The man called Tommy nodded thoughtfully. “I understand, Robinson. I know Mr. Espizito wants no mistakes or slip-ups. There won’t be, I can assure you.”
“Mike doesn’t care where it happens, understand? Nolan is booked right through to Mexico City, so you stick with him and take care of the job whenever you think it’s right.”
“Of course.”
“Also, Nolan has quite a piece of Mike’s money on him, and naturally we want that back.”
“Naturally. As a matter of principle.” The little man came close to smiling but didn’t. “I have a good reputation, Robinson, although I am not so well known in the East. I do a good job.”
Hymie Solstein leaned forward and tapped Robinson’s shoulder. “Well, where is he? Reynolds said he’d make this flight for sure.”
“We can rely on Reynolds, I think,” Robinson said.
They were silent, watching the plane. And then Hymie said softly, “There he is, there’s the bastard,” and his voice broke into laughter.
The three men watched Nolan’s big figure emerge from the darkness behind the plane. They saw him glance around and walk swiftly toward the mobile stairway.
“He’s all yours,” Robinson said.
“Good night, gentlemen,” Tommy said, stepping from the car. He carried a brief case under his arm. “You’ll probably hear from me in a week or so.”
With precise mincing steps he walked toward the plane.
Nolan turned at the entrance of the ship, swept his eyes over the waiting rooms and the field. There was nothing to cause him alarm. A late passenger was hurrying to make the flight, he saw, a plump little man who wore glasses.
The stewardess, a pretty brunette, smiled at him. “Are you Mr. Benson?”
“That’s right.”
“Fine. I have your tickets. Would you take a seat, please? We’re ready to take off.”
The little man came hurrying up the steps, glanced at Nolan impersonally, and smiled at the stewardess. “I’m nearly late, aren’t I?” he said, apologetically.
She smiled and took his ticket. “There’s no harm done, as long as you made it.”
The little man smiled gratefully at her and went inside. Nolan stood for a last few seconds, staring at the brightly lighted waiting rooms, and breathing slowly and deeply of the night air. Everything seemed suddenly calm and peaceful, and the pressures of the last few days were gone. He was Barny Nolan, who had taken what he wanted; and that was a sustaining thought.
Unexpectedly, he saw a vision of Linda again, happy and smiling, coming to meet him somewhere, sometime, in Mexico.
“You’ll have to take your seat now,” the stewardess said.
“All right.”
Nolan ducked his head and entered the plane. There was a seat halfway down the aisle and he sank into it, a small smile on his lips. The smile widened as the engines sputtered and thundered to life.
The paunchy little man named Tommy was in the seat behind him, the brief case resting on his knees. He looked at his watch as the plane taxied down the runway. Time for forty winks before they reached Dallas. Settling himself comfortably, he glanced once at the back of Barny Nolan’s head, and then closed his eyes.
The plane climbed into the night.