Karpis said, “Chock and Sullivan and me’ll baby-sit Mr. Hoover, incidentally. We got a place waitin’. Nobody else in this room needs know where that place is. Just rest assured it’s safe. Once the ransom’s delivered, I’ll find everybody and distribute the wealth.”
As an outsider to the ways of the outlaw, I was surprised to find that no one objected to this arrangement; the thought of a double cross never arose. They trusted each other. Or at least they trusted Karpis.
Then Doc nodded toward me. “What about Lawrence?”
“He baby-sits the girls.”
There was some laughter.
“Nice work if you can get it!” Floyd hooted, still out of view.
Even Doc smiled. “Where do I sign up to get
Nelson didn’t find it funny. “You got a job to do, Lawrence—do it! And no funny business.”
Fred grinned and said, “Don’t you worry about your better half, George—Lawrence’s already got his hands full with Lulu.”
That wasn’t a particularly witty remark, but there was more laughter, nonetheless, some of it from Nelson this time. Nobody seemed to mind that I’d taken over for Candy Walker with “Lulu” so quickly; it was just part of their world.
Floyd’s voice said, “Seriously, fellers—I think we oughta talk money. Jim mentioned he’d been promised five grand—and that sounds kinda low to me, even if his job is on the soft side.”
Doc said, “I’m for that. Lawrence’ll fall just as far as the rest of us, if it all comes down around us. Kidnapping’s kidnapping.”
Nelson jumped up. “He don’t get a full share. No way he gets a full share.”
Fred said, “Some of his share’s got to go to Candy.”
“Candy’s got no kin,” Doc said. “So it goes to Lulu.”
Nelson laughed, sat back down. “So it goes to Lawrence after all.”
There was some more general good-natured laughter, and Karpis pushed the smoky air with his palms, the teacher quieting his class. “We come to money, then. Fine. You might as well know an extra cut comes off the top.”
“Fuck!” Nelson said. “What for?”
Karpis said, “There’s a silent partner.”
“Who?” Nelson demanded.
Karpis shook his head no. “No name. That’s why they call it ‘silent,’ B.G.”
There were some smiles at the use of the initials; Nelson didn’t pick up on it, but Karpis was gently deriding him.
Karpis went on. “Our silent partner is bankrolling the job, out of his share. If it queers, he takes the loss. Also, he provided the inside dope on Hoover’s activities.” He nodded toward the map. “And he helped me put together this whole shootin’ match.”
Floyd’s voice: “It’s fair, George. It’s only fair.”
Doc Barker was nodding, and Fred said, “It is fair.”
Nelson, disgruntled, said, “Yeah, yeah. Okay.”
Karpis smiled benignly. “We got a big pie to cut up, George. We
Suddenly I heard myself talking.
“You really think the government is going to meet that?” I asked.
Karpis said, “Yeah, I think so. I can’t guarantee it. But I think they’ll meet the ransom demand, yeah.”
I didn’t, but held back further comment.
Nelson was putting his two cents in. “Uncle Sam can just print us up some money,” he said, “and if he don’t— then we
Doc, not liking the sound of that particularly, said, “Then what?”
Nelson grinned; he was shifting into high-gear Cagney. “Then we grab Cummings or the president or somebody, and let’s see ’em fuck with us
Nobody countered that. Just no arguing with logic, I guess.
Karpis said, “Here’s the way the money shakes down. We’re going to pay Lawrence twenty grand off the top, and give Lulu five, out of respect to Candy. Any argument?”
No argument.
“That gives each of us fifty grand and pocket change.”
The room was quiet as church, while everybody contemplated the new start that could mean. That could indeed get Chock Floyd “across the river,” in style.
