Casey, Crime Photographer - The Tobacco Pouch

Shortly after four o'clock at the Blue Note Cafe, a huge middle-aged man named Big Ben Flack, enters the bar, orders a beer, and empties his glass in one gulp. He tosses a buck to Ethelbert, the bartender, and starts out. Before he reaches the door, it opens and Casey and Anne are coming in. Casey says "Well, hello, Ben". He says "Hello, Casey. How are you, Miss Williams?" She says "Fine, Mr. Flack". Casey asks "What are you doing on this side of the river, Ben?" He says "Oh, I cross the bridge occasionally on slumming trips to see how the other half lives. I'm a little pressed for time, Casey, so don't take any wooden nickels". Casey says "Yeah, I'll try not to. So long". Flack says "Nice to see you, Miss Williams. So long". She says "So long, Mr. Flack". Casey says "Hi, Ethelbert". He says "Hello. Say, you two know that big guy who just went out? Casey says "Sure, don't you know him?" Ethelbert says "No, but I'd like him to come in often. He'd just give me a buck for a 15-cent beer. His face is awful familiar, Casey, but I...." Casey says "Well, you've seen his pictures in the papers hundreds of times, pal. That's Big Ben Flack. Yeah, the boss of Hook Ridge. He runs almost everything on the other side of the river. Ethelbert says "Oh, sure. I get him now. What's he doing over here?" Casey says "He probably came over to get a breath of clean air. The stench of his political machine must get too high for even Ben once in a while". Ethelbert says "I hear Flack ain't so active in his organization as he used to be. They say a smart lawyer named Lockhart gives most of the orders now". Casey says "Yeah, well, you can gamble that any orders Lockhart gives are those that he gets from Ben. The big guy has that Hook Ridge section in his pocket, and he's gonna keep it there until he dies or goes to jail". Anne says "Well, there's not much chance of his going to jail. He can get away with murder. And he's gotten away with it, too".