Джеймс Чейз - So What Happens To Me?

‘No!’

This was from Pam.

Bernie looked at her.

‘What is it?’

‘This man’s dangerous.’ She waved her hands at me. ‘I know it. He could talk us into trouble.’

I laughed.

‘You’re already in trouble, baby,’ I said. ‘I could talk you out of it. But, okay, if you three feel like this, then it’s okay with me. I’ll dust, but the way you’ve been handling this, tells me I’ll be sending you all a postcard in some jail. I’m great at sending postcards.’

Kendrick’s Cadillac pulled up outside the cafe-bar.

‘Here he comes,’ I said, pushing back my chair. I looked at Bernie. ‘Either I handle him or I quit. What’s it to be?’

He didn’t look at the other two.

‘You handle him.’

Before the others could react, Kendrick came puffing and blowing up the steps to join us.

‘My darlings! What a dreadful place to meet!’ He waddled to the table and Bernie stood up and pushed a chair towards him. ‘How quite, quite frightful!’ He dropped his bulk onto the chair. ‘Don’t offer me a drink. I’m sure germs are festering on every glass.’ He lifted his orange wig and bowed to Pam. ‘Dear Pam... lovely as ever.’ He slapped the wig back on his head. ‘Do tell me. What is all this about? I thought we had it all beautifully arranged.’

‘Jack wants to talk to you,’ Bernie said.

‘Jack?’ Kendrick’s little eyes swivelled to me. ‘What is it, cheri? Aren’t you happy?’

‘Let’s cut the grease. Kendrick,’ I said. ‘First, we talk about money... then the operation.’

Kendrick released a theatrical sigh.

‘A moment, cheri. Are you talking for these three lovely people? Am I to understand that Bernie is no longer leading this operation.’

‘He doesn’t talk for me.’ Erskine said.

‘Nor me,’ Pam said.

I looked at Bernie then got to my feet.

‘Okay: so I duck out. The majority is overwhelming.’

‘Wait!’ Bernie looked at Kendrick. ‘I brought Jack into this because he has the know-how. From now on, he talks for me. I’m running this operation and what I say goes.’

I looked at Pam, then at Erskine.

‘You heard the man. Now’s the time for you two to get up and walk.’

Neither of them moved.

I sat down. Kendrick rubbed the end of his nose with a fat finger.

‘Well... so what’s the trouble Jack?’

I rested my arms on the table and leaned on them, looking directly at him.

‘We’re stealing a ten million dollar aircraft,’ I said. ‘That’s called hijacking. We four stand to get life sentences if we foul it up and it could get fouled. But we five are in this together — note the five. I’m including you. We want to know how much your client is paying you.’

Kendrick smiled.

‘So you’re worried about the money, cheri?’

‘I said cut the grease. How much are you getting?’

‘That is my business!’ There was a sudden edge to his voice. ‘Bernie and I made a deal. I pay two million... Bernie has accepted this... haven’t you, Bernie?’ and he looked at Olson.

‘Just a moment,’ I broke in, ‘Let’s take a look at it. The kite’s worth ten: it’s brand new. If you’re not blind stupid, and I’m sure you’re not, you will get at least six for it. That gives you four million profit after expenses for sitting on your fat but and letting us take the risk: do you call that a deal?’

‘Six!’ He threw up his fat hands, ‘Cheri! I’ll be lucky if I get a million for myself and I’m handling the expenses. Come, come! You mustn’t be greedy.’

‘We want three and a half,’ I said, ‘or the deal’s off.’

‘Hey! Just a moment,’ Erskine broke in. ‘You...’

‘Keep out of this!’ I snarled at him. ‘You hear me, Kendrick? Three and a half or the deals off!’

‘Suppose we hear what the others say.’ Kendrick’s eyes were now like glass beads.

‘No! I’m handling this.’ I said. ‘So suppose they go along with your offer? I’m not going along with it. So they drop me, but I now know the plan.’ I smiled at him. ‘The kite’s insured. The kite vanishes. Someone talking on the telephone to the insurance people could start a lot of trouble for you. We want three and a half, Kendrick.’

He stared at me for a long moment, then nodded.

‘You’re quite a business man, cheri. Suppose we settle this sordid haggling for three million? I’ll be robbing myself, but I will settle for three.’

I looked at Bernie.

‘We don’t want to rob him, do we? So shall we settle for three?’

Bernie, looking dazed, nodded.

I looked at the other two. Erskine was gaping at me, his eyes goggling. Pam didn’t look at me.

In less than ten minutes, I had made us all an extra million.

‘Okay... three,’ I said.

Kendrick grimaced.

‘Then that’s all settled. If that’s all, I must be running away.’

‘It’s not all.’ I turned to Bernie. ‘How is the money to be paid?’

Bernie stiffened.

‘Well... Claude is going to arrange for it to be paid into the Florida Bank here in my name and I share it out.’

It was now my turn to gape at him.

‘For God’s sake! Three million suddenly paid into a local bank when we are all supposed to be dead?’

Sweat beads appeared on Bernie’s face.

‘I... I hadn’t thought of that.’ He looked helplessly at me. ‘What do you suggest?’

I turned to Kendrick who was watching me, his little eyes granite hard.

‘You pay half the money: one million and a half into the National Bank of Mexico under Olson’s name: you pay that before we take off. Then you pay the rest to the bank when we deliver.’

He shifted around on his chair, took out his handkerchief and then fanned his face.

‘That could be arranged.’

‘It has to be arranged. We don’t fly the kite out until Bernie gets a bank receipt for half the money.’

He lifted his fat shoulders. I could see in spite of his fixed smile he was hating me.

‘All right, cheri. I’ll arrange that.’

A pause, then I said. ‘Now there’s another thing. We want to inspect the runway where we land the kite.’

That really threw him. He stiffened, his face flushed and his beady eyes turned to stone.

‘The runway... what do you mean?’

‘The runway.’ I made my voice offensively patient. ‘We want to inspect it.’

‘There’s no need. I’ve discussed this with Bernie.’

‘So, now, discuss it with me. Where’s the runway?’

‘A few miles from Merida.’

‘Who built it?’

‘My client.’

‘What’s he know about making a runway?’

Kendrick shifted his orange wig, then put it on straight.

‘There’s no problem. He knows what he is doing. He’s spent a lot of money constructing the runway. If he’s satisfied, so should you.’

‘You think so? Do you imagine we’re going to risk a ten million dollar kite on a runway built by a gang of Mexicans? Do you think we’re crazy?’ I leaned forward and glared at him. ‘What do you know about building a runway? We could crash the kite.’ I turned to Bernie. ‘Do you remember the foul up we had when the Viets built a runway for us? It sagged and we crashed. Remember?’

This was a lie, but Bernie caught on quickly.

‘That’s right.’

I turned back to Kendrick.

‘These three are tied up, working for Essex. I’m foot loose. I’ll check the runway... you fix it.’

Kendrick licked his lips.

‘I’ll talk to my client. He may not agree.’

‘Then that’s too bad. We don’t fly the kite in until I’ve checked the runway.’

‘I’ll see what can be arranged.’ A pause, his eyes dwelling on me. ‘Is there any other little problem that’s bothering you, cheri?’