Джеймс Чейз - You're Dead Without Money

‘ “No!” Joey got to his feet. He was so agitated he began to shake. “I don’t care what you call it. This is out!”

‘Vin looked contemptuously at him, then shrugged.

‘ “Okay, Joey, if that’s the way you feel about it. We can swing this without you. I can even swing it without Cindy. When I get the dough Cindy and I will leave you. It’s as simple as that.”

‘ “Cindy won’t have anything to do with this!” Joey said. “She won’t touch it!”

‘ “Here she comes. Let’s ask her,” Vin said as Cindy came across the small lawn and joined them.

‘ “Ask me what?” she asked. “What’s the matter, dad? You look worked up.”

‘ “He’s planning to kidnap this movie star!” Joey said. “He’s crazy! I told him you wouldn’t have anything to do with it!”

‘Cindy looked quickly at Vin.

‘ “Kidnap? Oh, Vin!”

‘ “So what?” Vin stretched out his long legs. “We don’t hurt the guy. He’s loaded. All we do is to keep him here under lock and key until he parts with fifty grand. There’s nothing to it. When we get the dough we three will go up the coast; you and me will get married and we’ll settle down to three years or so without doing a thing. What do you say, baby? You with me?”

‘Cindy stared first at Vin and then at Joey, then back to Vin again.

‘ “You must be crazy, Vin,” she said. “No... I’m not doing it!”

‘ “There’s nothing crazy about it,” Vin said, trying to control his impatience. “You said this guy is loaded. Okay, so what’s fifty grand to him? He’ll pay. There’s nothing to it. Just imagine we three with fifty grand!”

‘Cindy hesitated. If Elliot hadn’t dismissed her in the way he had, she wouldn’t have hesitated, but now, thinking what fifty thousand dollars could mean to them all, she did hesitate.

‘ “But suppose he won’t pay?”

‘Joey stiffened.

‘ “Cindy! Listen to me...” Then he stopped because he saw she wasn’t listening.

‘ “You want to marry me, don’t you?” Vin said. “You want some fun? This way we can do what you want. Come on, Cindy, say you’ll go along with me.”

‘Cindy was sick of the way she and Joey had been living. She had never complained, but this small way of life after meeting Vin was becoming unbearable. She thought again of what all that money could mean to them and she made her decision.

‘ “Yes, Vin. I’ll help you.”

‘Vin looked at Joey.

‘ “Looks like the majority has it, Joey. Do you want to come in or do you want to split up?”

‘ “Cindy.” Joey put his hand on Cindy’s arm. “This is dangerous. It’s kidnapping. We’ll be up against the Feds. We could go away for life. We could even go to the gas chamber. You mustn’t do this, baby.”

‘ “Fifty grand,” Vin said softly. “No more dipping. No more taking risks in a self-service store. A nice little home... and me, but suit yourself, Cindy. I’m going to pull it with you and Joey, or without you and Joey... please yourself.”

‘ “I said I’ll do it, Vin,” Cindy said quietly.

‘Vin looked at Joey.

‘ “Going to change your mind or do we split up?”

‘ “You really think it’ll work?” Joey said weakly.

‘ “You think I’m nuts? Of course it will work.”

‘Joey hesitated. Looking at the determined expression on Cindy’s face he knew he couldn’t persuade her not to go ahead. He saw there was nothing else for him to do but to throw in with Vin if he wasn’t to lose Cindy.

‘ “Okay, Vin... count me in,” he said.’

The following morning, Barney told me, Elliot sat on his patio in the sun waiting with impatience for Louis de Marney to complete the inventory of his possessions.

Finally, Louis came out on to the patio and Elliot, controlling his eagerness to know the verdict, offered him a drink.

‘Absolutely not, thank you. No drinks... no starch! I would never keep my figure if I relaxed for a moment.’ Louis eyed Elliot. ‘Yet you keep in beautiful form.’

Elliot, naked to the waist, wearing a pair of slacks, socks and sandals, shrugged. He hated wearing socks, but without them the glitter of his tin foot in the sun depressed him.

‘I guess I’m okay. Sit down.’ He paused, then went on. ‘Well, what’s the verdict?’

‘You have some very nice things, Mr. Elliot,’ Louis said, sitting down, ‘a little specialized, but very nice.’

‘I know what I’ve got,’ Elliot said impatiently. ‘What I want to know is what the lot’s worth.’

‘Of course.’ Louis waved his hands. ‘I can’t give you a definite figure, Mr. Elliot You understand I will have to consult Claude, but I’d say around seventy-five thousand.’

Elliot stiffened and flushed. He hadn’t expected Louis to be generous but this figure was daylight robbery.

‘Are you kidding?’ he demanded angrily. ‘That’s less than a quarter of what I originally paid!’

Louis looked sad.

‘It does sound dreadful, doesn’t it? Right now, Mr. Elliot, it just isn’t a buyer’s market. If you could wait...’ He chewed his under lip, frowning while he appeared to think. ‘Claude might agree to take the jade and the Chagall on a commission basis and display them in the gallery. That way you could get a better price, but it would, of course, take time.’

‘How much better?’

‘That I can’t tell you. Claude would have to decide the price.’

‘How long would I have to wait... two or three months?’

Louis shook his head. He looked as if he could burst into tears.

‘Oh no, Mr. Elliot, it could be as long as two years. You see jade... but I’m sure jade will come back into fashion and again fetch high prices, but not for a year or two.’

Elliot thumped his knee with his fist.

‘I can’t wait that long! Claude can afford to wait! Talk to him Louis. Tell him he can have the jade and the Chagall but I want immediate cash and a decent price... not a crappy offer of seventy-five thousand!’

Louis studied his beautifully manicured fingernails.

‘Of course I will talk to him.’ A pause, then he went on, ‘Claude did mention to me that you wanted quick cash, Mr. Elliot All this is strictly between you, Claude and myself. We could offer you an interesting proposition since you need money badly. This would be interesting money: something like two hundred thousand. That, plus seventy-five for your things would give you a sum that would make life much happier for you.’

Elliot stared at him.

‘Two hundred thousand?’ He sat up. ‘What is this interesting proposition?’

‘You are a friend of Mr. Larrimore, the philatelist?’

Elliot’s eyes narrowed.

‘Is this proposition to do with Larrimore?’

Louis looked at Elliot, then the little eyes shifted.

‘That’s right’

‘Claude and I have already talked about Larrimore. I told him he hadn’t a hope.’

‘Claude’s thinking has developed further since you talked to him,’ Louis said like a man feeling his way across thin ice. ‘He is now ready to offer you two hundred thousand for your cooperation.’

Elliot drew in a deep breath. He thought what this kind of money could mean to him in his present situation.

‘My co-operation? Look, Louis, will you stop talking like a goddamn politician and explain what you’re getting at?’

‘Mr. Larrimore has some specialized Russian stamps,’ Louis said shifting his eyes back to his fingernails. ‘Claude has a client who wants to buy them. We have already written to Mr. Larrimore offering to buy these stamps, but he ignores our letters. If you could get these stamps for us, Claude would pay you a commission of two hundred thousand.’