1965 - The Way the Cookie Crumbles (13 page)

‘How would she get it out?’ Edris said, his eyes hardening. ‘You get it out because the bank thinks it belongs to you. She wouldn’t dare risk taking a pile of money out with those guards at the grill.’

‘They think she’s Devon’s daughter. If she took a big handbag down with her, she could take out quite a lot of money.’

Edris thought about this.

‘If she’s crazy enough to take the risk,’ he said finally, ‘I can’t see how we stop her.’

‘Yeah. Well, I thought I’d mention it.’

Edris stared thoughtfully at him, then got to his feet.

‘I’m going to hit the hay.’ He wandered to the bedroom door, paused and again stared at Algir. ‘You’ve given me an idea, Philly-boy. If she could cheat us; you could cheat me, couldn’t you? You could stash away some of the money she puts in the safe and bring the rest to me, couldn’t you?’

‘I wouldn’t do that to you, Ticky,’ Algir said, his eyes meeting Edris’. ‘We’re partners.’

‘It was just an idea. Not a healthy one. If I found out anyone was cheating me, I’d fix him so he wouldn’t cheat anyone again.’

‘Oh, go to bed!’ Algir said impatiently. ‘I’ve still got work to do.’ He returned to the table and sat down.

Edris stared at his back for a long moment, then went into the bedroom and shut the door.

* * *

At 08.50 hours the following morning, Ira hurried into a coffee bar a hundred yards or so from the entrance to the bank. Algir was sitting at a table in a corner. At this hour the bar was deserted and they had arranged to meet here as it was near the bank and their meeting would go unnoticed.

Ira sat down beside Algir. As the negro barman started towards them, she waved him away.

‘I’m not stopping,’ she said. ‘I don’t want anything.’

Shrugging, the negro returned to the racing sheet he was studying.

‘Have you got it?’ she asked Algir.

‘Yeah.’ He handed her the key, using the top of the table to shield the movement. ‘It should work. I’ll be in at eleven o’clock. I’ll bring a briefcase with me. Can you transfer the money to my safe by eleven?’

‘I think so. I’ll start as soon as I get down to the vaults. It’s not going to be too easy. His safe is at one end of the vault: yours at the other, but so long as no one comes down, I can do it.’

‘Watch it. Don’t take any chances. It’s better to wait than mess it. You won’t get a second chance.’

She slipped the key into her handbag. Algir eyed the bag curiously. It was fairly big, and he thought she could take out quite a sizeable sum of money in that.

‘Do they let you take that bag into the vaults?’ he asked casually.

She looked sharply at him.

‘Why not? A girl has to have a bag.’ She got to her feet. ‘I must run. I don’t want to be late.’

‘See you at eleven.’

She nodded and walked quickly out into the sunshine.

Getting into her car, she drove to the staff parking lot behind the bank. She was nervous and tense. She had in her bag a letter she had written the previous night to Jess. It had been a difficult letter to write because she had been afraid to tell him about the bank in case he had lost interest in her. She had simply said that she was now in Paradise City, that she missed him and wanted him to join her. She added that she had come into some money and there was enough for his fare and for them to live comfortably for some time.

The grill leading to the vaults was not unlocked until 09.45 hours. The three-quarters of an hour wait dragged interminably. She did a little work in the accounts department, talked to one or two of the girl clerks and tried not to look at the wall clock every few minutes. Finally, it was time, and picking up her handbag, she walked briskly across the lobby and to the grill where the two guards saluted her.

‘Morning, miss,’ Aldwick, the elder of the two, said. ‘Just opening now.’ He was a powerfully-built man with reddish hair and a freckled, good natured face. His companion, Dodge, was dark and tough looking. He merely glanced at Ira and then glanced away.

Aldwick handed her the pass key and as she was signing the receipt, he said, ‘Should be a busy day today, miss. A lot of our clients are going home. Mr. Ross and Mr. Lanza will be in around midday. You watch out for them: two of our biggest clients.’

‘Are they going away?’ Ira asked.

‘Yeah. This is the end of their vacation. Mr. Lanza goes back to Texas. Mr. Ross returns to New York.’

‘I’ll watch out for them.’ She smiled brightly and went down the stairs to her desk.

She stood for a moment by the desk, looking up the steps. From that angle, she could see the feet of the two guards. If they stooped low, they could see her, but not unless they did stoop low. She put her handbag on the desk, unlocked one of the drawers and took out the visitors’ register. This she placed on the desk. She put away her handbag, looked at her watch and saw it was three minutes to ten o’clock.

Her heart was beating rapidly and she was feeling a little sick. She put her hand in her skirt pocket and felt the key Algir had given her. She hesitated for a moment, then with another quick glance up the stairs, she walked rapidly along the narrow lane, turned left and continued on down the lane to Wanassee’s safe.

It wasn’t until she stood before the safe that she realised fully just how dangerous this job was that she had undertaken to do. Someone could come down the steps, reach her desk, without her knowing. From where she stood now, she couldn’t see her desk, but if that someone, wondering where she was, came quietly to the entrance of this lane she was in, he could see her as she opened Wanassee’s safe.

She looked at her watch. The time was four minutes after ten. Doris had told her that none of the clients ever came as early as this, but she would have to be ready in case they did. For a brief moment, Ira’s nerve failed and she made a movement to return to her desk, then remembering Jess and knowing she wouldn’t see him again unless she did open the safe, she steeled herself and sank the pass key into the first lock. She turned the key. Then taking Algir’s key, she slipped that into the second lock. She had some difficulty turning the key, but by using some force, she succeeded. She stood for a long moment, her hands clammy with sweat, listening. She heard nothing. Suppose a client was waiting at her desk? What would he do? How long would he wait before he told the guards that she was missing from her post?

She had to know. Running silently to the end of the lane, she peered around the corner towards her desk. No one waited for her. She could hear the shuffle of the guards’ boots as they paced slowly backwards and forwards. She could hear the faint hum of voices and fainter still, the clack of typewriters.

She wiped her hands on her skirt, then drawing in a deep breath, she ran back to Wanassee’s safe. She pulled the door open. The sight of the stack upon stack upon stack of neatly packeted one hundred dollar bills turned her mouth dry. She reached in and took out one of the packets.

There were twenty-five bills in this packet. 2,500 dollars!

More money than she had ever touched in her life. But it wasn’t enough for Jess’s fare and his living expenses. She took out another packet, then pulling up her skirt, she tucked the two packets down her girdle. She had purposely put on a girdle that morning and a loose-fitting pleated skirt. It took her several moments to arrange the bills.

Finally, sure they wouldn’t slip, she dropped her skirt. She turned back to the safe. Now she had to carry as much of this remaining money to Algir’s safe. There was so much of it! She would have to make at least three journeys. Again her nerve almost failed, then forcing herself to do it, she pulled out as many packets as her fingers could grip. These she put on the floor in a neat pile, then she reached into the safe again. As she gripped more of the packets, she heard approaching footsteps.

For a brief, horrible moment, the shock was so great that she blacked out. She leaned against the wall, her heart scarcely beating, her body cold with terror.

Someone was coming down the steps!

Leaving the money on the floor and the safe open, she ran blindly down the lane, reached the end and came out into the lane leading to her desk.

Standing by her desk, looking towards her, his eyebrows lifted in disapproving inquiry, was Mel Devon.

She remained motionless. She thought of the open safe and the money on the floor. He had only to walk ten yards to see what she had been up to, and he was already moving in her direction!

With an effort that drove the blood from her face, she controlled her panic and forced herself to walk down the lane towards him.

She heard herself say, ‘Why, hello, Daddy.’

Mel paused and waited for her to reach him.

‘What are you up to?’ he asked, looking intently at her. ‘Is anything wrong?’

‘Wrong? Why, no. Mr. Lanza is coming at midday. I was just checking to make sure that I could find his safe,’ she lied glibly, marvelling at herself for inventing this excuse on the spur of the moment.

‘Oh, I was wondering where you were.’ He looked again intently at her. ‘Are you sure there’s nothing wrong? You look very white.’

‘There’s nothing wrong.’

She moved past him to her desk. He turned and followed her.

‘Aren’t you feeling well, Norena?’

She turned impatiently.

‘Oh, be still! If you must know, I have the curse. I always look like this when I have it.’

Startled and a little embarrassed, Mel reached for the visitors’ register and glanced at it.

‘I’m sorry, hon. Trust me to put my foot wrong. Anyone been in yet?’

‘No.’

‘Did you find Lanza’s safe?’

‘Yes.’

She sat down at the desk, opened a drawer and took out a pile of account sheets.

‘If there’s nothing else, Daddy, I had better get on. I have these to check.’

‘I just came down for a look around. I like to see the place is well kept. You get on with your work,’ and to her horror, he turned and began walking slowly down the narrow lane in the direction of Wanassee’s safe.

‘Daddy!’

Her voice had gone shrill.

He turned.

‘Yes?’

She thought desperately for an excuse to hold him.

‘When am I going to meet Joy Ansley?’ she blurted out, instinctively feeling that if anything would attract him away from Wanassee’s safe, Joy Ansley’s name would and she was right. Surprised pleasure lit up his face.

‘I thought you didn’t want to meet her,’ he said, coming back to the desk.

‘Yes, I’d like to meet her, if she wants to meet me.’

‘She does. We often talk about you. We’re having dinner together tonight. Why not come along?’

‘All right.’ She played a scale along the edge of her desk. ‘You’re in love with her, aren’t you?’

‘I’ve known her a long time,’ Mel said carefully.

‘Are you going to marry her?’

He frowned at her. She wasn’t looking at him. She seemed more intent on the scale she kept playing than on what he would say.

‘Would you mind?’

She looked up then.

‘I have my own life to lead, you have yours. It’s nothing to do with me what you do.’

‘Oh, come, Norena, that’s not true.’ He sat on the desk. ‘You’re my daughter. My home’s your home now. If I married Joy and she came to live with us, would you mind?’

‘So you are thinking of marrying her?’

‘Now your mother is dead - yes, I’m thinking about it. I’ve waited alone now for sixteen years. But would you mind?’

‘No.’

He studied her expressionless face.

‘Sure?’

‘When I say a thing I mean it. I said no, and I mean no.’

‘You’ll like her, Norena. She’ll be company for you.’

‘I don’t want company. She’ll be company for you. Let’s get that straight. I’ll get married one of these days. You’ll be glad of her then. You’d better get it over with. I wouldn’t have waited for a man as long as she’s waited for you.’

‘You don’t mind speaking your mind, do you?’

‘Why should I?’

He laughed.

‘Well, then, tonight. After you’ve met Joy, we’ll have another talk.’

‘You either love her or you don’t,’ Ira said, staring up at him. ‘If you love her, you should marry her. If you don’t, tell her so and let her off the hook.’

The telephone bell rang. Ira picked up the receiver.

‘I believe Mr. Devon is with you, Miss Devon,’ the operator said. ‘Mr. Goldsand is waiting for Mr. Devon.’

Ira drew in a quick breath of relief.

‘You’re wanted in your office, Daddy,’ she said, replacing the receiver. ‘Goldsand. whoever he is.’

‘Oh, yes. See you when you get home,’ Mel said and walked with long strides up the stairs and out of the vaults.

As soon as he was out of sight, Ira sprang up and raced to Wanassee’s safe. She snatched up the packets of money and threw them back into the safe, slammed the door shut, locked it, and removing the keys, she ran back to her desk.

She sat motionless for several minutes recovering from her fright, then after listening, she opened her handbag, pulled up her skirt, took out the money she had stolen and crammed the two packets into her bag which she put in the drawer.

A few minutes to eleven o’clock, Algir identified himself to the two guards who unlocked the grill and waved him to the steps. He was carrying a briefcase and he was tense with excitement. At last, he was thinking, my money problems are over. But as soon as he saw Ira’s white, tense face, he knew something had gone wrong.

‘What’s up?’ he snapped, keeping his voice low. ‘Won’t the key fit?’

‘It fits all right.’ She got up and came around the desk. ‘I was nearly caught. I can’t handle this on my own!’

‘You mean you haven’t got the guts to handle it,’ Algir snarled, blood rushing to his face.

‘Oh, wrap up! Ticky and you were crazy to imagine I could do it alone! I was crazy to agree to try. Wanassee’s safe is right down there. Anyone can come down here while I’m emptying the safe and I wouldn’t know until they were right on me. Devon came down. He nearly caught me. I had the money on the floor and the safe door open.’

Algir immediately saw the problem. He could tell by her tenseness what a fright she had had. This had been Ticky’s idea. He hadn’t given it enough thought.