After a short delay his secretary and personal assistant came out on to the terrace. This man was tall, thin, balding, with deep-set eyes and a thin, cruel mouth. His name was Gustav Holtz. He was as important to Radnitz as Radnitz’s own right hand. A mathematical genius, a man with no scruples, with eight languages at his fingertips and with shrewd political know-how, Holtz served Radnitz well.
‘Don Elliot,’ Radnitz said without looking around. ‘One time movie star. Open a file on him. Have him covered. I want to be informed of his movements — a daily report. Be sure he doesn’t become aware that he is being watched. Cover this immediately.’
‘Yes, Mr. Radnitz,’ Holtz said.
Knowing his order would be scrupulously obeyed, Radnitz again picked up the document and dismissed Elliot from his mind.
As he drove back to the bungalow, Elliot did some heavy thinking.
With Vin, Cindy and Joey willing to help him, he was now enthusiastic about getting hold of these Russian stamps. This seemed to him not only to be an exciting adventure and a solution to his financial problems but also a challenge in the best tradition of a movie plot. After Kendrick’s warning, he realized a direct approach to Larrimore was out of the question. He hadn’t seen Larrimore for more than three months. He had never been to his house. He couldn’t ‘accidentally’ run into him at the golf club. He had to steer clear there. Too many of his creditors were members and besides, his subscription was long overdue. This wasn’t going to be easy and his mind searched for another solution. Then he thought of Larrimore’s daughter. She could be a possibility, he thought. Yes... this could be the solution.
He was still thinking when he pulled up outside the bungalow.
He found Vin on his own. Joey and Cindy had just left in the Jaguar on a self-service store raid.
After Elliot had explained the possibilities of stealing the stamps, Vin had become more cooperative. The thought of being paid fifty thousand dollars for stealing a few postage stamps appealed to him. In spite of the way Elliot had physically handled him, Vin was impressed by this handsome movie star. He felt instinctively that if anyone could plan this steal, Elliot would be the one to do it.
So when Elliot joined him in the back garden, Vin eyed him expectedly. He knew Elliot had been to talk to Kendrick and he was curious to know the outcome.
Elliot told him of the conversation.
‘From what Kendrick tells me,’ he concluded, ‘it would be unwise to approach Larrimore. We have a problem here because I have to keep out of sight. By now, all my goddamn creditors will be looking for me. If they catch up with me, we’re sunk. You’ve got to be the front man.’
‘Suits me,’ Vin said. ‘So what do I do?’
‘There’s a good chance we can get the information we want from Larrimore’s daughter. Judy Larrimore is a wild one. I’ve met her a number of times in various nightclubs. She’s strictly not my style. She drinks too much, tries too hard and is my idea of a juvenile pest. Her father can’t stand the sight of her — nor she him. Although she lives with him, they scarcely ever meet. He keeps her short of money so she is on the lookout all the time for boy friends who have money to spend on her. I’m sure you can handle her. I think she could have the information we want. Before Larrimore’s wife died in an accident, he told me Judy helped him classify his stamps. It was only when she lost her mother that the girl went off the rails and has kept off them ever since. So she should know something about these Russian stamps always providing Larrimore has them.’
Vin was listening with interest.
‘Sounds right up my alley. So how do I meet this chick?’
‘No trouble at all... a straight pick-up. One of her favourite haunts is the Adam and Eve club. She usually begins her night prowl there around ten o’clock. You can’t miss her. She’s around eighteen, tall, good figure and with red hair. She inherited her hair from her mother who was Italian. This Venetian red is unique... you seldom see it here. If you spot a wild — looking girl with red hair, wearing as little as she can, you can bet she’s Judy Larrimore.’
‘I like it even more,’ Vin said with a leer. ‘Sounds to me like fun and business combined.’
‘Handle her carefully,’ Elliot warned. ‘She’s no pushover and she has the pick of the wild ones here, but she’ll go for new blood if you approach her right. Don’t rush her. We have time. After three or four meetings, you can begin to probe and I’ll tell you how to handle it. Just get intimate now... okay?’
Vin nodded.
‘I’ll get after her tonight.’
While they were talking, Joey and Cindy were working the local self-service store. Cindy was busy filling her ‘maternity basket’ with items for the evening meal. She planned to make this a special dinner. Elliot had explained he couldn’t return to his home and it would be risky for him to put up at a hotel, so how about moving in with them? Joey and Cindy welcomed this idea. Vin wasn’t too happy about it, but when Elliot said he would pool his nine thousand dollars towards expenses and finance the steal, he was quick to agree.
While Elliot had been explaining about the stamps, Vin, who missed little, had seen the way Cindy was looking at Elliot and he began to get the idea that Cindy was taking more interest in Elliot than was healthy. He had a sneaking feeling that because Elliot had manhandled him, Cindy was now transferring her affections from him to Elliot.
When Elliot had gone to see Kendrick and Joey and Cindy had gone to the self-service store, Vin, alone, had time to think. Elliot was the key to the Big Take which he (Vin) was always dreaming about. He asked himself how much Cindy meant to him. He wasn’t in love with Cindy — Vin just didn’t know the meaning of love. He had thought it would be fun to be married to her, to take her around and to have a good time with her, but was there more in it than that? There were thousands of girls as pretty as Cindy: thousands as cute. If she wanted Elliot, he (Vin) would be nuts to spoil what looked like the Big Take. When they got the stamps and Elliot had paid over the fifty thousand dollars, if Cindy opted to stay with Elliot then that would be too bad for her and Joey. Vin grinned suddenly. He would pocket the whole amount and walk out on them. Elliot could take care of them. Why not? If she didn’t go with Elliot, then fine, but he wasn’t going to shed tears if she didn’t.
Once having got this clear in his mind, he relaxed and was able to get along with Elliot.
Cindy had decided to cook a chicken casserole which she did very well. It took her a little time to find two chickens that satisfied her. While she was examining the birds, Joey regarded her with loving eyes. He had seen the change come over her since the clash between Elliot and Vin and in one way he was relieved, but in another way, worried. Vin at least was in Cindy’s class, but Elliot wasn’t. Elliot could just fool around with her and leave her flat and this had always been Joey’s fear that Cindy could get hurt.
When the shopping was over and as they were walking to where Cindy had parked the Jaguar, Joey said, ‘Elliot seems a nice fella, Cindy. What do you think?’
She nodded. As she got into the car, she said, ‘Dad... I’ve been thinking. I’ve made a mistake about Vin.’
Joey sighed.
‘All women are allowed to make mistakes, baby,’ he said. ‘Is there someone else?’
‘As if you didn’t know.’ Cindy gave him a crooked smile. ‘Don... the moment I met him...’
‘Does he feel the same about you?’
‘Of course not! I mean nothing to him.’ She started the car and pulled out into the traffic. ‘A cat can look at a king, but that’s it, dad.’ She pulled a little face. ‘I want you to know I’m through with Vin. I’m going to tell him. We can work together, but now, I don’t want to marry him.’