Broadway Bounty

Chapter Twenty-six

After much conversation, Decker finally convinced Linda that what he was suggesting was best.

“All right,” she said. “I don’t want you to get killed because you’re worrying about me.”

“That’s as good a reason as any,” he said, walking her to the door.

“Come and see me at the hospital?”

“I will.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

Decker kissed her and opened the door. Largo was standing there.

“Oh,” Largo said. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

Linda looked worried, but Decker simply said, “I’ll talk to you.” She went out past Largo and walked down the hall. Largo watched her walk away until Decker said, “Are you going to stand out in the hall all day?”

Largo looked at him, then stepped into the room.

“What’s Bookman want?”

“To apologize.”

“About Razor?”

Largo nodded. “About not getting you the names in time.”

“Which names?”

“Bolan, Razor…and Coles.”

“Who is Coles?”

“Armand Coles,” Largo said. “He’s a killer who was sent in to back Razor up.”

“He didn’t do a very good job.”

“I know Armand, Mr. Decker,” Largo said. “He probably wanted you to kill Razor.”

“Why?”

“Now he doesn’t have to split the kill fee with anyone.”

“That makes sense.”

Largo saw the way Decker was moving.

“How hurt are you?”

“I’m a little stiff,” Decker admitted.

“Does Tally have men on you?” Largo said.

“You tell me.”

“There’s one on the street and one in the lobby.”

“What’s your game, Largo?”

“I’ll let you know when I decide,” Largo said. “Right now I’m just working for Bookman, doing what he tells me to do.”

“Which is?”

“Deliver a message, and keep an eye on you.”

“Like you did last night?”

Largo smiled disarmingly.

“I knew you’d handle Razor. How did he cut you?”

“By accident.”

“I figured it was something like that,” Largo said. “Razor never saw the day he could handle someone of your caliber.”

“Or yours?”

Largo shrugged.

“What about Armand Coles?”

“Ah,” Largo said, “of late Coles has been surprising me a little.”

“How’s that?”

“He’s been making smarter moves.”

“Like killing Bolan?”

“Like going out on his own, yes.”

“Tempted?”

“Like I said,” Largo replied, “I’ll let you know when I decide.”

“Do you know where I can find Coles?”

Largo considered the question a moment. He was trying to decide whether he could, or should, answer.

“I think I might be able to tell you where he takes a drink or two,” Largo finally said.

Afterward, Decker said, “And where will you be?”

Bookman’s man—for now—walked to the door. He said, “I’ll be around, Decker.”

“I’ll look for you.”

“Don’t,” Largo said. “You won’t find me.”

“Hey,” Decker said as Largo opened the door.

“What?”

“How do you know Coles drinks at this saloon?”

“Because,” Largo said, “I drink there myself on occasion.”

When Largo went in—and again when he came out—Tally’s men studied him carefully. Neither of them had ever seen him before.

Later one of them would tell Tally that the man was “tall and slender, moved, well, like a killer. Only he was nobody we’d ever seen before.”

“Sometimes those are the ones you should be most careful of,” was Tally’s reaction.

For now, Largo was seen as just another visitor to the hotel. Tally’s men went back to their normal procedure of surveillance.

Which meant they were half-asleep.

Decker got dressed and walked to the window of his hotel. It overlooked the street in front of the hotel, and Decker saw one of Tally’s men standing in the doorway of a building across the way.

Decker decided that when he located Armand Coles, he didn’t want the police around.

Not yet.