his face.
'Harry will look after me.' He banged his big fists down on the steering wheel. 'I trust Harry.'
'That's fine, but it's news to me. I didn't know any black man could trust any white man when there's big money around. If you can trust Harry to take care of you, then you've nothing to worry about. I was only thinking aloud. Come on, let's get moving.'
He wiped his sweating face with the back of his hand.
'Are you trying to con me, Mr. Lucas?'
'It's a lot of money. Think about it. If you can really trust Harry, you have no problem... a little luck perhaps. Let's go . . . your boss is waiting.'
'If Benny tries anything with me,' he muttered 'I'll fix him.'
I had sown a seed of doubt in his mind, and that's what I wanted to do,
'Sure, but watch him, Joe. When you three get the loot, don't turn your back on him. Now, let's go.'
He sat for a long moment, muttering to himself, then he started the car and drove back on to the highway. I didn't want further talk, so I pressed down the cassette, and the car rocked with beat music.
Harry was at the gate. He waved to me as Joe drove by, I lifted my hand. I would now have to work on Harry. He was a very different proposition to Joe, but I had worked that out too.
As I got out of the car, Benny met me at the front door.
'Hi, fink,' he said. 'The boss is waiting.'
I looked him over, knowing he was the danger. There was a leering expression on his brutal face. I knew I could do nothing with him. I walked by him and into the living-room.
Klaus was sitting at his desk, his small brown hands resting on the blotter.
'Come in, Mr. Lucas, and sit down.'
As I sat down, Harry came in and moved over to a distant chair.
I twisted around and looked at him. I wondered about him. He was an unknown factor. He looked tough and cocky as he scratched his beard, but he hadn't Benny's brutal viciousness.
'This is Harry Brett,' Klaus said. 'From now on, Mr. Lucas, you and he will work together. You will tell him what you want, and he will arrange it.' He leaned back in his chair.
'I take it you can tell me how to break into the vault and how to get the money out?'
I stared at him.
‘Did you have to murder Sheriff Thomson?'
His hands turned into fists and his slate-grey eyes lit up with that maniacal glare.
'Let that be an example to you,' he snarled. 'When anyone obstructs or is likely to obstruct me, I get rid of him. Remember that! Now answer my question: can you tell me how to break into the vault and get the money out?'
'I can, but on my terms.'
‘We have gone into that already.' There was a snap in his voice. 'That we will discuss later.'
I glanced at Harry who was listening intently, ‘You are forcing me to betray a trust,' I said. You are blackmailing me for a murder I didn't commit. The evidence you have against me could put me in jail for years, and you know it is faked evidence. I have a trump card. I could tell Brannigan, and he would come after you, and make no mistake about it, he would nail you. Unless you meet my terms, I am prepared to stand trial, and I know you will also land in jail. I want advance payment if I tell you how to break into the vault.'
'We have gone into this before,' Klaus said impatiently. 'I will pay you as arranged if you can convince me we can break into the vault and get the money away.'
'We?' I shook my head. 'I don't imagine you will participate. You will be sitting here in safety while your people take the risks.'
Klaus glared at me.
'What risks?'
'The unexpected. If the unexpected happens, your people will go away for twenty years.'
I saw Harry shift uneasily.
Leaning forward, his face a snarling mask, Klaus said, 'And you and your woman will be dead as Marsh and Thomson are dead!'
Looking at him, I now was sure he was mentally unbalanced: he was a psychopath, and I felt a chill crawl up my spine.
'Then let us hope the unexpected doesn't happen,' I said, trying to keep my voice steady. I reached down and picked up my
'Harry will look after me.' He banged his big fists down on the steering wheel. 'I trust Harry.'
'That's fine, but it's news to me. I didn't know any black man could trust any white man when there's big money around. If you can trust Harry to take care of you, then you've nothing to worry about. I was only thinking aloud. Come on, let's get moving.'
He wiped his sweating face with the back of his hand.
'Are you trying to con me, Mr. Lucas?'
'It's a lot of money. Think about it. If you can really trust Harry, you have no problem... a little luck perhaps. Let's go . . . your boss is waiting.'
'If Benny tries anything with me,' he muttered 'I'll fix him.'
I had sown a seed of doubt in his mind, and that's what I wanted to do,
'Sure, but watch him, Joe. When you three get the loot, don't turn your back on him. Now, let's go.'
He sat for a long moment, muttering to himself, then he started the car and drove back on to the highway. I didn't want further talk, so I pressed down the cassette, and the car rocked with beat music.
Harry was at the gate. He waved to me as Joe drove by, I lifted my hand. I would now have to work on Harry. He was a very different proposition to Joe, but I had worked that out too.
As I got out of the car, Benny met me at the front door.
'Hi, fink,' he said. 'The boss is waiting.'
I looked him over, knowing he was the danger. There was a leering expression on his brutal face. I knew I could do nothing with him. I walked by him and into the living-room.
Klaus was sitting at his desk, his small brown hands resting on the blotter.
'Come in, Mr. Lucas, and sit down.'
As I sat down, Harry came in and moved over to a distant chair.
I twisted around and looked at him. I wondered about him. He was an unknown factor. He looked tough and cocky as he scratched his beard, but he hadn't Benny's brutal viciousness.
'This is Harry Brett,' Klaus said. 'From now on, Mr. Lucas, you and he will work together. You will tell him what you want, and he will arrange it.' He leaned back in his chair.
'I take it you can tell me how to break into the vault and how to get the money out?'
I stared at him.
‘Did you have to murder Sheriff Thomson?'
His hands turned into fists and his slate-grey eyes lit up with that maniacal glare.
'Let that be an example to you,' he snarled. 'When anyone obstructs or is likely to obstruct me, I get rid of him. Remember that! Now answer my question: can you tell me how to break into the vault and get the money out?'
'I can, but on my terms.'
‘We have gone into that already.' There was a snap in his voice. 'That we will discuss later.'
I glanced at Harry who was listening intently, ‘You are forcing me to betray a trust,' I said. You are blackmailing me for a murder I didn't commit. The evidence you have against me could put me in jail for years, and you know it is faked evidence. I have a trump card. I could tell Brannigan, and he would come after you, and make no mistake about it, he would nail you. Unless you meet my terms, I am prepared to stand trial, and I know you will also land in jail. I want advance payment if I tell you how to break into the vault.'
'We have gone into this before,' Klaus said impatiently. 'I will pay you as arranged if you can convince me we can break into the vault and get the money away.'
'We?' I shook my head. 'I don't imagine you will participate. You will be sitting here in safety while your people take the risks.'
Klaus glared at me.
'What risks?'
'The unexpected. If the unexpected happens, your people will go away for twenty years.'
I saw Harry shift uneasily.
Leaning forward, his face a snarling mask, Klaus said, 'And you and your woman will be dead as Marsh and Thomson are dead!'
Looking at him, I now was sure he was mentally unbalanced: he was a psychopath, and I felt a chill crawl up my spine.
'Then let us hope the unexpected doesn't happen,' I said, trying to keep my voice steady. I reached down and picked up my
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