You're Dead Without Money

Four

As Louis de Marney was winding down the steel grille that protected the window of the gallery, he saw Elliot coming down the street from the parking lot. He nipped into Kendrick’s room to warn him.

Kendrick, who was preparing to go home, smiled his oily smile.

‘I was rather expecting him. Show him in, cheri, and stick around. I might just need you.’

As Louis returned to the gallery, Elliot opened the door and entered.

‘Why, Mr. Elliot! How nice!’ Louis gushed. ‘Did you want a little mot with Claude?’

‘Yeah,’ Elliot’s eyes were hard and his face tense. ‘He hasn’t gone yet?’

‘Just on the very point, but I know he’ll see you. You go right on ahead, Mr. Elliot.’

Elliot found Kendrick pouring himself a whisky.

‘My dear Don! What a nice surprise! Have some of this poison with me? It’s so bad to drink alone and Louis, the stupid dear, has given it up. All he thinks about is his figure.’

‘Thanks.’ Elliot closed the door, walked over to a chair and sat down.

Kendrick brought his drink, set it on a side table, then went behind his desk, folding his bulk into his chair.

‘What’s brought you here, cheri?’

Elliot lit a cigarette.

‘Tell me about these Russian stamps you’re interested in, Claude.’

‘If you can get them, Donny boy, I will...’

‘I know all that, Louis made it clear. Let’s have the dope about them and don’t, for God’s sake, call me Donny boy!’

‘So sorry... a slip of the tongue.’ Kendrick smirked. ‘Well... these stamps. They have an amusing history. About two years ago one of the Russian top shots — no names, of course, dear Don — thought he was entitled to have his face on a postage stamp. Let’s call him Mr. J. Well, at that time Mr. J. was powerful enough to persuade the merry gang to agree and the order went ahead to print the stamps. Mr. J. had a jealous enemy who suddenly and unexpectedly produced proof that Mr. J. wasn’t, after all, a loyal comrade but a thieving capitalist. The merry gang were horrified, stopped the print run of the stamps and ordered them all to be destroyed. It was inevitable, of course, that in the process Mr. J. also got himself destroyed. The merry gang realized that by stopping the print run of the stamps, the stamps already printed would be of tremendous value in the capitalist world. Fifteen thousand stamps had been printed. They were checked and eight were found to be missing. It was assumed that one of the printers had smuggled them out of the country for they turned up very briefly in Paris. A French stamp dealer approached a wealthy client of his, but before the client had time to make an offer, the French dealer was murdered and the stamps stolen. Since then, they have vanished but it is certain someone and not the Russians have them. A client of mine is ready to pay a substantial sum for them. For the past year he has made searching inquiries. Every big collector has been approached. They have, without exception, been frank about the approach, saying if they had the stamps they would accept the deal offered. My client is satisfied that they are being truthful. The one and only important philatelist who ignores my client is Larrimore. This seems to us to indicate that he has the stamps and won’t part at any price, but we could be wrong. He just might be bloody minded. As you are a friend of his, we think it’s possible for you to make certain he does have the stamps.’

‘All this fuss about eight stamps?’ Elliot said, staring at Kendrick. ‘And all the same stamps? Just how much is your client willing to pay for them?’

Kendrick removed his wig, looked inside it as if he expected to find something growing in there and then replaced it.

‘That we needn’t go into, dear Don. All that is necessary for you to know is what we are going to pay you.’

‘But why me? I’m an amateur. If your man is so keen to get the stamps why doesn’t he hire experts to break into Larrimore’s house and steal the stamps? Why me?’

Kendrick finished his whisky, blotted his mouth with a silk handkerchief and smiled.

‘My dear boy! Larrimore owns around 300,000 stamps. How could a burglar find the wanted stamps among all those? What you need to find out is how he classifies his stamps. In what case he keeps his Russian stamps and how to get at them quickly. Without this knowledge, it would take weeks to find them.’

Elliot considered this.

‘Yeah. Suppose I get near them? How do I know they’re the stamps you want?’

‘That is a good question.’ Kendrick opened a drawer in his desk, took from it a steel box, found a key and opened the box.

‘Here is a photostat of the stamp. It’s nothing to look at and as you will see it is easily identified.’ He passed the Photostat across the desk.

Elliot examined the stamp. As Kendrick had said it was nothing to look at: the head of a man with the face of a charging bull and CCCP in the right hand corner.

‘Well, okay... I’ll see what I can do,’ Elliot said, putting the photostat back on the desk.

‘You must be careful how you approach Larrimore,’ Kendrick said quietly. ‘He has already been offered a very large sum of money for the stamps and he has ignored the offer. If he has the stamps and if he becomes suspicious he might come under pressure, he could put the stamps in a bank vault. If he does that, then the operation will be sunk. So caution is the word.’

Elliot nodded.

‘This is really a shot in the dark,’ Kendrick went on. ‘Although we feel it is highly likely that Larrimore has the stamps, we don’t know for certain. As I have told you, my client has approached every likely collector and has drawn a blank, but there might just possibly be some little collector and not Larrimore who has the stamps. So, first, you must find out if Larrimore has them. If he has them, you must find out where he keeps them.’ Kendrick paused, then went on, ‘I’ve been thinking, dear Don. It might be wiser if you got me this information — that he has the stamps and where he keeps them — and for me to pass this information on to my client for him to take action himself. We would still pay you the two hundred thousand and you would run no risk. What do you think?’

Elliot relaxed a little.

The thought of breaking into Larrimore’s house, even with Vin to help him, had bothered him. If it was only information that Kendrick wanted, then the set-up looked much more reasonable.

‘I’ll go along with that. Okay, Claude, you leave this to me.’

Kendrick got to his feet.

‘I have to run, cheri. A dreadful cocktail party looms ahead but it is good for business. One must sacrifice oneself. If there is anything further I can do to be helpful, do ask. I can rely on you to be most careful?’

‘Sure... I’m in this for the money... same as you.’ Elliot got to his feet.

Kendrick waited until he heard Louis shut and lock the gallery door after Elliot, then he picked up the telephone receiver, dialled a number and waited. When the connection was made he said, ‘The Belvedere Hotel? Please connect me with Mr. Radnitz. This is Mr. Claude Kendrick calling.’

Barney broke off to blot his eyes with the back of his wrist.

‘These sausages, Mr. Campbell, have a kick like a mule, but they are good for the digestion. You have one.’

I said a mule and my digestion were things apart and I would rather not.

Barney shrugged his immense shoulders, rinsed his mouth with some beer, collected his thoughts which apparently had been disturbed by the last sausage and settled down to his story again.

‘Now, I bring upon the stage yet another character,’ he said. ‘Herman Radnitz.’ He paused and blew out his cheeks. ‘Radnitz comes to this City from time to time and rents all the year round the penthouse at this hotel, the Belvedere. Let me tell you the penthouse costs a lot of solid bread, but Radnitz is rich. I’ve seen him two or three times, and frankly, if I never saw him again, it wouldn’t put me off my beer. Let me give you a photo of him. Imagine a short, square-shaped man with hooded eyes that would shame a bullfrog and a thick, hooked nose. I am told he is one of the richest men in the world and to my thinking looks the meanest sonofabitch I’ve yet seen and that, mister, is saying a lot.

‘I’m told he is internationally known for his financial machinations, has power over Foreign Embassies, has fingers in any international deal worth more than five million dollars, is a power behind the Iron Curtain and is on first name terms with the political top shots throughout the world.

‘This is the man who wanted Mr. J.’s stamps. He has a vast organization of slaves who work for him and — so some people whisper — kill for him. He had instructed these people to find the stamps and after a year of systematic digging the gap had been narrowed to Larrimore.

‘Radnitz found it an odd coincidence that the stamps just might be in his favourite City where he spent a few weeks a year relaxing. He had dealt with Kendrick’s gallery and because he always believed in putting on file information about anyone he dealt with he had Kendrick investigated. He learned that Kendrick was not only a dealer in fine art, but also a fence. Having tried to approach Larrimore and failed, Radnitz decided to see what Kendrick could do.’

Barney paused to eat the last of the sausages. I waited until the expected reaction took place. Then when Barney had recovered, he said, ‘You get the photo, Mr. Campbell? Okay for me to go ahead or are there any questions?’

I said I was listening and there were no questions.

Ko-Yu, Radnitz’s Japanese chauffeur and valet, opened the door of the luxury penthouse suite and bowed Kendrick inside.

‘Mr. Radnitz is expecting you, sir,’ Ko-Yu said. ‘Please to find him on the terrace.’

Kendrick went through the big living room and out on to the terrace where Radnitz, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and cotton slacks was sitting at a table covered with documents.

‘Ah, Kendrick, come and sit down,’ Radnitz said. ‘Would you like a drink?’

‘No, thank you, sir,’ Kendrick said and sat down away from the table.

Radnitz scared him, but he was sure this squat toad of a man could make money for him and money was the principal thing in Kendrick’s life, apart, of course, from the glamour boys who buzzed around him like bees around a hive.

‘Have you any news for me?’ Radnitz asked, rolling a cigar between his stumpy fingers. ‘The stamps?’

‘There is progress, sir.’ Kendrick explained about Elliot.

Radnitz listened, his eyes hooded.

‘Larrimore has no friends,’ Kendrick went on, ‘except Elliot. I thought...’

‘Don’t let’s waste time,’ Radnitz broke in curtly. ‘I know all about Larrimore. Tell me about Elliot... a movie star, if I remember rightly?’

Kendrick explained about Elliot’s financial position: how he had lost his foot and how he (Kendrick) had put on the pressure and now how Elliot had agreed to cooperate.

‘And you think he will succeed?’

‘I hope so, sir.’

‘And if he doesn’t what other suggestions have you to make?’

Kendrick began to sweat.

‘At the moment, I am relying on him, but if he fails, I will think of something.’

‘And what does that mean?’

‘Larrimore has a daughter,’ Kendrick said. ‘Perhaps we could use her to put pressure on Larrimore.’

‘I am aware that he has a daughter,’ Radnitz said stonily. ‘Of course I have considered this possibility. But first we must be certain Larrimore has the stamps. If he has — if Elliot fails us — then we might use the daughter.’

‘Yes,’ Kendrick said, ‘but I’m hoping Elliot won’t fail... he has the incentive.’

‘Very well. Keep me informed.’ Radnitz made a gesture of dismissal. ‘Thank you for coming,’ and he reached for a document on the table.

When Kendrick had gone, Radnitz laid down the document and clapped his hands three times.

After a short delay his secretary and personal assistant came out on to the terrace. This man was tall, thin, balding, with deep-set eyes and a thin, cruel mouth. His name was Gustav Holtz. He was as important to Radnitz as Radnitz’s own right hand. A mathematical genius, a man with no scruples, with eight languages at his fingertips and with shrewd political know-how, Holtz served Radnitz well.

‘Don Elliot,’ Radnitz said without looking around. ‘One time movie star. Open a file on him. Have him covered. I want to be informed of his movements — a daily report. Be sure he doesn’t become aware that he is being watched. Cover this immediately.’

‘Yes, Mr. Radnitz,’ Holtz said.

Knowing his order would be scrupulously obeyed, Radnitz again picked up the document and dismissed Elliot from his mind.

As he drove back to the bungalow, Elliot did some heavy thinking.

With Vin, Cindy and Joey willing to help him, he was now enthusiastic about getting hold of these Russian stamps. This seemed to him not only to be an exciting adventure and a solution to his financial problems but also a challenge in the best tradition of a movie plot. After Kendrick’s warning, he realized a direct approach to Larrimore was out of the question. He hadn’t seen Larrimore for more than three months. He had never been to his house. He couldn’t ‘accidentally’ run into him at the golf club. He had to steer clear there. Too many of his creditors were members and besides, his subscription was long overdue. This wasn’t going to be easy and his mind searched for another solution. Then he thought of Larrimore’s daughter. She could be a possibility, he thought. Yes... this could be the solution.

He was still thinking when he pulled up outside the bungalow.

He found Vin on his own. Joey and Cindy had just left in the Jaguar on a self-service store raid.

After Elliot had explained the possibilities of stealing the stamps, Vin had become more cooperative. The thought of being paid fifty thousand dollars for stealing a few postage stamps appealed to him. In spite of the way Elliot had physically handled him, Vin was impressed by this handsome movie star. He felt instinctively that if anyone could plan this steal, Elliot would be the one to do it.

So when Elliot joined him in the back garden, Vin eyed him expectedly. He knew Elliot had been to talk to Kendrick and he was curious to know the outcome.

Elliot told him of the conversation.

‘From what Kendrick tells me,’ he concluded, ‘it would be unwise to approach Larrimore. We have a problem here because I have to keep out of sight. By now, all my goddamn creditors will be looking for me. If they catch up with me, we’re sunk. You’ve got to be the front man.’

‘Suits me,’ Vin said. ‘So what do I do?’

‘There’s a good chance we can get the information we want from Larrimore’s daughter. Judy Larrimore is a wild one. I’ve met her a number of times in various nightclubs. She’s strictly not my style. She drinks too much, tries too hard and is my idea of a juvenile pest. Her father can’t stand the sight of her — nor she him. Although she lives with him, they scarcely ever meet. He keeps her short of money so she is on the lookout all the time for boy friends who have money to spend on her. I’m sure you can handle her. I think she could have the information we want. Before Larrimore’s wife died in an accident, he told me Judy helped him classify his stamps. It was only when she lost her mother that the girl went off the rails and has kept off them ever since. So she should know something about these Russian stamps always providing Larrimore has them.’

Vin was listening with interest.

‘Sounds right up my alley. So how do I meet this chick?’

‘No trouble at all... a straight pick-up. One of her favourite haunts is the Adam and Eve club. She usually begins her night prowl there around ten o’clock. You can’t miss her. She’s around eighteen, tall, good figure and with red hair. She inherited her hair from her mother who was Italian. This Venetian red is unique... you seldom see it here. If you spot a wild — looking girl with red hair, wearing as little as she can, you can bet she’s Judy Larrimore.’

‘I like it even more,’ Vin said with a leer. ‘Sounds to me like fun and business combined.’

‘Handle her carefully,’ Elliot warned. ‘She’s no pushover and she has the pick of the wild ones here, but she’ll go for new blood if you approach her right. Don’t rush her. We have time. After three or four meetings, you can begin to probe and I’ll tell you how to handle it. Just get intimate now... okay?’

Vin nodded.

‘I’ll get after her tonight.’

While they were talking, Joey and Cindy were working the local self-service store. Cindy was busy filling her ‘maternity basket’ with items for the evening meal. She planned to make this a special dinner. Elliot had explained he couldn’t return to his home and it would be risky for him to put up at a hotel, so how about moving in with them? Joey and Cindy welcomed this idea. Vin wasn’t too happy about it, but when Elliot said he would pool his nine thousand dollars towards expenses and finance the steal, he was quick to agree.

While Elliot had been explaining about the stamps, Vin, who missed little, had seen the way Cindy was looking at Elliot and he began to get the idea that Cindy was taking more interest in Elliot than was healthy. He had a sneaking feeling that because Elliot had manhandled him, Cindy was now transferring her affections from him to Elliot.

When Elliot had gone to see Kendrick and Joey and Cindy had gone to the self-service store, Vin, alone, had time to think. Elliot was the key to the Big Take which he (Vin) was always dreaming about. He asked himself how much Cindy meant to him. He wasn’t in love with Cindy — Vin just didn’t know the meaning of love. He had thought it would be fun to be married to her, to take her around and to have a good time with her, but was there more in it than that? There were thousands of girls as pretty as Cindy: thousands as cute. If she wanted Elliot, he (Vin) would be nuts to spoil what looked like the Big Take. When they got the stamps and Elliot had paid over the fifty thousand dollars, if Cindy opted to stay with Elliot then that would be too bad for her and Joey. Vin grinned suddenly. He would pocket the whole amount and walk out on them. Elliot could take care of them. Why not? If she didn’t go with Elliot, then fine, but he wasn’t going to shed tears if she didn’t.

Once having got this clear in his mind, he relaxed and was able to get along with Elliot.

Cindy had decided to cook a chicken casserole which she did very well. It took her a little time to find two chickens that satisfied her. While she was examining the birds, Joey regarded her with loving eyes. He had seen the change come over her since the clash between Elliot and Vin and in one way he was relieved, but in another way, worried. Vin at least was in Cindy’s class, but Elliot wasn’t. Elliot could just fool around with her and leave her flat and this had always been Joey’s fear that Cindy could get hurt.

When the shopping was over and as they were walking to where Cindy had parked the Jaguar, Joey said, ‘Elliot seems a nice fella, Cindy. What do you think?’

She nodded. As she got into the car, she said, ‘Dad... I’ve been thinking. I’ve made a mistake about Vin.’

Joey sighed.

‘All women are allowed to make mistakes, baby,’ he said. ‘Is there someone else?’

‘As if you didn’t know.’ Cindy gave him a crooked smile. ‘Don... the moment I met him...’

‘Does he feel the same about you?’

‘Of course not! I mean nothing to him.’ She started the car and pulled out into the traffic. ‘A cat can look at a king, but that’s it, dad.’ She pulled a little face. ‘I want you to know I’m through with Vin. I’m going to tell him. We can work together, but now, I don’t want to marry him.’

‘No one ever said you had to,’ Joey said. ‘When this job’s done, we’ll go off together, Cindy. With our share of the money we can find a little place and take it easy for a while.’

Cindy nodded.

But there was an expression in her eyes that saddened Joey.

‘You ever been to the Adam and Eve club?’ Barney asked. He was staring gloomily at the empty plate that had contained the sausages. The regret on his fat face would have melted a heart of stone.

I said nightclubs weren’t in my line and how about a few more sausages?

He brightened perceptively.

‘Yeah... that’s what I call a constructive suggestion.’ He signalled to Sam. ‘The trouble with these sausages, Mr. Campbell, is that they give a man a thirst.’

Sam brought over another plate of sausages and another beer.

‘Nightclubs are special,’ Barney said when Sam had returned to the bar. ‘You either like them or you don’t. The Adam and Eve club is strictly for the wild ones. From what I hear of the place a cultured gentleman like yourself wouldn’t be found dead there.’ He bit into a sausage, chewed, grunted, wiped his eyes and went on, ‘Vin had no trouble in spotting Judy Larrimore. She was up at the bar with a couple of hippies and they were soaking up gin and water. The hippies were around her age with long matted hair and dirty beards. They had on matador trousers and frilled shirts and apart from their smell of dirt they looked like something that had stepped out of the ads from Playboy.

‘Vin got close and ordered a whisky. It didn’t take more than a few minutes for Judy to spot him. The two hippies were getting drunk and Vin could see she was bored with them. He saw her eyes light up as she looked him over. He thought she was the sexiest dish he had seen in years.

‘He gave her his wide “come-on” smile and she smiled back.

‘One of the hippies — the bigger of the two — looked around and glared at Vin who met the glare with the grin he reserved for juveniles. The hippie then looked at Judy to see how she was reacting, but she was continuing to look Vin over.

‘Vin thought it was the moment to start something, so he said, “If you’re bored with these kids, baby, how about a drink with me?”

‘ “Piss off!” the hippie snarled, his eyes turning vicious.

‘ “Don’t be rude, little punk,” Vin said softly, “or I’ll have to spank you.”

‘Judy giggled and sliding around the hippies she joined Vin, moving slightly behind him.

‘The other hippie threw the contents of his glass towards Vin’s face, but that was old hat stuff to Vin. He moved aside and a girl coming up to the bar got splashed.

‘Vin jabbed a left into the first hippies face and the hippie’s nose exploded into a red mush. When Vin hit, he hit. The other hippie tried to back away, but Vin reached him with a right hook that lifted him off his feet and slammed him flat on the floor.

‘The girl who had got splashed was now screaming like a train whistle and the rest of the people in the bar were shouting. It all happened in seconds. Vin caught Judy by her arm and rushed her to the exit, and out into the hot night. She went willingly enough, stifling her laughter and they bundled into the Jaguar and Vin was driving away before the Club bouncer thought of moving into action.’

Barney paused to reach for another sausage.

‘I won’t waste time going into details, Mr. Campbell. It’s enough to say, Vin drove to a deserted part of the beach and he and Judy got out of the car and as soon as he had closed the car door he saw she had her pants off. He took her and she responded like she was demented. When it was over, she put her pants on and made for the car.

‘Vin tried chatting her up, but she told him to shut his head and take her home. He thought his so-called lovemaking had rocked her so violently she wasn’t in the mood to talk so he went along with her.

‘He was pleased with himself. He imagined telling Elliot all the details of how he had got to first base after meeting Judy for only ten minutes. This achievement restored his confidence in himself. He would be able to prove to Elliot he was a better man than he, but he had an unpleasant surprise when he pulled up outside the gates leading to the Larrimore home.

‘ “Okay, baby,” he said, getting out of the Jaguar. “How’s about tomorrow night? Let’s go and take the town apart.”

‘ “No...” She got out of the car and started for the gates.

‘ “Hey! Wait a minute!”

‘She paused and turned.

‘ “I said no.”

‘ “What’s the idea?” Vin demanded, puzzled, and he reached for her.

‘ “Keep your paws off me,” she snapped. “We don’t meet again... you’re not my thing,” and she started again towards the gates.

‘For a moment Vin stood rooted, not believing what he had heard, then he got a rush of blood to his head and he grabbed her arm and swung her around. He ran into a slap in the face that made his eyes blink and she wrenched free.

‘Then out of the shadows came the two hippies. They had been waiting for the past hour. They had bicycle chains around their right fists and they came at Vin on either side of him.

‘ “Get him, boys!” Judy screamed. “Mark the bastard!”

‘Vin had lived a life of violence. He couldn’t remember how many times he had been in a spot like this and had survived. As Larry, the bigger of the hippies, slashed at his face with the chain, Vin ducked under the flaying steel, caught hold of Judy and flung her at Larry. They both went sprawling. The other hippie caught Vin across the neck with his chain. Weaving, Vin rushed him, grabbed his wrist, twisted him around and drove a crushing punch into the boy’s kidneys. The hippie sank on to his knees, moaning.

‘Larry was up and again his chain whistled towards Vin who just managed to duck under it, then Vin jumped forward and drove the top of his head into Larry’s face. Larry’s teeth gave as he was flung back. He tried to regain his balance, tripped over his own feet and fell. Stepping up to him, Vin kicked him in the side of his head and Larry went limp.

‘Vin touched the side of his neck. Blood was dripping from the cut inflicted by the chain. He looked at the two hippies, satisfied he would have no more trouble from them, then he turned and looked at Judy.

‘ “How about tomorrow night, baby?” he asked quietly. “Suppose I pick you up here around nine?”

‘Judy was staring at him, her eyes wide, then she suddenly laughed.

‘ “Man! That was something! Yes... I’ll be here.”

‘He went to her and pulled her to him. The blood from the cut on his neck dripped on to her bare shoulder.

‘ “Be here, baby,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to bust into your home and drag you out... okay?”

‘ “Yes.”

‘He ran his hand over her body. She stood placid and let him. Then after squeezing her buttocks, he shoved her away, strolled over to his car and drove off.

‘On his return to the bungalow, he got Elliot aside and told him what had happened.

‘ “She’s a little animal, but I’ve got her fixed,” he said. “I know the type. The rougher you treat them, the harder they fall for you.”

‘But Elliot was worried. This seemed to him to be moving too fast.

‘ “Suppose she isn’t there tomorrow night?”

‘Vin grinned.

‘ “She’ll be there. I’ve got what it takes, pally. I know how to handle women.” ’

She was there, standing outside the gates of the house when Vin drew up in the Jaguar at a minute after 21.00.

Vin grinned to himself as he leaned over to open the offside door. She had on a patterned Mexican shirt, hot pants and knee-high boots. Her silky red hair fell in unruly waves to her shoulders and Vin again thought she was the sexiest dish he had seen in years.

‘Hi, Superman!’ she said as she got in and slammed the car door. ‘See? Here I am.’

‘Fine. You look good enough to eat,’ Vin said, ‘and talking about eating... let’s eat.’

With the car radio blaring swing, he drove fast to the Lobster and Crab restaurant at the far end of the waterfront. This was a small, expensive but ‘with it’ restaurant Elliot had told him about.

‘It’s just right for her,’ Elliot said as he had given Vin three hundred dollars for spending money. ‘Take it easy. Don’t rush anything.’

Judy made an impact as she strutted into the restaurant. People stared at her and she enjoyed being stared at. Vin, following behind, realized that Elliot had made the right choice. This was away from the hippie scene and yet ‘in’ enough to appeal to Judy.

The Maître d’hôtel, dressed as a pirate even to a black patch over his eye and skull and cross bones on his Napoleon hat, took them into an alcove to a table set for two away from the rest of the diners.

There was a Negro band playing violent jazz and the trumpeter was in the class of Louis Armstrong. You had to shout to each other to be heard.

Judy sat down and looked around, her eyes sparkling.

‘Hey, Superman! This is my thing!’

‘None of your kids bring you here?’ Vin asked.

Her smokey green eyes hardened.

‘Don’t give me that. They’re not such kids and I get along with them.’

‘You’re welcome,’ Vin turned to the Maître d’hôtel who had come up for their order. ‘Let’s have crab cocktails, steaks and all the trimmings and whisky sours.’ Again Elliot had told him what to order.

‘Yes, sir.’ The Maître d’hôtel went away.

‘Don’t ask me what I want to eat,’ Judy said, glaring at him.

‘Why should I? You’re in the hamburger class, baby. You choose what you want when you’re with the kids. I’ll choose for you when you’re with me.’

‘Man! Don’t you think you’re perfect?’

‘That’s what I am.’ He grinned at her. ‘And you’re not so lousy either.’ He shoved back his chair. ‘Let’s dance.’

They danced and they ate and Vin could see Judy was enjoying herself. By the way she ate, he decided she was a strictly hamburger girl. As soon as they had finished, he paid the check, letting her see the roll of five-dollar bills he took carelessly from his pocket, then led her out into the hot night air.

‘Come on, baby, let’s kick this town apart,’ he said, getting into the Jaguar.

‘Where are we going now?’

‘The Alligator Club,’ Vin said. ‘You know it?’

Judy’s eyes popped wide open.

‘Why, no... that’s strictly big time. Are you a member?’

‘Why, sure. You mean none of your kids ever took you to the Alligator?’ Vin asked. He had never been there himself but again Elliot had fixed things with a telephone call to the Secretary of the Club... about the only club in the City where Elliot didn’t owe money.

‘Man!’ Judy said under her breath. ‘Let’s go!’

They danced, drank and finally had a swim in the vast pool before leaving the dub at 02.00.

‘Now we get laid,’ Vin said who was thoroughly enjoying himself. He found Judy an amusing companion. ‘We’ll go to the Blue Heaven motel. Okay?’

‘Why not?’

During the evening he had told her he was an account executive, working for a top advertising agency in New York and was on vacation. Elliot had given him enough background details to make his cover stand up. Judy didn’t seem interested in what he was but only became alert when he talked money. He could see that money was her only interest so he talked money.

‘That’s what I want,’ Judy said. ‘I want money. I want to get away from home, get away from my stinking father, live a life of my own.’

‘What’s the matter with your father?’ Vin asked as he drove along the highway towards the motel.

‘Matter? Don’t talk wet! Every parent is a pain in the ass and anyway, my father’s special. All he thinks about is postage stamps for God’s sake!’

‘What’s so special about postage stamps?’

‘Oh, the hell with it! Why talk about him?’

‘Tell me... I’m interested. Does he make money out of stamps?’

‘He spends money, the old goat! He has thousands of goddamn stamps. You know something? He’s been offered a million dollars for eight goddamn Russian stamps! A million dollars and the old ape wouldn’t deal!’

Vin nearly drove off the highway. He swung the wheel wildly, got back on to the road as a driver of a car behind him honked on his horn.

‘You drunk?’ Judy demanded. The swerve at the speed they were driving at scared her.

‘You never been drunk?’ Vin said. ‘Relax. I was listening to you and my mind strayed.’

‘Man! Don’t let it stray again.’

They drove in silence while Vin turned this sensational bit of information over in his mind.

These must be the stamps Elliot was after! he thought. Holy mackerel! Elliot was offering fifty thousand and here was this chick telling him they were worth a million!

A million!

He felt his mouth turn dry. Here was the Big Take! The real Big Take! His mind worked swiftly. If he handled this carefully and used his head there would be no need to split the take four ways. Elliot, Cindy and Joey could go to hell. After all he (Vin) was the front man. All he had to do was to get information from this stupid chick and he could cash in for a million! The thought brought him out into a sweat.

‘What’s the matter with you all of a sudden?’ Judy asked crossly. ‘Have you gone dumb on me?’

With an effort, he switched his attention back on her.

‘You wait, baby,’ he said, aware his voice sounded husky. ‘Let’s get to the motel... I’ll show you if I’m dumb or not.’

In another five minutes driving, he turned off the highway and drove up a long twisty road that led to the motel.

He slid out of the car, saying, ‘I’ll go fix it. You wait here.’

Minutes later he returned to the car, opened the offside door so Judy could get out and together they walked across to one of the cabins.

Elliot’s warning not to rush things hammered in Vin’s mind. They had the rest of the night. He must play this cool. A million dollars! Who could be the nut to offer all that bread for eight stamps? This, he told himself, he had to find out.

He unlocked the door of the cabin and they went in. The Blue Heaven motel, again recommended by Elliot, had de luxe cabins. A big room, furnished with modern lounging chairs, a settee, a colour TV set and a fully stocked bar, greeted them. There was a bedroom with a king’s size bed to their left and a bathroom to their right.

‘Fancy,’ Judy said approvingly as she looked around.

Vin shut and locked the door.

The bed was prepared and inviting.

‘Strip off, baby,’ he said, ‘and take a shower. I want to catch the late news.’ He went over to the TV set and turned it on.

‘What’s so important about the news?’ Judy asked as she slid out of her clothes.

‘Never mind... hurry it up,’ Vin said curtly. He wanted her out of the way so he could think.

Now naked, Judy went into the bathroom and shut the door.

A million dollars!

This was the only thought in Vin’s head.

He stared at the lighted screen without registering what was going on while he thought. This chick wanted money. She had said so. If he handled her right, she and he could get the stamps and with her know-how sell them for this lump of money. Maybe she could find out who had made the offer. She could for sure tell him how to get the stamps. A million! Sweet Judas! The thought made Vin’s pulse rate bound.

Once he had the money he could deal with Judy. She wasn’t his style. She was too tricky and tricky chicks weren’t for him. Once they had the money, he would lose her.

But he must be careful, he warned himself. He mustn’t rush it. So okay, he would play this cool. He turned off the TV as Judy came out of the bathroom.

He got to his feet and grinned at her.

‘Come and get it,’ she said and going to the bed, she lay down, swung up her long legs and beckoned to him.