“Tell Frank his car’s been oiled and greased.”
The voice was cool and showed no surprise. “Fine. When can we pick it up?”
“Right away if you want it. Who’s coming?”
“I am,” the cool voice stated.
“You?”
“Why not? I drive very well.”
“I’ll have it outside waiting,” Mike said, and there was a faint uneasiness in his tone.
“That won’t be necessary. I’ll come straight to the garage”
“I could have it delivered.”
“What’s the matter?” the voice mocked. “Is the garage crowded?”
“It’s empty.”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
As he put the phone down, the door bell burped discreetly and when he opened it an inoffensive little man who might have been an underpaid bookkeeper pushed a canvas airline zipper bag at him. He took the bag and closed the door.
After bolting the door, he unzipped the bag and found everything all right. The bag contained green money banded into $5,000 bundles. He counted the bundles and found them correct.
But as he worked, the annoyance generated by the phone call increased. Big Frank had become a danger because he had woman trouble and of all the diseases that could land you behind bars, none was more dangerous than that. He was gone on Fay to a point where he’d let her in on his affairs.
Care in selecting women was one of his own first rules. Lorry was beautiful, luscious, in every way satisfactory as a female. But, and this above all, monumentally stupid:
“Darling! How did you make the money that made all this possible?”
“I inherited some money from my father and I was lucky. I now own a small investment business.”
And he was covered, too; a modest office in the financial district—Intercontinental Investments—that so far as legality was concerned, passed all tests.
But Big Frank was stupid, with the situation made doubly dangerous by Fay’s predatory instincts. Lorry was a challenge to Fay. This put him in a potentially dangerous position with Big Frank. If Fay ever hinted at a non-existent affair between them, Big Frank would have him crippled some dark night.
What angered him was the crudity of the thing. Pure cornball. But then, in this racket, you dealt with cornball people; elemental; the types long on emotion and muscle and short on judgment and brains.
He glanced at his watch after dividing the money, and made another phone call. A man answered this time:
“Barney’s Pet Shop.”
“I’d like to get my French poodle clipped.”
“Sorry. We’re all booked up for the rest of the week.”
“But he needs attention. He crawled under a car and got all greasy.”
“Oh. Well, I guess we can take care of him.”
“Can you pick him up?”
“Sure. When?”
“I’ll have him ready in an hour.”
“We’ll be there.”
“Who’ll come?”
“He’ll have a uniform on.”
“Okay.”
He broke the connection and went to the closet with the false wall behind which there were various types of containers. He selected a hat box with a French name on it and put a silly-looking hat into it. He took out the box and also a small animal carrier and took them into the living room. There, he stacked packets of money under the false bottoms of both containers and then put them back behind the wall in the closet. Both containers would be moved out shortly, so putting them back into their place of concealment may have seemed overcautious. But he believed in being overcautious. It would be stupid to have arranged things wisely and then get raided with the loot lying out in plain sight.
The money that would stay with him went into the closet also and then the bell signaled and he went to the door to admit Fay.
Maybe she did have it on Lorry; at least a little; nothing in the purely physical; nobody could beat Lorry there. But Fay had more spirit. A totally submissive woman could bore you at times, but Fay was different. She would always keep a man guessing. She didn’t do that with Big Frank of course because he didn’t appreciate the subtle aspect of things and all it would have gotten her would have been a bat in the mouth. But Fay handled herself pretty well when he wasn’t around.
She knew clothes, too. At the moment, she wore a thing with a full skirt that added to her already perfect legs, and a leopard skin top that added something up there too.
As he closed the door, she peered expectantly about. “Where is she? In bed?”
“Cut it out. I told you I was alone.”
‘“When she’s here, darling, you’re still alone.”
“I’ll get your package.”
“Take it easy, dearest. Let’s not overlook the amenities. I’ve got a few minutes between cabs.”
“Aren’t you due at the theater?”
“If I don’t make it, they’ll hold the curtain.”
They would too, even though Fay’s part consisted of a walk-on and four lines in the first act. This consideration attested to the fact that Big Frank’s money kept the show from closing. It was a dog.
“Would you like a drink?”
“I was wondering how soon you’d ask.”
He made two scotches and brought one to Fay where she’d arranged herself on the lounge so that quite a little thigh was exposed. It did not move him. He had seen thighs before. He could take it or leave it alone.
Sure of her power over men, Fay accepted the glass and studied him with faint mockery in her eyes. “You have a nice place here, but you could do a lot better—you really could.”
“I’m doing fine.”
“Has Lorry helped you any?”
“She isn’t supposed to.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, darling. You could have all that and additional advantages also. I’ve helped Frank a great deal.”
“Maybe you’ll help him into jail some day.”
Her eyes stopped being soft. They flared. “You’ve got a lot of a nerve, saying that.”
“A man should run his own business.”
“When he’s got a dumb broad on his hands, he has to,” Fay sneered. “I’ll bet you wouldn’t dare send Lorry across the street for a pack of cigarettes.”
“Why are you always sniping at her? I’m satisfied. Why not leave it alone?”
“Are you begging, darling?”
“No, I’m just asking.”
“Because I have your interests at heart.” She paused and when he didn’t answer, added, “I could make Frank take a bigger interest in you, too.”
“You’re out of your skull. You know that if Frank got the idea you were even looking around, he’d separate you from your head.”
She got up and crossed over and sat down on the arm of his chair. “But he wouldn’t have to know, sweetie. I’ve got Frankie right in