wonder where you disappeared to. And why. And you’ll have to leave your car here, too, in case the FBI starts getting fancy and checking tire-marks in the alley or someplace. The heat will be on for you, Specs.”
“I don’t care. I got to stay. If I went back, I know something’d happen, I’d tell or something. And if they ever find that kid—”
“They won’t find her, not where I put her, so don’t talk about it. Now go home and get some clothes.”
“I can’t drive, Steve, I’m too shaky.”
“Go home and pack,” I said. “That’s the least you can do. We’re taking a big chance letting you come here this way, and the only reason I’m doing it is to give you a break. So buck up and go get your things. See you at supper time.”
We watched him go, through the window.
Mary turned to me. “Steve, this is bad, isn’t it?
“You mean about him coming here to stay with us? It’s better than having him running around loose, the way he feels. No telling what he’d be liable to do in a few days. At least we can keep our eye on him here.”
“You think they’ll trail him?”
“Not a chance. I’ll see that he keeps out of sight once he gets here. And besides, he doesn’t go to work until five tomorrow. Nobody will start thinking about him as a suspect until at least Tuesday night or Wednesday. We’ll have the money, then, and I’ll figure out what our next move is. Maybe he’d look good as a blonde, too.”
She nodded. “All right, Steve. You know best.”
“Of course I do. And it might turn out to be a good thing, at that. We’ll have him out of harm’s way, and we’ll have the car in the garage in case they do mess around with tire marks. It’s going to work out fine. You’ll see.”
“I hope so.”
I turned away. I didn’t want her to see how tired I suddenly felt.
Chapter Thirteen
S pecs was back before six, and when I saw him drive in I went out to meet him. He climbed out of the car, carrying his suitcase.
“Leave the keys in,” I said. “I’m going to stick this heap in the garage.”
I drove it inside and he waited for me.
“All set?” I asked. “Anybody notice you leave?”
“I don’t think so. Nobody home on Sundays.”
“Perfect. Then you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“Not much I haven’t. Steve, I don’t like this.”
“I don’t like it either. But we’re in it, and we’ve got to go through with it.” I lowered my voice. “So try and keep your mouth shut about the newspapers, will you? For Mary’s sake.”
“I’ll try. But—”
“After all, you and I, we’re men. We can take it.” I patted his shoulder. “That’s why I chose you for this deal, because I knew you had guts. And in just a day or so now, comes the big payoff. Sixty-six thousand in cash, Specs! That’s a lot of lettuce, and it’s all yours. We’ll head south and have ourselves a time—maybe even go to South America on a cruise or something. How’d you like one of those hot little señoritas, hey Specs?”
He smiled, and I felt better. It was that sick look on his face that frightened me, at first. I knew he was yellow, but I hadn’t realized how yellow until today.
“Come on inside, then,” I told him. “And remember, don’t talk about anything or think about anything except the money. That’s the whole secret.”
“Sure, Steve.”
“I’ll fix you up with a bedroom. Want to wash your hands? Supper’s almost ready.”
He came in and said hello to Mary, and I gave him the bedroom nearest the front. He unpacked his things and I went out to the kitchen.
Mary looked at me.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “He’s all right now. But do me a favor, will you? Don’t talk about this business when he’s around. You and I, we’re together and that makes it easy for us. He’s just a weak sister and we got to handle him with kid gloves.”
“Yes. I’ll be careful.”
So there it was. And there I was, playing both ends against the middle. I had to
“I don’t care. I got to stay. If I went back, I know something’d happen, I’d tell or something. And if they ever find that kid—”
“They won’t find her, not where I put her, so don’t talk about it. Now go home and get some clothes.”
“I can’t drive, Steve, I’m too shaky.”
“Go home and pack,” I said. “That’s the least you can do. We’re taking a big chance letting you come here this way, and the only reason I’m doing it is to give you a break. So buck up and go get your things. See you at supper time.”
We watched him go, through the window.
Mary turned to me. “Steve, this is bad, isn’t it?
“You mean about him coming here to stay with us? It’s better than having him running around loose, the way he feels. No telling what he’d be liable to do in a few days. At least we can keep our eye on him here.”
“You think they’ll trail him?”
“Not a chance. I’ll see that he keeps out of sight once he gets here. And besides, he doesn’t go to work until five tomorrow. Nobody will start thinking about him as a suspect until at least Tuesday night or Wednesday. We’ll have the money, then, and I’ll figure out what our next move is. Maybe he’d look good as a blonde, too.”
She nodded. “All right, Steve. You know best.”
“Of course I do. And it might turn out to be a good thing, at that. We’ll have him out of harm’s way, and we’ll have the car in the garage in case they do mess around with tire marks. It’s going to work out fine. You’ll see.”
“I hope so.”
I turned away. I didn’t want her to see how tired I suddenly felt.
Chapter Thirteen
S pecs was back before six, and when I saw him drive in I went out to meet him. He climbed out of the car, carrying his suitcase.
“Leave the keys in,” I said. “I’m going to stick this heap in the garage.”
I drove it inside and he waited for me.
“All set?” I asked. “Anybody notice you leave?”
“I don’t think so. Nobody home on Sundays.”
“Perfect. Then you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“Not much I haven’t. Steve, I don’t like this.”
“I don’t like it either. But we’re in it, and we’ve got to go through with it.” I lowered my voice. “So try and keep your mouth shut about the newspapers, will you? For Mary’s sake.”
“I’ll try. But—”
“After all, you and I, we’re men. We can take it.” I patted his shoulder. “That’s why I chose you for this deal, because I knew you had guts. And in just a day or so now, comes the big payoff. Sixty-six thousand in cash, Specs! That’s a lot of lettuce, and it’s all yours. We’ll head south and have ourselves a time—maybe even go to South America on a cruise or something. How’d you like one of those hot little señoritas, hey Specs?”
He smiled, and I felt better. It was that sick look on his face that frightened me, at first. I knew he was yellow, but I hadn’t realized how yellow until today.
“Come on inside, then,” I told him. “And remember, don’t talk about anything or think about anything except the money. That’s the whole secret.”
“Sure, Steve.”
“I’ll fix you up with a bedroom. Want to wash your hands? Supper’s almost ready.”
He came in and said hello to Mary, and I gave him the bedroom nearest the front. He unpacked his things and I went out to the kitchen.
Mary looked at me.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “He’s all right now. But do me a favor, will you? Don’t talk about this business when he’s around. You and I, we’re together and that makes it easy for us. He’s just a weak sister and we got to handle him with kid gloves.”
“Yes. I’ll be careful.”
So there it was. And there I was, playing both ends against the middle. I had to
Similar Books
