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
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
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