The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Chapter Five

The following morning at 09.15 hours Mel was in his office, the morning’s mail and various reports on his desk before him. As he was reaching for a Stock Market report a gentle tap sounded on the door that led directly to his private elevator: a door he seldom used as he preferred to walk through the main entrance to the bank, taking the opportunity for a word here and there with the staff. No one ever knocked on this door and he stared at it, wondering if he had heard aright. The knock was repeated.

Frowning, he decided this was so extraordinary, Miss Ashley, his secretary, would have to deal with it. As he reached for the bell push, he heard a soft whisper through the door panels, ‘Daddy it’s me.’

Mel suddenly grinned. He got to his feet, looking a little anxiously at the door leading to the anteroom. If Miss Ashley suspected someone was disturbing him at this hour, she would be shocked and indignant, but the faint clack of her typewriter told him she was occupied. He went to the door, unlocked and opened it.

Ira slipped in. Her blue eyes were guileless, her smile confident. She was wearing a slate grey frock with white collars and cuffs, and around her slim waist was a broad black patent leather belt. Her blonde hair glittered like burnished copper in the sunlight coming through the big open windows.

‘I know. I know,’ she said, keeping her voice down. ‘You don’t have to tell me, Daddy. I know I shouldn’t be here and Ashley would swallow her bridgework if she knew, but I just had to see you.’

‘I suppose you realize you’ve broken one of the most sacred rules of the bank by coming here at this hour and by my private entrance?’ Mel said, sitting behind his desk.

Ira pushed aside some papers on his desk, hoisted herself up onto the desk and adjusted her skirt. Mel thought she looked enchanting and the smile she gave him went to his heart and his head.

‘I’ll never do it again, but this happens to be very important,’ she said. ‘Doris Kirby has had an accident and I want to take her place in the vaults.’

Mel leaned back in his chair.

‘How do you know she has had an accident? Is it serious?’

‘Everyone’s talking about it downstairs,’ Ira said airily. ‘She’s hurt quite badly: a broken arm and three fractured ribs. She was foolish enough to fall down a flight of stairs last night. Now listen, Daddy, let’s be sorry for Doris some other time. What is of immediate importance is I want to take her place. That’s why I am here. I want you to tell old Crawsure I’m to have Doris’s job until she is well. I want you to do this right now before he has time to think of someone else to replace her.’

‘I’m certainly not,’ Mel began firmly, but she put her hand across his lips.

‘Don’t say anything you’ll regret later, Daddy dear. Just listen to me. If I’m going to be of any real use to you and to the bank, I should get to know your important clients. After all, I am your daughter. They will be as interested to meet me as I will to meet them. You can’t expect me to take a great deal of interest in the bank unless I have met some of the clients, can you? By meeting them, my work will come alive. Old Crawsure will have difficulty in replacing Doris. A lot of the staff are on vacation. There is also the security risk to consider. As your daughter, old Crawsure can’t object to me being in the vaults. So you see I am the obvious choice since I want to do the work.’

Mel looked at her. How like Muriel she was, he thought, and had a sudden bitter pang that his marriage hadn’t worked out. Norena had the same brittle beauty, the same hardness, the same calculated persuasion Muriel always used when she wanted to get her own way.

‘It’s not much fun, Norena, doing Doris’s work. You’ll be in the vaults all day. I think you’ll soon get tired of it.’

‘Do you imagine it is fun handling a computer?’ Ira asked, lifting her eyebrows. ‘Let me remind you, Daddy, I’m not here for fun. I’m here to gain experience of banking methods.’

‘Oh, come on!’ Mel said and laughed. ‘Don’t expect me to swallow that one. Just why do you want to work in the vaults, Norena?’

She met his gaze steadily, very confident that she could handle this big, handsome man.

‘I want to meet some of the richest people in the world. that’s why. They are unknown species to me. I want to examine them, listen to them, learn from them.’

Mel hesitated, then shrugged. It could be a good idea, he thought, and was delighted she was showing so much interest in the bank.

‘I don’t know what Crawsure’s going to say about it,’ he said doubtfully.

‘Don’t ask him, Daddy, just tell him. You’re the Big Wheel around here. You don’t ask, you order,’ and picking up the telephone receiver, she said to the operator, ‘Connect Mr. Devon with Mr. Crawsure, please,’ and then with a little flourish and an enchanting smile, she handed the receiver to Mel.

At lunch time, Ira left the bank and drove rapidly along the broad promenade, weaving her T.R.4 through the traffic, indifferent to the male eyes and the occasional whistles. At the end of the promenade, she turned down a narrow street and pulled up outside a small pizza restaurant.

Leaving the car, she entered the dimly-lit restaurant and walked to the bar.

Algir was sitting at the end of the bar, a Martini before him, a cigarette drooping from his thin lips.

Ira joined him and ordered a Coke which Algir paid for grudgingly. When the barman had gone to the other end of the bar, Ira opened her handbag and took from it a small cardboard box. This she slid over to Algir.

‘That’s the impression of the pass key,’ she said, not looking at him. ‘Tell Ticky there’s no trouble. As soon as I can get the impressions of other keys, I’ll let you have them.’

Algir opened the box and examined the impression made in a lump of putty. He saw at once that he would have little trouble in cutting the key, and he nodded.

‘This is okay.’

Ira finished her drink and slid off the stool.

‘Don’t rush away,’ Algir said, staring at her slim body. ‘I’ll buy you a pizza.’

‘Buy yourself one. I don’t need one,’ she returned and swiftly left the restaurant, got into her car and drove back along the promenade. She stopped outside her usual snack bar, went in and ordered a chicken sandwich on rye bread. While she was eating the sandwich, her mind was busy.

She had now been away from New York for a month. The sudden change from poverty to riches hadn’t made the impact on her that she had imagined it would. Looking back, she realized since she had left New York, she hadn’t had a moment of real happiness. She knew why. There was no fun living in luxury, owning a car and having unlimited pocket money without Jess Farr to share it all with her.

Without him, life was flat and stale: a photograph out of focus. She missed their physical relationship. At least four nights a week, after the jam session, Farr took her back to his sordid little room where they made violent and often brutal love. As she sat in the sunshine, nibbling at her sandwich, her body clamoured for Farr.

Now she had succeeded in getting into the vaults, she decided she wasn’t going to wait much longer. During the past days, she had been coming around to the idea that Jess must be given the chance of joining her. Whether he would or not remained to be seen. For all she knew, he might have found another girl. She had never been sure of him.

He had used her body and had been content to go around with her, but she wasn’t at all sure how he felt towards her. At least, this was something she would know if she wrote to him, telling him to come. If he didn’t come, then that was that, but if he did...

Having him in Paradise City would be dangerous, she told herself as she paid her check. But this she would explain to him. Jess was no fool. He would understand her position. He would have to keep out of Mel Devon’s way. Ticky and Algir mustn’t have the slightest suspicion that he had joined her.

She would have to buy him an air passage from New York to Miami. She had no idea how much that would cost. She would also have to provide him with funds. When Jess wanted money, he stole it. She couldn’t have him doing that here.

As she got into her car, she decided it would be asking for trouble to bring Jess out here until she had raised some money. The money she got from the first safe she opened would have to go to Jess. That was the obvious way to do it.

A vague feeling of uneasiness stirred at the back of her mind. She remembered Edris’ warning. He was as dangerous as a rattlesnake, and now she was planning to double-cross him. She stiffened her back. No pint-sized dwarf could scare her, she told herself. She wanted Jess, and she was going to have him.

Six feet of brawn and muscle, his leathery complexion riddled with tiny burst veins, his bulbous nose pock marked, Hyam Wanassee looked what he was: a roughneck Texas millionaire.

This was his last day of a six-week vacation at Paradise City. He and his wife were leaving on the night flight for Texas, and he was leaving with considerable regret. The thought of returning to the sandstorms, the wind and the ulcer-forming pressure of Texas depressed him. At sixty-three, he found the desk work, the long hours in the oil fields and the nag-nag-nag of the telephone a drudgery.

If he had been allowed to have his own way, he would have happily retired to Paradise City, leaving his son to take care of his oil wells. He liked nothing better than to sit on the beach and watch the girls in their skimpy bikinis, drink whisky, eat seafood and in the evenings, gamble at the Casino. But his skinny, ageing wife would have none of that. ‘When a man retires he gets into mischief,’ she had said often enough, ‘and that’s one thing you’re not going to do, Hyam, as long as I have breath in my body!’

At 15.00 hours Wanassee’s chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce pulled up outside the Florida Safe Deposit Bank. Wanassee left the car and climbed the steps to the bank’s entrance.

He was a well-known figure at the bank and the guards respectfully saluted him.

The guards at the grill, leading to the vaults, always dispensed with the formalities of identifying him. One of them saluted, then unlocked the grill and motioned him to the stairs.

‘This is my last visit, boys, until next year,’ Wanassee said, pausing. ‘It has gone goddamn fast this time.’

One of the guards said he hoped Wanassee had had a fine time. The other said it would be a pleasure to see him again.

Wanassee nodded, pleased, then walked down the well-lighted steps into the coolness of the vast vaults. The only fault he found with the bank was that they should have employed that stick of a girl Doris whatever-her-name-was.

Down in the quiet narrow lanes of the vaults, there was a chance for a little fun if you had a pretty girl in charge of the desk, but who would want to make a pass at a flat-chested, pratless virgin like Doris?

But... Hello! Hello! Hello! Who was this? He came to an abrupt standstill and gaped.

Ira had been warned by the Head Teller that Wanassee would be arriving. She had been told that he was a very valuable client worth some eighteen million dollars and was to be received as royalty.

She was sitting at her desk as Wanassee came down the stairs. She looked up, smiled and stood up. The light from the overhead lamp fell fully on her.

‘Hi!’ Wanassee exclaimed. ‘Where did you spring from? What’s a pretty little girl like you doing down here all on your own?’

‘Good afternoon, Mr. Wanassee,’ Ira said, coming around her desk. ‘I’ve taken Miss Kirby’s place for a week or so. She’s had an accident.’

‘Is that right?’ Wanassee was staring at Ira’s long, lovely legs. ‘An accident, huh? Don’t tell me some hero has knocked her up?’

Ira laughed.

‘Oh, no, Mr. Wanassee, she fell down stairs.’

‘That’s the best thing she could have done,’ Wanassee moved a little closer. This was really a doll, he was thinking. Just his luck that he was leaving that night. ‘And who are you, honey? What’s your name?’

‘Norena Devon.’

‘Devon? The same name as the V.P.?’

‘He’s my father.’

‘Is that right?’ Wanassee looked astonished. ‘Your father? Well, hang me for a hog! I’ve been coming to this joint now for the past ten years and I was never told Mel had a daughter. and what a daughter!’

Ira looked demure.

‘I’ve just left school, Mr. Wanassee. Now I’m working here.’

‘Do you like it?’

‘It’s all right. It’s nice meeting Daddy’s favourite clients.’

Wanassee grinned.

‘That include me?’

She looked at him: an up from under look that she knew always excited the men, especially the older men.

‘Why, of course, Mr. Wanassee. Daddy told me to be specially nice to you.’

‘Did he? But wouldn’t you have been if he hadn’t told you?’

She lowered her eyes.

‘I should think every girl would be nice to you, Mr. Wanassee. You look just like one of those big Western movie stars. I can imagine you on a horse.’

Wanassee puffed out his chest.

‘Yeah. there’s not many guys my age as big and strong as I am.’

‘Your age? Why, Mr. Wanassee, what do you mean? You’re not old.’

It was easy after that. She led him on, got him to talk about himself, no difficult task, stood staring up at him, her eyes glowing with admiration, and when she finally held out her hand and asked for his key, he handed it to her without pausing in his account of how he had made his millions. Still talking he followed her along the narrow lane that led to his safe. She had no difficulty in pressing the key into the putty she had concealed in her left hand. Her body, moving ahead of him, hid what she was doing.

In any case, Wanassee was fully occupied staring at her neat little bottom as it duck-tailed along in front of him. Pausing at the safe, she unlocked both locks and handed him his key.

‘I’ll leave you now, Mr. Wanassee. If there’s anything I can do just ring for me.’

‘You stay right where you are, honey,’ Wanassee said. ‘This won’t take a second.’

He opened the safe and taking a bulky envelope from his pocket, he tossed it carelessly into the safe.

Ira felt her heart give a little lurch of excitement as she peered over his shoulder. The safe was crammed with one hundred dollar bills. She had never seen so much money. She had only a brief glimpse as Wanassee slammed the door shut. He turned the key and stood aside.

‘Lock it up, honey,’ he said, dropping the key into his pocket.

Moving past him, Ira put the pass key into the second lock.

Wanassee eyed her back. The lust that was always close to the surface broke through his control. This was too good an opportunity to miss. His urge was so strong, he didn’t even wonder if she would make a fuss.

As Ira locked the safe, she felt Wanassee’s hot fingers cup her left buttock and gently squeeze it. Controlling the impulse to swing around and plant her fist in his mouth, she remained motionless, letting him squeeze again before she looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes big and startled.

‘Oh, Mr. Wanassee, you shouldn’t do that. Really, you shouldn’t.’

Suddenly ashamed of himself and a little frightened, Wanassee moved hurriedly away from her.

‘That’s right,’ he said huskily. ‘I don’t know what got into me. I’m sorry, honey. I shouldn’t have done it.’

She turned and smiled brightly at him.

‘But I’d rather it was you if it has to be someone, Mr. Wanassee. You’ve no idea how I’m pestered in the subway. Those men are horrible, but you... well, you’re different.’

Wanassee blew out his cheeks with relief. He must have been crazy to have touched her like that. Suppose she had yelled. Suppose she had complained to her father?

‘By God, Norena, that’s pretty nice of you,’ he said. ‘I shouldn’t have done it. I know how a little girl like you can get pestered.’ He took out his wallet, selected a hundred dollar bill, folded it and pressed it into her hand. ‘Don’t refuse an old man, honey. You forget what I did, huh? You buy yourself something. some frillies, and don’t tell your Pa.’

Patting her shoulder, he turned and lumbered away down the lane.

Ira put her tongue out after him.

‘You cheap creep!’ she said under her breath. ‘What a shock you’re going to get when you come back next year!’

Ticky Edris parked his car and got out stiffly, aware that his back was aching. The long, hard hours at La Coquille restaurant were exhausting him. Now the end was in sight, the work seemed harder and the hours endless. He looked at his wrist watch. The time was 02.55. A hell of a time to get back from work! He glanced up at the apartment block and was surprised to see the light was on in his sitting room.

It wasn’t usual for Algir to be waiting up. Had something gone wrong? Exerting himself, he trotted across the sidewalk, and up the steps and across the lobby to the elevator.

He would be thankful when Algir got some money, he thought, as the elevator took him up to his apartment. Having him as a boarder was not Ticky’s idea of fun.

He unlocked the front door of the apartment and entered the living room.

Algir was sitting before the kitchen table he had brought into the living room and which he had converted into a workbench. On the table was a small foot-driven lathe, a vice and a number of tools. To one side was a pile of key blanks.

‘You’re working late,’ Edris said, crossing over to the cocktail cabinet. ‘What’s new?’

‘Knock it off, this is tricky!’ Algir grunted.

Edris poured himself a stiff whisky, kicked off his shoes and sat down heavily in his armchair. He watched Algir as he used a fine, rattail file on a key blank. After some ten minutes, Algir pushed back his chair with a sigh of relief.

‘I guess that’s it. That’s taken me four blasted hours to get right.’ He got to his feet and fixed himself a whisky. ‘Ira was here this evening. She brought a beautiful impression of a key belonging to Hyam Wanassee’s safe.’

Edris slopped his drink.

‘Wanassee! He’s about the richest! He eats regularly at La Coquille. He tips fifteen fish at a throw!’

‘He left by the evening plane. She’s going to empty his safe tomorrow morning. That’s why I’m working this late. There could be enough in that box to put us in the gravy for the next six months!’

‘This is the beginning of it, Phil! Tomorrow she may get hold of another key. You’ve got to keep at it! No slacking off. You’ve got to cut those keys as fast as she gives you the impressions. I tell you: this could net a million... more!’

Algir nodded. He sipped his whisky and then leaned forward.

‘Something is bothering me, Ticky. Something maybe you have missed out on.’

Edris looked sharply at him.

‘What is it?’

‘Did it ever occur to you that Ira might cheat us?’ Algir said. ‘She transfers the money into my safe. Later, I come around and pick up the money and bring it here. What’s to stop her transferring only part of the money and keeping the bulk of it herself?’

‘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.

For a brief, horrible moment, the shock was so great that she blacked out. She leaned against the wall, her heart scarcely beating, her body cold with terror.

Someone was coming down the steps!

Leaving the money on the floor and the safe open, she ran blindly down the lane, reached the end and came out into the lane leading to her desk.

Standing by her desk, looking towards her, his eyebrows lifted in disapproving inquiry, was Mel Devon.

She remained motionless. She thought of the open safe and the money on the floor. He had only to walk ten yards to see what she had been up to, and he was already moving in her direction!

With an effort that drove the blood from her face, she controlled her panic and forced herself to walk down the lane towards him.

She heard herself say, ‘Why, hello, Daddy.’

Mel paused and waited for her to reach him.

‘What are you up to?’ he asked, looking intently at her. ‘Is anything wrong?’

‘Wrong? Why, no. Mr. Lanza is coming at midday. I was just checking to make sure that I could find his safe,’ she lied glibly, marvelling at herself for inventing this excuse on the spur of the moment.

‘Oh, I was wondering where you were.’ He looked again intently at her. ‘Are you sure there’s nothing wrong? You look very white.’

‘There’s nothing wrong.’

She moved past him to her desk. He turned and followed her.

‘Aren’t you feeling well, Norena?’

She turned impatiently.

‘Oh, be still! If you must know, I have the curse. I always look like this when I have it.’

Startled and a little embarrassed, Mel reached for the visitors’ register and glanced at it.

‘I’m sorry, hon. Trust me to put my foot wrong. Anyone been in yet?’

‘No.’

‘Did you find Lanza’s safe?’

‘Yes.’

She sat down at the desk, opened a drawer and took out a pile of account sheets.

‘If there’s nothing else, Daddy, I had better get on. I have these to check.’

‘I just came down for a look around. I like to see the place is well kept. You get on with your work,’ and to her horror, he turned and began walking slowly down the narrow lane in the direction of Wanassee’s safe.

‘Daddy!’

Her voice had gone shrill.

He turned.

‘Yes?’

She thought desperately for an excuse to hold him.

‘When am I going to meet Joy Ansley?’ she blurted out, instinctively feeling that if anything would attract him away from Wanassee’s safe, Joy Ansley’s name would and she was right. Surprised pleasure lit up his face.

‘I thought you didn’t want to meet her,’ he said, coming back to the desk.

‘Yes, I’d like to meet her, if she wants to meet me.’

‘She does. We often talk about you. We’re having dinner together tonight. Why not come along?’

‘All right.’ She played a scale along the edge of her desk. ‘You’re in love with her, aren’t you?’

‘I’ve known her a long time,’ Mel said carefully.

‘Are you going to marry her?’

He frowned at her. She wasn’t looking at him. She seemed more intent on the scale she kept playing than on what he would say.

‘Would you mind?’

She looked up then.

‘I have my own life to lead, you have yours. It’s nothing to do with me what you do.’

‘Oh, come, Norena, that’s not true.’ He sat on the desk. ‘You’re my daughter. My home’s your home now. If I married Joy and she came to live with us, would you mind?’

‘So you are thinking of marrying her?’

‘Now your mother is dead — yes, I’m thinking about it. I’ve waited alone now for sixteen years. But would you mind?’

‘No.’

He studied her expressionless face.

‘Sure?’

‘When I say a thing I mean it. I said no, and I mean no.’

‘You’ll like her, Norena. She’ll be company for you.’

‘I don’t want company. She’ll be company for you. Let’s get that straight. I’ll get married one of these days. You’ll be glad of her then. You’d better get it over with. I wouldn’t have waited for a man as long as she’s waited for you.’

‘You don’t mind speaking your mind, do you?’

‘Why should I?’

He laughed.

‘Well, then, tonight. After you’ve met Joy, we’ll have another talk.’

‘You either love her or you don’t,’ Ira said, staring up at him. ‘If you love her, you should marry her. If you don’t, tell her so and let her off the hook.’

The telephone bell rang. Ira picked up the receiver.

‘I believe Mr. Devon is with you, Miss Devon,’ the operator said. ‘Mr. Goldsand is waiting for Mr. Devon.’

Ira drew in a quick breath of relief.

‘You’re wanted in your office, Daddy,’ she said, replacing the receiver. ‘Goldsand. whoever he is.’

‘Oh, yes. See you when you get home,’ Mel said and walked with long strides up the stairs and out of the vaults.

As soon as he was out of sight, Ira sprang up and raced to Wanassee’s safe. She snatched up the packets of money and threw them back into the safe, slammed the door shut, locked it, and removing the keys, she ran back to her desk.

She sat motionless for several minutes recovering from her fright, then after listening, she opened her handbag, pulled up her skirt, took out the money she had stolen and crammed the two packets into her bag which she put in the drawer.

A few minutes to eleven o’clock, Algir identified himself to the two guards who unlocked the grill and waved him to the steps. He was carrying a briefcase and he was tense with excitement. At last, he was thinking, my money problems are over. But as soon as he saw Ira’s white, tense face, he knew something had gone wrong.

‘What’s up?’ he snapped, keeping his voice low. ‘Won’t the key fit?’

‘It fits all right.’ She got up and came around the desk. ‘I was nearly caught. I can’t handle this on my own!’

‘You mean you haven’t got the guts to handle it,’ Algir snarled, blood rushing to his face.

‘Oh, wrap up! Ticky and you were crazy to imagine I could do it alone! I was crazy to agree to try. Wanassee’s safe is right down there. Anyone can come down here while I’m emptying the safe and I wouldn’t know until they were right on me. Devon came down. He nearly caught me. I had the money on the floor and the safe door open.’

Algir immediately saw the problem. He could tell by her tenseness what a fright she had had. This had been Ticky’s idea. He hadn’t given it enough thought.

‘You’re right. I can see you can’t handle it alone. Okay, I’m here now. I’ll do it while you keep watch. Where are the keys?’

She gave them to him.

‘Where’s the safe?’

‘First on the left down the lane. A.472.’

‘If anyone comes down who could cause trouble, drop that on the floor. He nodded to a copper ashtray standing on the desk. ‘Okay.’

She nodded.

‘Much money in the safe?’

‘More than you can carry.’

‘You would be surprised how much I can carry when it’s money.’

He left her and walked fast towards Wanassee’s safe.