"Yeah but ...George, don't try and be a hero, okay? You wouldn't have a chance. That man's a pro, it's what he does does."

"It gives me a little more confidence," Moran said, "that's all. I don't feel so helpless."

Nolen was looking at the money again, almost in a daze. He said, "You really did it, huh?" A wistful tone, subdued. "Will you tell me something?"

"Maybe," Moran said.

"How much you get? Both suitcases."

"No, I'm not gonna tell you that," Moran said. "It isn't any of your business. It isn't any of mine either, when you get right down to it."

"Your lady walked out of the house with it, didn't she?" Nolen said, watery eyes showing the pleasure of it. "Where can I get me one like her?

Walked right out past her husband, Jiggs, everybody. Of course with you there to help."

"I didn't do much," Moran said. "But I'm looking after her best interest now. You understand I'm not gonna see anything happen to her." He watched Nolen touch the packets, finally pick them up and feel them, fingers gracefully playing along the edges, riffling the stiff new bills. "Nolen?"

"What?"

"When's Jiggs coming?"

"He said around noon. He said he'd set things up then get his eight hours and have a late breakfast. Then he'll stop by. That's how he said it, like it's a business call."

"What're you supposed to do?"

"Act dumb. Tell you I don't know anything, where Jiggs is or what he's doing," Nolen said. "But if you look like you're getting ready to leave I'm supposed to tell you he phoned and wants to see you for a minute, have a quiet talk."

"What do you do when he comes?"

"Exit. He's on then."

"Nolen?"

"What?"

"Where's de Boya?"

Nolen took a sip of whiskey sour and said without looking at Moran, "He's dead. So's Corky." Nolen's gaze came up slowly now. "Jiggs made 345.

them take their clothes off and get in the shower, both at once. Then he shot them."

"Because they didn't have the money?"

"He didn't even know it till after. He was so sure."

"Were you there?"

"When he did it? No, I came later."

"Where're they now?"

"Still in the shower. Place west of Lauderdale, out in the country."

"You don't suppose he's looking to make a deal," Moran said, "when he says he wants to talk."

"No, that's not Jiggs," Nolen said. "But he does have to talk to you, find out for sure you have the money and where it is. After that he'll kill you. That's why I'm saying leave it, forget the whole thing. You run with the money-it wouldn't work, I'm telling you." Nolen was emphatic now. "A woman like Mary de Boya, where's she gonna hide? The cops, once they find her husband, they'll be looking for her anyway. You see what I mean? It doesn't matter where she goes Jiggs'll be hanging around, threaten her till she pays up. So get it over with now, leave it." Nolen looked at his watch. "We've got less'n an hour."

Moran said, "You on our side now?"

Nolen said, "George, come on. You know where I am. Nowhere. The idea, score off a guy like de Boya, it sounded great, worth the risk. But I saw him in that shower, man ...I got sick and you know what Jiggs did? He patted my back while I threw up on two guns down in the toilet, telling me he'd take care of me. I wanted, today, I wanted to look look like I was helping him but tell you to get out and then disappear, go to L.A. and get lost among the weirdos and hope to Christ I never make a name for myself. You said it the other day, George, I'm in a no-win deal." like I was helping him but tell you to get out and then disappear, go to L.A. and get lost among the weirdos and hope to Christ I never make a name for myself. You said it the other day, George, I'm in a no-win deal."

Moran said, "What if we call the cops?"

"And what?" Nolen said. "He sees cops he waits. The only way, you'd have to have 'em hiding in the closet when he takes his gun out and then pray they're quick."

Moran thought about it, picturing Jiggs standing in the living room. "He sure likes to talk, doesn't he? Goes on and on."

"He puts you half-asleep," Nolen said, "telling you stories. Like a f.u.c.king spell he puts over you."

"No, he never rushes into it," Moran said, "he gives you time to think."

"This's the first time in my life," Nolen said, "I'm gonna suggest we leave what's in the blender and get the h.e.l.l out."

Moran said, "Stay there," walked around the counter and said, "Mary?"

She came out of the bedroom, her expression 347.

composed, eyes moving to Nolen to see him getting off the stool, surprised. She said, "Can you tell me exactly where Andres is?"

Nolen said, "I thought you were over in Number One. You've been right here all the time?"

"I wanted you to feel free to talk, be yourself," Moran said. "You said the place was west of Lauderdale."

"Yeah, like a farmhouse. Off Eighty-four."

Mary nodded, almost to herself. "I think I know where it is. Near the airport."

Moran said, "Let's wait a little while before we tell the police."

"But if you can't deal with him," Mary said, showing concern now as she looked at Nolen. "Isn't that right?"

Nolen shook his head. "I wouldn't even think about it."

"I just want to ask him something," Moran said. "Alone."

23.

JIGGS STOPPED at the flamed Trans-Am and stuck his head in the pa.s.senger side. Hunched over like that his seersucker coat parted at the vent to show the seat of his pants hanging slack, as though he had no b.u.t.tocks and all his weight was in front. When he straightened, pushing his gla.s.ses up, the Trans-Am came to life, rumbled and moved off. Jiggs came on to the Coconut Palms straightening his blue-striped tie, smoothing the front of his shirt. Entering the office he said to Jerry, "Hey, how you doing? My pal George around?" He looked at one of the inside windows and said, "Yeah, there he is. Nice seeing you again," and left Jerry adjusting his golf cap, staring after him as he went out to the swimming pool.

Jiggs saw Nolen in a lounge. He saw Mary in an expensive-looking T-shirt and white sailor pants also in a lounge, both of them up by the oceanfront walk in the sun, and a silent alarm went off in his mind. Setup. Setup.

He couldn't believe it; Moran didn't seem that dumb. Unless the cops were here and had coached him. Make it look natural. Like nothing out of the ordinary is going on. Make it look natural. Like nothing out of the ordinary is going on. f.u.c.king cops. Like they knew what they were doing. He saw Moran coming across from the front of his house, white T-shirt and old work jeans, barefoot. Maybe-it surprised Jiggs-Nolen was better at this than he gave him credit. Maybe these folks were in for a surprise and he'd tell in about half a second-now-all of them looking this way now and, yeah, they did seem to clutch up and were motionless as he approached them. f.u.c.king cops. Like they knew what they were doing. He saw Moran coming across from the front of his house, white T-shirt and old work jeans, barefoot. Maybe-it surprised Jiggs-Nolen was better at this than he gave him credit. Maybe these folks were in for a surprise and he'd tell in about half a second-now-all of them looking this way now and, yeah, they did seem to clutch up and were motionless as he approached them.

Jiggs said, "Beautiful day, huh? You get one of those hard rains it's always nice the next day. You notice that? Mrs. de Boya, how you doing?... George? Nolen there, he looks a little hung over. You okay, Nolen? Have a beer you'll feel better. I just had a pot of coffee. I wondered"-looking around-"George, you got a toilet I can use?"

"In the house," Moran said.

Yeah, something was up: Mary trying to act natural as she looked at Moran, Christ, gripping the arms of the chair. You'd have to pry her hands off. Moran walked over to the house with him and held the door open. Very polite this morning.

"It's through the bedroom."

"Thank you, George, I appreciate it. Be only a minute."

351.

Moran walked around to the kitchen side of the counter. He moved the blender and the sack of lemons aside. Squared the telephone around on the end of the counter. He got a bottle of scotch from the cupboard. Brought a bowl of ice out of the refrigerator. Found two clean gla.s.ses. He poured about an ounce and a half of scotch into one and drank it down. He heard the toilet flush. He put ice in the gla.s.ses and was pouring scotch when Jiggs came out pushing his gla.s.ses up, b.u.t.toning his seersucker jacket and then unb.u.t.toning it to leave it open.

"There he is," Jiggs said. "I had to take a leak, George, but I also hoped we'd get a chance to talk, just the two of us if that was possible. You understand, not get emotional about anything, right? Why do that? What I thought, let's lay it out, look over what we have here."

Jiggs stepped back from the counter and glanced around the room.

"You don't have a tape going, any of that kinda stuff, do you, George? I wouldn't think so, but somebody might've talked you into it." He was looking at the hi-fi system now.

"I can put a record on," Moran said. "You like J. Geils?"

Coming back to the counter Jiggs said, "George, I don't know J. Geils from jaywalking, which is about the only thing I never was arrested for. That's an exaggeration, of course, but the point I want to make-" He picked up the drink Moran set before him. "Thank you, I believe I will. Little pick-meup. The point I want to make, I've been arrested, well, quite a few times, suspicion of this and that, I think on account of the people I been a.s.sociating with the past few years. But I never in my life been convicted of anything. I'm cherry, George, as far as doing any time and I'm sure you can understand why. Because I'm careful. Because I don't go walking in someplace I don't know what's on the other side of the door. Entrapment don't ever work with me, George; because I don't partake of controlled substances, I don't f.u.c.k lady cops dressed up like hookers and I don't deal with people I don't know. So there you are. If you think you got me to walk into something here and you're gonna pull the rope and the f.u.c.king net drops on me, don't do it. Okay? Let's just talk quietly and make sure we understand each other."

"Fine," Moran said. "What do you want?"

"I want the two suitcases and everything was in 'em. You can tell me something first," Jiggs said, "cause the suspense is killing me. How much we talking about?"

"Two million two hundred thousand," Moran said.

"I'll tell you something. I enjoy talking to you, George, you got a nice easy style. I told you that 353.

once before. All right, how 'bout this? You keep the two hunner K, that's yours, for your trouble. You and the widow're gonna have more dough'n you'll ever be able to spend anyway. And you give me the rest. How's that sound?"

"What if we don't give it to you?"

"Then you got a problem. I put a lot of time in this, George. See, I don't have a pension plan, profit-sharing, anything like that. This's gonna be my retirement and if it doesn't come through I can't complain to some insurance company, can I? No, I got to take my beef to you and Mary and you know what I mean by that. See, I'd rather part friends, George. Maybe stop around and see you sometime in the future-how're things going? Shoot the s.h.i.t about old times-by the way, something else I got to know. Where'd he keep it? The money."

"Under his bed," Moran said.

"Come on, you're kidding me. Guys like that"- Jiggs shook his head-"they're simpleminded, you know it? Under the f.u.c.king bed ...Now where is it, under yours? I'd believe it. Jesus, I'd believe anything now. Whatta you say, George?"

"Mary says no," Moran said. "You don't get it."

"Yeah, but what do you you say?" say?"

"It's her money."

"I bet you can talk her into it, George. Lemme show you something." Jiggs got off the stool again and looked around the room. "What's that down there, top of the bookcase? Looks like a vase."

"It's a vase," Moran said.

"You buy that thing, George?"

"It was here when I moved in."

"Keep looking at it," Jiggs said. "Don't look at me, look at the vase. I'm gonna show you a magic trick I do." Jiggs moved back toward the front door so Moran would have to turn to face him, see what he was doing. "You looking at it?"

"I'm looking at it," Moran said, staring at the vase that was about twelve or fourteen inches high and glazed with the portrait of an old-fashioned girl holding a bouquet of flowers.

"You ready?" Jiggs said.

"I'm ready," Moran said.

The vase came apart, fragments of china flying outward with only the sound of it breaking, pieces. .h.i.tting the floor.

Moran turned to Jiggs who was holding an automatic with a silencer attached that looked bigger than the gun.

"That's my magic act," Jiggs said. "Not a sound, not even that little BB-gun pop you usually get with a suppressor. Could be in a movie, out the track, you're walking up Collins Avenue, anywhere. You fall over. Person right next to you'd never hear a thing. What's this, a heart attack? ...You understand what I'm saying? Could happen anytime, 355.

anywhere." Jiggs came back to the counter uns.c.r.e.w.i.n.g the silencer. He dropped it into his coat pocket as he got up on the stool. "Or, you give me the suitcases, we part friends, wish each other luck."

Moran said, "Is that the one you used on de Boya?"

"George, you don't gimme any credit at all, do you? You think I'm gonna walk around with a piece they can do a ballistics on? I got I think four of these left now. Regular model Thirty-nine Smith only modified. Designed originally for the Seals in Vietnam. Guys'd slip ash.o.r.e in the Mekong, take out some slopes and their buddies never hear a thing. You fire a subsonic nine-millimeter round. Notice the sights're raised so you can aim over the suppressor. Got a nice foam-rubber grip." He held the pistol up for Moran to look at closely.

"Pretty nice."

Jiggs slipped it into his right-hand coat pocket and picked up his drink to take a sip. "Have I made my point?"

"I believe you," Moran said.

"See, I was to demonstrate this in front of Mrs. de Boya," Jiggs said, "she'd be liable to come apart on me."

"I doubt it," Moran said.

"Well, playing it safe, I know I can talk to you, George. You got a nice even temper'ment." He laid his arms on the edge of the counter and took another sip of his drink. "Tastes pretty good. I don't usually drink during the day except special occasions. Last time I had a drink in fact we were at the Mutiny. Here we got another special occasion. So what do you say?"

"I just want to ask you something," Moran said and then paused. "Well, you've probably answered it."