you. As long as you’re certain.”
    Hank was certain. It would be easier to get the information he needed without Stephens tittering about how scandalized he was by the very existence of a house catering to men who sought the company of men. Hank took the now-crumpled coroner’s reports from Stephens and started to read them more closely. Stephens leaned back in the chair he’d claimed and let his head loll about on his shoulders. He unbuttoned his coat and the top of his shirt, sure signs the heat had surpassed propriety.
    The report didn’t have much new information, but there was a note penciled in to indicate both dead boys had endured a number of injuries before succumbing to the knife wound. And not recent injuries; Edward had some old bruises on his chest and legs. Hank knew full well the men who worked the clubs like Paresis and Bulgaria probably saw a fair amount of violence. It wasn’t unusual for a john to assert his power and masculinity with his fists, even if the prostitute in question was a woman, but Hank wondered now if Edward’s wealthy client was a regular or if the bruises were a coincidence.
    He needed more information.
    â€œThis is all inconclusive,” Hank said.
    â€œIndeed,” said Stephens, fanning himself with his hands.
    Â 
    Officer Polk dragged a middle-aged, mustachioed man through the secretary pool at Police Headquarters and stopped at Andrew’s desk.
    â€œI apologize for interrupting your afternoon, Andrew, but this is Mr. Hines and he intends to start a riot.”
    Andrew felt suddenly weary, not particularly thrilled about having to deal with whatever the next crisis was. He rubbed his forehead and said, “All right. What is the issue, Mr. Hines?”
    â€œThis police department should be ashamed of how poor a job they are doing to keep crime away from the citizens of this city. I saw the article in this morning’s paper about the murder on the Bowery. A dead man was found inside a . . . well, I cannot even say it.”
    Polk, who stood behind Hines now, said, “He’s with the SPC.”
    Lord. The Society for the Prevention of Crime was essentially a vigilante group run by Reverend Charles Parkhurst. Parkhurst had recently made a fuss by declaring Commissioner Roosevelt was not doing enough to fight vice in the city, while the newspapers were daily publishing editorials arguing he was doing too much .
    â€œThe Society will not stand idly by while the police department looks away from the immorality plaguing our city! Why, you can’t walk anywhere in Greenwich Village these days without colliding with a prostitute! Under the auspices of this allegedly great police commissioner, the world’s oldest institution has been allowed to flourish!”
    Polk sighed heavily. “The SPC is planning a raid of a few of the Bowery resorts this evening.”
    This was not good news. While it was true prostitution was perhaps more visible than it had been previously, and the areas around the Bowery and along Bleecker Street in the Village seemed particularly plagued by it, groups like the SPC rushing in would only cause more problems. “Mr. Hines, crime on the Bowery is clearly within the police department’s jurisdiction.”
    â€œThat’s what I told him,” said Polk. “He insisted on seeing a representative from the police department when I told him if he didn’t stop yelling at passersby on Broome Street, I’d arrest him. So . . .”
    Andrew was beginning to regret some of his social activity outside of the job. Becoming friendly with people like Hank and Adam Polk sometimes brought him more