Read Online Two for the Money by Max Allan Collins - Free Book Online Page B

so-and-so rich bastard was robbed. Don’t even think about using any of the Earl Webb money to pay me off.”
    “Why the hell not?”
    “Because I don’t want you to. Because it would be too goddamn fucking easy.”
    “I can’t pull a job, not now.”
    “Sure you can, Nolan. You’re a pro.”
    “After what you did to me in Cicero, there isn’t a decent man in the business who’ll be willing to work with me.”
    “That’s a problem you’ll just have to iron out.”
    “This is insane. I’ve quit, Charlie, can’t you understand that? I’m an old man and I’m not even fifty yet.”
    “You can quit. After this one. After this one last job.”
    “Yeah. And every guy I ever knew who tried pulling off one last big one with retirement in his head got it blown off trying.”
    “That’d break my fucking heart.”
    “What the hell’s the difference? One hundred grand out of a Webb account is just as good as any one hundred grand I could come up with through a job!”
    “Calm down, Nolan,” Charlie said, his tone condescending. “I never saw you so upset before. What’s happened to you?”
    “Okay,” Nolan said. “You want me to sweat blood for you. All right. I’ll sweat it for you.”
    “Good,” Charlie said, “good. We’ll set a deadline . . . say one month from tomorrow? Pay the money, and you got your cover back and the funds that go with it. If you can’tmake payment by then, you’re going to have to do your future dealing with the Chicago P.D., the FBI, the Treasury boys . . .”
    “I think I get the idea.”
    “I thought maybe you would.”
    “What’s my guarantee you won’t expose the cover after I pay off?”
    “You know there isn’t any, outside of my word.”
    “Then why should I do it, Charlie?”
    “Well, Nolan, as you pointed out, we’re both getting on in years, myself even more so than you. I’m growing more sentimental in my old age and figure, why not settle this account with Nolan and have it over and done? But I can’t just say ‘Forget it.’ The Family knows I’ve sworn to even scores with you, so I can’t let it end with, ‘Be seeing you.’ Yet I’ve so much as been told not to kill you, so what am I to do? There’s such a thing as saving face.” Charlie let out a short laugh. “What I’m giving you is a chance. Sure, you can’t be positive I’m leveling with you, but this way you got a chance of getting that cover of yours back. Any other way you got zero.” He put his hands on his knees, but not so firmly as before. “That’s my offer. Pay up a month from tomorrow . . . if you’re ready sooner, just call Werner and tell him, and we’ll set up a drop for the money. And then you can have your goddamn cover name back and retire a happy bastard.”
    Nolan reached over into the lamp, brought out the .38, and held its nose under Charlie’s.
    Charlie turned as white as his teeth, and small beads of sweat began making their way down his brow.
    “Give me a reason,” Nolan said, “why I shouldn’t blow your head off and be the hell done with all this.” He turned to Werner and said, “You can contribute, too, old friend.”
    “The Family would find you, Nolan,” Werner said.
    “Maybe. But then you’d be just as dead, wouldn’t you, Charlie?”
    Charlie said, “Put it away, Nolan.”
    “You haven’t given me a reason yet.”
    “If I don’t show up in my Chicago office tomorrow morning, kiss Earl Webb good-bye. That’s a reason.”
    “Should I trust you, Charlie?”
    “I won’t renege on this, Nolan. Pay me and I swear the slate between us is clean.”
    “Clean?”
    “Clean. Now put the gun away.”
    “No. I trust you, but not that much.” He paused, then said, “Take off your ties and belts, men. Slow motion, please.”
    When they had, Nolan said, “Werner, take Charlie’s tie and tie his hands behind his back. Tight as you can without cutting off the circulation.”
    Werner looked as though he thought Nolan was pushing what was