James Chase: Well Now, My Pretty…

He arrived in Paradise City under a load of crates of lettuces on their way to the Paradise-Ritz Hotel. He had lain hidden as the truck had been waved through the police check point, his heart thumping, his nerves crawling.So he, like the other three, beat the police cordon set up to protect the rich of Paradise City.The first move in Serge Maisky’s plan to rob the richest Casino in the world had succeeded.

The Black Crab Restaurant was contained in a three-storey wooden building, built on stilts, thirty yards into the sea and reached by a narrow jetty. It was the meeting place for the sponge divers of the Florida Marine Manufacturing Co., and very few tourists, and certainly none of the residents of Seacombe, ever visited the place. It was notorious for heavy drinking, brawls and excellent sea food.

On the top floor of the building there were three private diningrooms. They were reached by an outside staircase, and people with important matters to discuss could be sure of complete privacy. The negro waiter who officiated on the third floor was a deaf-mute.

In the largest of the private dining-rooms that had a view of the distant lights of Paradise City and the harbour with its anchored yachts, preparations had been completed for a dinner of five covers.

Mish Collins was the first to arrive. Jos, the negro waiter, regarded him, nodded, and then silently handed him a tumbler containing a treble rum, lime and cracked ice.

Perry and Chandler arrived together, and, a minute or so later, Washington Smith slid uneasily into the room.

Mish took over the duties of the host.

“Welcome, fellas,” he said. “Make yourselves at home. The dinge is deaf and dumb. Don’t worry about him.” He beamed at Wash, holding out his hand. “H’yah, bud. Long time no see.”

Wash shook hands, nodding, while Perry eyed him with a quizzing, bleak stare.

Chandler refused the rum and lime, and asked for a whisky and soda. Jos stared blankly at him, then returned to his task of opening oysters that lay in a tub of ice.

“Help yourself,” Mish said. “The stuff’s all there. I told you, didn’t I !… he’s a deaf-mute.”

Still staring at Wash, Perry said, “Who’s he? What’s he doing here?”

“What are we all doing here?” Mish said and laughed. “Sit down, fellas. Let’s get to know each other.” He pointed to Chandler who had made his drink and was now looking out of the window at the view. “He’s Jess.” The thick finger pointed to Washington Smith. “He’s Wash.” He nodded to Perry. “That’s Jack. I guess you all know who I am. Come on, fellas, relax,” and he went over to a chair and sat down.Wash had refused a drink. He stood uneasily by the door. He was always awkward and on the defensive in the company of Whites.

Perry chose a chair away from Mish. He sat down, nursing his drink, a dead cigar gripped firmly between his small white teeth.

“What’s this — a party?” he asked, his washed-out blue eyes flickering around the room.

“That’s it,” Mish said happily. “A party.”

Chandler turned. His handsome face showed irritation.

“Do you know anything about this deal?”

“Not much.”

“Who is this guy Ludovick?”

“Yeah… I know about him.” Mish shook his head in awe. “Sure, I can tell you about him. For one thing, that’s not his name. Hisname is Serge Maisky. I met him in Roxburgh jail. He had a job there… dispenser.”

“What the hell’s that… a dispenser?” Perry demanded.

“He was in charge of the pill and drug joint in the prison,” Mish explained. “The croaker ordered you a pill and Maisky supplied it. He worked there for ten years… a real, bright boy. He and I got pretty pally. I’m a great one for pills. Before he retired, he told me he had an idea for the biggest take of all takes. He told me when he had set it up he would send for me and he wanted three others. I picked you three. You can thank me later.” Mish’s rubbery face creased into a broad grin. “I’ll tell you this, fellas. This little guy looks harmless, but, boy, he’s as harmless as a rattlesnake, and brains… ! He’s the original H. bomb! I’ll tell you this: when he says the take is big, I’m sold. That’s why I’m here. I don’t know what the job is, but…”

“That’s why I am here… to tell you,” Maisky said gently from the door.

Perry stiffened. His hand moved for a brief moment towards his hidden gun. Chandler gave a start that slopped his drink. Wash stepped quickly away from the door. Mish was the only calm one: he continued to grin.

Maisky shut the door. He shook his head at Jos as the negro reached for a glass, then he regarded the four men steadily, slowly in turn.

“Gentlemen,” he said in his quiet, clear voice, “I am very happy to meet you. I hope none of you had any trouble getting here.” The grey eyes probed. “Did you?”

The four men shook their heads.

“Excellent. Then let us eat. I am sure you must be hungry. Then, and not until then, we will discuss business.”

An hour later, Mish pushed back his chair and released a soft belch.

“Fine meal,” he said. “Pretty different to the slop we got at Roxie, huh, doc?”

Maisky smiled.

“Let us forget those painful memories.” He lit a cigarette, offered his pack to Wash who shook his head, then seeing Perry was lighting a cigar and Mish and Chandler were already smoking, he returned the pack to his pocket.

During the meal, Maisky had dominated the four men. His quiet, gentle manner baffled them, except Mish who knew him and beamed on him like a proud mother displaying her brilliant child. Maisky talked of politics, travel and women. Words flowed from him, but every now and then, he would ask an abrupt, probing question of one of the men, listen carefully to the answer, then continue his monologue. He ate very little, but during the hour, he succeeded in some miraculous manner to reduce tension, to get the four men at ease with one another. Even Wash was now relaxed.

When the deaf-mute had cleared the table and set two bottles of whisky, ice and glasses within reach and had gone, Maisky cupped his pointed chin in his clawlike hands and said, “Well now, gentlemen, let us talk business. I have a proposition to make to you. Mish may have told you that for three years he and I were in contact. I have yet to meet a man who can swallow so many pills as Mish. During the time we were together, I formed the opinion that he is a very clever technician, and I learned he knew other technicians. This is why I asked him to contact you gentlemen. As for Wash… he is not quite like us. He isn’t a criminal.” The gentle smile broadened, “but he is necessary to my plan and he needs money and he has a grudge.”

The other men looked at Wash who eyed them uneasily.

Chandler crushed out his cigarette impatiently.

“Who cares?” he said. “Let’s hear the proposition. What’s all this crap about the biggest take?”

Maisky’s expression was benign, but reproving.

“Please… I know you have had many successes, my friend, but try to be patient with me. This is a team… we must understand each other, and we must work closely together or we will fail.”

“What’s the proposition?” Chandler repeated.

“We are here to take two million dollars from the Casino,” Maisky said.

There was a long pause of absolute silence. Even Mish suddenly lost his smile of confidence. The four men stared at Maisky with startled, unbelieving eyes.

“Two million dollars?” Chandler said, the first to recover. “Look, I have things to do. What the hell is this pipe dream… two million dollars?”

Maisky waved his hand to the whisky.

“Please, help yourselves, gentlemen. Unhappily, I can’t… doctor’s orders.” He turned to Perry. “You heard what I said. Jess, I can see, doesn’t believe me… do you?”