The Policy Broker's Blind; or, Detective Burr's Police Puzzle

"The Policy Broker's Blind; or, Detective Burr's Police Puzzle" by Harold Payne features young detective Ned Preston (age twenty) working undercover for Superintendent Byrnes. Preston poses as "Policy Pete," a street gambler, to investigate Edward P. Banks, a wealthy policy-shop operator controlling over two hundred illegal gambling establishments throughout New York City. Detective Preston attempts to locate and arrest Banks by gathering intelligence from policy-shop workers and staking out Banks's West End Avenue residence. He eventually spots the suspect, but timing and disguises complicate his pursuit—the house's owner appears to be listed as "Bailey" rather than "Banks," creating investigative obstacles. The narrative develops around Preston's surveillance methods and his growing relationship with Herbert, a relative of the suspect serving as an informant and guide.