The Killing by Lionel White

Author:Lionel White
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2011-07-06T02:46:07.814686+00:00

* * *

“Pinched?”

“Right,” Johnny said. “For certain reasons of my own, you gotta be pinched. And I want you to make it good. If it takes two cops to get you out of the place, so much the better.”

“I can take half a dozen,” Tex said. “Private cops? Hel , Johnny, I can make it take a ful dozen. I...”

“Two wil be fine,” Johnny said and smiled. “I don't want you hurt either.”

“Do I ask any questions, Johnny?”

“No. Not now or later. Here's what you have to know and al I want you to know.”

He talked then for the better part of a half hour, going over much of the same material he had discussed with the two other men he had seen that day.

Tex, however, differed from the others in that he showed not the slightest curiosity. It was good enough for him the way Johnny put it. He was being given a job to do, he was getting paid for it, he would do it.

“There's just the one thing,” Johnny said. “Timing. You got to time it exactly right. On the button.”

“I got no watch,” Tex said.

“You won't need one,” Johnny told him. “There's a big clock right over the center of the bar. One thing you got to be sure of; keep the fight going long enough so the cops show. And then get them to rush you out of there as quick as you can.”

“Hel ,” Tex said, “I can keep 'em busy for a half hour, you want I should.”

“I don't,” Johnny told him. “Getting out, that is, getting the cops out, is the whole deal. You have to time it perfectly.”

The big man nodded.

“An' for that I get twenty-five hun'ert?”

“For that Tex, and for taking the rap which you wil be sure to get. Probably about ninety days. Also there wil be a lotta questions thrown at you. Why you did it, who you know and al the rest of it.”

“I did it because the goddamn bartender tried to cheat me. I don't know nobody. Right?”

“You got it perfect,” Johnny said. “I wish there were more like you.” He hesitated a second, then went on. “I can get you about half the dough by Monday, the rest after it's al over.”

“Your word's good with me, laddie,” Tex said. “You can make it al after, if you want to. In fac', you can wait til I get out of the clink. That's if they got enough guys there to get me that far.”

“They got enough, Tex,” Johnny said. “No, we'l do it my way; say a grand on Monday and fifteen as soon as I can get it to you after Saturday.”

Tex nodded, satisfied.

“I hate to ask it,” he said, “but I could use something like a twenty in cash right now.”

Johnny reached into his pocket and peeled a twenty from the money Marvin Unger had left with him that morning.

“Monday Tex,” he said. “Here. And for Christ sake, keep out of trouble until after this is over.

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