Mayor Carter Harrison sat stiffly behind his desk in City Hall, still smarting from the unpleasant meeting he'd had two hours ago.

The pressure for reform had become unbearable.

Awaiting his next visitor, he mentally reviewed the high points of this morning's confrontation.

The confrontation had been with the thin-lipped, dour Reverend John Stonehill, president of the Municipal Voters' League.

'You know why I am here, Mayor,' Stonehill had begun, almost before being seated.

Harrison had suspected the reason behind the reverend's request for a talk, but he had not been ready to admit it. 'To be truthful, I'm not certain why you wished to see me.'

'Reform,' Stonehill had blurted. 'Your key campaign promise was that you would eliminate vice in this city, especially in the Levee, and you promised specifically that you would close down the Everleigh Club, which has come to symbolize the worst of Chicago, throughout the nation and the world. On the basis of your promise to instigate reform, the entire Municipal Voters' League stood behind you and elected you to office. Mr Mayor, we've waited patiently. We see not one single shred of evidence that cleanup has begun.'

Harrison had cleared his throat. 'Reverend Stonehill, I assure you I have been most active in the area of reform, mainly in my effort to close down the Everleigh Club as an example and warning to all the other lesser houses of ill fame.'

'I see no evidence of movement. I have information that the Everleigh Club is as wide open as ever.'

'Not quite,' the mayor had insisted, 'not really. Fewer men are going there, and the Everleighs claim to be operating only a restaurant. Nevertheless, I too suspect a degree of illegal sexual activity still goes on there. To date I've been unable to prove it and I must have proof. However, I will confide in you that right now I have an undercover observer there who will bring me indisputable proof of illegal sexual acts. Once I have this proof my chief of police will be able to close the Club. The rest of the clubs will then see the handwriting on

the wall. They'll also close down and move to other cities. Trust me, Reverend Stonehill.'

'I trust your sincerity,' the Reverend Stonehill had said, 'but I distrust your competence in this matter.'

'I can only say I have been handling this competently.'

Stonehill had come to his feet. 'We shall see. We will wait another few weeks for affirmative results. If you still have not fulfilled your campaign promises, I shall – the entire League shall – petition for your resignation.'

On that threat, the reverend had departed and the mayor had been left to stew over the matter.

Presently, he had acted. Fearing that his own voice might be recognizable, he had ordered a member of his staff to telephone Calumet 412, the well-known Everleigh Club number. It was blatantly listed in the telephone directory under the name of Aida Everleigh. The aide had been told to get hold of Karen Grant personally and tell her to come to the mayor's office as soon as possible. She had said she would be there in an hour.

That had been an hour ago, and Mayor Harrison was becoming increasingly restless when Karen Grant came into the room.

Harrison wasted no time. 'Sit down, Karen. We've got to have a straight talk.'

She sat down, but Harrison remained standing.

'If you want to talk about the Everleigh Club I have nothing new to report.'

'Indeed that is what I want to talk about. Before lunch I had Reverend Stonehill of the Municipal Voters' League in here. He's demanding I deliver on my campaign promise of reform. If I fail, he's going to have the League pressure me to resign.'

'You can't do that -'

'I won't have to,' Harrison said, 'if I can get faster results from you.'

'I'm doing the best I can, Mayor.'

'It's not enough.' He paced agitatedly. 'Have you seen or do you know of any sexual activity in the Everleigh Club? That's the question.'

'I simply don't have an answer yet,' Karen pleaded. 'The sisters have only their restaurant open. I'm one of six hostesses. The other girls have been put up in neighbourhood hotels. The Club will remain closed this week and next until the Everleighs' niece is safely married and gone off on her honeymoon. When the Club reopens I can get the proof you're waiting for.'

'That's too long to wait. Isn't there a nephew here, also?'

'Yes, there is. Bruce Lester.'

'What about him?' the mayor wanted to know. 'Maybe he'd give you some evidence that his aunts are really madams.'

'Oh, him. God, no. Bruce thinks they're socialites with a big house. Forget about Bruce.'

The mayor eyed Karen keenly. 'He's Bruce to you, I see. I gather you've become acquainted.'

'Naturally. There are only a handful of us in the Club.'

'Don't get too involved with this Bruce,' said the mayor. 'Don't be diverted by anyone. Concentrate on the other girls in the Club. They may be doing a little on the side for the Everleighs.'

'I doubt it,' said Karen. 'I'd know.'

'Just make sure, Karen. You're there to do a job. Your job is to get proof that the Everleighs are still running a house of ill fame. If – temporarily – they're not, then you must keep your word and let me know the first minute they give the go-ahead sign.'

'I promise you I will.'

'The important thing is that I've got to have that brothel closed down before the Municipal Voters' League tries to force me to resign – and certainly before the prince of Prussia turns up to see our fair city. Indeed, when he sees Chicago, I want to

be sure it is the fairest city in America. It's up to you, Karen.'

The next day, just after finishing their noon dinner, Karen led Cathleen and Bruce out to Minna's red Ford. Climbing up to the driver's seat, settling herself behind the wheel, Karen waited while Bruce helped his sister into the front seat and took the back seat for himself.

While waiting, Karen recalled how this gathering had come about.

Early in the morning, Edmund had come to Karen's bedroom.

'Miss Grant,' he had said, 'if you are free right now, Miss Minna would like to see you in her office.'

Wondering what this was all about, Karen had said, 'I'm perfectly free.'

She had followed Edmund out of her doorway and downstairs, where she headed for Minna's office.

In the office, Karen had found Minna standing beside her desk, staring off.

'There's something I'd like you to do for me, Karen,' Minna had begun without any preliminaries.

'Anything you wish, Minna.'

'It has to do with my niece and nephew,' Minna had said.

Karen had brightened at once. She had enjoyed being with Bruce at the race course yesterday, and she welcomed any opportunity to be with him again.

'I'd be delighted to do whatever you ask,' Karen had said.

'My nephew Bruce has been pressing me to take him and Cathleen on a tour of Chicago. He wants to see something of the city before he goes back to Kentucky. I keep promising to show him the sights, but I'm really afraid to do so. Someone might recognize me and spill the truth about who I really am. I took a chance going to Washington Park yesterday, but I really had to wear a veil to keep from being recognized, and I'll do so again when the Derby is run. I can't take more chances. Anyway, Bruce told me he'd bumped into you somewhere and you'd offered to take him on a tour. So I thought of you, even though you're fairly new here. At least your face

wouldn't be as familiar as that of one of the other girls. If you would show Bruce and Cathleen the highlights of this city – maybe a few hours – that would get him off my back. Would you consider doing it?'

'Would I?' Karen had said ardently. 'I'd love to do it.'

'Then set it up for this afternoon, and feel free to use my car. I'd appreciate that.'