1965 - The Way the Cookie Crumbles (15 page)

She took three quick steps that brought her to the nearest wall, turned and faced Edris and Algir, her eyes dark and glittering, her mouth a thin line.

‘All right, you bitch,’ Algir said, his voice husky with rage. ‘You’re going to get it. I’ve been waiting to give it to you ever since we met, and now I’m going to strip the goddamn meat off your back!’

As he began to fumble at the buckle of his belt, Ira looked quickly around for a weapon. Close to her was a heavy ashtray and she snatched it up as Algir slid the belt free of its loops.

‘You make a move towards me, creep,’ she said, her voice steady, her face white but determined, ‘and this goes through the window. Then you can talk to the cops when they come.’

‘Knock it off!’ Edris said sharply to Algir. ‘I’m handling this. I told you, didn’t I? I’m handling it!’

Algir hesitated, glaring at Ira, then with a grunt of exasperation he tossed the belt on the settee.

‘All right,’ Edris said and moving to his armchair he sat down. ‘Sit down, Ira. Philly-boy, you squat too.’

Ira looked from Edris to Algir and then, still holding the ashtray she sat on a straight back chair which stood against the wall. Her mouth was dry and her heart pounding. What had gone wrong? she asked herself. She was more scared of Edris than of Algir. The dwarf’s calmness had a sinister quality that was far more dangerous than Algir’s blustering rage.

Muttering under his breath, Algir sat down.

Edris looked at Ira.

‘I thought you were smart,’ he said softly. ‘It would have been easy to have given Phil names that meant something, but you were dumb enough to dream up those two names. Your Mr. Cruikshank and your Mrs. Rhindlander don’t have accounts with the bank. I checked.’

Ira forced her face to remain expressionless. Yes, that had been a dumb move, she thought, but how was she to know this freak was even suspicious of her?

‘What’s the idea?’ Edris went on. ‘Did you also know there would be no money in Lanza’s safe?’

‘I didn’t know,’ she said.

‘Those two keys you gave Phil. Who do they belong to?’

She hesitated, then she decided to put her cards face up on the table. The showdown was coming quicker than she wanted it to, but these two daren’t touch her in Ticky’s apartment. She could hear the strains of music coming from the television set in the apartment below. She wasn’t alone in the building. She could throw the ashtray through the closed window before they could reach her and she could scream. No, they wouldn’t dare touch her here.

‘No one,’ she said quietly. ‘The safes are vacant.’

Algir called her an obscene name. He looked as if he were about to throw himself at her, but Edris motioned him to stay where he was.

‘Run out of guts, Ira?’ Edris asked, crossing his short legs, his eyes glinting evilly.

‘That’s it. I’m quitting. You can dream up another idea to fill your pockets and you can leave me out of it.’

‘I knew this could happen, but I thought it wouldn’t happen with you. I reckoned you were perfect for the job. You’re still perfect for the job, Ira, only you don’t know it.’

She didn’t say anything.

‘You’re going on with the job,’ Edris said quietly. ‘Tomorrow you’re going to give Phil at least two key impressions and they’re going to be keys to safes with money in them. Do you understand? You do that and I’ll forget this little lapse.’

‘I’ve quitted,’ Ira said. ‘I’m staying that way.’

‘Let me get at this bitch,’ Algir exploded. ‘I’ll . . .’

‘Wrap up!’ Edris snapped, not taking his eyes off Ira. ‘You’ve got what you want, isn’t that it, Ira? You’ve got a home, money, and a father. That’s it, isn’t it? The spur for money isn’t pricking your hide now, is it?’

‘That’s about it, and there’s nothing you can do about it, Ticky.’

‘Is that right?’ Edris smiled. ‘The spur is pricking me still, baby. I haven’t got what I want.’

‘Then go ahead and get it, but leave me out of it!’

‘No, baby, you’re in it and you stay in it.’

Ira stared at him for a long moment, then she got to her feet.

‘I’m leaving now. If either of you have other ideas, this goes through the window,’ she said, hefting the ashtray in her hands.

‘Don’t be in such a hurry, baby,’ Edris said mildly. ‘I want to tell you why you’re still with us. You’re with us because you can’t get out of it. You like Devon, don’t you?’

Ira remained motionless.

‘Like him? Why should I like him?’

‘Oh, come off it,’ Edris said and laughed. ‘Do you imagine I haven’t seen the change in you? He’s a pretty good daddy, isn’t he? He gives you everything you want. Quite a change from your other daddy, isn’t he?’

Ira suddenly felt cold.

‘I wonder what Devon would say if your drunken daddy walked into the bank and claimed you?’ Edris went on. ‘What a lot of talking you would have to do, baby. I don’t think you could talk yourself out of that spot. And another thing, when the news broke you were Devon’s sister-in-law and not his daughter and you two had been living together for weeks, what a beautiful stink that would make in this sweet smelling City. And then the press would nose out about Muriel’s past life. How long do you imagine Devon would remain in his job when that dirt got out? It wouldn’t be such fun for you then, would it, baby doll?’

Still Ira said nothing. Edris could see by the way she flinched that he had scored.

‘So let’s forget it,’ he went on. ‘Philly-boy will be down at the cafe tomorrow morning for at least two key impressions. Have them ready for him, baby, unless, of course, you want to see your real daddy again. And another thing, you don’t get your split now until you’ve done your job, but that shouldn’t worry you with Devon to wipe your nose and keep you in money, should it?’

Ira stared at him for a long moment, then she put down the ashtray, unlocked the door and went out.

Edris looked at Algir and winked.

‘The psychological approach, buddy-boy, is always better than violence. The stupid little creep is half in love with Devon. You’ll get the keys tomorrow. Want to bet on it?’

* * *

As Ira made her way to the arrival centre of the Miami airport, the hands of the big wall clock moved to 20.15 hours. She had ten minutes to wait before Jess’ aircraft touched down.

During the drive from Edris’ apartment, her mind had been seething for ways and means of getting out of the trap she had walked into. It was a cunning trap because Ticky knew she couldn’t give him away without implicating herself. He had also guessed that she was fonder of Devon than she had realized, but she realized it now. The thought of involving him in a scandal that could lose him his position in the bank was unbearable to her. The thought too of losing her new home and all that went with it was equally unbearable. There must be a way out, she kept telling herself, but she couldn’t think of one. Her only hope now was Jess. Jess was full of ideas. If she explained the position to him, she felt hopeful that he could come up with a solution. She refused to remember that most of his ideas in the past had been childish and unsuccessful. She also refused to admit that he couldn’t possibly compete against Edris’ experience and shrewd cunning. She kept telling herself that Jess would find a way out. She was sure of it.

The arrival of the New York plane was announced over the public address system and she walked over to the observation window.

A few minutes later she watched the big plane come taxiing down the runway. There was a slight delay, then the passengers began to cross the tarmac towards the arrival centre.

She caught sight of Jess and she stiffened, her heart suddenly sinking. She had sent him money for clothes and she had hoped he would have made himself presentable, but she had forgotten that Jess never bothered about his appearance. He was still wearing the faded blue, skintight jeans and the old black leather windcheater he had been wearing when last she had seen him. His Mexican-style boots were cracked and down at heel. Slung over his shoulder, he carried a dirty orange coloured duffle bag.

Jess was tall and thin with narrow shoulders, large red hands and long stork-like legs. His black greasy hair reached to his collar and was worn in a thick quaff that hung over his eyes. His features were regular and good except for a mouth that was too small and too thin. His complexion was sallow and his right cheek deeply scarred from a bottle attack in his early days as a gang leader. He looked as if he hadn’t washed for some days and he was in need of a shave.

Ira watched him as he walked arrogantly across the tarmac, surrounded by well-dressed, smart looking businessmen and their wives. By their glances at him, she could see they were startled and annoyed that such a beatnik should be travelling with them.

As she watched him, she realized with sudden panic how much she had changed during the past weeks and how her new environment had altered her standards and her outlook. She found herself asking if she could really have been so in love with this dirty looking bum. Could this really be the Jess who she had fought to keep and whose wishes she had slavishly obeyed? Again she experienced a feeling of hot shame and she had a sudden urge to get away before he saw her.

She pulled herself together. She had sent for him and he was here. She couldn’t run away. He had her address and if he didn’t find her waiting for him, he would come to her home and what would Mel say? At all costs, she decided, she must keep him away from Mel. But where could she take him right now? Somehow she had to persuade him to clean himself up and get some new clothes. She thought of Mel’s beach cabin. That would be the place. He could stay there for the night. She could get him some clothes. Mel wouldn’t be using the cabin until Sunday.

She walked slowly to the arrival exit and stood by a column, watching the passengers as they filtered through. Then she saw Jess, his lean jaws moving as he chewed gum, a bad-tempered expression on his face. He jostled through the crowd, not caring who he elbowed out of his way, and finally paused as he broke free from the stream of moving people.

Bracing herself, Ira walked up to him.

‘Hello, Jess, so you’ve got here.’

For a brief moment, she could see by the blank expression in his eyes that he didn’t recognize her, then he did. He gaped at her, shaken by the change in her, but he quickly recovered.

‘Jeepers! Look who’s here!’ he exclaimed. ‘You’ve got yourself all tarted up for God’s sake, haven’t you?’

Ira had had no time to change out of her office clothes and she was aware that she looked too prim, too square and too everything that Jess despised. Her neat grey dress with its white collar and cuffs, her black nylon stockings and court shoes were the uniform of the class of people Jess hated most. ‘Creeps who bootlick the squares,’ was his constant description of them.

‘This is an act,’ she said defensively. ‘Come on, Jess, I’ve lots to tell you, but let’s get out of here.’

‘Yeah? Suppose I don’t want to listen? What the hell do you mean by walking out on me the way you did?’ Jess’s thin face darkened. ‘I’ve a mind to poke you in the kisser here and now!’

‘Oh, grow up!’ she snapped, suddenly furious with him. ‘If you can’t, go home!’ She turned and walked quickly out of the building and over to where she had parked her T.R.4.

Startled, Jess gaped after her, then shouldering his bag, he went along. He joined her as she slid under the wheel.

She watched him look the car over, a bewildered, envious expression on his face.

‘This yours?’

‘It’s mine.’

‘Judas!’ He sucked in his breath. ‘What’s been going on? You really mean it’s yours?’ He now looked so stunned that Ira nearly laughed at him.

She opened the off-side door.

‘Get in, Jess.’

He moved around the car, slid in beside her and slammed the door. Now he was close to her she could smell the dirt on him and the stale sweat from his clothes. The smell brought back a vivid and frightening picture of her sordid home, her drunken father, the dirt and the bedbugs, and she shuddered.

‘Can you drive it?’ he asked, staring at the dashboard with round eyes.

‘Of course. I used to drive Joe’s car when he would let me and it was twice this size.’

Jess scratched his head, scattering scurf on his collar.

As Ira pressed the starter button, he said, ‘Where the hell did all that money come from you sent me?’

‘It’s a long story. It’ll wait,’ Ira said as she set the car moving. Jess’s sudden uneasiness and his loss of confidence pleased her. ‘And you, Jess? What have you been doing since I left?’

‘Doing?’ He became hostile again. ‘I’ve been doing what I like doing. Nothing!’

A stupid remark, she found herself thinking. You haven’t changed, Jess. It’s only now I can see what a lout and a layabout you are. You haven’t changed, but I have.

‘How’s the gang?’ she asked for something to say.

‘What do you care about the goddamn gang?’

‘I can ask, can’t I?’

‘The gang’s all right. What’s all this crap about anyway? I’ve got to get back. The gang can’t manage without me.’

‘Who cares? You can manage without them, can’t you?’

He moved uneasily.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Oh, never mind. Why didn’t you get yourself some clothes, Jess? I sent you enough money.’

‘What the hell do I want clothes for?’

‘Paradise City isn’t New York. You can get picked up by the cops looking the way you do.’

‘Frig the cops!’

‘What did you do with all that money, lose it?’

‘I got some of it. What’s it to you? It’s mine, isn’t it?’

She shrugged her shoulders, dismayed that she was so bored with this lout. She was now on Highway 4A and she concentrated on her driving, effortlessly whipping the small car past the big Cadillacs, the Buicks and the Fords, but careful not to exceed the speed limit. She didn’t want a cop after her with Jess in the car.

‘Can’t you drive faster than this?’ he demanded, glad for a chance to criticize. ‘Let me take it. I’ll show you how to drive a car!’

‘It’s fast enough. The cops are hot here.’

He grunted, then asked, ‘Where are we going?’