ability to get the diamonds.
Haddon ate his pie slowly, his eyebrows down in a frown of concentration. Brady, knowing the signs, relaxed and enjoyed his pie.
The pies finished, coffee was served with balloon glasses of brandy.
Haddon said abruptly, 'You wondered if we would be safer going after the Warrenton's diamonds than busting the hotel safe.'
Brady looked sharply at him. 'Makes sense, doesn't it?'
'Most things you say, Lu, make sense,' Haddon said quietly. 'Your trouble is you don't think big.'
'Eight million seems big to me,' Brady said with a sly smile.
'Thirteen million, possibly fifteen million looks bigger, doesn't it?'
Brady sipped his brandy. 'You mean we grab the diamonds as well as busting the hotel safe?'
'I'm not saying we will do it, but let's take a long hard look at it. Find out where the safe is located. Then when you have found that out, we'll talk again. In the meantime, I'll talk to Kendrick about the Warrenton's diamonds. Let's get a hustle on, Lu. Suppose we meet here tomorrow night at the same time? I'll have news for you, and you'll have news for me. Right?'
Brady hesitated, then nodded.
'I'll talk to Maggie,' he said, shook hands and leaving Haddon to settle the bill, he hurried out into the humid night.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
During the past hour, Maggie had been talking to Mike Bannion. They were seated in the comfortable lounge of the chalet, both having had dinner in the staff restaurant.
Maggie had taken a liking to Mike. He reminded her of her father who had been an army sergeant before being dishonorably discharged for large scale pilfering. Now dead, killed in a brawl, Maggie often thought of him. When he wasn't drunk, he had been devoted to Maggie, and she to him. She had had no time for her mother, and when her father was killed, her one thought was to leave home. At the age of thirteen, she had seduced the headmaster of her school. He had gone to jail, and she had been 'put into care'. Escaping, she was taken up by a rich old troll who was partial to young girls. She learned a lot from him: her sexual technique became impressive.
Six years as a call girl hadn't spoilt nor toughened her. She was, Brady had often thought, the blueprint of a whore with a golden heart. She had a warm, sympathetic streak in her that men could sense. She was used to men confiding their troubles to her, and she always listened, patted them, smiled at them and let them unburden.
It wasn't long before Mike told her about his daughter, Chrissy. They had been sitting together, waiting for Brady to return from his meeting with Haddon, and Maggie had told Mike about her father.
'You remind me of him,' she said. 'Not in looks, but by the way you talk. Soldiers talk alike.'
'I guess,' Mike said. 'You know, Maggie, I have never done a crooked thing in my life until now.'
Maggie laughed. 'I've wondered about that. I'm not crazy about this business, but I'm crazy about Lu. I would do anything for him. What made you join with us, Mike?'
So he told her about Chrissy. Listening, Maggie became so moved, tears came to her eyes.
'How awful!' she exclaimed when Mike had explained that the money Brady was going to pay him would go to take care of Chrissy until she died. 'You mean the poor little thing will die in fifteen years time?'
Mike nodded.
'Why, that's terrible!' Maggie wiped a tear away. 'Mike, you are a marvelous father!'
'I love her,' Mike said quietly. 'My one thought is to provide for her. That's the only reason why I'm doing this job.'
He looked at Maggie. 'Will it work?'
'It'll work,' Maggie said. 'Lu is marvelous! You don't think I want to go to jail?' She grimaced. 'What a thought! But Lu told me it will work and I won't go to jail, so that means it will work, Mike. Don't worry about that.'
'Lu isn't really an old man, is he? When he leaves his wheelchair, his movements are those of a young man.'
'He's younger than you are, Mike. He is a great artist.
Haddon ate his pie slowly, his eyebrows down in a frown of concentration. Brady, knowing the signs, relaxed and enjoyed his pie.
The pies finished, coffee was served with balloon glasses of brandy.
Haddon said abruptly, 'You wondered if we would be safer going after the Warrenton's diamonds than busting the hotel safe.'
Brady looked sharply at him. 'Makes sense, doesn't it?'
'Most things you say, Lu, make sense,' Haddon said quietly. 'Your trouble is you don't think big.'
'Eight million seems big to me,' Brady said with a sly smile.
'Thirteen million, possibly fifteen million looks bigger, doesn't it?'
Brady sipped his brandy. 'You mean we grab the diamonds as well as busting the hotel safe?'
'I'm not saying we will do it, but let's take a long hard look at it. Find out where the safe is located. Then when you have found that out, we'll talk again. In the meantime, I'll talk to Kendrick about the Warrenton's diamonds. Let's get a hustle on, Lu. Suppose we meet here tomorrow night at the same time? I'll have news for you, and you'll have news for me. Right?'
Brady hesitated, then nodded.
'I'll talk to Maggie,' he said, shook hands and leaving Haddon to settle the bill, he hurried out into the humid night.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
During the past hour, Maggie had been talking to Mike Bannion. They were seated in the comfortable lounge of the chalet, both having had dinner in the staff restaurant.
Maggie had taken a liking to Mike. He reminded her of her father who had been an army sergeant before being dishonorably discharged for large scale pilfering. Now dead, killed in a brawl, Maggie often thought of him. When he wasn't drunk, he had been devoted to Maggie, and she to him. She had had no time for her mother, and when her father was killed, her one thought was to leave home. At the age of thirteen, she had seduced the headmaster of her school. He had gone to jail, and she had been 'put into care'. Escaping, she was taken up by a rich old troll who was partial to young girls. She learned a lot from him: her sexual technique became impressive.
Six years as a call girl hadn't spoilt nor toughened her. She was, Brady had often thought, the blueprint of a whore with a golden heart. She had a warm, sympathetic streak in her that men could sense. She was used to men confiding their troubles to her, and she always listened, patted them, smiled at them and let them unburden.
It wasn't long before Mike told her about his daughter, Chrissy. They had been sitting together, waiting for Brady to return from his meeting with Haddon, and Maggie had told Mike about her father.
'You remind me of him,' she said. 'Not in looks, but by the way you talk. Soldiers talk alike.'
'I guess,' Mike said. 'You know, Maggie, I have never done a crooked thing in my life until now.'
Maggie laughed. 'I've wondered about that. I'm not crazy about this business, but I'm crazy about Lu. I would do anything for him. What made you join with us, Mike?'
So he told her about Chrissy. Listening, Maggie became so moved, tears came to her eyes.
'How awful!' she exclaimed when Mike had explained that the money Brady was going to pay him would go to take care of Chrissy until she died. 'You mean the poor little thing will die in fifteen years time?'
Mike nodded.
'Why, that's terrible!' Maggie wiped a tear away. 'Mike, you are a marvelous father!'
'I love her,' Mike said quietly. 'My one thought is to provide for her. That's the only reason why I'm doing this job.'
He looked at Maggie. 'Will it work?'
'It'll work,' Maggie said. 'Lu is marvelous! You don't think I want to go to jail?' She grimaced. 'What a thought! But Lu told me it will work and I won't go to jail, so that means it will work, Mike. Don't worry about that.'
'Lu isn't really an old man, is he? When he leaves his wheelchair, his movements are those of a young man.'
'He's younger than you are, Mike. He is a great artist.
Similar Books
