1-2-3
1-3-2
2-1-3
2-3-1
3-1-2
3-2-1
‘Hey, how about that?’ Charlie said.
‘The way one calculates the possible ways of arranging any amount of numbers is to multiply the highest number by the one below it and then multiply the result by the number below that, and so on. For example, we have three numbers: one, two, and three. All right, we multiply three by two and we get six. Then we multiply six by one, and we get six again. The answer is six. And, as we just saw, there are, in fact, only six possible ways of arranging those three numbers.’
‘I was never good in arithmetic,’ Charlie said.
‘It gets more complicated when there are more numbers,’ the Deaf Man said. ‘For example, those pads outside each of the doors have nine numbers on them. Do you realize how many possible ways there are of arranging those nine numbers?’
Again Charlie looked at him blankly.
‘Well,’ the Deaf Man said, ‘do the multiplication. Nine by eight by seven by six by five by four and so on down to one. Nine times eight is seventy-two. Seventy-two times seven is five hundred and four. Five hundred and four times six is three thousand and twenty four. And so on. If you carry it all the way through, you’ll discover that there are three hundred and sixty-two thousand, eight hundred and eighty possible ways of arranging nine numbers. What, I ask you, is the probability—the likelihood—of anyone accidentally hitting upon the combination of six numbers that will unlock the outer door? And a different combination of six numbers for the inner door? And yet a third combination for the safe itself?’
‘There ain’t no way to figure that,’ Charlie said, shaking his head.
“Well, there is, but it would take forever. Which is exactly why combination locks were invented.’
‘Which is why Lizzie was invented, you mean.’
‘Yes, of course,’ the Deaf Man said, smiling. ‘To provide us with the combinations.’
‘For which she gets a third of the take,’ Charlie said, looking troubled again. ‘You think that’s fair?’
‘Do I think what’s fair?’
‘Her getting a third.’
‘Without her we wouldn’t be going in at all.’
‘Yeah, well,’ Charlie said, ‘it ain’t us going in, it’s me going in.’
‘I know that.’
‘Yeah, but you just said we’d be going in.’
‘One of us has to be outside,’ the Deaf Man said. ‘You know that.’ He hesitated and then asked, ‘Would you rather I went in?’
‘Well, I guess I look more the part,’ Charlie said.
‘Exactly.’
‘Still.’
‘What is it, Charlie?’ the Deaf Man said. ‘Tell me everything that’s troubling you. I don’t want any problems, not now and not later either.’
‘Okay, here’s what’s botherin’ me,’ Charlie said. ‘I’m the one goes in the vault with a gun. I’m the one has to take care of the two broads in there. You’re waitin’ outside, and Lizzie ain’t nowhere even near the scene. So, okay, it was your idea, the whole heist. I ain’t begrudgin’ you your share, especially since you’re the one takes the fall if they catch you with the loot, by which time I’m already home free. But where does Lizzie come off takin’ a third when all she done is give us the layout?’
‘And the combinations.’
‘Yeah, well, the combinations.’
‘Without which there wouldn’t be a job at all.’
‘It’s just a question of what’s fair, that’s all,’ Charlie said. ‘You and me are takin’ the biggest risks...’
‘In a sense, Charlie,’ the Deaf Man said gently, ‘you’re the one who’s taking the greatest risk.’
‘Well, thank you,’ Charlie said, ‘I’m glad you said that, I really am. But it’s your job, and fair is fair. And also you’re taking a risk, too. It’s that Lizzie ain’t takin’ no risk at all.’
‘Maybe you’ve got a point.’
‘I think I do.’
‘I’ll have to talk to her. What would you suggest, Charlie?’
‘Well, there’s five hundred K in that vault, supposed to be five hundred K, anyway...’
‘Perhaps more.’
‘So I thought, if we gave Lizzie a hundred thou for setting it up, then you and me split the rest.’
‘I’ll tell you what I’ll do,’ the Deaf Man said. ‘Fair is fair.’
‘It is.’
‘We’ll give Lizzie a flat hundred, as you suggest. But I’ll take only a hundred and fifty, and you’ll get the lion’s share, two hundred and fifty.’
‘Hey, no, I wasn’t suggesting nothing like that,’ Charlie said.
‘Fair is fair, Charlie.’
‘Well,’ Charlie said.
‘Does that please you?’
‘Well, if it’s okay with you.’
‘It’s fine with me.’
‘‘Cause I didn’t want to say nothin’ about like I’m the one lookin’ at two counts of murder, you know what I mean?’
‘I know exactly what you mean. And I appreciate it.’
‘And I appreciate what you’re doin’, too, the jester you just made. I really appreciate that, Den.’
‘Good. Are we agreed then?’
‘I couldn’t be happier,’ Charlie said, and then looked troubled again.
‘What is it?’ the Deaf Man asked.
‘You think she’ll go along with it? Lizzie?’
‘Oh, I’m sure she will.’
‘I hope so. I wouldn’t want her blowin’ the wlnsile ‘cause she thinks she ain’t gettin’ what she should be gettin’.’
‘No, don’t worry about that, Charlie.’
‘Where is she, anyway?’ Charlie asked. ‘Shouldn’t she be here when we go over all this shit?’
‘She’s done her job already,’ the Deaf Man said. ‘She’s no longer needed.’
He looked at Charlie, wondering if he even suspected that once he carried that cash out of the vault he’d have done his job and he, too, would no longer be needed.
‘Now then,’ he said, ‘the combinations.’
‘Yeah, the fuckin’ combinations,’ Charlie said.
‘Think of them as three different sets, Charlie, forget that there are eighteen numbers in all.’
‘Okay, yeah.’
‘Can you give me the first set? The six numbers for the outer door?’
‘Seven-six-one, three-two...’