‘What do you mean? I can’t just walk out of here. It’s my living. What are you talking about?’
‘Get the dough!’ Baird snarled. ‘You can stay here if you want to, but if they fish her out of the river, I’m going to be wel out of reach.’
Rico closed his eyes. He had visions of Olin cornering him. He saw the room at headquarters with its one blinding light, and the big coppers crowding around him with their blackjacks. He started out of his chair, sweat running down his face.
‘Where can I go?’ he yammered, catching hold of Baird’s coat front. ‘What about the club? What the hell am I going to do?’
Baird threw him off.
‘You can come with me to Red River Basin. That’s where I’m going,’ he said. ‘Have you forgot en?
There’s half a mil ion or more to be picked up there, and it’s where Olin can’t get at us. What do you care about this lousy club if you can get your hands on money like that?’
Rico gulped and gaped at Baird.
‘It’l turn out to be another of your bright ideas,’ he whined. ‘How do I know I shan’t be in a worse jam?’
‘You couldn’t be in a worse jam,’ Baird said brutal y. ‘Get moving. Collect all the dough you can lay hands on, and make it fast.’
Rico staggered out of the room, and Baird heard him calling to Luigi. Shrugging his shoulders, Baird sat down and helped himself to another whisky. The only regret he felt for leaving town was that he wouldn’t get the chance of seeing Anita again. He had found out where she worked, and most nights he parked his car near the restaurant to watch her come out when the restaurant closed. Sometimes he followed her home, and spent a half an hour watching the light in her window, seeing her pass and repass as she moved about the room, preparing for bed. He made no attempt to speak to her, and he was careful that she shouldn’t see him. He told himself again and again he was get ing soft in the head, and he was wasting his time, but the fascination of seeing her from a distance was irresistible to him.
Rico returned ten minutes later. He carried a suitcase which he placed on the table.
‘Luigi wil look after things for me,’ he said. ‘I’ve got a couple of grand in here, and there’s the five grand from Kile. But unless I have to, I don’t want to go…’
The telephone bell rang sharply, cutting off his words. He answered it while Baird lounged in his chair and watched him.
‘Yeah, Sam. This is Rico. What’s going on down there?’ He listened, and Baird saw his face go green. ‘They have? Okay. Thanks, Sam. Come up to the club and see Luigi. He’l pay you off.’ He hung up and looked at Baird, who was already on his feet, reaching for the suitcase. ‘They’ve found her! Sam saw them hook her out about three minutes ago.’
‘Come on, then,’ Baird said. ‘Let’s get out of here fast. First stop Red River Basin.’
Rico tore at his hair.
‘Leaving all this! I’l be ruined…’
Baird was already walking rapidly down the passage to the car park. Rico snatched up his hat and coat and rushed after him.
The dark blue Packard was waiting at the rear exit.
‘There’s another set of licence plates in the boot,’ the parking at endant said, coming up. ‘The tank’s full, and there’s a Thompson under the rear floor boards. Anything else I can do?’
‘Can you ditch the Buick?’
The parking attendant grinned.
‘I’ve already done that. I left it in a vacant lot about a mile away.’
‘Nice work,’ Baird said approvingly. ‘If they ask questions, tel them you haven’t seen us.’
‘Sure.’
Rico scrambled into the Packard.
‘Good luck, Mr Rico. I’l stal them,’ the parking attendant said.
‘Thanks, Tim. Maybe I’ll be back,’ Rico said mournful y.
Baird let in the clutch, swung out of the parking lot, and headed up town.
MacAdam, who had been sitting in his car waiting patiently for Gillis to show, spotted Rico in the Packard. He thought he recognised Baird at the wheel. He didn’t hesitate. Instinct told him it was more important to go after Baird and Rico than to wait for Gillis.
He trod on the starter and shot his car away from the kerb.
VI
‘Peggy, darling,’ Gil is said, turning on his boyish charm and leaning across the table to catch her hand, ‘aren’t you get ing a little bored with all this? Wouldn’t you like to come back to my place? We could have much more fun alone together.’
His blonde companion screwed up her eyes to focus the tanned, smiling face that appeared to bob up and down like a toy balloon on a rough sea.
‘I’m having fun right here,’ she announced, in a voice that carried across the restaurant. ‘I don’t want to go to your dreary old place. I’ve been there, and I know what you cal fun. I’m staying right here.
