You're Dead Without Money

Two

A middle aged, fat, blonde woman, followed by a man who could have been her husband came into the bar. They climbed up on stools and ordered whisky on the rocks. The man, weedy, balding, wearing a bush jacket and crumpled khaki slacks divested himself of two expensive looking cameras which were festooned around his neck. He stared around and his eyes finally came to rest on Barney who was putting away the third tier of his second hamburger.

The weedy man nudged the fat blonde who swivelled her head and eyed Barney, her pale blue eyes popping. This woman had managed to wedge her enormous hips into a pair of flame coloured shorts. I felt that any extra movement from her would make the shorts give at the seams. Over her vast frontage, she had on a lightweight sweater with a pattern of orange rings against a white background.

‘One of the local characters, Tim,’ she said in a loud whisper. ‘I love this City. You can’t move a yard without finding something exciting to look at.’

Barney looked a little smug.

‘You know, Mr. Campbell, people notice me,’ he said. ‘Mr. Dulac is right. I am a tourist attraction.’ He pointed his big finger at my chest. ‘I’ll bet you a nickel before those two leave, the punk will want to take my photograph.’

I said it was a bet, but how about getting on with this story of his?

Barney nodded.

‘Yeah... well, you know about Joey, Cindy and Vin. We’ll leave them for the moment with the outlook for Vin bleak. He could, of course, have moved on to Jacksonville and tried his luck there, but he now had this rooted idea that he had to pull off the big one so he could settle with Cindy and Joey for at least a couple of years before looking for another job, and he knew Paradise City was about the only city apart from Miami where you could find loot worth fifty thousand bucks in one quick, safe steal.’

Seeing the fat woman was still gaping at him, Barney wigwagged with his bushy eyebrows and gave her a leering grin. The woman looked hastily away and leaning close to her husband, she began to whisper.

‘She’s a little shy,’ Barney said. ‘You wait. They’ll be over here wanting my photo.’ As I said nothing, he went on, ‘Now I’ll tell you about Don Elliot. You’ve seen plenty of pictures of him: a tall, well-built guy, handsome, dark and with that sexy look most women can’t resist.

‘When Errol Flynn kicked off, there was an opening for a movie actor to take his place. Pacific Pictures had Elliot under contract and they realized, with careful grooming, they could move him into Flynn’s market. They groomed him and he delivered. His first three movies went well and did big box office. He was a mixture of Flynn and Fairbanks senior. As you said, no actor, but a good cut and thrust merchant. His agent, Sol Lewishon, was smart enough to get Elliot on a percentage deal after the third movie and Elliot really moved into the dough. Like most movie stars, he was a heavy spender.’ Barney paused to eat the last of the hamburger. ‘It’s an odd thing with these movie people. They have this inferiority complex. You know what I mean?’ He stared at me with his small, calculating eyes. ‘They think if they don’t live it up the rest of the world will think they’re cheapies. They have to have big cars, flash women, big houses, swimming pools. They have to throw their money around. Elliot was like that. He came to Paradise City and built a villa up on the hill and this villa, Mr. Campbell, sure as death, had everything. I heard it cost around half a million bucks. Maybe that’s an exaggeration, maybe not. It wasn’t all that big, but it had everything. One of my newspaper friends wrote an article about the villa and he showed me some of the photos.’ Barney drew in a long slow breath. ‘It had every gimmick you can imagine. Four bedrooms, four bathrooms and a living room that could hold two hundred people without them breathing down each other’s necks, a dining hall, swimming pool, a playroom, sauna baths, barbecue — you name it, Elliot had it. He even had his own movie theatre.

‘He had three cars: a Rolls, an Alfa and a Porsche racer. He was a sociable guy and he was liked. The rich creeps living here entertained him and were entertained by him. His movies were great box office. Things looked set for him, but as so often happens, his luck ran out.’

At this moment the fat woman and her weedy husband finished their drinks and got off their stools. Barney looked at me and winked, then sat back, preening himself, stroking out the wrinkles in his sweatshirt. The fat woman and her husband went out of the bar without looking at him and they disappeared into the crowd moving along the waterfront. There was a long pause, then I said gently that he owed me a nickel.

Barney shook his head in disbelief.

‘That’s never happened before. If I told you the number of times I’ve been photographed by these tourist jerks you wouldn’t believe it.’

‘A nickel,’ I said.

He dismissed this with a wave of his hand.

‘Let’s get back to Don Elliot,’ he said firmly and rapped his empty glass on the table. He waited until Sam had brought him a refill, then went on, ‘As I was saying, Elliot’s luck ran out. He had completed six movies and Pacific Pictures were drafting a new contract that would give him 20 % of the producer’s profits, and that, from what I have been told, would have netted him a million bucks, plus all expenses and so on and so on. The contract was finally ready to sign, and Lewishon, his agent, called him from Hollywood and asked him to come on up and sign it. At this time, Elliot had found another doll he imagined he was in love with. I saw her: a good-looking chick if you like them skinny: blonde, of course, with flashing green eyes and tits that should have been muzzled. The two of them left here in the racing Porsche for Hollywood. Halfway to Hollywood, the girl wanted to drive. As Eliot was nuts about her, he let her. She had no more idea of handling a racing car than I have. At around a hundred and five miles an hour, she hit a truck. His safety belt saved him, but she took the steering wheel messily in her chest. When Elliot came to in a private, top class clinic, he found Sol Lewishon and the President of Pacific Pictures at his bedside.’ Barney drank a little beer and persuaded his fat face to look sad. ‘Maybe you read about it in the newspapers?’ he asked.

I said I must have missed it. I didn’t have much time to read newspapers and news from Hollywood seldom interested me.

Barney nodded.

‘The chick was killed of course and they had a lot of trouble digging Elliot out of what was left of his car. To get him out, they had to cut off his left foot that had got caught in the wreckage.

‘The President of Pacific Pictures, a guy called Meyer, told him not to worry, to get well and then come and see him. Then he left. He had only come because he wanted to be sure Elliot had really lost his foot. He couldn’t believe it when the news had been relayed to him. One moment he had a big money spinner who jumped, ran, rode, swam, climbed, fought and did all the things Flynn had done and now he had a hunk of good looking flesh minus a foot.’

Barney sat back and regarded me.

‘You get the photo, mister? A guy with a potential earning power of a million bucks suddenly without a foot. Quite a thing, huh?’

I agreed.

‘Elliot was under sedation and had no idea he had lost his foot. Lewishon knew the goose that had been laying golden eggs for him was now washed up. He would have to hunt up another handsome hunk of flesh from somewhere and persuade Meyer to start grooming all over again and he knew he couldn’t afford to waste time on Elliot. He broke the news to Elliot that he had lost a foot, said they must get together when Elliot left the clinic, said he would talk to Meyer and scrammed.

‘A month later, Elliot was back in Paradise City. He came back a changed man: hard, sour and bitter. He didn’t see any of his so-called friends. He kept to himself. A couple of months later he was fixed up with a tin foot. He had a lot of guts and he really persevered with the tin foot. He got so he could walk normally without a shade of a limp, but running, jumping, fighting and so on were now strictly for the birds. Also the tin foot gave him a complex. Before losing his foot he spent a lot of time with the dollies in his swimming pool, but you don’t go swimming with a tin foot.

‘Elliot used to lay some girl three or four times a week, but it is sort of embarrassing to get into bed with a doll when what should have been a foot is a red looking stump. But that was only a small piece of his troubles. As soon as he was satisfied he could walk normally, he took a plane to Hollywood and called on Lewishon. When he walked into his agent’s office, Lewishon gaped at him. He had written Elliot off but seeing this big, sun bronzed handsome guy come in the way he used to come in revived Lewishon’s hopes for more golden eggs.

‘He immediately contacted Meyer, but Meyer knew Elliot was a non-starter. He knew Elliot had no acting talent. To him, a cut and thrust merchant with a tin foot was as saleable as a contraceptive to a eunuch. He said he was sorry, but no dice. To give him his due, Lewishon tried, but when Meyer said “no”, he meant no.

‘When Lewishon broke the news, Elliot stared at him, white faced. “So what the hell am I going to live on?” he demanded.

‘Lewishon was puzzled that Elliot was taking this so badly.

‘ “What are you worrying about?” he asked impatiently. “You have royalties coming in on three movies. You can count on at least $30,000 a year for the next five years and a little less for another five years. You won’t starve and who knows what’ll happen after ten years — we could all be dead.”

‘Elliot’s hands turned into fists.

‘ “I owe money everywhere,” he said. “Thirty thousand is chick feed. I was relying on this new contract to get me out of my hole.”

‘Lewishon shrugged.

‘ “Sell the villa. You could raise half a million on that.”

‘ “It’s not mine, goddamn it! It’s mortgaged to the roof!”

‘ “Okay, Don, let’s get down to it. How much do you owe?”

Elliot lifted his hands in despair.

‘ “I don’t know, but it’s plenty... something like two hundred thousand... probably more.”

‘Lewishon thought for a moment. He was a sharpie and he saw a chance of making a good investment. Elliot’s six movies could bring in an income of around $30,000 for the next five years and after five years they could still bring in something. He said he might find someone (meaning himself) to buy the rights and pay Elliot $100,000 cash down.

‘Elliot tried to get him to make it $150,000 and Lewishon said he would see what he could do. Elliot went back to Paradise City and waited.

‘Finally, Lewishon persuaded him to accept the $100,000 and with his back to the wall, Elliot agreed. He got the cash, but from that moment he was out on a limb.

‘The money went to settling some of his debts. There was something fatal about Elliot. He just couldn’t stop spending. He should have cleared out of the villa and taken a small apartment. He should have got rid of his staff who he paid well and who ate their heads off. He shouldn’t have ordered the new Rolls that cost around $30,000, promising to pay later.

‘He knew he was heading for a god-awful crash, but there was nothing he seemed able to do to avoid it.

‘At the back of his mind there was the thought of suicide. When the crash finally came, he told himself, he would empty a bottle of sleeping tablets down his throat and that would be that.

‘If this was to be his end, he decided, then he would make hay while the sun shone. He began to entertain again. His parties weren’t the success they used to be because he wasn’t the same man he used to be. His hard, cynical jeering attitude bothered people. Nobody had an idea that he was without money. By now, everyone knew about his tin foot and that he was washed up in movies, but they believed he had stashed away enough when he was in the money to be still a very rich man.

‘Then one day he got a call from his bank manager, asking him to drop in and have a talk. Elliot knew what this meant He dropped in and had a talk. His account was in the red for twenty thousand dollars and the bank manager who often played golf with him said regretfully he couldn’t give him any more credit. “Head Office is pressing me to get this overdraft reduced,” he said. “What can you do about it, Don?”

‘ “Leave it to me,” Elliot said. “I’ll fix it,” knowing he hadn’t a hope in hell of fixing anything. “What’s with your people, Jack? Twenty thousand is peanuts.”

‘The bank manager agreed but said his people were pressing him. “So let’s reduce it by half, Don.”

‘Elliot said he would fix it and left.

‘The Rolls coupe had been delivered the previous week: it was the only car of its kind in the City. Elliot had been offered it ahead of anyone else and he just couldn’t resist taking it, knowing the car agent wouldn’t press him too hard for payment. He found this magnificent car did a great deal to bolster up his sagging credit. He had only to drive up in the car to one of the stores or to his tailor for credit to be immediately granted.

‘Then one day, his Japanese majordomo informed him his stock of whisky and gin was running low and reminded him that he was throwing a big cocktail party the following evening. Elliot got a shock when Fred Bailey who ran the liquor store asked him to settle his last account.

‘ “This has been running now for six months, Mr. Elliot,” Bailey explained apologetically. “It’s six thousand dollars. Could I ask you...?”

‘Elliot gaped at him. He had no idea the parasites who he entertained had soaked up six thousand dollars’ worth of drink over a period of six months.

‘ “I’ll send you a cheque,” he said airily. ‘Right now, Fred, I want four cases of Scotch and five of gin... the usual. Get them over to my place by this afternoon, will you?”

‘Bailey hesitated. Then looking out of the window at the Rolls, he reluctantly nodded. No one owning a car like that, he reasoned to himself, could be short of money.

‘ “Okay, Mr. Elliot, but let me have that cheque. My people are pressing me.”

‘Elliot now realized time was running out for him. Back at the villa, he got out all the bills waiting payment and spent a bleak afternoon totalling them up. He found, give or take, he owed around $70,000 and this didn’t include the Rolls.

‘He sat back, worried, looking around the luxuriously furnished living room. During his moneymaking days, he had bought modern paintings, expensive pieces of sculpture and among other things a collection of jade that had set him back in the region of $25,000. He had bought all this stuff from Claude Kendrick who I have already mentioned.’ Barney paused to finish his beer, then squinted at me. ‘You remember I mentioned Claude Kendrick?’

I said I remembered and that Joey Luck had said Kendrick was one of the top fences in the City.

Barney nodded approvingly.

‘That’s correct. I’m glad you’re keeping close to me, Mr. Campbell. You know something? There’s nothing more discouraging to a guy with his ear to the ground than to talk to a deaf audience.’

That, I said, I could understand.

There was a pause while Sam brought another beer, then Barney began talking again.

‘This is the moment to bring Claude Kendrick on the scene because he played a role in the Larrimore stamp steal.’ Barney hitched himself forward. ‘Let me give you a picture of Kendrick. He was a tall, massively built queer of around sixty years of age and he wore an ill-fitting orange wig and pale pink lipstick. He was as bald as an egg and wore this wig just for the hell of it. When he met one of his lady clients he would raise the wig lite you would raise your hat — strictly a character, you understand, Mr. Campbell? He was fat.’ Barney slapped his enormous belly. ‘Not the way I’m fat, you understand. My fat is good hard fat, but his was soft fat and that’s no good to anyone. He had a long thick nose and little eyes and what with all this fat covering his face and this long snout he looked like a dolphin but without a dolphin’s nice expression. Although he looked comic and acted comic, he was a top expert in antiques, jewellery and modern art. His gallery was crammed with outstanding objets d’art and collectors came from all over the world after a bargain.’ Barney grinned. ‘They got what they wanted, but never a bargain.

‘Apart from this flourishing business, Kendrick was also a fence. He became a fence by force of circumstances you might say. Important clients came to him wanting some special art treasure that wasn’t for sale. Their offer was so big, Kendrick couldn’t resist He found a couple of smooth operators who stole what was wanted and the collectors paid and kept whatever it was in their private museums for their eyes only. Some of the steals Kendrick organized would make your hair stand on end. He once organized the steal of a priceless Ming vase from the British Museum and that nearly got him into real trouble, but that’s another story and I won’t go into that now. I just want you to get the photo of how Kendrick operated.

‘Apart from being a successful fence, he supplied most of the rich creeps living here with top class works of art. He had a way with him that inspired confidence. People sniggered about his orange wig and his make-up, but they came to him and were glad to have his advice. He had a team of beautiful boys who were experts in decor and he was always fixing and refixing people’s homes.

‘When Elliot built his villa, he had gone to Kendrick who had arranged the decor and had unloaded a mass of art — if you can call it that — on him as well as this jade collection, plus a lot of other stuff at very fancy prices.

‘Elliot decided he could well do without the jade and come to that, all the freakish paintings that covered the walls of his living room. He was now in desperate need for ready cash — not to pay his bills: these would have to wait — but to pay his staff and keep himself and this seemed to him to be the way of getting it.

‘After some hesitation, because he knew once you offered something for sale the word could get around you were in financial trouble, he drove down to Kendrick’s gallery.’

Louis de Marney, Kendrick’s head salesman, came forward as Elliot entered the gallery.

Louis was thin and willowy and could be any age from twenty-five to forty. His long thick hair was the colour of sable and his lean face, narrow eyes and almost lipless mouth made him look like a suspicious rat.

‘Ah, Mr. Elliot... so good to see you again,’ he gushed. ‘Are you better now? Splendid... splendid. I was utterly shattered when I heard of the accident. Did you get my letter? I wrote... who didn’t? But you look so well! How wonderful!’

‘Claude around?’ Elliot asked abruptly. He hated being gushed over and specially by a queer.

‘Of course... a little occupied. You know how it is? Dear Claude works himself to death. Is there something I can do... something I can show you, Mr. Elliot?’ The small eyes were probing, the lipless mouth revealed white teeth in a smile that didn’t reach the eyes.

‘I want Claude,’ Elliot said. ‘Hurry it up, Louis. I’m busy too.’

‘Of course... a tiny moment.’

Elliot watched him weave his way gracefully down the long aisle that led to Kendrick’s reception room. Kendrick refused to call this room in which he did all his big deals an office: a vast room with a picture window looking on to the sea, sumptuously furnished with some of the most impressive and expensive antiques that Claude possessed with paintings worth a fortune hanging on the silk covered walls.

While he waited, Elliot moved uneasily around the vast gallery examining the various objets d’art set out temptingly in glass cases. During the three minutes he waited he spotted several things he felt the urge to buy, but he knew Kendrick never gave credit no matter how important the client.

Louis minced towards him.

‘Please come... Claude is so happy! You know, Mr. Elliot, you have been neglecting us. It must be four months since you have visited us.’

‘Yeah.’ Elliot followed Louis’s slim back. He entered Kendrick’s reception room.

Claude Kendrick was standing by the window, staring down at the sea. He turned as Elliot came in and his fat face creased into a smile.

‘What a freak!’ Elliot thought. ‘That godawful wig! He’s fatter than ever!’

‘My very dear Don,’ Kendrick said and enfolded Elliot’s hand in both his. Elliot felt as if his hand had been thrust into a bowl of warm, slightly moist dough. ‘How very good to see you again. You’re naughty to have neglected me. How is the poor foot... the poor darling?’

‘I wouldn’t know,’ Elliot said. ‘They dropped it in the furnace, I believe.’ Moving away from Kendrick’s overpowering massiveness, he sank on to a Louis XVI settee. ‘How are things with you?’

‘Fair... let us say we don’t grumble. We have much to be thankful for. And you, dear Don, how are things with you?’ Kendrick paused, putting his head on one side and a sly look came into his little eyes. ‘I heard about that dreadful Meyer — what a horrible man! I heard he won’t renew your contract. That man! I wouldn’t sell him one single thing in my beautiful gallery. He came to me once. He actually tried to bargain with me! There are people I can deal with and people I just can’t. There are people who fill me with revulsion. Meyer is that sort of people. You understand... of course you do! Is it true he won’t renew your contract?’

‘He would be crazy if he did,’ Elliot said. ‘Meyer’s all right. He’s in business to make money like you and me. I’ve got a tin foot, Claude, and that puts paid to my racket. I don’t blame Meyer. I’d have done the same thing if I had been in his place.’

‘There’s no pity in this horrid world.’ Kendrick grimaced. ‘But what am I thinking of? A little champagne... a whisky? Do have something?’

‘No, thanks.’

There was a pause as Kendrick lowered his bulk into a special chair he had designed for himself: a wing backed chair, cleverly designed as an antique but reinforced with steel and covered with what looked like a Gobelin but was in fact a brilliant fake.

‘Louis tells me you are busy so I won’t keep you,’ Elliot went on. ‘You remember that jade collection you sold me?’

‘The jade? Of course.’ Kendrick’s eyes turned watchful. ‘A beautiful set. Do you want it cleaned, dear Don? Jade needs cleaning once in a while. It is so easy to neglect one’s treasures.’

‘I don’t want it cleaned... I want to sell it.’

Kendrick took off his wig, polished his bald head with a silk handkerchief, then replaced the wig a little crookedly.

‘You look a hell of a sight in that goddamn wig,’ Elliot said with a burst of irritation.

‘It has a psychological effect on me,’ Kendrick said. ‘When I lost all my hair I was in despair. You have no idea, cheri, how I suffered. I have always despised stupid men wearing wigs to make them look younger. So I bought this abortion and I have fun with it and yet I don’t go around bald. It is good for me and it amuses my friends and it gets talked about.’

Elliot shrugged.

‘What about it? Are you in the market to buy jade?’

‘Cheri! I can’t believe you want to get rid of that lovely set! Perhaps you don’t realize... people talk about it. They envy you! It’s been mentioned three times during the years in the World of Art...’

‘I want to sell it.’ Elliot’s face was wooden. ‘What’s it worth, Claude?’

A glazed look appeared in Kendrick’s eyes: it was a look that came when he moved from seller to buyer.

‘Worth?’ He lifted his massive shoulders. ‘It depends on who wants it. You appreciate it — I appreciate it. It is a rare and beautiful collection but it is, after all a specialized item. You don’t find people interested in big jade collections every day in the week.’ He paused to stare inquisitively at Elliot. ‘Are you planning to trade it in for something else, Donny boy? Have you seen something in my beautiful gallery that has caught your fancy? That Spode collection for instance or...’

‘I want to sell it for cash,’ Elliot said, ‘and for God’s sake, don’t call me Donny boy.’

‘So sorry. Cash?’ Kendrick made a grimace making him look like a dolphin which had bitten into a hook. ‘Well now, there’s a problem. If you were thinking of trading it in for something else I would be able to make you a cosy offer, but for cash...’

‘How much?’

‘I would have to see it again of course. People are so careless... it could have got chipped, but if it is in mint condition — as I sold it to you — I think I could offer... say, six thousand. Yes, I might go to six as you are a good friend of mine.’

Blood rushed into Elliot’s face.

‘What the hell are you talking about? You stuck me for twenty-five thousand six hundred!’

Kendrick lifted his fat hands and dropped them in a gesture of despair on his fat knees.

‘But that was four years ago, dear Don. Prices have slumped, especially with jade. People aren’t collecting jade anymore. Good china: Spode... Wedgwood... there’s interesting money there but not for the moment in jade. It’ll come back, of course. In another two or three years I could offer you something that would give you a profit.’ He appeared to hesitate, then went on, ‘But, if you really want quick cash and because you are my friend, I’ll take a risk. I will give you ten. That’s the absolute top and I could live to regret it.’

Elliot shook his head.

‘No. I’ll try Miami. There are a couple of dealers there who could offer more. Okay, Claude... forget it.’

‘You’re not thinking of Morris Hervey and Winston Ackland, are you, cheri?’ Kendrick asked, his smile pityingly sad. ‘You mustn’t deal with them. Dreadful people and besides, they are up to their horrid eyes in jade. I did a deal with them three months ago before the bottom of the jade market dropped out. They would give you four.’

Elliot experienced a feeling of defeat. He had to have cash. Maybe ten thousand was better than nothing. The jade collection meant nothing to him now. In fact, it bored him.

‘There’s this other junk you sold me, Claude,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to keep any of it. Right now, I want cash. How about taking the lot back?’

Kendrick got up and walked to the cocktail cabinet, a magnificent piece of furniture of mother of pearl and tortoiseshell inlay. He poured two stiff whiskies, added ice from the built-in refrigerator and put one of the glasses by Elliot’s side. Then he sat down and regarded Elliot with what appeared to be genuine sympathy.

‘Why not confide in me, dear Don? Things are tough? You owe money? You’ve been living too well? The wolf at the door?’

Elliot reacted to this as if he had been flicked with a whip.

‘That’s none of your goddamn business and I don’t want your goddamn drink! I’m here to talk business... let’s talk business!’

‘I’m your friend,’ Kendrick said gently. ‘Please remember that. Any confidence given to me goes no further. I could help you, cheri, but naturally I think I am entitled to know how you are situated.’

His quiet tone and his steady stare made Elliot realize that right now he was friendless. If this gross pansy with his ridiculous wig meant what he was saying, he could be crazy to ignore his offer to help.

After a moment’s hesitation, he said, ‘Okay, Claude, I’ll tell you. The blunt fact is I’m broke and in debt. That damned Rolls isn’t paid for. All I have to call my own is the stuff you sold me.’

Kendrick sipped his whisky.

‘No prospects?’

‘None. I’m washed up as a movie star. I’ve no acting talent. No... no prospects.’

‘We mustn’t look on the darkest side,’ Kendrick said as he stroked his big nose. ‘I won’t waste time saying I’m sorry although I am. You did have prospects but you were unlucky. We all could be unlucky. At least, unlike so many unlucky people, you have up to now had a merry life. What you want is immediate help. Suppose I send Louis up to your place and get him to make an inventory of the things you have? It is some time since you bought from me and I forget just what you have.’

Elliot nodded.

‘Okay, but I don’t want Louis shooting his mouth around the City. It needs only a rumour that I’m in trouble for all my creditors to move in. I’ve got to have a lump of money by the end of the month... three weeks.’

‘What do you mean by a lump of money?’

‘To get me straight, I need at least a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. If I don’t get that, I’ll go bust and then no one gets anything.’

Kendrick pursed his fat lips.

‘That’s quite a sum, but don’t despair. Let’s see what we can do. Louis will be with you tomorrow at ten. When he has made an inventory, we will have another talk.’

‘There’s that Chagall you unloaded on me. That would be worth a hell of a lot.’

Kendrick looked sad.

‘Not a good one if I remember rightly. At that time people were crazy about any Chagall, but of course it has its value. You can rely on me. I will do my very best to be helpful.’

Elliot got to his feet. He hadn’t much hope. He felt instinctively this could turn out to be a deal that would give him little and this fat queer much.

‘Okay, Claude, then I’ll leave it to you.’

‘Yes.’ Kendrick rubbed his smooth shaven jaw, then said casually, ‘You know Paul Larrimore I believe?’

Surprised, Elliot stared at him.

‘I know him... what of it?’

‘A difficult man to get to know,’ Kendrick said, his fat face sad. ‘Rather a recluse, wouldn’t you say?’

‘He keeps to himself if that’s what you mean. I wouldn’t call him a recluse. Why bring him up?’

‘You and he, I understand, are friends.’

‘I guess so. What’s all this about?’

‘I’m anxious to get into contact with him, but he refuses to see me. I find this a little churlish and I was wondering if you could break the ice for me.’

‘Larrimore is tricky.’ Elliot shook his head. ‘He doesn’t welcome people. What do you want with him?’

‘Stamps.’ Kendrick smiled. ‘I’ve been thinking of going into the rare stamp market. Larrimore is one of the most important philatelists in the world. I would be so happy to have him as my adviser.’

Elliot stared at him as if he couldn’t believe what he was saying.

‘Larrimore? Your adviser? Come on, Claude, you’re nuts! Not a hope...’

‘Like that?’ Kendrick shook his head sadly. ‘Well, I must take it you would know.’ A pause, then he went on, ‘Tell me how you got friendly with Larrimore.’

‘Apart from collecting stamps, he is a golfer. Not good, but like most golfers who aren’t good, deadly keen. He comes to the club once a week and I play with him from time to time. I cured him of a hell of a slice and since then he has always been friendly. That’s it. I don’t see anything of him now... my tin foot fixed my golf.’

‘How odd. A slice? Odd how things happen.’ Kendrick finished his whisky. ‘Although you haven’t seen him lately, you could still call on him?’

‘Look, Claude, I said forget it,’ Elliot said impatiently. ‘Larrimore wouldn’t help you.’ He moved to the door. ‘Louis will come tomorrow at ten?’

‘Yes.’ Kendrick smiled. ‘Don’t worry too much, cheri. It’s always darkest before the dawn.’

‘I seem to have heard that somewhere before,’ Elliot said and left.

‘Well now, Mr. Campbell,’ Barney said, ‘I want you to appreciate how I bring threads of my story together like weaving a carpet. It’s only because I can’t spell and my writing isn’t so hot that I’m not in your racket. I’ve got the technique, but the rest is strictly for the gulls.’

I said all of us couldn’t aspire to the heights and would he like another hamburger?

‘That mightn’t be a bad idea,’ Barney said and wigwagged with his eyebrows to Sam. ‘Feed the body — feed the mind, huh?’

I said that was an accepted fact.

‘Well now... I’ve got Joey, Cindy, Vin, Elliot and Kendrick on the stage. Now comes the time to join them together and I’ll do it step by step.’ Barney waited until Sam produced the hamburger and having inspected it, he nodded approval, then continued, ‘Joey couldn’t afford to let Cindy stick around making cow’s eyes at Vin now he knew Vin was running short of money. As his own ready cash was also getting low, he sent Cindy out to work the stores in the morning instead of the afternoon and he went out also to work the buses, leaving Vin to sit at home, dreaming about the Big Take.

‘It so happened that Cindy was walking down the main street, heading for one of the stores when she saw Elliot’s Rolls parked by the kerb. The sight of his car brought her to a standstill. Most people paused to stare at the car, but it mesmerized Cindy. This was the car of her dreams and she was standing there, in a white sweatshirt and these things they call “hot pants,” worshipping the car when Elliot came out of Kendrick’s gallery.’

‘The first thing Elliot noticed was Cindy’s long beautiful legs and then her little bottom and then her tits. These three feminine features had a big attraction for Elliot and for the moment he forgot his worries and even his tin foot. Seeing Cindy gaping at his car, he joined her and said in his screen voice that used to send shivers up and down the spines of his women fans, “She’s as lovely as you, isn’t she?”

‘Cindy spun round, embarrassed, then she laughed.

‘ “Better! Man! What a gorgeous car!” Then she did a double take as she recognized Elliot.

‘Cindy was an Elliot fan. When she was younger, she had adored Errol Flynn. When he passed on, she turned her adoration on Elliot. To find herself standing right by her favourite movie star completely threw her. She clasped her hands and stared, looking a cross between a sheep and a cow as she exclaimed, “It’s Don Elliot!”

‘Elliot hadn’t seen that soppy look for a long time and he reacted to it.

‘ “Hello,” he said and he gave out with his sexy smile which he hadn’t used since he had lost his foot. “You know me, but I don’t know you. Who are you?”

‘Cindy recovered herself.

‘ “I’m not important, Mr. Elliot. I was just passing and I saw this lovely car and I stopped and then you appeared.”

‘ “It’s mine,” Elliot said, and for the first time he felt this huge bad debt was worth the worry it was giving him. “Would you like a ride?”

‘ “Would you be kidding, Mr. Elliot?”

‘Elliot laughed, opened the offside door and waved her to get in.

‘With a dazed expression, Cindy settled herself in the passenger’s seat, clasping her hands over her breasts. Elliot drove slowly through the heavy traffic, saying nothing. One quick look at this girl’s face told him to let her alone, let her have her dream, let her give herself up to the silent movement of the car. Once clear of the traffic and on to Seaview Boulevard, he accelerated a little and headed for the hills. He drove at an easy speed until he reached a long stretch of deserted road, then he shoved down the gas pedal and let Cindy experience the sudden rush of silent power that swept them along at over a hundred miles an hour. As the road came to an end to join up with the highway to Miami, he slowed and pulled into a lay-by.

‘ “What do you think?” he asked. “Maybe you would like to drive her before you decide.”

‘Cindy stared at him. She was still a little dazed by the rush of speed.

‘ “Decide? What about?”

‘ “Aren’t you going to buy her?” Elliot asked and grinned. “This was a trial run, wasn’t it?”

‘ “Was it?” She heaved a sigh. “I wish it was. I wish I had the money. I wish it was mine.”

‘There was something about Cindy that got to Elliot. He was so used to dollies who knew everything, never were impressed, were so ready to get into his bed that Cindy scored with him.

‘ “Who are you?” he asked as he lit a cigarette.

‘This was something, Cindy wasn’t going to tell him.

‘ “Cindy Luck,” she told him. “Nobody... just a girl getting by.”

‘ “And how do you get by?”

‘ “You know... an office... a typewriter... and me.”

‘ “Cindy... a nice name. Are you lucky?”

‘ “Oh, yes! To be in this car? Oh, yes!”

‘He laughed.

‘ “Seen any of my movies?”

‘ “Every one of them! They’re like you... marvellous!”

‘No gush here, Elliot thought. This was straight from the heart.

‘ “Are you on vacation?”

‘ “That’s right.”

‘ “On your own?”

‘ “I’m with my father.”

‘Elliot looked at his wristwatch.

‘ “I’m hungry. Will you lunch with me or is your father expecting you?”

‘Joey and Vin were, of course, expecting her, but she didn’t hesitate. There was half a cold chicken in the refrig and they could manage without her.

‘ “I’d love to.”

‘He took her to his villa.’

Barney began to attack the second tier of his hamburger.

‘I want to keep this story moving along, Mr. Campbell,’ he said, his mouth full. ‘There are bits I can skip, but there are bits I have to fill in... to give you the atmosphere so don’t think I’m talking for the sake of talking.’

I said for him to go right on ahead.

He nodded.

‘Well, Elliot’s villa made a tremendous impact on Cindy. She just couldn’t believe anyone could live in such luxury. They had lunch on the terrace, overlooking the harbour and the sea, surrounded with banks of flowering shrubs and orchid trees. The lunch was as impeccable as the service: baby shrimps, peppered and served hot, sole fillets in a cheese sauce and iced passion fruit. There was champagne that made Cindy a little light headed.

‘Because she was so intrigued with everything she saw, Elliot took her over the villa. She walked by his side, her hands clasped, her eyes round, her breathing fast and uneven. Everything she saw thrilled her.

‘When he finally brought her back to the living room she said the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him.

‘ “It’s the loveliest house I have ever seen,” she said, “and you deserve it because you have given so much happiness and pleasure to so many people.”

‘Looking at her, savouring her beauty, Elliot had a surge of desire for her he hadn’t had in months. He wanted to lead her into his bedroom, undress her gently and lay her on the bed. He wanted to take her as only he knew how to take a woman, slowly, spreading the pleasure, until the climax came.

‘Just for the moment, he felt sure she would give herself to him, then he remembered his tin foot and his desire turned to sourness.

‘And while he stood looking at her, his desire leaving him, the nagging, grinding pain in a foot that was ashes in the furnace of an expensive clinic started up.

‘All he now wanted was to be rid of her. It had been a happy few hours, now the pain was back and also his worries.

‘ “Your father will be wondering where you’ve got to,” he said, his voice suddenly curt. “I’ll get my man to drive you back.”

‘Startled by this sudden change in him and a little deflated, Cindy began to thank him, but he waved her thanks away.

‘ “It’s been my pleasure,” he said. “Toyo won’t be a moment. You must excuse me... I have things to do. So long for now,” and he left her. The three hours she had spent with him were suddenly spoilt by this abrupt dismissal. She felt as if a pail of cold water had been thrown over her.

‘The Jap chauffeur drove her back to Seaview Boulevard in the Alfa. She wouldn’t let him take her direct to the bungalow. Cindy also resented not being driven back in the Rolls. She just couldn’t understand what had gone wrong — all she knew was that something had gone wrong.

Barney sipped his beer and then chased with his finger a piece of meat that had got lodged in a tooth.

‘She found Vin in the garden. Joey had gone out to work the buses.

‘ “Where the hell have you been?” Vin demanded. “What happened to you?”

‘Cindy told him. As she talked, describing the Rolls and the villa a sudden idea dropped into Vin’s mind.

‘ “This guy must be loaded,” he said.

‘ “Of course. He’s a great movie star. Mustn’t it be wonderful to have all that money and to live like that?” Cindy sighed. “And that Rolls!”

‘ “Yeah.” Vin’s eyes narrowed. “I wonder how much he’s worth?”

‘ “Millions. You couldn’t possibly live like that without being worth millions.”

‘ “Are you seeing him again?”

‘ “No... he suddenly acted strange...” Cindy went on to tell Vin how she and Elliot had parted.

‘ “Most movie stars are crazy in the head,” Vin said. “Didn’t he try to make a pass at you?”

‘Cindy flushed.

‘ “Of course, he didn’t!”

‘ “What’s the matter with him?” Vin asked. “What did he want to give you a ride for and a meal?”

‘ “Not everyone thinks the way you do!” Cindy said sharply and went into the bungalow.

‘Soon after 17.00 Joey got back from work. He hadn’t had much success and he was a little worried. He had stolen five billfolds and the complete take had amounted to forty dollars.

‘ “Where’s Cindy?” he asked, sitting in a deck chair by Vin’s side. He removed his hat and mopped his brow. “Did she get anything? I only got forty bucks.”

‘ “She’s washing her hair or some damn thing,” Vin said. “Yes, she got something. Joey! I think this is the big take!”

‘Joey stiffened and stared at him.

‘ “Big take? What do you mean?”

‘ “You remember I said I wanted to find a job worth fifty thousand bucks and then we would leave here, buy a bungalow somewhere up the coast and we three would settle down and I’d marry Cindy?”

‘Joey looked fearfully at Vin.

‘ “Yes... but that was all talk, wasn’t it?”

‘ “We three are going to pick up fifty grand,” Vin said, his eyes glittering. “It’ll be like taking a nickel off a blind man.”

‘ “But how?” Joey asked, his heart beginning to pound.

‘Fifty thousand dollars! he thought. This was the big leagues — something he had always been careful to avoid.

‘ “Take it easy and listen,” Vin said. He went on to tell Joey about Cindy’s meeting with Don Elliot. “You remember the guy? One time he was top in the movies. Cindy says he’s loaded. He runs a Rolls. That alone must have set him back $30,000. His villa is stuffed with good loot.”

‘Joey licked his dry lips.

‘ “Are you thinking of knocking over his place?”

‘ “Don’t talk wet!” Vin snapped. “Who would take the loot? Besides, I’d have to have a truck to move stuff worth all that money. No, Joey, we’re going to snatch this guy and we’re going to hold him to ransom!”

‘Joey nearly jumped out of his chair.

‘ “Oh, no! They can put you in the gas chamber for kidnapping!” Joey’s eyes grew round with terror. “Not me... not Cindy! Kidnapping’s out!”

‘ “This isn’t kidnapping,” Vin said impatiently. “We capture the guy and tell him we want fifty thousand bucks. What’s fifty grand to him... peanuts! We keep him until he pays up. No one will even know we have got him. I’ve got all this worked out.”

‘ “No!” Joey got to his feet. He was so agitated he began to shake. “I don’t care what you call it. This is out!”

‘Vin looked contemptuously at him, then shrugged.

‘ “Okay, Joey, if that’s the way you feel about it. We can swing this without you. I can even swing it without Cindy. When I get the dough Cindy and I will leave you. It’s as simple as that.”

‘ “Cindy won’t have anything to do with this!” Joey said. “She won’t touch it!”

‘ “Here she comes. Let’s ask her,” Vin said as Cindy came across the small lawn and joined them.

‘ “Ask me what?” she asked. “What’s the matter, dad? You look worked up.”

‘ “He’s planning to kidnap this movie star!” Joey said. “He’s crazy! I told him you wouldn’t have anything to do with it!”

‘Cindy looked quickly at Vin.

‘ “Kidnap? Oh, Vin!”

‘ “So what?” Vin stretched out his long legs. “We don’t hurt the guy. He’s loaded. All we do is to keep him here under lock and key until he parts with fifty grand. There’s nothing to it. When we get the dough we three will go up the coast; you and me will get married and we’ll settle down to three years or so without doing a thing. What do you say, baby? You with me?”

‘Cindy stared first at Vin and then at Joey, then back to Vin again.

‘ “You must be crazy, Vin,” she said. “No... I’m not doing it!”

‘ “There’s nothing crazy about it,” Vin said, trying to control his impatience. “You said this guy is loaded. Okay, so what’s fifty grand to him? He’ll pay. There’s nothing to it. Just imagine we three with fifty grand!”

‘Cindy hesitated. If Elliot hadn’t dismissed her in the way he had, she wouldn’t have hesitated, but now, thinking what fifty thousand dollars could mean to them all, she did hesitate.

‘ “But suppose he won’t pay?”

‘Joey stiffened.

‘ “Cindy! Listen to me...” Then he stopped because he saw she wasn’t listening.

‘ “You want to marry me, don’t you?” Vin said. “You want some fun? This way we can do what you want. Come on, Cindy, say you’ll go along with me.”

‘Cindy was sick of the way she and Joey had been living. She had never complained, but this small way of life after meeting Vin was becoming unbearable. She thought again of what all that money could mean to them and she made her decision.

‘ “Yes, Vin. I’ll help you.”

‘Vin looked at Joey.

‘ “Looks like the majority has it, Joey. Do you want to come in or do you want to split up?”

‘ “Cindy.” Joey put his hand on Cindy’s arm. “This is dangerous. It’s kidnapping. We’ll be up against the Feds. We could go away for life. We could even go to the gas chamber. You mustn’t do this, baby.”

‘ “Fifty grand,” Vin said softly. “No more dipping. No more taking risks in a self-service store. A nice little home... and me, but suit yourself, Cindy. I’m going to pull it with you and Joey, or without you and Joey... please yourself.”

‘ “I said I’ll do it, Vin,” Cindy said quietly.

‘Vin looked at Joey.

‘ “Going to change your mind or do we split up?”

‘ “You really think it’ll work?” Joey said weakly.

‘ “You think I’m nuts? Of course it will work.”

‘Joey hesitated. Looking at the determined expression on Cindy’s face he knew he couldn’t persuade her not to go ahead. He saw there was nothing else for him to do but to throw in with Vin if he wasn’t to lose Cindy.

‘ “Okay, Vin... count me in,” he said.’