“Will it be big enough?”
“You haven’t any idea how the money will be, large bills or small?”
“I suspect it will be large bills.”
The doorbell whirred and Trent looked at Tommy in surprise then shrugged and walked to the door. He opened it, revealing Earl Faraday. The man whose business was women entered the apartment.
“Am I interrupting something?” he asked mockingly.
“You were,” Trent retorted. “But you’ll be glad to sit in on it, I’m sure.” Trent held up the two safety deposit box keys. “We’ve got them and we’re ready to pull the job.”
Faraday’s eyes narrowed to slits, “When?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
Faraday took the keys from Trent’s hand and examined them. “You’re sure they’ll fit?”
“They’ll fit,” Tommy said.
“When did you get them?”
“I made the impressions this morning and filed down the keys during the day.”
“But you haven’t tested them. Are you sure they’ll fit?”
“I’m sure.”
“Don’t worry about Tommy,” Trent said. “If he says they’ll fit, they’ll fit. We were just talking about how we were going to manage it tomorrow. Tommy’ll need a bag of some kind. Do you think a brief case will hold all the money there’s likely to be in the box?”
“Two hundred thousand?” Faraday asked. “Let’s see. A stack of a hundred bills, if they are more or less new, is about an inch thick. If they’re hundred dollar bills they’ll run about ten thousand dollars to an inch. In other words the two hundred thousand will make a pile about twenty inches by three by five.” He shook his head. “I don’t think a brief case will be big enough. But what about one of those little leather cases, a Boston bag?”
“Just the thing. What’s more I’ve got one right here in the place. Wait a minute.” Trent strode into the bedroom.
As Trent left the room Faraday surveyed Tommy with a cold eye.
“So now you’ll be a big shot,” he said mockingly.
“Does a bankroll make a big shot?” Tommy retorted, just as coldly.
“It helps. I suppose you’ll buy yourself a big yellow convertible — and find yourself a blonde to match it.”
“I’ve got the girl who’s got the yellow car.”
Faraday moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue. “If you’re insinuating...”
“I’m not insinuating. I’m telling you.”
Faraday took a quick step toward Tommy. “Why, you cheap punk...” He took a wild swing at Tommy. The latter ducked neatly under it and planted his fist in Faraday’s stomach. Faraday grunted as the wind was driven from him and he folded over forward. Tommy stepped back to land a haymaker on the other man’s chin, but before he could deliver it, Willis Trent rushed out of the bedroom.
“Cut it out!” he cried. He sprang in between the two men and caught Tommy’s fist. “Damn you two, can’t you be left alone even a minute?”
“He swung first,” Tommy said sullenly.
By that time Faraday had regained his breath. “I’ll kill you for this,” he choked. “I’ll kill you if it’s the last damn thing I ever do.”
“Make another move at me and it’ll
Trent jerked savagely down on Tommy’s arm, half swinging him away from Faraday. “After tomorrow I don’t care what you two do to each other, but you’re not spoiling this job just when it’s ready to spring.”
Tommy exhaled and drew away from Trent. “All right,” he said, “I’ve played along this far, I’ll see it through.”
“Don’t do us any favors,” Faraday sneered.
“Earl!” Trent snapped. “Cut it out.”
“All he did was make a couple of keys...”
“And all
Faraday stiffened as if he had been jolted with a charge of electricity. “What’s that?” he cried, in a sudden high-pitched voice.
“You heard me!”
Trent whirled furiously on Tommy. “Get out of here, Tommy.” He began pushing him toward the door. Tommy resisted for a moment then allowed himself to be propelled along. Trent whispered into his ear as he whipped open the door.
“Telephone me, later.”
He shoved Tommy through the door and slammed it on him.
Tommy glowered at the closed door, then strode down the hallway to the elevator. He rode down to the lobby and stepped out to the sidewalk and the first person he saw was Louie, standing at the curb.
He groaned. “For a minute, I forgot about you.”
“Too bad,” grinned Louie, “on account I ain’t forgotten you. Where we goin’ now?”
“
“Oh yeah?”
“Oh yeah!” Tommy pulled open the door of the apartment house. “Let’s call Trent.”
Louie looked sharply at Tommy, then shrugged and stepped through the door ahead of Tommy. Inside he headed for the elevator, but Tommy called to him: “He’s got a visitor; let’s call him on the phone.”
He headed for the desk and picked up the house phone. He nodded to the clerk behind the desk. “Mr. Trent’s apartment, please.”
The man made a connection on the house switchboard. A moment later Trent’s voice said curtly: “Yes?”
“This is Tommy Dancer, downstairs, Trent. Louie wants to verify you’re taking him off.”
“Put him on,” Trent said.
