Lawrence Sanders - McNally's caper

It was the first time I had really looked at him, close up. He had the ruins of a very handsome face, gone to seed a bit now but still showing what had been hard, craggy features. I estimated his age at fifty-two to fifty-five, in that range, and I guessed that thirty years ago he had been a very sexy lad indeed. Now there were burst capillaries in the meaty cheeks and nose, but the mouth was still tight, teeth his own and good, the smile secret and knowing.

The only thing about him I disliked, I decided, were the small eyes of washed-out blue. Too innocent to be true, those eyes.

‘… a little fun bar across the avenue,’ he was saying. ‘Just to relax for a few moments. If you have the time, of course.’

‘What?’ I said, confused. ‘Oh. Well … yes, just one. Then I’ll have to run.’

‘Of course,’ he said. ‘Understood.’

So there we were, three minutes later, tucked into a cozy booth in a Park Avenue bar-restaurant. I remembered it vaguely as having five different names in as many years. On the evening I had my first fatal drink with Noel Jarvis, it was called Lucifer’s. Was fate trying to tell me something?

It didn’t take very long to realize I was in the presence of a very, very, heavy drinker. I was just finishing my first glass of white wine when he was sipping on his third martini, straight-up with a twist of lemon. As far as I could see, though, he could have been drinking ice water for all the difference it made in his speech and deportment.

He was good company too. Glib, witty, intelligent and informed, and very fast with a gold Dunhill to light my cigarette. He recognized my dress as a Halston. He told me scandalous stories of a few of his more famous customers. And he made me feel that at that moment he wanted nothing more from life than to be sharing a comfy, after-work drink with little ol’ me.

I don’t mean he came on heavy. There was no knee-rubbing, no hand-grabbing, no ‘accidental’ touches, no leers — nothing like that. He just made me feel I was important to his happiness.

Doing my Mata Hari number, I got him talking about his trade. It wasn’t hard at all; he was delighted to jabber on about diamonds, the controlling cartels, how price was determined, where the main cutting centers were located, how important the Israelis were to the business, how an increasing percentage of the sales of Brandenberg amp; Sons was now in unset diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and rubies. For investment.

‘Oh yes,’ Noel Jarvis said. ‘Investment. At the moment, I can assure you, diamonds are generally overpriced. But if you believe, as I do, in a continued inflation rate of seven to eight percent, I suggest you put all your loose change in gemstones. You do have some loose change, don’t you, Jannie? I may call you Jannie, may I not?’

‘Of course,’ I said automatically. ‘Yes, I have a few odd pennies. But wouldn’t I do better to buy set pieces, especially antique necklaces and chokers and things of that sort? I’ve been reading stories of the fabulous prices they bring at auctions.’

‘Um … well,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘Not necessarily.

Some pieces have an antique value, an historical value. Tiaras and brooches owned by this queen, this and that duchess, and so forth. If you’re a collector, that might be of some interest. But what you must look for, beyond the provenance of a particular item, is its intrinsic worth. The cut of the stones, their color, weight, brilliance, and so on. I really think you’d do better with individual stones. So small, so easy to conceal — for safety’s sake, of course. So easy to take across the borders in case — God forbid — you might have to travel suddenly with a good portion of your wealth. In addition to the sale of cut but unset gems for investment, there is another trend these days, and that is to have very valuable stones mounted in extremely simple settings. For instance, just the other day we designed and produced a pendant for a movie star whose name I shall not mention. The white gold chain was worth three hundred. The eighteen-carat, pear-shaped diamond suspended from it was worth half a million.’

‘My God!’ I gasped. ‘What’s the point — a rock like that hanging from a little chain?’

‘Several points,’ he said, smiling benignly. ‘The finished item is very simple, very elegant. Can be worn with a variety of gowns at a variety of functions. Marvelous with Halstons, for instance. Nothing ostentatious about it. And, most important perhaps, it never seems to occur to thieves that a simple chain-and-stone-necklace could be so valuable. So in addition to selling individual stones for investment, we also do a very good business indeed in valuable gems in quiet settings. Something you might care to keep in mind. Can you have dinner with me?’

The sudden question caught me off-balance.

‘Uh,’ I said. ‘Well … no. I’m sorry. I do have plans.’

‘Of course you do,’ he said. ‘I wouldn’t have thought otherwise. Do you suggest I ask again — or is the hope hopeless?’

He looked at me with such quizzical charm, with such a graceful shrug, that I couldn’t resist him.

‘I hope you do ask me again,’ I said firmly. ‘Do call me. I’m in the book.’

‘I know,’ he said gently. ‘I looked.’

I thanked him, shook his hand, prepared to leave

Lucifer’s. Noel Jarvis wanted to go with me, to deliver me by cab to wherever I was going. But I insisted he stay, and he agreed, ordering his fifth martini.

When, at the doorway, I glanced back, he was still sitting upright in the booth, still smiling, very steady, a hand raised in farewell.

‘I understand you’re getting hairy around the heels,’ Dick Fleming said.

Jack Donohue shrugged. ‘When you’re hot, you’re hot; when you’re not, you’re not. Where did you say you were from?’

‘I didn’t,’ Fleming said. ‘Does it matter?’

‘Oh …’ Donohue said vaguely.

‘Kansas City,’ Dick told him, ‘originally. A little here and a little there since then.’

‘And what are you doing now?’

‘Anyone I can,’ Fleming said, and the answer seemed to satisfy Donohue.

We were sitting in a back booth at Fangio’s. The pleasing thought occurred to me that maybe I was the bone of contention. These two dogs were sniffing around what they considered to be a bitch in heat. No wonder there were snarls, snaps, and growls. It had gone on all during dinner.

‘I can’t work with the Tooth Fairy here,’ Donohue said finally, glowering at me. ‘I’ve got to have guys at my back I can trust. No insult intended, Fleming, but the chemistry is wrong.’

‘Suits me,’ Dick said. ‘You don’t impress me as being the kind of brainy pro we’re looking for. Let’s split, Bea.’

I decided to crack the whip.

‘You shitheads,’ I said coldly to both of them. ‘I’ve spent too much time on this campaign to blow it because you two can’t get along. I don’t expect you to like or trust each other. All I’m asking is that you work together just long enough to pull this off. Then you can go at each other with icepicks for all I care. But either you work together, or consider yourselves out, and I’ll find myself some other boys.’

The two men stared stonily at each other.

‘I’ll go along,’ Fleming said.

‘Strictly business,’ Donohue said.

‘All right,’ I said. ‘Remember that. I’m the boss lady, but we’re all in it together. One goes down, we all go down. So we work as a team. Agreed?’

They both nodded.

‘Jack,’ I said, leaning toward Donohue, ‘this is what I’ve got …’

I spelled it out for him: all about Brandenberg amp; Sons, the address, size, number of employees, daily schedule — everything Dick and I had been able to learn.