all, keep her trap shut. Before, during, and after.
Well, it was too late to do anything more. She and Specs were on their own. The big job would be up to me.
I looked at my watch. One minute to go.
One minute and it would all be starting. And once it started you could never stop. You couldn’t go back, you just had to go through with it.
Kidnapping is risky business.
But two hundred grand is enough money to last a lifetime, if you know where to go and what to do with it.
And I couldn’t turn back now. It was as if everything I’d ever done had somehow led right up to this moment.
I looked at my watch again.
Three o’clock, on the head. This was it.
The snatch was on.
Chapter Nine
T he car came tearing down the alley at eight minutes after. I started my motor and waited. Specs turned off and shoved on the brakes at the same time. Our bumpers almost touched.
He jumped out and nodded at the back seat. Mary sat up. I got out and opened the rear door.
“Okay, sister—here’s where you get off!” I said. “Now get out of here and don’t tell anyone what happened or I’ll kill you.”
That was for the kid. The kid was lying on the floor in back. I took a good look at her to make sure the handkerchief was tight over her eyes and the rope was knotted around her wrists. She was crying, but not loud. She didn’t look like she was in such bad shape.
I reached in and picked her up, fast. Out of the corner of my eye I was watching Mary slip something to Specs. The hair ribbon and the kid’s handkerchief.
Meanwhile I got my own handkerchief out and put it over the kid’s mouth, for a gag. Mary saw me do it and started to say something. I shook my head. “Sorry, kid,” I said—but I was really talking to Mary. “I got to do this, can’t have you bawling.”
Then I stuck her in the back seat of the Olds, on her side. With her hands tied she couldn’t sit up.
Mary climbed in next to me. I gave the bug the gun and backed down the alley, watching through the rear-view mirror. I didn’t see any cars, any people. So far so good.
As soon as I was clear, Specs got back into the driver’s seat. I watched him put on his glasses again and pull away. He’d sure looked different without his glasses. Now, if he ditched his old suit like I told him to, they’d never be able to identify him.
I waited until I saw his car turn out into the street. Then I followed. He turned right at the end of the alley and I turned left.
Still nobody in sight. I looked at Mary now, but I didn’t have to look—I could feel her against me, trembling.
Without saying the words out loud I moved my lips so she could see me. “Snap out of it. Head scarf. Glasses.”
She got them out of her purse, put the scarf on and then the glasses. I drove along at about thirty-five. No sense getting panicky and speeding.
The kid was making sounds under the gag. Mary frowned. Her hand dug into my arm. I reached over and slapped it down.
I looked at my watch. Just twenty after. Specs should be at the post office by now, mailing the letter. Fast work, but my hands were tired and my neck was stiff like I’d been driving for hours.
I made myself take deep breaths, to relax. Then I got a cigarette into my mouth, but I couldn’t taste it so I threw it away.
Mary started to look around again, at the kid. I tugged at her shoulder and she stopped.
Then we were on the highway and rolling. It was just quarter to four when we pulled in the driveway. I got out, left the motor running, and opened the garage door. Then I drove right in.
Mary and I got out of the same side of the car, so only one door would slam. I didn’t figure the kid would hear us, but no sense taking any chances. I walked her up to the back door, opened it, and pushed her into the house. Nobody’d seen us.
“How’d it go?” I asked, when the door was closed behind us again.
“Oh, Steve, you aren’t going to leave her out there that way—she’s tied so tight, I’m afraid
Well, it was too late to do anything more. She and Specs were on their own. The big job would be up to me.
I looked at my watch. One minute to go.
One minute and it would all be starting. And once it started you could never stop. You couldn’t go back, you just had to go through with it.
Kidnapping is risky business.
But two hundred grand is enough money to last a lifetime, if you know where to go and what to do with it.
And I couldn’t turn back now. It was as if everything I’d ever done had somehow led right up to this moment.
I looked at my watch again.
Three o’clock, on the head. This was it.
The snatch was on.
Chapter Nine
T he car came tearing down the alley at eight minutes after. I started my motor and waited. Specs turned off and shoved on the brakes at the same time. Our bumpers almost touched.
He jumped out and nodded at the back seat. Mary sat up. I got out and opened the rear door.
“Okay, sister—here’s where you get off!” I said. “Now get out of here and don’t tell anyone what happened or I’ll kill you.”
That was for the kid. The kid was lying on the floor in back. I took a good look at her to make sure the handkerchief was tight over her eyes and the rope was knotted around her wrists. She was crying, but not loud. She didn’t look like she was in such bad shape.
I reached in and picked her up, fast. Out of the corner of my eye I was watching Mary slip something to Specs. The hair ribbon and the kid’s handkerchief.
Meanwhile I got my own handkerchief out and put it over the kid’s mouth, for a gag. Mary saw me do it and started to say something. I shook my head. “Sorry, kid,” I said—but I was really talking to Mary. “I got to do this, can’t have you bawling.”
Then I stuck her in the back seat of the Olds, on her side. With her hands tied she couldn’t sit up.
Mary climbed in next to me. I gave the bug the gun and backed down the alley, watching through the rear-view mirror. I didn’t see any cars, any people. So far so good.
As soon as I was clear, Specs got back into the driver’s seat. I watched him put on his glasses again and pull away. He’d sure looked different without his glasses. Now, if he ditched his old suit like I told him to, they’d never be able to identify him.
I waited until I saw his car turn out into the street. Then I followed. He turned right at the end of the alley and I turned left.
Still nobody in sight. I looked at Mary now, but I didn’t have to look—I could feel her against me, trembling.
Without saying the words out loud I moved my lips so she could see me. “Snap out of it. Head scarf. Glasses.”
She got them out of her purse, put the scarf on and then the glasses. I drove along at about thirty-five. No sense getting panicky and speeding.
The kid was making sounds under the gag. Mary frowned. Her hand dug into my arm. I reached over and slapped it down.
I looked at my watch. Just twenty after. Specs should be at the post office by now, mailing the letter. Fast work, but my hands were tired and my neck was stiff like I’d been driving for hours.
I made myself take deep breaths, to relax. Then I got a cigarette into my mouth, but I couldn’t taste it so I threw it away.
Mary started to look around again, at the kid. I tugged at her shoulder and she stopped.
Then we were on the highway and rolling. It was just quarter to four when we pulled in the driveway. I got out, left the motor running, and opened the garage door. Then I drove right in.
Mary and I got out of the same side of the car, so only one door would slam. I didn’t figure the kid would hear us, but no sense taking any chances. I walked her up to the back door, opened it, and pushed her into the house. Nobody’d seen us.
“How’d it go?” I asked, when the door was closed behind us again.
“Oh, Steve, you aren’t going to leave her out there that way—she’s tied so tight, I’m afraid
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