Read Online The Man With the Getaway Face by Richard Stark - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Richard Stark
Tags: General Interest, Fiction, General, Suspense, Mystery & Detective, Suspense fiction, Crime, Detective and Mystery Stories, Hard-Boiled, Criminals, Parker (Fictitious character)
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you could trust him, m you know what I mean?"
Parker nodded. "You think Alma wants him? After the job, I mean?"
"It doesn't figure."
"All she wants," said Parker, "is the money. Not half of it, all of it. She won't even try to sweet-talk Skimm."
"That's the way it plays," Handy answered. He looked around, at the empty road, and the gravel road that went nowhere. "We're taking a big chance on how it plays."
"She takes it out of Jersey for us, then we take it away from her. If the law stops her, that's one thing. If it doesn't, she'll come this way."
"It does figure," said Handy. His cigarette was all wet, where he'd lipped it. He stuck it back in his mouth. "All right, this is the way we do it."
"Right."
A pale blue Ford went by, headed towards the bridge to New Jersey. It was the first moving car they'd seen on Staten Island. They watched it go by, and then Parker said, "I got to get back. I got to walk Stubbs."
"You talk about him like he was your dog."
"He's a pain in the ass," Parker said.
They got into the car, made a U-turn at a break in the mall, and headed back to New Jersey.
Chapter 3
AFTER BREAKFAST, Parker stopped at an outdoor phone booth next to a gas station. The Saturday morning traffic streaming by on 9 headed south for the shore. Parker dialled Skimm's number, and waited seven rings till there was a click and Skimm's voice said, "What?"
"It's ten o'clock," Parker said. Since Skimm had a woman, he'd been sleeping.
"What's that? Parker?"
"Yes."
"Listen, that guy called, that Lawson. He wants you to call him at his office, he'll be there till noon."
"All right. Walk Stubbs for me this afternoon, will you?"
"I was goin' to the shore with Alma." When Parker didn't say anything, Skimm said, "All right, I'll do it. That guy gives me a pain."
"I know," Parker said. "Hang around there while I talk to Lawson."
"Yeah, sure. I'll make some coffee. Alma's gone to work. She's gonna be mad when we can't go to the shore today."
"Yeah." Parker hung up, disgusted, and dropped another dime in the slot. He called Lawson's office, and an operator had him put in another fifteen. When he told the secretary it was Mr Flynn to talk to Mr Lawson she put him right through.
"I've got some of your goods, Mr Flynn. Those three cases you wanted, in good condition, and one truck."
"Good," Parker said.
"The only thing is the truck right now is in North Carolina. It's the one I told you about. It needs some work on it, but it'll run. They'll take eight hundred for delivery right there in North Carolina, no extra."
"How old is it?"
"Nine years."
Parker grimaced. "Will it make it up here?"
"According to what I've been told," Lawson said carefully, "it should make the trip, yes."
"All right. Where is it?"
"Goldsboro. I believe that's not too far from Raleigh."
"I'll find it. Who's the party?"
"The Double Ace Garage."
"All right."
"About the other matter, the three cases--"
"I'll pick them up Tuesday."
"Well," said Lawson, "I don't have them, but I can put you in touch with the man who does."
"Tell him Tuesday."
"I don't think he'll like that, Mr Flynn. They're what you might call a perishable commodity. He doesn't like to keep them in the store too long, if you know what I mean."
"Tuesday's the earliest I can make it."
"Well, I tell you what. I'll give you his name and phone number. You can straighten it out with him."
"You straighten it out," Parker said. "I'll call you Tuesday."
He hung up and left the phone booth and joined the rest of the traffic on 9. Handy was sitting in Alma's green Dodge in the furniture store parking lot, across the road from the diner. Parker turned the Ford in next to him, and Handy came over, sliding in next to Parker in the Ford. He had a pencil and a notebook with him.
"What's the good word?" he said.
"I got to go to North Carolina to pick up a truck. I'll try to be back Monday. Walk Stubbs for me tomorrow, will you?"
"Sure. Skimm taking it today?"
"Yeah."
"He's
Parker nodded. "You think Alma wants him? After the job, I mean?"
"It doesn't figure."
"All she wants," said Parker, "is the money. Not half of it, all of it. She won't even try to sweet-talk Skimm."
"That's the way it plays," Handy answered. He looked around, at the empty road, and the gravel road that went nowhere. "We're taking a big chance on how it plays."
"She takes it out of Jersey for us, then we take it away from her. If the law stops her, that's one thing. If it doesn't, she'll come this way."
"It does figure," said Handy. His cigarette was all wet, where he'd lipped it. He stuck it back in his mouth. "All right, this is the way we do it."
"Right."
A pale blue Ford went by, headed towards the bridge to New Jersey. It was the first moving car they'd seen on Staten Island. They watched it go by, and then Parker said, "I got to get back. I got to walk Stubbs."
"You talk about him like he was your dog."
"He's a pain in the ass," Parker said.
They got into the car, made a U-turn at a break in the mall, and headed back to New Jersey.
Chapter 3
AFTER BREAKFAST, Parker stopped at an outdoor phone booth next to a gas station. The Saturday morning traffic streaming by on 9 headed south for the shore. Parker dialled Skimm's number, and waited seven rings till there was a click and Skimm's voice said, "What?"
"It's ten o'clock," Parker said. Since Skimm had a woman, he'd been sleeping.
"What's that? Parker?"
"Yes."
"Listen, that guy called, that Lawson. He wants you to call him at his office, he'll be there till noon."
"All right. Walk Stubbs for me this afternoon, will you?"
"I was goin' to the shore with Alma." When Parker didn't say anything, Skimm said, "All right, I'll do it. That guy gives me a pain."
"I know," Parker said. "Hang around there while I talk to Lawson."
"Yeah, sure. I'll make some coffee. Alma's gone to work. She's gonna be mad when we can't go to the shore today."
"Yeah." Parker hung up, disgusted, and dropped another dime in the slot. He called Lawson's office, and an operator had him put in another fifteen. When he told the secretary it was Mr Flynn to talk to Mr Lawson she put him right through.
"I've got some of your goods, Mr Flynn. Those three cases you wanted, in good condition, and one truck."
"Good," Parker said.
"The only thing is the truck right now is in North Carolina. It's the one I told you about. It needs some work on it, but it'll run. They'll take eight hundred for delivery right there in North Carolina, no extra."
"How old is it?"
"Nine years."
Parker grimaced. "Will it make it up here?"
"According to what I've been told," Lawson said carefully, "it should make the trip, yes."
"All right. Where is it?"
"Goldsboro. I believe that's not too far from Raleigh."
"I'll find it. Who's the party?"
"The Double Ace Garage."
"All right."
"About the other matter, the three cases--"
"I'll pick them up Tuesday."
"Well," said Lawson, "I don't have them, but I can put you in touch with the man who does."
"Tell him Tuesday."
"I don't think he'll like that, Mr Flynn. They're what you might call a perishable commodity. He doesn't like to keep them in the store too long, if you know what I mean."
"Tuesday's the earliest I can make it."
"Well, I tell you what. I'll give you his name and phone number. You can straighten it out with him."
"You straighten it out," Parker said. "I'll call you Tuesday."
He hung up and left the phone booth and joined the rest of the traffic on 9. Handy was sitting in Alma's green Dodge in the furniture store parking lot, across the road from the diner. Parker turned the Ford in next to him, and Handy came over, sliding in next to Parker in the Ford. He had a pencil and a notebook with him.
"What's the good word?" he said.
"I got to go to North Carolina to pick up a truck. I'll try to be back Monday. Walk Stubbs for me tomorrow, will you?"
"Sure. Skimm taking it today?"
"Yeah."
"He's
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