‘No one ever said you had to,’ Joey said. ‘When this job’s done, we’ll go off together, Cindy. With our share of the money we can find a little place and take it easy for a while.’
Cindy nodded.
But there was an expression in her eyes that saddened Joey.
‘You ever been to the Adam and Eve club?’ Barney asked. He was staring gloomily at the empty plate that had contained the sausages. The regret on his fat face would have melted a heart of stone.
I said nightclubs weren’t in my line and how about a few more sausages?
He brightened perceptively.
‘Yeah... that’s what I call a constructive suggestion.’ He signalled to Sam. ‘The trouble with these sausages, Mr. Campbell, is that they give a man a thirst.’
Sam brought over another plate of sausages and another beer.
‘Nightclubs are special,’ Barney said when Sam had returned to the bar. ‘You either like them or you don’t. The Adam and Eve club is strictly for the wild ones. From what I hear of the place a cultured gentleman like yourself wouldn’t be found dead there.’ He bit into a sausage, chewed, grunted, wiped his eyes and went on, ‘Vin had no trouble in spotting Judy Larrimore. She was up at the bar with a couple of hippies and they were soaking up gin and water. The hippies were around her age with long matted hair and dirty beards. They had on matador trousers and frilled shirts and apart from their smell of dirt they looked like something that had stepped out of the ads from Playboy.
‘Vin got close and ordered a whisky. It didn’t take more than a few minutes for Judy to spot him. The two hippies were getting drunk and Vin could see she was bored with them. He saw her eyes light up as she looked him over. He thought she was the sexiest dish he had seen in years.
‘He gave her his wide “come-on” smile and she smiled back.
‘One of the hippies — the bigger of the two — looked around and glared at Vin who met the glare with the grin he reserved for juveniles. The hippie then looked at Judy to see how she was reacting, but she was continuing to look Vin over.
‘Vin thought it was the moment to start something, so he said, “If you’re bored with these kids, baby, how about a drink with me?”
‘ “Piss off!” the hippie snarled, his eyes turning vicious.
‘ “Don’t be rude, little punk,” Vin said softly, “or I’ll have to spank you.”
‘Judy giggled and sliding around the hippies she joined Vin, moving slightly behind him.
‘The other hippie threw the contents of his glass towards Vin’s face, but that was old hat stuff to Vin. He moved aside and a girl coming up to the bar got splashed.
‘Vin jabbed a left into the first hippies face and the hippie’s nose exploded into a red mush. When Vin hit, he hit. The other hippie tried to back away, but Vin reached him with a right hook that lifted him off his feet and slammed him flat on the floor.
‘The girl who had got splashed was now screaming like a train whistle and the rest of the people in the bar were shouting. It all happened in seconds. Vin caught Judy by her arm and rushed her to the exit, and out into the hot night. She went willingly enough, stifling her laughter and they bundled into the Jaguar and Vin was driving away before the Club bouncer thought of moving into action.’
Barney paused to reach for another sausage.
‘I won’t waste time going into details, Mr. Campbell. It’s enough to say, Vin drove to a deserted part of the beach and he and Judy got out of the car and as soon as he had closed the car door he saw she had her pants off. He took her and she responded like she was demented. When it was over, she put her pants on and made for the car.
‘Vin tried chatting her up, but she told him to shut his head and take her home. He thought his so-called lovemaking had rocked her so violently she wasn’t in the mood to talk so he went along with her.
‘He was pleased with himself. He imagined telling Elliot all the details of how he had got to first base after meeting Judy for only ten minutes. This achievement restored his confidence in himself. He would be able to prove to Elliot he was a better man than he, but he had an unpleasant surprise when he pulled up outside the gates leading to the Larrimore home.
‘ “Okay, baby,” he said, getting out of the Jaguar. “How’s about tomorrow night? Let’s go and take the town apart.”
‘ “No...” She got out of the car and started for the gates.
‘ “Hey! Wait a minute!”
‘She paused and turned.
‘ “I said no.”
‘ “What’s the idea?” Vin demanded, puzzled, and he reached for her.
‘ “Keep your paws off me,” she snapped. “We don’t meet again... you’re not my thing,” and she started again towards the gates.
‘For a moment Vin stood rooted, not believing what he had heard, then he got a rush of blood to his head and he grabbed her arm and swung her around. He ran into a slap in the face that made his eyes blink and she wrenched free.
‘Then out of the shadows came the two hippies. They had been waiting for the past hour. They had bicycle chains around their right fists and they came at Vin on either side of him.
‘ “Get him, boys!” Judy screamed. “Mark the bastard!”
‘Vin had lived a life of violence. He couldn’t remember how many times he had been in a spot like this and had survived. As Larry, the bigger of the hippies, slashed at his face with the chain, Vin ducked under the flaying steel, caught hold of Judy and flung her at Larry. They both went sprawling. The other hippie caught Vin across the neck with his chain. Weaving, Vin rushed him, grabbed his wrist, twisted him around and drove a crushing punch into the boy’s kidneys. The hippie sank on to his knees, moaning.
‘Larry was up and again his chain whistled towards Vin who just managed to duck under it, then Vin jumped forward and drove the top of his head into Larry’s face. Larry’s teeth gave as he was flung back. He tried to regain his balance, tripped over his own feet and fell. Stepping up to him, Vin kicked him in the side of his head and Larry went limp.
‘Vin touched the side of his neck. Blood was dripping from the cut inflicted by the chain. He looked at the two hippies, satisfied he would have no more trouble from them, then he turned and looked at Judy.
‘ “How about tomorrow night, baby?” he asked quietly. “Suppose I pick you up here around nine?”
‘Judy was staring at him, her eyes wide, then she suddenly laughed.
‘ “Man! That was something! Yes... I’ll be here.”
‘He went to her and pulled her to him. The blood from the cut on his neck dripped on to her bare shoulder.
‘ “Be here, baby,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to bust into your home and drag you out... okay?”
‘ “Yes.”
‘He ran his hand over her body. She stood placid and let him. Then after squeezing her buttocks, he shoved her away, strolled over to his car and drove off.
‘On his return to the bungalow, he got Elliot aside and told him what had happened.
‘ “She’s a little animal, but I’ve got her fixed,” he said. “I know the type. The rougher you treat them, the harder they fall for you.”
‘But Elliot was worried. This seemed to him to be moving too fast.
‘ “Suppose she isn’t there tomorrow night?”
‘Vin grinned.
‘ “She’ll be there. I’ve got what it takes, pally. I know how to handle women.” ’
She was there, standing outside the gates of the house when Vin drew up in the Jaguar at a minute after 21.00.
Vin grinned to himself as he leaned over to open the offside door. She had on a patterned Mexican shirt, hot pants and knee-high boots. Her silky red hair fell in unruly waves to her shoulders and Vin again thought she was the sexiest dish he had seen in years.