Barely Legal

97

Herbie was nervous riding along in the cab. He had one shot, and one shot only. He’d gotten out of his apartment building, but that was the least of it. One cop was a lot easier to distract than a bunch of armed thugs, and he’d had help. Well, there was no harm in asking for help. Herbie wasn’t trying to prove anything. If someone else did it for him, that was fine with him.

Herbie felt bad about tricking Josh. He’d have to make it up to him, assuming he ever got out of this. He’d bail him out, pay his fine, try to make Dino understand that Josh wasn’t in on it at all. Herbie’d completely finessed him, feeding him the story about the loan shark, knowing it wasn’t going to fly, then reluctantly admitting the guy was Taperelli’s. If he’d led with that, Josh would have been suspicious. As it was, he didn’t have a clue. He probably still thought the guy was a hood. Well, whatever the case, Josh had done a great job.

Unfortunately, there was no one he could call on for the next part of his mission. He and he alone had a shot to save Melanie.

The cab pulled up on the corner of Seventh Avenue and Thirtieth Street. Herbie paid the driver and got out. The downstairs door was open. Herbie went in and rang for the elevator. The car came, an ancient one with buttons that stuck. He pushed eight and rumbled up to the eighth floor.

Herbie strode down the hallway and banged on the frosted glass door with the sign saying FINANCIAL PLANNER.

Carlo flung it open. He gawked when he saw who it was. “What the hell do you want?”

“I need to see your boss.”

“About what?”

“None of your fucking business.”

That was the right answer. Carlo stepped aside and let Herbie into the office.

Herbie’s heart was pounding. He had his gun on his hip, loosely covered by his sports jacket. He’d bullied Carlo to avoid a pat-down, and it had worked. Now if he could just carry it through.

Mario Payday sat behind his desk. Ollie the Ox and another big goon stood on either side of him.

Herbie walked up to Mario, spread his arms wide, and grinned. “It’s Payday.”