Backup Men

26

THEY CAUGHT up with the king and Scales four days later in Milan, but not before they had withdrawn the five million dollars from the Swiss bank. When they were caught they had $52.56 in Italian lira between them. All they would say when asked about what had happened to the rest of the money was, “We spent it.”

I read about it my first day back at work as I stood at the bar and drank a martini at eleven thirty in the morning because, for some reason, I thought it might stop my left arm from itching underneath the cast. It didn’t, but it at least made it more bearable.

Padillo came in, took a letter from his pocket, and handed it to me. “It’s to both of us,” he said. The letter was from a Swiss bank and the most interesting paragraph read:

“Our client, Miss Wanda Gothar, has asked that we transfer the sum of $50,000 to a joint account which we have opened in your names at the Riggs National Bank in Washington, D.C. She also asked us to express her heartfelt appreciation for the courtesies that you extended to her during her recent holiday in America.”

“Is it real?” I asked.

“I’ve already checked. It’s real.”

Karl moved down the bar toward us and started arranging some glasses. “Now that both of you guys are back—”

“He’s got a lead on a Duesenberg,” I told Padillo. “He wants us to lend him five thousand.”

Padillo glanced at the letter that I still held. “Why not?” he said.

“All right,” I said. “Buy it.”

Karl beamed and then, because he wanted to demonstrate that he was really interested in his employers’ welfare, he said, “How was San Francisco?”

“Fine,” I said.

“You guys going to open another place out there?”

Padillo shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

“We thought it lacked the proper ambience,” I said.