“I’ll give you five hundred out of my share of the take on our job.”

“Oh, it’s ‘our’ job, is it? Don’t go getting any ideas about that. You’re the help on this one, just like I was on the last one.”

“Okay, okay, but I need the piece tonight, and six rounds, too.”

“Okay, if we can do the job tonight.”

“I’ve got a late date. What time?”

“Say, eleven. We’ll be through by midnight, if the safe gives. If not, you’ll have plenty of guns to choose from. You got a place to stay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay on a bed. When and where do you want to meet?”

“Pick me up at my place in a cab.”

“You don’t have wheels for the getaway?”

“I’m gonna take only what I can carry, in a duffel bag. I’ll have one for you, too.”

“You’re gonna walk the street with hot goods?”

“I reckon it’s better than driving a hot car.”

“Maybe you’ve got a point.”

“Okay, ten o’clock at my place?”

“Sure.”

“Ring the bell twice and wait under the stoop. Don’t get seen.”

“Got it.”

“It may take me a few minutes to get downstairs, so be patient.”

“All right.”

“And, Curly?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m gonna walk away from this one clean, and then I’m getting out of town. I’m not going back to my place.”

“Okay.”

“My point is, I’m not standing for a screwup on this job, and if you get in my way, or if you try to take something that’s mine, I’ll kill you. That’s straight up.”

Curly took a deep breath. “Understood.” He got up and left the weight room and went upstairs and stretched out on the bed.

He knew exactly how Irv felt, because he felt the same way.

55

BUTCH SPENT HIS DAY thinking about his night. So much so that a couple of his coworkers mentioned his absentmindedness. He tried to concentrate on his customers, and that worked, to an extent. He checked the movie schedules for a third time.

For lunch, he ate a sandwich in the stockroom, still going over and over what he was going to do. He tried to think what could go wrong, but he was sure it would go right. The only thing to fear was the unexpected.