dwestlake.bankshot-第17部分

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the　alarm。　Same　with　the　roof　and　all　four　　walls。　A　sparrow　couldn't　have　gotten　into　that　mobile　home　without　alerting　the　　people　down　at　the　station　house。
　　The　patrolmen；　as　they　drove　by；　paid　more　attention　to　the　old　bank　building　　across　the　way。　There　had　already　been　some　thievery　of　building　materials　from　　over　there；　as　well　as　vandalism；　though　why　anybody　would　want　to　cause　　damage　to　a　building　that　was　being　torn　down　anyway　was　a　puzzlement。　Still；　　theirs　was　not　to　reason　why；　so　they　shone　their　spotlight　over　the　fa？ade　of　the　　old　bank　building　as　they　passed；　saw　nothing　suspicious　or　out　of　the　ordinary；　　and　drove　on。
　　Murch　let　them　get　a　block　away　and　then　stepped　down　from　the　cab　of　the　　truck　parked　just　around　the　corner　on　the　side　street；　next　to　the　end　of　the　　trailer。　Tonight's　truck；　marked　〃Hoity　Toity　Garment　Delivery；〃　had　been　much　　more　thoroughly　inspected　by　Kelp　before　making　delivery；　and　Murch　had　by　　now　had　last　night's　conundrums　explained　to　him；　so　tonight　everybody　was　in　　a　much　better　mood。　Murch；　in　fact；　apologetic　for　having　given　the　group　a　　bumpier　ride　home　than　necessary　last　night；　was　going　out　of　his　way　to　be　　cheerful　and　helpful。
　　In　the　back　of　the　garment　delivery　truck；　in　addition　to　Dortmunder　and　Kelp　　and　Herman　and　Victor；　were　the　two　sets　of　wheels　for　the　trailer；　now　much　　changed。　The　boys　had　spent　Saturday　afternoon　at　the　defunct　puter…parts　　plant；　putting　new　tires　on　the　wheels　and　building　up　the　undercarriages　with　　plywood　and　two…by…fours　to　get　them　just　the　right　height。　By　now　they　　weighed　almost　twice　as　much　as　before　and　filled　most　of　the　interior　of　the　　truck。
　　Murch；　having　opened　the　rear　doors；　said；　〃The　cops　just　went　by。　You　　should　have　a　good　half　hour　now　before　they　e　back。〃
　　〃Right。〃
　　It　took　all　five　of　them　to　get　the　wheels　down　onto　the　ground　and　drag　them　　over　to　the　trailer。　Dortmunder　and　Murch　unhooked　the　wooden　lattice　that　　closed　off　the　end　of　the　trailer；　moved　it　to　one　side；　and　then　all　five　of　them　　shoved　and　heaved　the　two　sets　of　wheels　into　place…one　way　back　near　the　　Kresge's　wall；　the　other　up　near　the　front　end。　Then　Murch　wrestled　the　lattice　　back　into　position　by　himself；　left　it　unhooked；　and　went　oft　to　sit　in　the　cab　of　　the　truck　and　keep　an　eye　on　things。
　　Under　the　trailer；　the　four　of　them　had　taken　out　pencil　flashlights　and　were　　looking　around　for　the　jacks。　There　was　one　jack　folded　up　against　the　trailer　　bottom　near　each　corner；　and　one　man　to　each　jack。　They　were　held　up　there　　by　clips　screwed　into　place；　but　each　man　was　also　equipped　with　a　　screwdriver；　and　it　didn't　take　long　to　get　the　things　unclipped；　fold　them　down；　　and　crank　them　till　the　bottom　plates…which　looked　like　duck　feet…were　　placed　firmly　on　the　brick　rubble　underneath。　All　of　this　was　being　done　in　a　　space　three　feet　high。　It　would　have　been　easier　if　they　could　have　moved　　around　on　their　knees；　but　the　brick　rubble　made　that　impossible；　so　they　　waddled　around　like　ducks　themselves；　in　tune　with　the　appearance　of　the　jack　　plates。
　　Once　they　had　all　whispered　back　and　forth　that　they　were　ready；　　Dortmunder　started　a　rhythmic　slow　counting；　doing　one　turn　on　his　jack　crank　　with　each　number：　〃One　。　。　。　two　　three　。　。　。　four　。　。　。〃　Each　of　the　others　turned　at　the　same　rhythm；　the　idea　　being　that　the　trailer　would　be　lifted　straight　up；　with　no　canting　or　angling　that　　might　inadvertently　set　oft　an　alarm。　For　a　long　time；　though；　the　trailer　didn't　lift　　at　all。　Nothing　happened　except　that　the　duck　feet　crunched　deeper　and　deeper　　into　the　brick　rubble。
　　Then；　all　at　once；　the　bottom　of　the　trailer　went　sprong！　It　was　like　an　oven　　cooling　and　the　metal　side　contracting。　They　all　four　of　them　stopped　turning；　　and　while　Dortmunder　and　Victor　froze；　Herman　and　Kelp　both　lost　their　　balance　from　astonishment　and　unexpectedly　sat　down　hard　on　the　rubble。　　〃Ow；〃　whispered　Kelp；　and　Herman　whispered；　〃Damn。〃
　　They　waited　half　a　minute；　but　nothing　else　happened；　so　Dortmunder　said　　softly；　〃Okay；　we'll　go　on。　Twenty…two　。　twenty…three　。　。　。　twenty…four　。　。
　　〃It's　ing！〃　Victor　whispered　excitedly。
　　It　was。　All　at　once　illumination　from　the　corner　streetlight　made　a　thin　crack　　between　the　bottom　of　the　trailer　and　the　top　of　the　concrete　block　wall　along　　the　front。
　　〃Twenty…five；〃　Dortmunder　said。　〃Twenty…six　。　。　。　twenty…seven　。　。
　　They　stopped　at　forty…two。　There　was　now　nearly　two　inches　of　air　between　　trailer　bottom　and　concrete　block　top。
　　〃We'll　do　the　back　wheels　first；〃　Dortmunder　said。
　　This　was　difficult。　Not　because　it　was　plicated　hut　because　space　was　　tight　and　the　undercarriage　was　heavy。　A　broad　metal　strip　was　already　mounted　　beneath　the　trailer　at　each　end；　to　take　the　undercarriages。　The　strips　contained　　bolt　holes；　but　they　hadn't　been　able　to　judge　ahead　of　time　where　to　put　the　　corresponding　holes　in　the　built…up　under…carriages；　so　now　they　had　first　to　　position　each　undercarriage　and　mark　the　location　of　the　bolt　holes　and　then　　move　the　undercarriage…without　ramming　it　too　hard　or　too　often　into　any　of　　the　jacks…and　place　it　so　Herman　could　make　the　holes　with　a　battery…operated　drill。　Then　they　put　the　wheel　assembly　back　against　the　metal　strip；　　propped　it　up　with　extra　rubble　stuffed　under　the　tires；　and　put　on　the　bolts　and　　washers　and　nuts；　six　bolts　to　each　undercarriage。
　　It　took　an　hour　to　get　this　far；　and　twice　in　that　time　the　patrol　car　ambled　by。　　But　they　were　too　busy　to　notice；　and　since　they　were　using　their　flashlights　　sparingly　and　shielding　the　light　as　much　as　possible　the　police　also　remained　unaware　of　them。
　　Finally　they　had　the　wheels　on；　and　the　ground　beneath　smoothed　again；　and　　now　they　went　back　to　the　jacks。　When　all　four　of　them　were　ready；　they　　started　cranking　back　down；　Dortmunder　giving　the　count　again；　beginning　with　　〃one；〃　not　〃forty…two。〃
　　There　was　no　sprong　on　the　way　down；　and　the　count　ended　at　thirty…three。　　They　clipped　the　jacks　back　into　place　and　restored　the　screws；　and　then　　Dortmunder　crawled　out　from　under　to　check　the　relationship　between　the　　bottom　of　the　trailer　and　the　top　of　the　concrete　block　wall。　They　had　blown　the　　tires　up　extra　hard；　figuring　they　could　let　a　little　air　out　in　order　to　lower　the　　trailer　an　inch　or　so　if　need　be；　but　as　it　turned　out　they　didn't　have　to。　The　　weight　of　the　trailer　was　enough　to　use　up　practically　all　the　leeway　they'd　left　so　　that　there　was　maybe　half　an　inch　at　the　lattice　end　of　the　front　wall　and　　practically　no　space　at　all　down　at　the　Kresge　end；　where　the　safe　was。　Maybe　　an　eighth　of　an　inch。
　　Dortmunder　checked　the　back；　and　it　was　the　same　there；　so　he　went　down　　to　the　open　end　and　called　softly；　〃It's　okay。　e　on　out。〃　They'd　been　　waiting　in　there　to　be　told　to　let　air　out　of　this　tire　or　that。
　　They　came　out；　Herman　carrying　his　black　bag；　and　while　Dortmunder　and　　Victor　hooked　the　lattice　back　in　place　Herman　and　Kelp　went　around　front　to　　finish　the　job。　Herman　had　a　tube　of　tub　caulk；　the　rubbery　stuff　that　squeezes　　out　soft　and　never　does　entirely　harden；　and　while　he　moved　along　the　wall；　　squirting　this　into　the　crack　between　the　trailer　and　the　concrete　blocks；　Kelp　　followed　him；　smearing　dirt　onto　the　caulk　to　make　it　blend　into　the　concrete。　　They　did　the　same　thing　in　the　back　and　then　joined　the　others；　who　were　　already　in　the　truck。　Murch；　who　had　e　out　of　the　cab　for　the　purpose；　　closed　the　doors　behind　them　and　trotted　back　up　front　to　drive　them　away　from　　there。
　　〃Well；〃　Dortmunder　said　as　they　all　switched　on　their　pencil　flashes　so　they　　could　see　one　another；　〃I'd　say　we　did　a　good　night's　work。〃
　　〃By　golly！〃　Victor　said　excitedly。　His　eyes　sparkled　in　the　light。　〃I　can　hardly　　wait　till　Thursday！〃
　　
　　
　　16
　　
　　JOE　MULLIGAN　stumbled　on　his　way　into　the　bank　and　turned　to　glare　at　　the　top　step。　This　was　the　seventh　consecutive　Thursday　he'd　been　on　this　job；　　you'd　think　by　now　he'd　know　the　height　of　the　steps。
　　〃What's　the　matter；　Joe？〃
　　It　was　Fenton；　the　senior　man。　He　liked　the　boys　to　call　him　Chief；　but　none　of　　them　ever　did。　Also；　even　though　they　didn't　have　to　be　on　duty　till　eight…fifteen；　　Fenton　was　always　on　the　job　no　later　than　eight　o'clock；　standing　right　by　the　　door　to　see　if　any　of　the　boys　were　going　to　be　late。　Still；　he　wasn't　such　a　bad　　old　bird；　if　you　did　happen　to　be　late　any　time；　he　might　give　you　a　word　or　two　　on　the　subject　himself；　but　he　wouldn't　ever　report　it　to　the　office。
　　Mulligan　tucked　down　his　dark…blue　uniform　jacket；　readjusted　his　holster　on　　his　right　hip；　and　shook　his　head。　〃Getting　stumble…footed　in　my　old　age；〃　he　　said。
　　〃Now　me；　I　feel　like　I　got　a　spring　in　my　step　tonight；〃　Fenton　said；　grinning；　　and　he　rocked　up　onto　the　balls　of　his　feet　for　a　second　to　show　what　he　meant。
　　〃I'm　glad　for　you；〃　Mulligan　said。　As　for　himself；　he　would　be　very　pleased…　as　always　on　these　Thursday　nights　…when　it　came　around　to　nine　o'clock　and　the　last　of　the　bank　employees　　had　gone　home　and　he　could　sit　down　and　relax。　He'd　spent　a　lifetime　on　his　　feet　and　believed　there　would　never　be　a　spring　in　his　step　again。
　　He　had　arrived　tonight　at　eight…fourteen；　according　to　the　clock　on　the　wall　up　　behind　the　tellers。　All　the　other　guards　were　here　already　except　Garfield；　who　　tromped　in　a　minute　later…just　under　the　wire…smoothing　that　Western…
　　marshal　mustache　of　his　and　looking　around　as　if　he　hadn't　decided　for　sure　　whether　to　guard　the　bank　or　hold　it　up。
　　Mulligan　had　by　this　time　taken　up　his　usual　Thursday。　evening　post；　against　　the　wall　near　the　pretty　girl　at　the　courtesy　desk　outside　the　counter。　He'd　　always　been　partial　to　pretty　girls。　He　was　also　partial　to　her　chair　and　liked　to　　be　the　nearest　one　to　it。
　　The　bank　was　still　open　and　would　be　until　eight…thirty；　so　for　the　next　fifteen　　minutes　it　would　be　very　crowded；　what　with　its　normal　plement　of　　employees　and　customers　added　to　by　the　seven　private　guards；　Mulligan　and　　the　other　six。　All　seven　wore　the　same　police…officer　like　uniform；　with　the　　triangular　badge　on　the　left　shoulder　reading　Continental　Detective　Agency。