Джеймс Чейз - The Way the Cookie Crumbles

‘How would she get it out?’ Edris said, his eyes hardening. ‘You get it out because the bank thinks it belongs to you. She wouldn’t dare risk taking a pile of money out with those guards at the grill.’

‘They think she’s Devon’s daughter. If she took a big handbag down with her, she could take out quite a lot of money.’

Edris thought about this.

‘If she’s crazy enough to take the risk,’ he said finally, ‘I can’t see how we stop her.’

‘Yeah. Well, I thought I’d mention it.’

Edris stared thoughtfully at him, then got to his feet.

‘I’m going to hit the hay.’ He wandered to the bedroom door, paused and again stared at Algir. ‘You’ve given me an idea, Philly-boy. If she could cheat us; you could cheat me, couldn’t you? You could stash away some of the money she puts in the safe and bring the rest to me, couldn’t you?’

‘I wouldn’t do that to you, Ticky,’ Algir said, his eyes meeting Edris’. ‘We’re partners.’

‘It was just an idea. Not a healthy one. If I found out anyone was cheating me, I’d fix him so he wouldn’t cheat anyone again.’

‘Oh, go to bed!’ Algir said impatiently. ‘I’ve still got work to do.’ He returned to the table and sat down.

Edris stared at his back for a long moment, then went into the bedroom and shut the door.

At 08.50 hours the following morning, Ira hurried into a coffee bar a hundred yards or so from the entrance to the bank. Algir was sitting at a table in a corner. At this hour the bar was deserted and they had arranged to meet here as it was near the bank and their meeting would go unnoticed.

Ira sat down beside Algir. As the negro barman started towards them, she waved him away.

‘I’m not stopping,’ she said. ‘I don’t want anything.’

Shrugging, the negro returned to the racing sheet he was studying.

‘Have you got it?’ she asked Algir.

‘Yeah.’ He handed her the key, using the top of the table to shield the movement. ‘It should work. I’ll be in at eleven o’clock. I’ll bring a briefcase with me. Can you transfer the money to my safe by eleven?’

‘I think so. I’ll start as soon as I get down to the vaults. It’s not going to be too easy. His safe is at one end of the vault: yours at the other, but so long as no one comes down, I can do it.’

‘Watch it. Don’t take any chances. It’s better to wait than mess it. You won’t get a second chance.’

She slipped the key into her handbag. Algir eyed the bag curiously. It was fairly big, and he thought she could take out quite a sizeable sum of money in that.

‘Do they let you take that bag into the vaults?’ he asked casually.

She looked sharply at him.

‘Why not? A girl has to have a bag.’ She got to her feet. ‘I must run. I don’t want to be late.’

‘See you at eleven.’

She nodded and walked quickly out into the sunshine.

Getting into her car, she drove to the staff parking lot behind the bank. She was nervous and tense. She had in her bag a letter she had written the previous night to Jess. It had been a difficult letter to write because she had been afraid to tell him about the bank in case he had lost interest in her. She had simply said that she was now in Paradise City, that she missed him and wanted him to join her. She added that she had come into some money and there was enough for his fare and for them to live comfortably for some time.

The grill leading to the vaults was not unlocked until 09.45 hours. The three-quarters of an hour wait dragged interminably. She did a little work in the accounts department, talked to one or two of the girl clerks and tried not to look at the wall clock every few minutes. Finally, it was time, and picking up her handbag, she walked briskly across the lobby and to the grill where the two guards saluted her.

‘Morning, miss,’ Aldwick, the elder of the two, said. ‘Just opening now.’ He was a powerfully-built man with reddish hair and a freckled, good natured face. His companion, Dodge, was dark and tough looking. He merely glanced at Ira and then glanced away. Aldwick handed her the pass key and as she was signing the receipt, he said, ‘Should be a busy day today, miss. A lot of our clients are going home. Mr. Ross and Mr. Lanza will be in around midday. You watch out for them: two of our biggest clients.’

‘Are they going away?’ Ira asked.

‘Yeah. This is the end of their vacation. Mr. Lanza goes back to Texas. Mr. Ross returns to New York.’

‘I’ll watch out for them.’ She smiled brightly and went down the stairs to her desk.

She stood for a moment by the desk, looking up the steps. From that angle, she could see the feet of the two guards. If they stooped low, they could see her, but not unless they did stoop low. She put her handbag on the desk, unlocked one of the drawers and took out the visitors’ register. This she placed on the desk. She put away her handbag, looked at her watch and saw it was three minutes to ten o’clock.

Her heart was beating rapidly and she was feeling a little sick. She put her hand in her skirt pocket and felt the key Algir had given her. She hesitated for a moment, then with another quick glance up the stairs, she walked rapidly along the narrow lane, turned left and continued on down the lane to Wanassee’s safe.

It wasn’t until she stood before the safe that she realised fully just how dangerous this job was that she had undertaken to do. Someone could come down the steps, reach her desk, without her knowing. From where she stood now, she couldn’t see her desk, but if that someone, wondering where she was, came quietly to the entrance of this lane she was in, he could see her as she opened Wanassee’s safe.

She looked at her watch. The time was four minutes after ten. Doris had told her that none of the clients ever came as early as this, but she would have to be ready in case they did. For a brief moment, Ira’s nerve failed and she made a movement to return to her desk, then remembering Jess and knowing she wouldn’t see him again unless she did open the safe, she steeled herself and sank the pass key into the first lock. She turned the key. Then taking Algir’s key, she slipped that into the second lock. She had some difficulty turning the key, but by using some force, she succeeded. She stood for a long moment, her hands clammy with sweat, listening. She heard nothing. Suppose a client was waiting at her desk? What would he do? How long would he wait before he told the guards that she was missing from her post?

She had to know. Running silently to the end of the lane, she peered around the corner towards her desk. No one waited for her. She could hear the shuffle of the guards’ boots as they paced slowly backwards and forwards. She could hear the faint hum of voices and fainter still, the clack of typewriters.

She wiped her hands on her skirt, then drawing in a deep breath, she ran back to Wanassee’s safe. She pulled the door open. The sight of the stack upon stack upon stack of neatly packeted one hundred dollar bills turned her mouth dry. She reached in and took out one of the packets.

There were twenty-five bills in this packet. 2,500 dollars!

More money than she had ever touched in her life. But it wasn’t enough for Jess’s fare and his living expenses. She took out another packet, then pulling up her skirt, she tucked the two packets down her girdle. She had purposely put on a girdle that morning and a loose-fitting pleated skirt. It took her several moments to arrange the bills.

Finally, sure they wouldn’t slip, she dropped her skirt. She turned back to the safe. Now she had to carry as much of this remaining money to Algir’s safe. There was so much of it! She would have to make at least three journeys. Again her nerve almost failed, then forcing herself to do it, she pulled out as many packets as her fingers could grip. These she put on the floor in a neat pile, then she reached into the safe again. As she gripped more of the packets, she heard approaching footsteps.