‘I’ll do my best, Claude,’ I said. ‘Goodnight,’ and I took the elevator to the penthouse. Leaving the elevator, I started down the stairs, moving swiftly. I reached the lobby, paused, looked around, then crossing quickly to the entrance door, I turned the knob, lifted the catch, then spun around and started up the stairs. As I had thought, unlocking the entrance door had presented no problems. Reaching Sydney’s front door, I gently turned the handle and found the door unlocked. I re-shut it and rang the bell.
Sydney came bounding to the door, throwing it wide open.
‘Come in, dear boy!’ he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling. ‘Did you have a dreadful dinner?’
‘Pretty bad.’ I closed the front door and taking his arm, went with him into the living room, knowing that the door was unlocked. ‘She’s dithering. I don’t think her husband wants to spend the money, but I ran into Calshot and he’s after an emerald and ruby bracelet. He’ll be in tomorrow... another new chick.’
‘Never mind him... come and look at my designs.’
As I followed him to the desk, I glanced at my watch. The time was 22.10. In another twenty minutes all hell would break loose. I found I was sweating slightly, and taking out my handkerchief, I wiped my hands.
‘Look!’ He spread four designs out on the desk. ‘What do you think?’
I bent over them, scarcely seeing them.
‘Don’t you think this one’s marvellous?’ He put his long artistically shaped finger on the second design.
I pulled myself together and forced my eyes to focus. For several seconds I examined the designs. He had surpassed himself. The second to which he had pointed was the best piece of jewellery designing I had ever seen.
I straightened.
‘You’re a genius, Sydney! There’s no mistake about that! This is the one! It’s top class and if I can’t sell it for two million then my name’s not Carr!’
He simpered, wriggling with pleasure.
‘I thought it had to be right, but now you say so.’
‘Let’s compare it with the necklace.’
He looked surprised.
‘But why?’
‘I want to compare the cut of the stones with your design.’ I began with a husky voice and had to pause to clear my throat.
‘I see... yes.’
He turned, crossed the room, removed the Picasso and went through his secret motions of opening the safe.
I looked at my watch: another fifteen minutes.
He brought the necklace and laid it on the desk.
‘Sit down, Sydney and let’s compare it.’
He went around his desk and I got behind him and we both looked first at the necklace and then the design.
‘It’s marvellous,’ I said. ‘You’ve caught the spirit of the stones beautifully. Can you imagine how this will look after Chan has finished with it? I can’t wait to get it to him.’
He swivelled around in his chair.
‘When can you get off?’
‘Monday. I’ll see my travel man tomorrow. I should be in Hong Kong some time Wednesday. I’ll have to spend a week with Chan, making sure he starts right, then I’ll fly back.’
He nodded.
‘That’s good. How long do you think you’ll take to sell it?’
‘That’s a toughie. I don’t know. I’m already working on a list of names. Chan will take two months on this job. As soon as he’s finished, I’ll start.’
‘You can’t give me any idea?’
I stared at him, not understanding what he was getting at.
‘I don’t think that’s possible, Sydney. It could be a month, could be eight months. Two million isn’t small.’
He fidgeted on his chair.
‘You see, Larry, I’ve insured the necklace for nine months. For that period I’ve managed to get a special rate, but it’s still a hell of a premium. If it’s not sold within nine months, I’ll have to pay more and I don’t want to do that.’
I stood still, transfixed.
‘You’ve insured it?’
‘But of course, sweetie. You didn’t imagine I would let you go all the way to Hong Kong with this necklace without insuring it? Anything could happen to you. Someone might even steal it from you. There could be an accident — God forbid! Three quarters of a million is a hell of a lot of money to risk.’
‘Yes.’ My heart was thumping now. ‘Who did you insure it with?’
‘Our people... the National Fidelity. I had a terrible fight with that dreadful man Maddox! I hate him! He’s so materialistic!. Finally I had to go to one of the directors to get a cut rate. Maddox wanted to charge me nearly double.’
Maddox!
I too had had dealings with this man and I knew him to be the toughest, hardest and shrewdest claims assessor in the business: a man who smelt a crime before it was even thought of. He and his aide, Steve Harmas, had solved more insurance swindles and had jailed more people attempting to defraud than all the other insurance assessors put together.
Knowing I had lost colour, I turned away and walked slowly to the uncurtained picture window.
My mind was stiff with panic. The robbery was off! I had to stop it! But how? My brain just wouldn’t work, but I did know it would be fatal to go ahead now Maddox was looming in the background.
Smart as the Paradise City police were, they were not in the same class as Maddox. I remembered a case when Chief of Police Terrell was glad to cooperate with Maddox’s investigator, Steve Harmas, and it was Harmas who had solved the theft of the Esmaldi necklace and also a murder.
‘What’s wrong, Larry?’
‘Getting a headache, damn it!’ I held my head in my hands while I tried to think what to do. Then I realised how absurdly easy it was to stop the robbery. I had only to cross the room, go out into the lobby, slip down the catch on the Yale lock and Rhea and Fel couldn’t get in.
What could they do? What could they do except go away and curse me when we met again.
‘I’ll get you an Aspro,’ Sydney said getting to his feet. ‘Nothing like an Aspro, precious.’
‘It’s all right.’ I started towards the door. ‘I’ll get it. They’re in the bathroom cabinet, aren’t they?’
‘Let me.’
Then the door burst open and I knew I had left it too late.
Days later and looking back on that night, I was able to understand why the operation had blown up in my face.
The fault was entirely mine. In spite of my hours of thinking and careful planning, I had completely misjudged how Sydney would react under pressure. I had been so certain that this willowy queer, with his buzzing and fluttering, wouldn’t have the courage of a mouse and would shrivel with terror at any threat of violence. Had I not misjudged his courage, I wouldn’t be in the position I now find myself, but I was sure he would present no problem and I never gave this vital part of the operation a thought.
I was moving towards the door and Sydney was coming around his desk when the door bust open and Fel, with Rhea behind him, came charging in.
Fel had on the Beatle wig and the silver glasses, an ugly looking Colt automatic in his fist. Behind him, her red hair concealed by a black scarf, her face hidden behind enormous silver goggles, Rhea also made a threatening sight, a .38 automatic in her gloved hand.
‘Stay still!’ Fel yelled: his voice spine chilling. ‘Get your hands up!’
I was moving towards him. I tried to stop myself, but my legs kept moving. I was almost within reach of him when he swung at me. I saw the movement and tried to duck but the gun barrel smashed against my face and a white light exploded inside my skull. I felt warm blood running into my mouth and I was flat on my back, dazed by the violence of the blow. I lay there, my right eye rapidly closing, but my left eye registering what went on.
I saw Sydney grab hold of the Borgia dagger he used as a letter opener: an antique which had cost him thousands of dollars and of which he was very proud. He went for Fel like a charging bull, the gleaming dagger thrust forward, his face the colour of old parchment, his eyes bolting out of his head. He not only looked berserk but homicidal.