The Big Caper | Page 9

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 me. Let me worry about it, honey."
They left the house together just before eight o'clock.
Passing the Loxley house, Kay turned to him and put her hand on his arm.
"How about Friday night?" she asked. "You think we better stop by and call it off?"
Instinctively his left foot went to the clutch, and then he took the pressure off and continued on.
"No," he said. "No, we better go along just as we planned. We don't want to do anything at all out of the way. We said we'd show up for dinner and we better do it. It won't make any difference."
"Yes," she said, "I know. But don't forget. They'll all be here by then."
"Let 'em," Frank said. "Let 'em. We'll still go."
They stopped in town for a minute and Kay left a grocery order at the chain store. She said that they'd be in late in the afternoon to pick it up.
A few minutes later they stopped at the gas station. Ham had already opened up. He smiled widely when he saw Kay, exposing two rows of large white teeth. He thought Kay was a fine woman. Frank was the best boss he'd ever had and he sure hoped that the gas station was going to work out all right and