dwestlake.bankshot-第5部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


reaching　the　sidewalk　on　the　cross　street。　The　surface　of　the　lot　was　crushed　brick　rubble；　showing　that　some　other　building　had　also　recently　been　torn　down；　the　bank　had　probably　timed　its　own　reconstruction　to　the　availability　of　a　lot　nearby。　　
　There　were　two　entry　doors　along　the　front　of　the　trailer；　each　with　a　heavy　set　of　temporary　wooden　steps　leading　up　to　it；　and　the　〃Temporary　Headquarters〃　sign　strung　between　them。　Concrete　blocks　made　a　gray　foundation　wall　from　the　ground　up　to　the　bottom　edge　of　the　blue　and　white　metal　shell；　and　all　the　letter…slot…style　windows　were　covered　on　the　inside　by　venetian　blinds。　The　bank　was　closed　now；　but　lights　could　be　seen　through　slits　in　the　blinds。　　
　Dortmunder　looked　up　as　he　strolled　by。　A　thick　sweep　of　wires　connected　the　trailer　to　telephone　and　power　poles　both　on　the　main　avenue　and　the　cross　street；　as　though　the　trailer　were　a　rectangular　dirigible；　moored　there　by　all　those　lines。　　
　There　was　nothing　more　to　see；　and　Dortmunder　had　reached　the　corner。　He　waited　on　the　curb　for　the　light　again；　then　crossed　the　street　and　went　back　to　the　Toronado；　shaking　his　head　as　he　glanced　at　the　rear　of　the　car。　He　got　in　and　said；　〃Can't　tell　much　from　the　outside。　You　thinking　about　a　day　operation　or　a　night　operation？〃　　
　〃Night；〃　Kelp　said。　　
　〃They　leave　cash　in　there　overnight？〃　　
　〃Only　on　Thursdays。〃　It　was　Victor　who　told　him　that。　　
　Reluctantly；　Dortmunder　focused　on　Victor。　〃How　e　on　Thursdays？〃　　
　〃Thursday　night　the　stores　are　open；〃　Victor　said。　〃The　bank　closes　at　three；　but　then　opens　again　at　six　and　stays　open　till　eight…thirty。　At　that　hour　of　night；　there's　no　simple　direct　way　to　get　the　cash　to　some　other　bank。　So　they　lay　on　more　guards　and　keep　the　money　in　the　bank　overnight。〃　　
　〃How　many　more　guards？〃　　
　〃A　total　of　seven；〃　Victor　said。　　
　〃Seven　guards。〃　Dortmunder　nodded。　〃What　kind　of　safe？〃　　
　〃A　Mosler。　I　believe　they　have　it　on　lease；　along　with　the　trailer。　It　isn't　much　of　a　safe。〃　　
　〃We　can　get　into　it　fast？〃　　
　Victor　smiled。　〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃time　really　isn't　a　problem。〃　　
　Dortmunder　glanced　across　the　street。　〃Some　of　those　wires；〃　he　said；　〃are　alarms。　I　figure　they're　tied　into　the　local　precinct。〃　　
　Victor's　smile　broadened。　Nodding　as　though　Dortmunder　had　just　displayed　great　brilliance；　he　said；　〃That's　just　what　they　are。　Anything　that　happens　in　there　after　banking　hours　is　recorded　down　at　the　police　station。〃　　
　〃Which　is　where？〃　　
　Victor　pointed　straight　ahead。　〃Seven　blocks　down　that　way。〃　　
　〃But　time　isn't　a　problem；〃　Dortmunder　said。　〃We're　going　in　against　seven　guards；　the　precinct　is　seven　blocks　away；　and　time　isn't　a　problem。〃　　
　Kelp　was　grinning　by　now　almost　as　widely　as　Victor。　〃That's　the　beauty　of　it；〃　he　said。　〃That's　the　stroke　of　genius　Victor's　e　up　with。〃　　
　〃Tell　me；〃　Dortmunder　said。　　
　〃We　steal　the　bank；〃　Victor　said。　　
　Dortmunder　looked　at　him。　　
　Kelp　said；　〃Isn't　that　a　beauty？　We　don't　break　into　the　bank；　we　take　the　bank　away　with　us。　We　back　up　a　truck；　hook　onto　the　bank；　and　drive　it　away。〃　　
　　　
　　　
　6　　
　　　
　　　WHEN　May　got　home　from　Bohack's；　Dortmunder　wasn't　there　yet。　She　stood　just　inside　the　front　door　and　yelled；　〃Hey！〃　twice；　and　when　there　wasn't　any　answer　she　shrugged　and　slopped　on　through　the　apartment　to　the　kitchen；　carrying　the　two　shopping　bags　of　groceries。　Being　an　employee　at　the　supermarket；　she　in　the　first　place　got　a　cut　rate　on　some　items　and　in　the　second　place　could　lift　other　items　with　no　static；　so　the　shopping　bags　were　pretty　full。　As　she　once　told　her　friend　Betty　at　the　store；　another　cashier；　〃I　eat　all　this　stuff　and　it　ought　to　make　me　fat；　but　I　have　to　carry　it　all　home；　and　that　keeps　me　thin。〃　　
　〃You　ought　to　make　your　husband　e　get　it；〃　Betty　had　said。　　
　Everybody　made　the　same　mistake　about　Dortmunder　being　May's　husband。　She'd　never　said　he　was；　but　on　the　other　hand　she　never　corrected　the　mistake　either。　〃I　like　to　be　thin；〃　she'd　said　that　time　and　let　it　go　at　that。　　
　Putting　the　two　shopping　bags　down　on　the　kitchen　counter　now；　she　became　aware　of　the　fact　that　the　corner　of　her　mouth　was　warm。　She　was　a　chain　smoker　and　kept　the　current　cigarette　always　propped　in　the　left　corner　of　her　mouth；　when　that　area　got　warm；　she　knew　it　was　time　to　start　a　new　cigarette。　　
　There　was　a　small　callus　on　the　tip　of　her　left　thumb；　caused　by　plucking　cigarette　embers　from　her　lips；　but　for　some　reason　her　fingertips　never　callused　at　all。　She　flipped　the　half…inch　butt　from　her　mouth　into　the　kitchen　sink　with　one　practiced　wrist　movement；　and　while　it　sizzled　she　took　the　crumpled　pack　of　Virginia　Slims　from　the　waist　pocket　of　her　green　sweater；　shook　one　up；　folded　the　corner　of　her　mouth　around　the　end　and　went　looking　for　matches。　Unlike　most　chain　smokers；　she　never　lit　the　new　one　from　the　old；　because　the　old　one　was　never　big　enough　to　hold　onto；　this　meant　a　continuing　problem　with　matches；　similar　to　the　continuing　problem　of　water　in　some　Arab　countries。　　
　She　spent　the　next　five　minutes　opening　drawers。　It　was　a　small　apartment…a　small　living　room；　a　small　bedroom；　a　bathroom　so　small　you'd　scrape　your　knees；　a　kitchen　as　big　as　the　landlord's　reservation　in　Heaven…but　it　was　full　of　drawers；　and　for　five　minutes　it　was　full　of　the　swish…thap　of　drawers　being　opened　and　closed。　　
　She　found　a　book　of　matches　at　last；　in　the　living　room；　in　the　drawer　in　the　table　with　the　television　set　on　it。　It　was　a　pretty　nice　set；　in　color；　not　very　expensive。　Dortmunder　had　gotten　it　from　a　friend　who'd　picked　up　a　truckload　of　them。　〃The　funny　thing　about　it；〃　Dortmunder　had　said　when　he'd　brought　the　thing　home；　〃all　Harry　thought　he　was　doing　was　stealing　a　truck。〃　　
　May　lit　the　cigarette　and　dropped　the　match　in　the　ashtray　next　to　the　TV。　She'd　been　concentrating　on　nothing　but　matches　for　five　minutes；　but　now　as　her　mind　cleared　she　became　aware　again　of　the　things　around　her；　and　the　closest　was　the　TV　set；　so　she　turned　it　on。　There　was　a　movie　just　starting。　It　was　in　black　and　white　and　May　preferred　to　watch　things　in　color　since　it　was　a　color　set；　but　the　movie　had　Dick　Powell　in　it；　so　she　waited　a　while。　Then　it　turned　out　it　was　called　The　Tall　Target；　and　in　it　Dick　Powell　played　a　New　York　City　policeman　named　John　Kennedy　who　was　trying　to　stop　an　assassination　attempt　on　Abraham　Lincoln。　He　was　on　a　train；　Dick　Powell　was；　and　he　kept　getting　telegrams；　so　trainmen　kept　ing　down　the　corridor　shouting；　〃John　Kennedy。　John　Kennedy。〃　This　gave　May　a　pleasant　feeling　of　dislocation；　so　she　backed　up　until　her　legs　hit　the　sofa　bed　and　sat　down。　　
　Dortmunder　came　home　at　the　most　exciting　part；　of　course；　and　he　brought　Kelp　with　him。　It　was　1860　and　Abraham　Lincoln　was　going　to　his　first　inauguration；　and　that's　where　they　wanted　to　assassinate　him。　Adolph　Menjou　was　the　mastermind　of　the　plot；　but　Dick　Powell…John　Kennedy…was　too　quick　for　him。　Still；　it　wasn't　certain　how　things　would　e　out。　　
　〃I　just　don't　know　about　Victor；〃　Dortmunder　said；　but　he　was　talking　to　Kelp。　To　May　he　said；　〃How　you　been？〃　　
　〃Since　this　morning？　On　my　feet。〃　　
　〃Victor's　okay；〃　Kelp　said。　〃Hi；　May；　how's　your　back？〃　　
　〃About　the　same。　It's　my　legs　the　last　few　days。　The　groceries！〃　　
　They　both　looked　at　her　as　she　lunged　to　her　feet；　the　cigarette　in　the　corner　of　her　mouth　giving　a　puff　of　smoke　like　a　model　train　as　she　exhaled。　She　said；　〃I　forgot　to　put　the　groceries　away〃　and　hurried　for　the　kitchen；　where　everything　in　the　shopping　bags　was　wet　from　the　frozen　foods　defrosting。　〃Turn　up　the　sound；　will　you？〃　she　shouted　and　quickly　put　things　away。　In　the　living　room　they　turned　up　the　sound；　but　they　also　talked　louder。　Also；　the　sound　was　mostly　sound　effects；　with　little　dialogue。　Then　a　heavy　voice　that　sounded　as　though　it　had　to　be　Abraham　Lincoln　said；　〃Did　ever　a　President　e　to　his　inauguration　so　like　a　thief　in　the　night？〃　　
　The　groceries　were　away。　May　walked　back　into　the　living　room；　saying；　〃Do　you　suppose　he　really　said　that？〃　　
　Dortmunder　and　Kelp　had　still　been　talking　about　somebody　named　Victor；　and　now　they　both　turned　and　looked　at　her。　Dortmunder　said；　〃Who？〃　　
　〃Him；〃　she　said　and　gestured　at　the　television　set；　but　when　they　all　looked　at　it　the　screen　was　showing　a　man　standing　knee　deep　in　water　in　a　giant　toilet　bowl；　spraying　something　on　the　under　part　of　the　lip　and　talking　about　germs。　〃Not　him；〃　she　said。　〃Abraham　Lincoln。〃　She　felt　them　both　looking　at　her　and　shrugged　and　said；　〃Forget　it。〃　She　went　over　and　switched　off　the　set　and　said　to　Dortmunder；　〃How'd　it　go　today？〃　　
　〃So…so；〃　he　said。　〃I　lost　my　display。　I'll　have　to　go　get　another。〃　　
　Kelp　explained；　〃Some　woman　called　the　cops　on　him。〃　　
　May　squinted　through　cigarette　smoke。　〃You　getting　fresh？〃　　
　〃e　on；　May；〃　Dortmunder　said。　〃You　know　me　better　than　that。〃　　
　〃You're　all　alike　as　far　as　I　can　see；〃　she　said。　They'd　met　almost　a　year　ago；　when　she'd　caught　Dortmunder　shoplifting　at　the　store。　It　was　the　fact　that　he　hadn't　tried　any　line　at　all　on　her；　that　he　hadn't　even　asked　for　her　sympathy；　that　had　won　her　sympathy。　He'd　just　stood　there；　shaking　his　head；　with　packages　of　boiled　ham　and　American　cheese　falling　out　of　his　armpits；　and　she　just　hadn't　had　the　heart　to　turn　him　in。　She　still　tried　to　pretend　sometimes　that　he　couldn't　pierce　her　toughness；　but　he　could。　　
　〃Anyway；〃　Kelp　said；　〃we're　none　of　us　gonna　have　to　work　that　penny…ante　stuff　for　a　while。〃　　
　〃I　don't　know　about　that；〃　Dortmunder　said。　　
　〃You're　just　not　used　to　Victor；〃　Kelp　said；　〃that's　the　only　problem。〃　　
　〃May　I　never　get　used　to　Victor；〃　Dortmunder　said。　　
　May　dropped　backward　into　the　sofa　again；　she　always　sat　down　as　though　she'd　just　had　a　stroke。　〃What's　the　story？〃　she　said。　　
　〃A　bank　job；〃　Kelp　said。　　
　〃Well；　yes　and　no；〃　Dortmunder　said。　〃It's　a　little　more　than　a　bank　job。〃　　
　〃It's　a　bank　job；〃　Kelp　said。　　
　Dortmunder　looked　at　May　as　though　hoping　to　find　stability　and　reason　there。　〃The　idea　is；〃　he　said；　〃if　you　can　believe　it；　we're　supposed　to　steal　the　whole　bank。〃　　
　〃It's　a　trailer；〃　Kelp　said。　〃You　know；　one　of