Read Online Case of Lucy Bending by Lawrence Sanders - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lawrence Sanders
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the chattahoochee walk that led from the patio around the house to the beach. He watched her haunches move slinkily under the smooth suit. He watched the ripple of muscles in the backs of her thighs, the way her suave calves bulged. Nice, he thought. Really nice.
They waded into the ocean up to their knees, and watched a flotilla of sailboats beat against the wind. There was no one nearby in the sea, no watchers on the shore.
"Well?" she asked.
"Listen, Jane," he said hoarsely, "have you got any joints?"
"Jesus Christ!" she said wrathfully. "Is that what you dragged me out here to talk about?"
"No, no," he said hastily. "That's not it. But it just occurred to me I might like a toke later, and I'm out."
She sighed. "I've got some upstairs. I'll get you one after dinner."
"Thank you," he said gratefully. "I'll pay you t)ack. Jane, did Bill tell you anything about Luther Empt's proposition? When we went to his place for drinks?"
"The shootout at the O.K. Corral?" she said. "The whole beach heard about that. Bill's going to buy a gun."
"You're kidding!"
"No, he really is. He told me so."
"What the hell for?"
She shrugged.
"Maybe he wants to take another shot at the moon," Bending said.
"Maybe."
"Did he tell you what Luther wanted?"
"He babbled something about processing movie films or tape cassettes. I really wasn't listening. He wasn't making much sense. I've never seen him so stoned."
"Luther's got an offer from some mob guys to process their pornographic video cassettes."
"Oh-ho."
"He wants to set up a corporation. Him, me, and Bill. Equal shares. A quarter-of-a-million each. Plus a loan from the mob to total a million capital. Did Bill show you the presentation Luther made up?"
"No."
"Well, Luther gave him a copy. Get a look at it. Jane, it's a gold mine. More money than you've ever dreamed of."
"What about the legal angle?"
"Minimal risk," Bending said. "That's what the lawyers claim. We wouldn't be producing the stuff or distributing it or selling it. Just processing it. A mechanical job."
"So?" she said. "Why are you telling me about it?"
"You know Bill—he needs nudging. You can talk him into it. Hassle him. Jane, I want to get in on this, and we need Bill. My God, he can afford it. Easily. You know that."
She sloshed around in the shallows, walking in circles, her head down. Her arms were folded. She gripped her elbows.
She looked up at him suddenly. "What's in it for me?" she demanded.
"Jesus, Jane, you'll be rich!"
"We're already rich."
"I'm talking about rich rich."
"And I'm talking about what's in it for me personally. You're talking about Bill getting rich. What do I get out of all those big numbers? Me? Personally? If I talk Bill into going along?"
He looked at her admiringly. "You're a tough cookie."
She smiled tightly.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"A piece of the cake, a slice of the pie. Not a big piece; I'm not greedy. But something."
"How about like, uh, a finder's fee. Some cash. If Bill comes in."
"How much?"
"I don't know. I'd have to talk to Luther to see if he'll play along."
"Before you do that, let me get a look at the presentation to see if it's as good as you say."
"It's better. Believe me."
"I'll let you know."
"Next week? At the motel?"
"Maybe. Give me a call. Now let's get back to the party."
"Don't forget the joint," he said, and began plodding after her in the soft sand.
Tables for four were set around the pool deck, with one long trestle table for the children. Tablecloths were paper, but the food was served on stoneware plates. Adults received stainless steel cutlery; the children were provided with plastic implements.
Each table had bowls of salad, condiments, arrangements of fresh hibiscus, crown of thorns, and birds of paradise. There were bottles of wine for the adults, soft drinks for the children.
Eddie Holloway and Wayne Bending had learned how to beat that system a long time ago; they disappeared briefly at regular intervals to fill empty Coke cans with stolen beer. They kept the
They waded into the ocean up to their knees, and watched a flotilla of sailboats beat against the wind. There was no one nearby in the sea, no watchers on the shore.
"Well?" she asked.
"Listen, Jane," he said hoarsely, "have you got any joints?"
"Jesus Christ!" she said wrathfully. "Is that what you dragged me out here to talk about?"
"No, no," he said hastily. "That's not it. But it just occurred to me I might like a toke later, and I'm out."
She sighed. "I've got some upstairs. I'll get you one after dinner."
"Thank you," he said gratefully. "I'll pay you t)ack. Jane, did Bill tell you anything about Luther Empt's proposition? When we went to his place for drinks?"
"The shootout at the O.K. Corral?" she said. "The whole beach heard about that. Bill's going to buy a gun."
"You're kidding!"
"No, he really is. He told me so."
"What the hell for?"
She shrugged.
"Maybe he wants to take another shot at the moon," Bending said.
"Maybe."
"Did he tell you what Luther wanted?"
"He babbled something about processing movie films or tape cassettes. I really wasn't listening. He wasn't making much sense. I've never seen him so stoned."
"Luther's got an offer from some mob guys to process their pornographic video cassettes."
"Oh-ho."
"He wants to set up a corporation. Him, me, and Bill. Equal shares. A quarter-of-a-million each. Plus a loan from the mob to total a million capital. Did Bill show you the presentation Luther made up?"
"No."
"Well, Luther gave him a copy. Get a look at it. Jane, it's a gold mine. More money than you've ever dreamed of."
"What about the legal angle?"
"Minimal risk," Bending said. "That's what the lawyers claim. We wouldn't be producing the stuff or distributing it or selling it. Just processing it. A mechanical job."
"So?" she said. "Why are you telling me about it?"
"You know Bill—he needs nudging. You can talk him into it. Hassle him. Jane, I want to get in on this, and we need Bill. My God, he can afford it. Easily. You know that."
She sloshed around in the shallows, walking in circles, her head down. Her arms were folded. She gripped her elbows.
She looked up at him suddenly. "What's in it for me?" she demanded.
"Jesus, Jane, you'll be rich!"
"We're already rich."
"I'm talking about rich rich."
"And I'm talking about what's in it for me personally. You're talking about Bill getting rich. What do I get out of all those big numbers? Me? Personally? If I talk Bill into going along?"
He looked at her admiringly. "You're a tough cookie."
She smiled tightly.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"A piece of the cake, a slice of the pie. Not a big piece; I'm not greedy. But something."
"How about like, uh, a finder's fee. Some cash. If Bill comes in."
"How much?"
"I don't know. I'd have to talk to Luther to see if he'll play along."
"Before you do that, let me get a look at the presentation to see if it's as good as you say."
"It's better. Believe me."
"I'll let you know."
"Next week? At the motel?"
"Maybe. Give me a call. Now let's get back to the party."
"Don't forget the joint," he said, and began plodding after her in the soft sand.
Tables for four were set around the pool deck, with one long trestle table for the children. Tablecloths were paper, but the food was served on stoneware plates. Adults received stainless steel cutlery; the children were provided with plastic implements.
Each table had bowls of salad, condiments, arrangements of fresh hibiscus, crown of thorns, and birds of paradise. There were bottles of wine for the adults, soft drinks for the children.
Eddie Holloway and Wayne Bending had learned how to beat that system a long time ago; they disappeared briefly at regular intervals to fill empty Coke cans with stolen beer. They kept the
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