“She must have luggage: a nice suitcase and a vanity box. In fact, dear Roger, you had better provide two suitcases: one for her and one for her husband, but the vanity box is a must.”
Maverick studied his cousin.
“I rather doubt...”
“Wait. You will offer these pieces of luggage at such a ridiculously low price, she won’t be able to resist. I will pay the difference.”
“You are not being frank with me, Claude,” Maverick said, his voice sharp. “You are cooking up something.”
“Yes.” Kendrick sighed. He knew his cousin. “Let us say I will pay you ten thousand dollars, and no questions asked.”
“I am sorry, Claude. I will want to know what all this is about. I refuse to be involved in something you are hatching, unless I know exactly what it is.”
Kendrick sighed again. He knew he would get no co-operation from his cousin without laying his cards face up. His sudden inspiration had to be the solution of getting the icon to Switzerland. The icon, carried by a well-known police officer, surely would cross the frontiers.
Knowing it would now cost him a great deal of money, he told Maverick of the big steal.
three
For the next two days, Carroll was extremely busy and loving every minute. She took Lepski to Harry Levine, one of the better tailors in the city, and supervised his kitting out for the trip. Lepski had flamboyant tastes, but Carroll would have none of it. She chose a charcoal-grey suit for evening wear, a sports outfit, a pair of extra dark blue stacks, four conservative shirts and three conservative ties. Although Lepski argued, she stamped on his objections, announcing that if he wanted that godawful shirt he kept Angering, then he would pay for it himself.
Finally, satisfied her husband would travel as a suitably dressed escort, she told Harry Levine to deliver the purchases and she paid by cheque.
“I need a new hat,” Lepski said. “Got to have a hat.”
“Lepski!” Carroll snapped. “Only cops and old, bald men wear hats these days! You don’t need a hat! I don’t want you to look like a cop!”
“Goddamn it! I am a cop!” Lepski shouted.
“No hat!” Carroll said firmly, “and if you dare to take that abortion you are now wearing on your head, I’ll destroy it! Now, go back to work. I’m going to have my fitting.”
Leaving Lepski muttering to himself, she walked the two blocks to Maverick.
She had a dreamy two hours with two fitters who pinned and smoothed and murmured compliments about her figure. To Carroll, this was living! Finally, the fitters told her the dresses and the travelling suit would be delivered in two days’ time.
Leaving the fitting room, Carroll found Maverick waiting.
“Mrs Lepski! I do hope you are happy,” he said with his wide, white toothy smile.
“Marvellous!” Carroll exclaimed. “I can’t thank you enough!”
“Now the handbags and the shoes.”
After another hour, guided by Maverick, Carroll bought three pairs of shoes and two handbags. She was nearly delirious with happiness.
Money! she thought. What it is to have money!
“Mrs Lepski, there is one other thing,” Maverick said.
“Nothing more,” Carroll said firmly. “I said seven thousand and I mean seven thousand.”
“So far, you have spent six thousand, five hundred dollars,” Maverick told her. “Have you thought about luggage? You and your husband will need smart-looking luggage when arriving in Paris. Alas, hotels judge people by their luggage no matter how well they are dressed. Have you thought of this?”
Carroll hadn’t. She remembered the last time she and Lepski had gone on vacation what a sorry state their suitcases had been in. She remembered with a shudder Lepski’s awful suitcase which he had inherited from his grandfather.
“Well, no. I hadn’t thought... I suppose...”
At a signal from Maverick, one of his smartly dressed sales girls came in with two splendid-looking suitcases in dark blue leather with dark red bands.
“Now these cases have a little history,” Maverick lied. “They were ordered by one of my very rich clients who is extremely difficult to please. I had them made specially for her and to her specifications. She returned them, complaining they were not large enough. We had a little argument.” He paused to give Carroll his toothy smile. “Since she had ordered them, she paid for them and I made larger ones for her. So, Mrs Lepski, I can offer you these two magnificent suitcases for one hundred dollars. What do you say?”
Carroll examined the suitcases. She thought they were the most beautiful suitcases she had ever seen, and she longed to possess them.
“But that is almost giving them away,” she said.
“Well, not quite. I have been paid for them. I would like to do you a little favour.”
Carroll didn’t hesitate.
“It’s a deal.”
“How wise. Then, Mrs Lepski, I have a vanity box to match these two suitcases, and this I propose to offer you as a present. It is really rather nice.”
The sales girl produced the vanity box. When Carroll saw how it was fitted, she could only gape at it.
“You mean you are giving it to me?”
“Why not? It’s been paid for and your kind order deserves a slight return. Please accept it.”
“Why, thank you! It’s just marvellous!”
“I will deliver the dresses and the cases to you on Wednesday. I understand you will be leaving on Thursday.”
“Oh, I can take them with me.” Carroll was reluctant to be parted from her purchases.
“Please, Mrs Lepski. I would like to put your initials and Mr Lepski’s initials on the cases. I would also like to furbish the vanity box with our special selection of cosmetics. Do leave it to me.”
“I can’t thank you enough, Mr Maverick. Then Wednesday?”
“Without fail, Mrs Lepski,” and Maverick escorted her to the elevator.
Three minutes later, he was speaking to Kendrick on the telephone.
“No problem, dear Claude,” he said. “She is happy with the suitcases, and I have promised to deliver them and the vanity box Wednesday morning.”
“Splendid!” Kendrick exclaimed. “The object is eight inches by nine and half an inch thick.”
“I will personally dismantle the vanity box. The object, of course, will add to the weight, but not unduly.”
“Yes. That is a small problem.”
“She didn’t pick the box up. She won’t know the difference. I plan to fill the box with our most deluxe cosmetics. She will be dazzled by the contents. Even if the box weighed a hundredweight, she wouldn’t be parted from it.”
“Splendid work, Roger.”
“You owe me three thousand dollars, Claude.”
Kendrick sighed.
“Yes.”
“And one hundred thousand when the object is paid for.”
Again Kendrick sighed.
“Yes.”
“Good. Send Louis to me Tuesday evening. Bye now,” and Maverick hung up.
Kendrick replaced the receiver, took off his wig and polished his bald head with his silk handkerchief. Then slapping the wig on anyhow, he called for Louis.
There was a delay as Louis was engaged with a client, but twenty minutes later, he slid into Kendrick’s office.
“The replica, chéri.” Kendrick said. “Is it ready?”
“Of course... a beautiful job.” Louis looked uneasily at Kendrick. “This is dreadfully dangerous, baby. It really has me worried.”
“Bring it to me!” Kendrick snapped. He was far from being happy about this operation, but he kept reminding himself of the three-million-dollar profit.
When Louis returned with the replica of the icon, Kendrick’s confidence rose.