Джеймс Чейз - You're Dead Without Money

‘They’re cooking up something,’ he said to Fay who was heating coffee. ‘I’d better alert the old man.’

‘At this time, he should love that,’ Fay said.

But Orson went to the telephone that Lessing had had laid on and called Lessing at his home. He explained what he had seen and heard.

‘Looks like they’re going to make a try tonight,’ Lessing said. ‘They wouldn’t start anything until Larrimore has gone to bed. He goes late. I’ll get the boys down there around 22.00. If they do start something, we’ll catch them as they come out.’

Now, it was approaching D-hour. Joey was pale and sweating. Vin, uneasy, couldn’t keep his eyes off the clock. Elliot seemed completely relaxed.

As the hands of the clock moved to eleven, he said, ‘She’s arrived.’

‘Suppose the punk won’t see her?’ Vin said. That would really sink us.’

‘I know Larrimore. He’ll see her. I told her not to part with the stamp album to a servant.’ Elliot looked at Joey. ‘What’s worrying you? You haven’t lost confidence in her, have you?’

Joey shook his head. ‘She’ll get the book if it’s on him, but it’s finding the drawer number...’ He mopped his sweating face. ‘Suppose he spots her? What would he do?’

‘He’d kick her out,’ Elliot said. ‘He wouldn’t send for the police if that’s what’s worrying you. That I’m sure of.’

That was all that was worrying Joey. The thought of his beloved Cindy being taken away by a cop made him feel ill, but Elliot’s reassuring voice helped him a lot.

The minutes crept by.

At 11.15, Vin muttered an expletive.

‘She isn’t going to get it! Now what the hell are we going to do?’

‘Shut up!’ Elliot snapped. He also found himself growing tense. ‘You don’t expect her to get it the moment she meets him, do you?’

Vin growled and lit another cigarette.

At 11.40, even Elliot was beginning to sweat. Joey was in such a state, he had to hold his handkerchief to his face while Vin was now pacing up and down the small room.

Suddenly he stopped pacing. His eyes vicious with rage, he exclaimed, ‘She’s loused it up! I never did think she would do it! She hadn’t the guts to go through with it!’

‘Shut your big mouth,’ Elliot snapped, ‘or do you want me to shut it for you?’

Vin glared at him.

‘You and who else... tin foot?’

As Elliot made to stand up, Joey put a restraining hand on his arm.

‘Don... please... this isn’t the time...’

Then clearly and distinctly, Cindy’s voice, coming from the receiver set, said, ‘Okay.’

The three men stared at each other, not quite sure if they had heard aright.

‘Did you hear that?’ Elliot demanded.

‘It was Cindy,’ Joey said.

‘Yeah.’ Vin came to the table. ‘She’s done it!’

With a slightly unsteady hand, Elliot picked up the telephone receiver and dialled Larrimore’s number. There was a delay, then a man’s voice said, ‘Mr. Larrimore’s residence.’

‘This is Don Elliot calling Mr. Larrimore.’

‘Mr. Larrimore is engaged at the moment, sir. Shall I ask him to call you back?’

‘I want to speak to him right away. Tell him I’d be obliged if he would come to the phone.’

There was more delay, then Larrimore came on the line. Elliot recognized his voice as he said, ‘Is that you, Elliot?’

‘Hello there. I’m sorry to interrupt something. Your man said you were tied up.’

‘Yes... I am rather occupied. How are you, Elliot? I haven’t seen or heard from you for months.’

At least, Elliot thought, Larrimore sounded cordial.

‘I’ve been recouping. You heard about the accident?’

‘Of course. I’m very sorry.’

‘One of those things, but I’ve now got on top of my tin foot. How about a game on Tuesday? I’ve shortened my swing and reduced my pivot and I’m playing better than ever. You might try that, Larrimore. A short swing gives you much more control.’

‘That’s an idea. Yes, let’s have a game. I’m so glad you are playing again. My congratulations. Then Tuesday at three o’clock?’

‘That’s a date.’ Elliot chitchatted about the stock market prices, determined to give Cindy all the time she needed, then finally, he hung up. He drew in a deep breath. ‘She must have got the number by now.’

It wasn’t until 12.45 that the three waiting men saw Cindy come up the garden path and they jumped to their feet and rushed to her, Elliot slightly in the lead.

She looked pale and he could see she was a little shaky, but she smiled at him as he asked, ‘Did you get it?’

‘Yes.’

‘Come on in... let’s hear about it,’ Elliot said, putting his arm around her. ‘Well done! I was sure you would succeed!’

‘What’s the drawer number?’ Vin demanded, crowding up behind them as they entered the sitting room.

‘She’s not telling you that, Vin,’ Elliot said and he pushed Cindy gently away from him so he faced Vin.

Joey, standing in the doorway, stared first at Cindy and then at Elliot, his eyes growing round.

‘Who says?’ Vin snarled. ‘I’ve as much right to know as you have! Get out of my way! I’ll talk to her!’

‘Relax,’ Elliot said. ‘When you give me the name of the buyer, I’ll give you the number of the drawer. Do you think we three are dopes? None of us trust you, Vin. Your double cross isn’t going to jell.’

Vin’s eyes narrowed.

‘Double cross? What the hell do you mean?’

‘Don’t let’s waste time. Get the name of the buyer. I’ll give you a thousand dollars for Judy. Get the name tonight then you and I will go to Larrimore’s house and get the stamps, but I’m going to deal with the buyer.’

For a long moment, Vin stood staring at Elliot. This was so unexpected, his brain couldn’t cope with it. Controlling his fury, and realizing he would have to give himself time to think, he shrugged.

‘Okay, okay, no one’s asking you to trust me. I’ll get the buyer’s name, but you don’t come with me, buster. This is a job for experts and I don’t work with amateurs.’

‘Get the name,’ Elliot said quietly, ‘then we’ll talk about the rest of it.’

Vin looked at Cindy.

‘Are you going to tell me the number, baby?’

Cindy shook her head.

Vin grinned evilly at her.

‘Sure? You’d better be sure. You could be sorry later.’

She stared at him unflinchingly.

‘I’m sure.’

‘Okay.’

He turned and walked out of the bungalow and down to his car.

‘We’d better tell him,’ Joey said fearfully. ‘He could do something to Cindy.’

‘We don’t have to tell him,’ Cindy said and opened her bag. ‘I’ve got the stamps.’

There was a long moment of silence as Elliot and Joey watched Cindy take a plastic envelope from her bag and lay it on the table.

‘These are the stamps, aren’t they?’

His heart beating fast, his breathing uneven, Elliot looked at the eight stamps through their plastic cover. He recognized them immediately from the photocopy that Kendrick had shown him.

‘Yes.’ His voice was husky. He straightened and looked at Cindy. ‘Why did you take them, you crazy kid? As soon as Larrimore finds they are missing, he’ll call the police. They’ll come here! We wrote to him and he knows this address! What were you thinking of?’

‘I don’t think he will call the police,’ Cindy said.

‘Why do you say that?’

She sat down abruptly and looked so pale, Joey rushed to the liquor cabinet and began to pour a brandy.

‘No, daddy... I don’t want it,’ she protested. ‘I’m all right.’ Joey regarded her, stared at the brandy in the glass and then swallowed it himself.