“Tell them to fire no rounds, if at all possible, though a single shot to the ceiling will concentrate the minds of those being robbed, and tell them, above all else, don’t actually shoot anybody. Money is just money, but a bleeding teller is a goad to law enforcement and has legs in TV news. Don’t bother with the tellers, and don’t worry about alarms—somebody will set one off, regardless. Go straight to the vault and stuff trash bags full of cash. Don’t get greedy, leave the vault after no more than one minute. They should be in and out of the place in ninety seconds, and somebody should call the time. They should drive at the speed limit and change vehicles twice and avoid stolen cars and vans, if possible. I like places that rent old vehicles. Returning them is a good time to change cars. Then meet somewhere after an hour, divide the money, go home, and don’t call each other. Afterwards, don’t spend anything for three months or so, just live a normal life. Don’t pay bills in the neighborhood with cash—use credit cards or checks to attract less notice. That’s a rough outline. They should, of course, plan everything in detail. The hardest part is not calling attention to themselves after the robbery by throwing money around. How much seed money do they want from you?”

“Fifty thousand.”

“Too much. Offer them twenty-five in return for a third of the take, and have a representative there when they divide the money. That’s about it, except for details peculiar to the location, like distance from the police station and state police.”

“Only a third?”

“It’s always a bad idea to get greedy. If there’s a lot of cash in the bank, a third of the take will recompense you nicely.”

“You want into this one?”

“I’m good for half the twenty-five, if you like their boss.”

“I think he’s okay, but I’d like you to meet him.”

“Okay, when?”

“He’s in my office now.”

Frank stood up. “Okay, let’s go.” He followed Jimmy down the hall and into the corner office. A man sat in a chair next to the desk, facing the windows.

“I’d like you to meet my partner,” Jimmy said.

The man turned and rose.

Frank sagged a little. “Hello, Charlie,” he said.

Charlie’s face lit up. “Hi, Frank, fancy meeting you here.”

“I’m sorry I lied to you about my plans, but you’ll have to forget about this when you leave here,” Frank replied.

“I got it,” Charlie said. “I don’t want to know your new last name.”

“How do the two of you happen to be acquainted?” Jimmy asked.

“We did some things together in New York. Charlie’s a good man, Jimmy. Let me take him down to my office and go over the details with him.”