Read Online The Collectors by David Baldacci - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: David Baldacci
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the counter and said casually, “I suppose there’ll be a hold on the funds, won’t there? It’s just that I have some vendors to pay. I wish I could get to keep the whole amount, but my profit margins are only about ten percent, if I’m lucky.”
The clerk hesitated. “Well, normally, there would be with a check this size.” She looked at Annabelle, smiled and eyed her computer. “But the account the check’s drawn on has plenty of money to cover it. And there have been no problems in your company account. So I’ll make the funds immediately available.”
“That’s great, I really appreciate it.”
“We girls have to stick together.”
“Yes, we do,” Annabelle said as she turned and walked out with her deposit slip showing her “company” to be $40,000 richer.
Meanwhile, Leo raced through his group of checks, usually not spending more than ten minutes at each bank. Speed was the key here, he knew. Speed without sloppiness, however. His method was typically to crack a joke, usually at his own expense, to break the ice with the teller.
“I wish that money was going into my personal account,” he told one clerk in his guise as a company gofer. “Then I could make my rent payment. Is there anyplace in this damn town that doesn’t want your firstborn for a security deposit on a one-bedroom?”
“Not that I’ve ever heard of,” the teller answered sympathetically.
Leo went on, “I mean, I don’t even have a freaking one-bedroom. All I’ve got is a one-sleeper-sofa apartment.”
“You’re lucky. On what the bank pays I’m still living with my parents.”
“Yeah, but I’ve got about thirty years on you. With the way I’m going, by the time you’re running this place,
I’ll
be living with
my
parents.”
The teller laughed and handed Leo a deposit receipt for $38,000. “Don’t spend it all in one place,” the young man chided.
“Not to worry,” Leo replied, tucking the paper in his pocket and walking off whistling.
By later that afternoon they’d passed seventy-seven of the eighty checks, with Tony moving ten of them and growing more confident with each one.
“This is easy,” Tony declared in the van as he changed clothes along with Leo. Annabelle was behind a sheet strung up across part of the van doing the same thing. Tony added, “Those idiots just stand there and take every line you feed them. They never even look at the paper. I don’t know why anybody bothers robbing banks anymore.”
Annabelle poked her head over the top of the sheet. “We’ve got three more checks. We’ll each take one.”
“And watch your head when you get out of the van, Tony,” Leo said.
“Watch my head, what are you talking about?”
“I mean, it’s so big right now, it might not fit through the doors.”
“Why the hell do you keep giving me a hard time, Leo?”
“He’s giving you a hard time, Tony, because passing altered checks isn’t easy,” Annabelle said.
“Well, it is for me.”
Leo said, “That’s because Annabelle in her infinite wisdom gave you the easiest ones to pass.”
Tony whirled around to look at her. “Is that true?”
“Yes,” she said bluntly, her bare shoulders showing above the top of the sheet.
“I can take care of myself,” Tony shot back. “You don’t have to baby me.”
“I’m not doing it for you,” Annabelle answered. “If you go down, you’ll take us with you.” Her eyes glittered at him for an instant and then relaxed. “Besides, it makes no sense to throw a talented con in over his head. That can do a lot more harm than good.”
She ducked down behind the sheet. With a little light coming in from the van’s tinted windows, the sheet was somewhat transparent. Tony stared at Annabelle’s silhouette as she shed her clothes and put others on.
Leo jabbed him in the ribs and growled, “Have some respect, kid.”
Tony turned slowly to look at him. “Damn,” he said quietly.
“What, you’ve never seen a beautiful woman
The clerk hesitated. “Well, normally, there would be with a check this size.” She looked at Annabelle, smiled and eyed her computer. “But the account the check’s drawn on has plenty of money to cover it. And there have been no problems in your company account. So I’ll make the funds immediately available.”
“That’s great, I really appreciate it.”
“We girls have to stick together.”
“Yes, we do,” Annabelle said as she turned and walked out with her deposit slip showing her “company” to be $40,000 richer.
Meanwhile, Leo raced through his group of checks, usually not spending more than ten minutes at each bank. Speed was the key here, he knew. Speed without sloppiness, however. His method was typically to crack a joke, usually at his own expense, to break the ice with the teller.
“I wish that money was going into my personal account,” he told one clerk in his guise as a company gofer. “Then I could make my rent payment. Is there anyplace in this damn town that doesn’t want your firstborn for a security deposit on a one-bedroom?”
“Not that I’ve ever heard of,” the teller answered sympathetically.
Leo went on, “I mean, I don’t even have a freaking one-bedroom. All I’ve got is a one-sleeper-sofa apartment.”
“You’re lucky. On what the bank pays I’m still living with my parents.”
“Yeah, but I’ve got about thirty years on you. With the way I’m going, by the time you’re running this place,
I’ll
be living with
my
parents.”
The teller laughed and handed Leo a deposit receipt for $38,000. “Don’t spend it all in one place,” the young man chided.
“Not to worry,” Leo replied, tucking the paper in his pocket and walking off whistling.
By later that afternoon they’d passed seventy-seven of the eighty checks, with Tony moving ten of them and growing more confident with each one.
“This is easy,” Tony declared in the van as he changed clothes along with Leo. Annabelle was behind a sheet strung up across part of the van doing the same thing. Tony added, “Those idiots just stand there and take every line you feed them. They never even look at the paper. I don’t know why anybody bothers robbing banks anymore.”
Annabelle poked her head over the top of the sheet. “We’ve got three more checks. We’ll each take one.”
“And watch your head when you get out of the van, Tony,” Leo said.
“Watch my head, what are you talking about?”
“I mean, it’s so big right now, it might not fit through the doors.”
“Why the hell do you keep giving me a hard time, Leo?”
“He’s giving you a hard time, Tony, because passing altered checks isn’t easy,” Annabelle said.
“Well, it is for me.”
Leo said, “That’s because Annabelle in her infinite wisdom gave you the easiest ones to pass.”
Tony whirled around to look at her. “Is that true?”
“Yes,” she said bluntly, her bare shoulders showing above the top of the sheet.
“I can take care of myself,” Tony shot back. “You don’t have to baby me.”
“I’m not doing it for you,” Annabelle answered. “If you go down, you’ll take us with you.” Her eyes glittered at him for an instant and then relaxed. “Besides, it makes no sense to throw a talented con in over his head. That can do a lot more harm than good.”
She ducked down behind the sheet. With a little light coming in from the van’s tinted windows, the sheet was somewhat transparent. Tony stared at Annabelle’s silhouette as she shed her clothes and put others on.
Leo jabbed him in the ribs and growled, “Have some respect, kid.”
Tony turned slowly to look at him. “Damn,” he said quietly.
“What, you’ve never seen a beautiful woman
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