52 Pickup (1974) by Leonard Elmore

Author:Leonard, Elmore [Elmore, Leonard,]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2011-01-21T02:29:35.859000+00:00

Chapter 13

PEGGY WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE LOBBY when Mitchell walked in. She had her coat on, ready to leave.

"You quitting already? It's only five-thirty."

"I've taken my clothes off eleven times," the girl said, "and put them back on again. That's enough for one day."

"Where is everybody?"

"You mean Doreen?"

"Well, now that you mention it."

"I don't know. I haven't seen her."

"How about the other girls?"

"Sickies. Leo lets you call in sick once a month."

"Is he here?"

"In back." She moved past him to the door. "If you see him, tell him I left."

"Yeah, maybe I'll stick my head in, say hello."

She took a moment to look at him again as she opened the door. "You don't have anything better to do?"

"Tell you the truth," Mitchell said, "not that I can think of." He felt dumb standing there waiting for her to leave.

"Well--" The girl gave a little shrug and finally walked out. The door swung closed behind her.

Leo Frank sat at his desk studying a list of job applicants trying to remember faces and match them to the names. They were mostly dogs: for some reason a lot of fat broads lately. He couldn't figure out where all the fat broads were coming from, or why they thought anybody would pay to look at them naked. Most of them would have trouble showing themselves for nothing.

He heard the front door close. Peggy leaving. Independent broad. Hire them, pay them good dough, they call in sick or leave anytime they felt like it.

He heard the footsteps in the hall, coming this way, and thought of Peggy again. But as he looked toward the doorway he knew it wasn't Peggy. It was a man. It was the guy. For some reason he was sure of it and had a moment to get ready, to prepare a pleasant expression before Mitchell walked in to stand in front of his desk.

"Well," Leo said, "our favorite customer. I hope what you're here for is to give me that picture you took. That wasn't very nice of you."

"No," Mitchell said, "I came to deliver the money." As he spoke, his hand came out of his inside pocket with the envelope.

"What money you talking about?"

"That I was supposed to leave out at the airport," Mitchell said. "I wondered if I could drop it off here."

Leo frowned and shook his head, wishing to God he wasn't alone. "Man, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Ten thousand," Mitchell said. "The down payment."

"You want to give me ten thousand?"

"It's all here." Mitchell took out the packet of hundred dollar bills and laid it on the edge of the desk.

"Wait a minute," Leo Frank said. "You want to give me ten thousand bucks? What for? I mean, man I'll take it, but what for?"

"I guess I was wrong," Mitchell said. "I thought you were in on it."

Leo was staring at the money. He had to take it a step further. "In on what?"

"Well, if you're not involved, there's not much sense talking

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