Chapter Eleven

At first no one took much notice. Ulster had stayed away from home before. Although it was not the conventional behavior of a new father, Ulster hardly fit into any conventional pattern. It was presumed that the tribal rites attending the birth of a male child proved just too much for him and that he had taken refuge in activities best left undescribed. When after three weeks no word had been heard from him and no satisfactory explanations furnished by a variety of people, the family became concerned. On the twenty fifth day after his disappearance, Janet asked Chancellor to call the police. Instead Chancellor called Elizabeth, which was a far more positive action.

Elizabeth carefully weighed the alternatives. Calling the police would necessitate an investigation and probably a great deal of publicity. In light of Ulster’s activities a year ago, that was undesirable. If Ulster’s absence was his own doing, such action would only serve to provoke him. Without provocation her son was unpredictable, with it he might well be impossible. She decided to hire a discreet firm of investigators, which often had been called on to examine insurance claims against the family business. The owners understood completely and put only their most efficient and trusted men on the job.

Elizabeth gave them two weeks to unearth Ulster Stewart. Actually, she expected he’d show up by then, but if he didn’t, she would turn the matter over to the police.

At the end of the first week, the investigators had compiled a multi page report about Ulster’s habits. The places he most frequently visited, his friends (many), his enemies (few), and in as much detail as possible, a reconstruction of his movements during the last few days before he vanished. They gave this information to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth and Chancellor Drew studied the reports closely. They revealed nothing.

The second week proved equally unenlightening except to fill in Ulster’s activities more minutely by the days and hours. Since his return from Europe, his daily rounds had become ritualistic. The squash courts and the steam rooms at the athletic club, the bank on lower Broadway, Waterman Trust; his cocktails on Fifty-third Street between 4:30 and 6:00 p. m. with five speakeasies sharing the five weekdays of his attendance, the nightly sorties into the entertainment world where a handful of entrepreneurs commandeered his indulgence (and financing), the almost routine early morning windups at a supper club on Fiftieth Street prior to his arrival home never later than 2:00 a. m.

One bit of data did catch Elizabeth’s attention, as indeed it had the one who had reported it. It was incongruous. It appeared on Wednesday’s sheet.

Left house at approximately 10:30 and immediately hailed a taxi in front of residence. Maid was sweeping front steps and believed she heard Mr Scarlett direct the driver to a subway.

Elizabeth had never thought of Ulster in a subway. And yet, two hours later, according to a ‘Mr Mascolo, head waiter at the Venezia Restaurant,’ he was having an early lunch with a ‘Miss Dempsey (See Acquaintances Theatrical Artists). The restaurant was two blocks from Ulster’s house. Of course there could be a dozen explanations and certainly nothing in the report indicated anything strange other than Ulster’s decision to go to a subway. For the time being Elizabeth attributed it to Ulster’s meeting someone, probably Miss Dempsey.

At the end of the week, Elizabeth capitulated and instructed Chancellor Drew to contact the police.

The newspapers had a red letter day.

The Bureau of Investigation joined with the Manhattan police on the premise that possibly interstate laws had been violated. Dozens of publicity seekers as well as many sincere individuals volunteered that they had seen. Ulster during that last week before his disappearance. Some macabre souls telephoned claiming knowledge of his whereabouts demanding money for the information. Five letters arrived asking ransom for his return. All leads were checked out. All proved worthless.

Benjamin Reynolds saw the story on page two of the Washington Herald. Other than the wedding it was the first news he’d read about Ulster Scarlett since his meeting with Elizabeth Scarlatti over a year ago. However, in keeping with his word, he had made discreet inquiries about the celebrated war hero during the past months—only to learn that he had rejoined his proper world. Elizabeth Scarlatti had done her job well. Her son had dropped out of the importing business and the rumors of his involvement with criminal elements had died away. He had gone so far as to assume some minor position—with New York’s Waterman Trust.

It had seemed the affair Scarlatti was over for Ben Reynolds. And now this.

Would this mean it was no longer dormant, no longer a closed wound? Would it signify a reopening of the harsh speculation he, Ben Reynolds, had dwelled upon? Would Group Twenty be called in?

A Scarlatti son did not simply disappear without the government at least alerted. Too many congressmen were indebted to Scarlatti for one thing or another—a factory here, a newspaper there, a good-sized campaign check most of the time. Sooner or later someone would remember that Group Twenty had looked into the man’s activities once before. They’d be back. Discreetly. If Elizabeth Scarlatti said it was all right. Reynolds put the newspaper down, got out of his chair, and walked to his office door.

‘Glover,’ he asked his subordinate, ‘could you come in my office a minute?’

The older man walked back to his chair and sat down. ‘Did you read the story about Scarlatti?’

‘This morning on the way to work,’ answered Glover, coming through the door.

‘What do you make of it?’

‘I knew you’d ask me. I think some of his last year’s friends caught up with him.’

‘Why?’

Glover sat down in the chair in front of Reynolds’s desk. ‘Because I can’t think of anything else and it’s logical… And don’t ask me why again because you know as well as I do.’

‘I do? I’m not sure of that.’

‘Oh, come on, Ben. The moneyman isn’t having any more. Someone’s stuck for a shipment and goes to him. He refuses. Sicilian sparks fly and that’s that—It’s either something like that or a blackmail job. He decided to fight—and lost.’

‘I can’t buy violence.’

‘Tell that to the Chicago police.’

‘Scarlett didn’t deal with the lower echelons. That’s why I can’t buy a violence theory. There was too much to lose. Scarlett was too powerful; he had too many friends—He might be used, not killed.’

‘Then what do you think?’

‘I don’t know. That’s why I asked you. You jammed up this afternoon?’

‘God damn it, yes. Still the same two things. No breaks coming our way.’

‘Arizona dam?’

That’s one. That son-of-a-bitch congressman keeps pushing through the appropriations and we know damned well he’s getting paid, but we can’t prove it. Can’t even get anyone to admit they know anybody—Incidentally, speaking of the Scarlett business, Canfield’s on this one.’

‘Yes, I know. How’s he doing?’

‘Oh, we can’t blame him. He’s doing the best he can.’

‘What’s the other problem?’

‘The Pond memorandum from Stockholm.’

‘He’s got to come through with something more than rumors, Glover. He’s wasting our time until he gives us something concrete. I’ve told you that.’

‘I know, I know. But Pond sent word by courier—it arrived from State this morning—the transaction’s been made. That’s the word.’

‘Can’t Pond get any names? Thirty million dollars’ worth of securities and he can’t get a single name?’

‘A very tight syndicate, obviously. He hasn’t come up with any.’

‘One hell of an ambassador. Coolidge appoints lousy ambassadors.’

‘He does think the whole shebang was manipulated by Donnenfeld.’

‘Well, that’s a name! Who in hell is Donnenfeld?’

‘Not a person. A firm. About the largest on the Stockholm exchange.’

‘How did he come to that conclusion?’

‘Two reasons. The first is that only a large firm could handle it. Two—the whole thing can be buried easier that way. And it will have to be buried. American securities sold on the Stockholm exchange is touchy business.’

‘Touchy, hell! It can’t be done!’

‘All right. Rallied in Stockholm. Same thing as far as the money’s concerned.’

‘What are you going to do about it?’

‘Drudgery. Keep checking all the corporations with extensive ties in Sweden. You want to know something? There’re a couple of dozen in Milwaukee alone. How do you like that? Make a bundle over here and do business with your cousins back home.’

‘If you want my opinion, Walter Pond’s stirring up a quiet fuss so he gets some attention. Cal Coolidge doesn’t make a friend an ambassador to the land of the midnight sun—or whatever the hell it’s called—unless the fellow’s not so good a friend as he thinks he is.’