his hip pocket.
“First, let me tell you a little about the Casino,” he said, laying the papers on the table before him. “This is the high season. On Saturday — the day after tomorrow — there will be something like three million dollars in cash in the building. If we get all the breaks, we should get away with two million. Two million dollars split up amongst the five of us makes three hundred thousand dollars each man.”
Chandler said sharply, “Not by my arithmetic. I make it four hundred thousand!”
Maisky smiled gently.
“You are quite right, but I will have the major share. You will each have three hundred thousand and I will have the rest because I have had a lot of expenses. I have thought of the plan, I have arranged how it is to be carried out and, if it interests you, I have spent the past nine months in the City. I have had to hire this bungalow and I have had to pay out a considerable sum for information. So…” He waved his clawlike hands. “I have the major share.”
“Sure, doc,” Mish said. “That’s fair enough. Three hundred thousand dollars! Gee! That’s the kind of money I’ve always dreamed about!”
“You haven’t got it yet,” Chandler said.
Maisky leaned forward.
“May I continue? Let me explain about the Casino. Jess says he has already considered robbing the place with ten men walking into the gambling rooms.” He laughed. “Well, of course that would not have produced results. On Saturday night, the maximum amount of money on the tables will be around a quarter of a million. The rest of the money remains in the vault immediately below the gambling rooms. When more money is needed, it is sent up in small box elevators. Two armed guards remain by each elevator during the gambling session. When money accumulates on the tables, it is sent down to the vaults. So there is a constant coming and going of money… up and down… and always heavily guarded.” He paused to light another cigarette, then went on, “It became obvious to me after a few days’ watching this routine that the vault itself must be our attacking point. Here, the money is kept very neatly. There are four girls in the vault and two armed guards. The girls handle the money: the guards keep watch. The vault is protected by a steel door and no one is allowed to enter except on official business. This has been going on for years. Here is the soft underbelly. So we will get into the vault, take the money and walk out.”
He made another deliberate pause while he looked at the four men. Mish scowled and began to scratch his head. Wash sat motionless, his black face expressionless. Perry continued to stare up at the ceiling. Plans like this bored him. All he wanted was to be told what to do and then to go into action. Chandler stared at Maisky as if he thought he was crazy.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake!” he said. “Is this a theory? You haven’t a hope in hell of getting into that vault. What are you doing… having a game with us?”
Maisky took from his jacket pocket a shiny, steel cylinder no more than six inches long. He placed it on the table with the finicky care of a man displaying an artistic masterpiece.
“This is the answer to the problem,” He said. “With this, we will have no trouble removing the money from the vault.”
The four men stared at the shiny cylinder on the table.
After a pause, Perry said, “Just what the hell is that?”
“It contains a paralysing gas,” Maisky said. “It is quite ingenious and it’s under tremendous pressure. It is effective within ten seconds.”
Chandler rubbed the back of his neck as he eyed Maisky.
“Is it… lethal?”
“Oh no. After four or five hours its effects wear off. We are robbing the Casino, my friend, not committing mayhem.”
“Well, what do you know? That’s mighty cute,” Perry said. “Go on… tell us more.”
Maisky picked up the papers on the table and handed them to Mish.
“Look at these. Do they mean anything to you?”
Mish leaned back in his chair and studied the blueprints of the Casino’s electrical circuits. It took him only a few seconds to realise what he was looking at and he glanced up, his red face alight with a grin of admiration.
“I take my hat off to you, doc. Sure, I get it now. How did you get hold of this little lot?”
Maisky shrugged.
“As I told you, I have been here for nine months and I have not wasted my time.”
Chandler peered over Mish’s shoulder, then he looked at Maisky.
“You’ve certainly been working at this thing, but I’m not sold yet. Just what do we have to do?” he said.
“Here is the general plan. The Casino shuts at three a.m. At twothirty a.m. most of the money will have been returned to the vault. This is the time for our attack. Here is what happens in outline. At two-thirty precisely, Mish will walk into the Casino wearing the uniform of the City’s Electricians. This uniform I have already obtained. He will say there is an electrical fault and he wants to check the fuse boxes. At this hour, there will only be a stooge in control. I have been to the Casino every night since I have been here and I know at one forty-five the general office shuts down. Harry Lewis, who is charge of the Casino, is always moving around in the gambling rooms at this time until the Casino shuts. His secretaries have gone home. So you will have no trouble. The stooge in the lobby will assume Lewis has called you and he will show you where to find the fuse boxes. You will have to be careful about the timing, Mish. Now look at the blueprint. First, I want the air conditioner in the vault cut off.'The other men watched as Mish studied the blueprint. After a few moments, he looked up and nodded.
“Can do… it’s easy.”
“Yes… I thought it might be with you handling it.” Maisky’s voice was gentle and confident. “Then there is a calculator in the vault which the girls use to add up the total take. This almost must be put on the blink. I believe you will see the fuse box for that.”
Mish nodded after examining the blueprint.
“Sure,” he said. “No trouble.”
“So this is your job, Mish. You put the air conditioner and the calculator on the blink. I’m just giving you this in outline. Later, of course, we will go into details. Now…” he looked at Chandler. “You have a more difficult role to play. You and Wash will arrive exactly at two-thirty in a small truck… I have the truck in my garage. You both will be wearing the uniforms of I.B.M. engineers, and you will have with you a carton that is supposed to contain a calculator. It will not, of course, contain a calculator. It will contain two gas masks and two automatic pistols. These articles I have already obtained. Jess will tell the doorman who guards the entrance to the vault that he has had a call from Mr. Lewis to replace the calculator in the vault. While he is talking to the doormen, Mish will put the calculator in the vault on the blink. So when Jess and Wash arrive at the door to the vault, the guards will know the calculator has broken down. It is up to Jess to talk his way into the vault… it shouldn’t be too difficult. Both he and Wash will be wearing the appropriate uniforms and carrying a carton marked on all sides: I.B.M. The girls will be complaining that their machine is out of order. Pyschologically, I think we can get away with this. Once inside, Chandler will open the carton and hold up the guards. Wash will put on his gas mask and then take over from Chandler who will also put on his gas mask. This must be done very quickly and with a lot of menace. We will, of course, practice this tomorrow. Before the guards have the time to start trouble, Jess will release the gas. This is very simple to do. A sharp tap on any solid object… the table… the wall… anything solid, will set it off. In ten seconds there will be no opposition. The vault will be filled with the gas. You two will then fill the carton with as much money as you can lay hands on… and there will be plenty. You will choose only fivehundred-dollar bills. These bills will be in packets and will be easy to handle. Having filled the carton, you will walk out. The doorman will assume you are taking away the calculator that has broken down. You will put the carton into the truck and then we will all drive off. This is a very brief summary of my plan. The details, of course, will have to be fully discussed and rehearsed, but we will do this tomorrow night.” He sat back, tapped ash off his cigarette and looked inquiringly at the four. men who had been listening with absorbed concentration.
Perry said, “Just where do I come in on the set-up?”
“Ah, yes… you.” Maisky smiled at him. “You will also be wearing the I.B.M. uniform. You will come in with Jess and Wash, but you will stay with the doorman. I’ll tell you about him later. He is an old man who likes to talk. Your job is to talk to him. I don’t anticipate trouble, but we must be ready to deal with it should it occur. Some nosy guard might turn up and start being awkward.” Maisky stared fixedly at Perry. “I am relying on you to take care of
