It Was a Very Bad Year by Robert J. Randisi Page B

ya, and not cheap.’
    If he had them, they were well hidden, but for Abby’s benefit I couldn’t take his word for it. I was probably going to have to let Jerry squeeze him.
    â€˜All right,’ I put my hand on the envelope, ‘I’ll give you a thousand dollars for these.’
    â€˜You gotta be kiddin’ me,’ he said, scoffing. ‘These shots are worth more than a thousand bucks if I wanna shop ’em around.’
    â€˜Then why haven’t you shopped them?’
    â€˜I was waitin’.’
    â€˜For what?’
    â€˜I figured maybe the kid would become a movie star,’ he said. ‘They’d be worth more then.’
    â€˜Fifteen hundred,’ I said.
    Irwin smiled then.
    â€˜She wants ’em, huh?’ he asked. ‘She told you to buy ’em, even if they weren’t nudies.’
    I didn’t answer.
    â€˜Ten grand,’ he said. ‘Take it or leave it.’
    I thought I could get him down to the five she gave me, and was still convinced he had nudes. If I was going to give Jerry his chance to squeeze Irwin, this was it.
    â€˜OK,’ I said.
    â€˜You got it with you?’ His eyes glittered.
    â€˜No, she didn’t give me that much.’
    â€˜How much did she give you?’
    â€˜Never mind,’ I said. ‘You want ten grand, I’ll get you ten grand.’
    â€˜When?’
    â€˜Tomorrow.’
    â€˜Meet me here.’
    â€˜I don’t like it here,’ I said, looking around.
    â€˜Why not?’ he asked. ‘What’s wrong with this place?’
    â€˜The beer sucks.’ He looked at my mug, which I hadn’t even lifted yet. ‘I’ll call you at your studio tomorrow and tell you where.’
    â€˜Oh, no,’ he said, ‘I pick the place.’
    â€˜If you want ten grand,’ I said, ‘then I pick it.’
    He thought about that a moment, then reached out, put his hand on the envelope and slid it back to his side of the table.
    â€˜Yeah, OK, call me. But when we meet, you better have the dough with you.’
    â€˜I’ll have it.’
    â€˜Ten thousand.’
    â€˜That’s what we just said.’
    â€˜OK,’ he said, sliding out of the booth. ‘Call me, or these might find a new home.’ He fanned himself with the envelope.
    â€˜Barney,’ I said, ‘don’t make me regret being nice to you.’

SIXTEEN
    O utside of Clipper’s, I looked for Jerry, but if he was there he was better at blending in than Danny was.
    Speak of the devil, Danny came walking out of the bar. I headed for my car, got behind the wheel and waited for him to join me.
    â€˜That’s a great disguise,’ I said, when he slid into the passenger seat. ‘Why didn’t you shoot off some flares, while you were at it?’
    â€˜See,’ he said, ‘this is why I’m the pro and you’re the pit boss. When people see a shirt like this, they rarely look at your face. Admit it, when you walked in you didn’t see me right away.’
    â€˜Never mind that,’ I said. ‘He didn’t have the right photos.’
    â€˜I noticed you let him keep the envelope.’
    â€˜We made a deal for ten grand,’ I said. ‘I’m supposed to meet with him tomorrow.’
    â€˜Where?’
    â€˜I haven’t decided,’ I said. ‘Someplace . . . quiet.’
    â€˜Quiet?’
    â€˜Yeah, I’m going to have Jerry with me,’ I said. ‘I think I might let him ask Irwin about the photos one more time.’
    â€˜Ask?’
    â€˜Ask.’
    â€˜Ah,’ Danny said, ‘someplace quiet.’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜Maybe I can come up with something. You think Irwin will show?’
    â€˜He will if he wants his ten grand.’
    â€˜Where is the big guy?’ Danny asked. ‘I know he wouldn’t let you come here alone.’
    â€˜He’s around here somewhere,’ I said,