The Big Caper | Page 9

interest in the school auditorium. It was a
large frame structure with a great deal of glass, and it contained an
indoor basketball court, an enclosed amphitheatre where the
high-school students held their rallies and put on amateur theatricals,
and several smaller meeting rooms.
This was the building that Flood had picked out as the principal target.
Later he had driven by the warehouse along the railroad tracks and then
circled around past the two-story department store at the east end of the
business district.
Kosta had looked at the block-square building and shaken his head.
"Never do at all," he said. "Flood should have known. All steel and
concrete. It would take forever to get started."
Frank hadn't commented. This was not his part of the business. All he
was supposed to do was show the other man around. It was up to
Kosta--and Flood himself, of course--to select the spots.
Frank had stopped at the drugstore to get a pack of cigarettes and he'd
met Waldo Harrington again, this time in civilian clothes.
"Thought you were going fishing," Frank had said.
Waldo shrugged. "Wife got ahold of me before I could start," he said,
smiling. "Wanted me to take her shopping, and so here I am. She
figures my day off is her day off."
"With your connections you should get her locked up on your day off,"
Frank told him, and laughed. He'd brought Harrington over to the car
and introduced his companion;
"My uncle," he'd said, not bothering with a name. "Want you to meet
Waldo Harrington. He's the guy you'll see behind you in the patrol car
if you're going too fast." And again he laughed.
They had shaken hands and Harrington said he was glad to know

Frank's uncle.
It was a nice break. He wanted to establish an identity for Kosta, just in
case.
Later they had stopped by the gas station and Frank had spent a little
time with Ham Johnstone checking up on the day's business. As usual,
Ham had tried to operate the cash register, and things were all fouled
up. But Frank didn't worry about him. He knew the money end of it
would work out all right. Ham was honest.
They'd gone out to the house then and Kosta had spent the night
drinking straight gin. He hadn't talked at all, just drunk and stared at
Kay until she had at last got up and gone upstairs. Sitting there, with his
bulging eyes watching her, had not only made her nervous; she'd felt a
sense of nausea.
And now it was Wednesday morning and they were having a hurried
breakfast. Frank had already stopped at Kosta's room and told him that
they'd both be gone for most of the day.
Without opening his eyes, Kosta had said, "Go ahead. I'm staying in
bed. Don't feel good."
And then, as Frank had been about to shut the door, he'd spoken again,
lying there half nude and obscene and not opening his eyes.
"Tell the girl to say hello to Flood for me," he said. "Have her tell him
that everything is fine. I'll take the city hall and school auditorium."
He'd started to snore by the time Frank had the door closed.
Frank was pouring the coffee. He still had the petulant, worried look
that his face had, worn yesterday afternoon when he and Kay had
talked out in back of the barn.
"Honey," he said, "suppose I were to go on down and see him after I
get through with Paulmeyer. I could tell him you're sick or something."

"No," she said. "No, it wouldn't do. You know Flood. He'd know at
once that something was wrong. He'd come back with you. We don't
want that. It's best if I go. Don't worry about me. I won't be staying. I'm
only going to see him for a few minutes. I doubt if I'll even be alone
with him. We have to do it this way. It's what he's expecting and there's
no point in risking trouble. After all, he can't know anything."
"It isn't that," Frank said. "It isn't that I care if he did know. It's only..."
She reached over and caressed the side of his face with the soft palm of
her hand.
"Baby," she said, "stop worrying. I've told you. He was through with
me a long time ago. Everything was over. He was just hanging on,
waiting for something else to come along. He doesn't care any more.
Anyway, I can handle him."
"Nobody can handle him when he wants something," Frank said. "You
know that. And you know that the minute he sees you it's going to start
all over again with him."
"It may start with him," she said, "but it won't start with