The three of us sat quite still, politely ignoring Dixie Dan’s outstretched hand, then he awkwardly replaced it at his side. Mustering up an ingratiating smile, he said: “Well, h’ra, boys? Haha! You all look like you been eating high on the ribs, these days. Haha!”
Big Lefty sneered. “We eat,” he said laconically.
“Yeah,” I put in. “We eat. What’s on your mind, Dixie? I know you didn’t come around here just to comment on our dining habits.”
“Haha! You’re right, Lucky. Haha! Dining habits. Haha! well, I’ll get right to the point, then, and get it over with, Haha! Ahh... umm... er—”
“Well?”
“Ah, yes. Well, we came around to see if you fellows would lend us five thousand bucks for a day or so.”
Big Lefty’s dark eyebrows shot up in amazement and there was a moment of stunned silence as we checked our ears out. Then the big lefthander laughed and said: “Dixie, you are not only out of your tree, pal; you are in the wrong jungle!”
“Haha! Wrong jungle. Well, I suppose so. Anyway, I told you I’d get right to the point.”
“You sure did, jocko,” Big Lefty agreed. “And what’s more, I’ll get right to the proverbial point also. The answer is no.”
Dixie Dan Shivers looked at the floor. “Oh,” he said quietly.
I lit a cigarette and gazed through the smoke at Dixie Dan’s crestfallen face. “What do you need five grand for, Dixie?”
He looked at me with a fleck of hope in his hazel eyes. He said: “We want to buy a bank job from the Caser, Lucky.”
“The Caser?”
“Yeah. You see, he’s in town tonight, and he’s got a small hick jug lined up somewhere in this vicinity that’s worth at least fifty Gs. But he won’t sell the plan for nothing but cash, which we ain’t got.”
“I see. And he wants five thousand for the layout?”
“Right on, Lucky. But like I say, we can’t seem to get it together.”
A conniving look appeared in Big Lefty’s murderous black eyes.
“That’s really too bad, Dixie,” he said. Then in a more intimidating tone: “But then again, I don’t think you boys are cut out for taking a bank in the first place. That type of chore is more in our line of business than yours.”
“Well,” Dixie Dan tentatively agreed, “maybe you’re right, But then again, I think this bank is just a snap burglary deal. Maybe we could handle it. I don’t know, for sure.” He looked into Big Lefty’s menacing eyes and quickly changed his tack. “I guess you’re right after all, Lefty. Maybe it is too much for us.”
“I know I’m right,” the big Indian said with typical immodesty. “I’m always right in these things, Dixie. And a lot of other things too,” he added, looking significantly at Little Manuel and me.
“Hooray,” I said.
“Ole,” echoed Little Manuel.
Big Lefty ignored us. He went on talking to Dixie Dan Shivers.
“I tell you what I’m going to do, Dixie,” he said, spreading his great hands magnanimously. “I’m going to stake you to a half C, and then maybe you can run it up over at Chippy Parkington’s crap game. All you got to do is tell me where the Caser is. I think me and the boys here will buy in on that piece of action ourselves.”
Dixie Dan fidgeted a little in nervous disappointment, appeared to think the proposition over and then finally shrugged in deprecation. He said: “I guess I got no choice in the matter. You see, to tell you the truth, Lefty, we’re in quite a bind, right now. In fact, we’re actually hungry, we got the shorts that bad. That fifty will look mighty good to us.”
He eyed the bottle of Bourbon on the table. “Come to think of it,” he added, “we ain’t only hungry; we’re pretty thirsty, too.”
Little Manuel snickered and spoke up: “Solemn Sol will give you each a glass of water on your way out. Tell him we said so.”
Big Lefty chuckled and then looked directly at me. “Give Dixie fifty dollars, Lucky.”
I stiffened and stared at him. “Me? Why me? Why don’t you give it to him, big shot? It’s your brainstorm.”
The giant sighed and rolled his eyes at the ceiling. Then: “Manuel?”
“What?”
“Give Dixie the half C.”
“Non comprende.”
“I said give him the fifty, you sawed-off little spick!”
“Nix, you overgrown halfbreed mick!”
The big conniver sighed again and then hoisted his massive bulk from the table. “Sometimes,” he said reproachfully, “I think you two birds are the chintziest crooks on the face of the city!”
“Yeah,” I said. “I ought to be ashamed of myself.”
“Me too,” accorded Little Manuel, giggling inanely.
Big Lefty grunted. He took out his roll and peeled off two Jacksons and a Hamilton.
“Here you are, Dixie,” he said. “Have a meal and a drink on me. Now, tell me where to find the Caser. And woe betide you, boy, if you’re just trying to con me. I’ll have Manuel castrate The Dummy and then cut out your tongue without washing the blade.”
The silent Dummy looked dismayed as Dixie Dan Shivers eagerly accepted the money.
“Thanks a lot, Lefty. And I swear on Capone’s grave that I ain’t conning you about the Caser. You can find him at the Royal hotel, room six-twenty. He’s registered under the name of Brockman. But listen — you’ll have to get to him tonight, as the job he’s got lined up has to be done by tomorrow morning.”
“Okay, pal. Now, you take your dumb buddy and get to hell out of here. The boys and I are going to have a little private chat.”
“Umm. Haha! Private chat. Right on, Lefty. C’mon, Dummy. And thanks again, boys, We’ll see you guys.”
After the sorry twosome had left, the monster re-lit his cigar, poured another round of double hookers, sat back down and said: “Well, clods, what do you say? I think it’s time we got acquainted with the Caser and buy a piece of action from him. Are we agreed?”
“Suits me, jocko,” Little Manuel said amiably.
“Likewise,” I concurred.
Big Lefty beamed. “That’s fine,” he said. “You know, clods, it don’t digest well with me to be sitting around on my thumbs and laurels, whatever that is. I like to be up and about, doing things and making the scene. You know, we ain’t had our grubby little paws in the till for some time, and so I think we should do something about it.”
“Hear, hear,” I said.
“Amen,” followed Little Manuel.
“Good. I’m glad to see you clods are staying in the right frame of mind. Now,” he continued, smiling wolfishly at us, “each of you dig down and come up with one thousand six hundred sixty six dollars and sixty six and two thirds cents!”
“Awrrk! What in the hell for?”
“It’s to be your fair share of the five grand we pay the Caser for the setup, you dungheads!” he glared at us.
“Oh.”
“Echh!”
“Yeah. And when it’s over, I pull the fifty I gave Dixie Dan right off the top before we even talk about the split. Understood?”
“Ah— Okay with me.”
“Manuel?”
“What?”