1974 - So What Happens to Me (8 page)

“Your copilot?”

He nodded.

“Tell me about him.”

“Harry Erskine: he’s been my copilot for the past nine months. Young: around twenty-four, tough, a good pilot, not easy to get along with, but he’s okay.”

“What made him come into this set-up?”

“Mrs. Essex dangled herself and he fell for it and then she cut him down to size. That’s her speciality: turning it on, making a guy think he’s going to get into her bed, then telling him he isn’t.” Olson looked hard at me. “I don’t know how far she’s got with you Jack, but watch it. She’s a copper plated bitch. Now Harry hates her and has joined us.”

I filed that bit of information away in my mind as I said, “So how do you plan to steal a ten million dollar plane?”

“We have time to work out the details. The plane will be delivered on November 1st—two months from now. Harry and I will collect it and fly it down here. The plane will have to be flight tested. Essex travels a lot and often wants to be flown at night. There’ll be no problem about doing a night test flight. So, you, Harry, Pam and I take off on a night flight. We fly out to sea then I’ll radio the port engines are on fire. The Air Controller then hears nothing. It’ll take him some minutes to get out an alert. By that time we’ll be heading for Yucatan, flying wave high to cut radar. Kendrick’s client has a runway outside Merida. It’s in the bush and jungle. We land there. The details have still to be worked out, but that’s the plan.”

I thought about it.

“Sounds good,” I said finally. “The theory being the plane crashed into the sea and sank without trace?”

“That’s it?”

“You have no idea who the client is?”

“No.” He must be quite someone to construct a runway.”

“Yes.”

“So. . . we’re dead people once we have radio silence.”

“That’s right.”

“We get the money and we settle in Mexico?”

He nodded.

“Each one of us takes a risk if we go back?”

“We can’t go back? If we go back and if any of us is spotted, the operation explodes. As you said . . . we’re dead people the moment we go of the air.”

“You’re sold on this Bernie?”

“Yes. It’s big money and I need big money. I want to feel secure.” I remembered that fat queer with his ridiculous orange wig talking about security. “With the money I can start an air taxi service. I’ve already got that lined up. If you would sink some of your cut into it. we could work together. There’s a big demand for air taxi services in Mexico.” He regarded me. “Well Jack, you now know as much as I do about the set-up. What do you say? Are you in or aren’t you?”

“I like it.” I got to my feet, “but I want to meet Erskine. Let’s all get together, huh?”

Bernie stared uneasily at me.

“Harry’s tricky. You may not dig for him.”

“What’s that mean?”

“I’m telling you: I need him as copilot. He does what I say. You don’t have to bother with him.”

“This is a steal, Bernie. We all could go away for fifteen years if it’s fouled up. This has got to be a team and I’m not working with anyone I can’t get along with.”

Bernie got to his feet.

“I understand. I’ll fix a meeting.”

“And Bernie . . .” I stared at him. “Let’s have Kendrick at the meeting as well.”

“We don’t want Kendrick.”

“Yes we do. This is a team and Kendrick is part of it.”

He lifted his hands in a weary gesture.

“I’ll see what can be arranged.”

“Do more than that, Bernie, You, Erskine, Pam. Kendrick and me around a table and let’s talk this thing out.”

“Okay.”

We walked together into the sunshine and paused by our cars.

“I’m not being tricky, Bernie,” I said. “I’m thinking of you as much as I’m thinking of myself.”

He patted my arm.

“That’s why I picked on you. I’m not quite the guy I was and I need your help.”

I watched him drive away in the Jag, then I got into the Alfa.

I sat there for some minutes, thinking, then I drove back to the airport.

FOUR

B
ernie phoned around 19.00 while I was watching a soap opera on T.V. He said the meeting was set up for 21.00 at the cafe-bar “I’ll pick you up at 20.30, Jack,” he said, “with Pam and Harry.”

“Kendrick coming?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.”

Since I had talked to him and now knew what was cooking, I had done a lot of thinking. His plan looked good, but there were a lot of details to be ironed out. Hijacking a ten million dollar plane could put me in jail for a long time and that was something I didn’t dig. This had to be foolproof and I had the idea that Bernie wasn’t the man to swing it. There was something about him that didn’t jell with me. Pam didn’t count: she was an oversexed neurotic. A lot depended on Erskine. If he had the same kind of guts Bernie had, then I’d duck out. I wanted to control the operation. The more I thought about it the more I liked it, but not with Bernie handling it.

Around 20.30, I heard a car pull up outside my cabin. I went to the door. A Buick, with Bernie at the wheel, was coming to a standstill. He waved to me and I climbed in beside him.

There was a man and Pam in the back. It was too dark to get a look at Erskine. He looked big. but that’s all I could see of him.

As Bernie set the car moving, he said, “Jack. . . here’s Harry.”

“Hi!” I said and lifted my hand.

Erskine made no movement. After a long pause, he said, “Hi!”

We drove in silence and fast from the airport to the cafe-bar. Arriving, we all got out and it was still too dark for me to see him. He was bigger than I had imagined. Three inches above me and I’m no dwarf.

Bernie and I walked together. Pam and Erskine came behind us. We climbed the steps to the veranda. It was a hot night and I could hear the waves breaking on the beach in the distance.

There was no one in the cafe. A dim light lit the veranda.

As we settled ourselves at a table, the girl came out, smiling.

Bernie said, “What’ll we have?”

I was now looking at Erskine as he was looking at me. The dim light showed me a lean face, small eyes, a flat nose and thin lips: a young, tough, a fighter with jet black hair cut close, sitting on his head like a black cap. He had on a sweat shirt and I could see his muscles: he was built like a boxer.

Pam said she would have a whisky on the rocks. I went along with that. Erskine said an orange juice with gin. Bernie settled for a coke.

When the girl had gone, Bernie said, “Meet Harry, Jack.”

I nodded to Erskine who leant forward, staring at me.

“So what’s the idea of this meeting?” he demanded aggressively. “What’s eating you?”

“Just a moment,” Bernie said sharply. “I’ll handle this Jack doesn’t think much of the pay-off. I . . .”

“You hold it, Bernie,” Erskine said. “This guy is an aero-engineer. . . right?”

Bernie looked uneasily at him.

“You know that, Harry.”

“Yeah. So he’s not important. You and I have to fly the kite . . . right? So what’s he beefing about? We, use him: he gets paid and keeps his snout out of our business . . . right?”

“Look, sonny,” I said quietly, “don’t act tough. You and Pam are mugs to this kind of operation. Come to that, Bernie isn’t all that hot. You have a nice idea, but you’re handling it like amateurs. You have a ten million dollar kite and you’re selling for a two million pay-off. That tells me what a bunch of amateurs you are.”

Erskine braced himself. I saw his big muscles bulge. I had an idea he was going to take a swing at me.

“So you’re a pro . . . right?”

“Compared to you three.” I said, slightly shifting my chair so I could get up if he started something. “Yes . . . I’m a pro.”

“Harry!” Bernie’s voice was pleading. “I have confidence in Jack. That’s why I brought him in. I think we should let him handle Kendrick. Let’s see what he does.”

“No!”

This was from Pam.

Bernie looked at her.

“What is it?”

“This man’s dangerous.” She waved her hands at me. “I know it. He could talk us into trouble.”

I laughed.

“You’re already in trouble, baby,” I said. “I could talk you out of it. But, okay, if you three feel like this, then it’s okay with me. I’ll dust, but the way you’ve been handling this, tells me I’ll be sending you all a postcard in some jail. I’m great at sending postcards.”

Kendrick’s Cadillac pulled up outside the cafe-bar.

“Here he comes,” I said, pushing back my chair. I looked at Bernie. “Either I handle him or I quit. What’s it to be?”

He didn’t look at the other two.

“You handle him.”

Before the others could react, Kendrick came puffing and blowing up the steps to join us.

“My darlings! What a dreadful place to meet!” He waddled to the table and Bernie stood up and pushed a chair towards him. “How quite, quite frightful!” He dropped his bulk onto the chair. “Don’t offer me a drink. I’m sure germs are festering on every glass.” He lifted his orange wig and bowed to Pam. “Dear Pam . . . lovely as ever.” He slapped the wig back on his head. “Do tell me. What is all this about? I thought we had it all beautifully arranged.”

“Jack wants to talk to you,” Bernie said.

“Jack?” Kendrick’s little eyes swivelled to me. “What is it, cheri? Aren’t you happy?”

“Let’s cut the grease. Kendrick,” I said. “First, we talk about money . . . then the operation.”

Kendrick released a theatrical sigh.

“A moment, cheri. Are you talking for these three lovely people? Am I to understand that Bernie is no longer leading this operation.”

“He doesn’t talk for me.” Erskine said.

“Nor me,” Pam said.

I looked at Bernie then got to my feet.

“Okay: so I duck out. The majority is overwhelming.”

“Wait!” Bernie looked at Kendrick. “I brought Jack into this because he has the know-how. From now on, he talks for me. I’m running this operation and what I say goes.”

I looked at Pam, then at Erskine.

“You heard the man. Now’s the time for you two to get up and walk.”

Neither of them moved.

I sat down. Kendrick rubbed the end of his nose with a fat finger.

“Well. . . so what’s the trouble Jack?”

I rested my arms on the table and leaned on them, looking directly at him.

“We’re stealing a ten million dollar aircraft,” I said. “That’s called hijacking. We four stand to get life sentences if we foul it up and it could get fouled. But we five are in this together - note the five. I’m including you. We want to know how much your client is paying you.”

Kendrick smiled.

“So you’re worried about the money, cheri?”

“I said cut the grease. How much are you getting?”

“That is my business!” There was a sudden edge to his voice. “Bernie and I made a deal. I pay two million . . . Bernie has accepted this . . . haven’t you, Bernie?” and he looked at Olson.

“Just a moment,” I broke in, “Let’s take a look at it. The kite’s worth ten: it’s brand new. If you’re not blind stupid, and I’m sure you’re not, you will get at least six for it. That gives you four million profit after expenses for sitting on your fat but and letting us take the risk: do you call that a deal?”

“Six!” He threw up his fat hands, “Cheri! I’ll be lucky if I get a million for myself and I’m handling the expenses. Come, come! You mustn’t be greedy.”

“We want three and a half,” I said, “or the deal’s off.”

“Hey! Just a moment,” Erskine broke in. “You. . .”

“Keep out of this!” I snarled at him. “You hear me, Kendrick? Three and a half or the deals off!”

“Suppose we hear what the others say.” Kendrick’s eyes were now like glass beads.

“No! I’m handling this.” I said. “So suppose they go along with your offer? I’m not going along with it. So they drop me, but I now know the plan.” I smiled at him. “The kite’s insured. The kite vanishes. Someone talking on the telephone to the insurance people could start a lot of trouble for you. We want three and a half, Kendrick.”

He stared at me for a long moment, then nodded.

“You’re quite a business man, cheri. Suppose we settle this sordid haggling for three million? I’ll be robbing myself, but I will settle for three.”

I looked at Bernie.

“We don’t want to rob him, do we? So shall we settle for three?”

Bernie, looking dazed, nodded.

I looked at the other two. Erskine was gaping at me, his eyes goggling. Pam didn’t look at me.

In less than ten minutes, I had made us all an extra million.

“Okay. . . three.” I said.

Kendrick grimaced.

“Then that’s all settled. If that’s all, I must be running away.”

“It’s not all.” I turned to Bernie. “How is the money to be paid?”

Bernie stiffened.

“Well . . . Claude is going to arrange for it to be paid into the Florida Bank here in my name and I share it out.”

It was now my turn to gape at him.

“For God’s sake! Three million suddenly paid into a local bank when we are all supposed to be dead?”

Sweat beads appeared on Bernie’s face.

“I - I hadn’t thought of that.” He looked helplessly at me. “What do you suggest?”

I turned to Kendrick who was watching me, his little eyes granite hard.

“You pay half the money: one million and a half into the National Bank of Mexico under Olson’s name: you pay that before we take off. Then you pay the rest to the bank when we deliver.”

He shifted around on his chair, took out his handkerchief and then fanned his face.

“That could be arranged.”

“It has to be arranged. We don’t fly the kite out until Bernie gets a bank receipt for half the money.”

He lifted his fat shoulders. I could see in spite of his fixed smile he was hating me.

“All right, cheri. I’ll arrange that.”

A pause, then I said. “Now there’s another thing. We want to inspect the runway where we land the kite.”

That really threw him. He stiffened, his face flushed and his beady eyes turned to stone.

“The runway. . . what do you mean?”

“The runway.” I made my voice offensively patient. “We want to inspect it.”