extended his arms and when they embraced Dempster felt a genuine closeness that rated right up there with his first bourbon at Freddy Skeele's.
"Good to see you, Jerky."
"Good to see you, Perky. I'll call you tomorrow."
"All right."
Dempster turned away.
"Oh, Demp?"
Turning back he saw Mike looking him over.
"Welcome back...to the world, that is."
"Yeah, thanks." He turned away again, walked passed the magazine racks until he found himself on the outskirts of the video section. There was a part of him that wanted to wander through the isles, see all of the movies he'd missed over the past five years.
No, he decided, not right now. Get out of the store, leave Mike to his work. You can look around some other time. For now you should probably get back to the house and see what the guys are up to.
He looked toward the front entryway, and from the corner of his left eye he saw her, holding a small stack of movies and wearing a red, tight-fitted sweater that emphasized her curves, even under the green Essentials apron. As she walked, the sweep of her mid-cut skirt drew attention to her full calves, which tapered smoothly down to her ankles and clog-encased feet, while her red hair bounced upon her back like roses swaying in a breeze.
When a customer stopped her for help, she had a warm, bright smile, and a friendly, enthusiastic disposition. "Absolutely," she told the customer. "I'd be happy to, just follow me."
Dempster told himself to stop looking at her. Yet something about the sight of her brought about an impure feeling that excited him. He told himself again to stop looking, but his eyes kept focused on her as she glanced casually at him, then turned and disappeared down one of the aisles.
Chapter Six
He didn't much like Doug Gardner. Right from the get-go the guy came off as an arrogant twit. He wore a tan Brooks Brothers suit with a dark blue tie that had been loosened around the neck, and he sat at the kitchen table with near perfect posture. Not more than twenty-eight or -nine, his hair had thinned out considerably, and what was left on top was shaggy, making his otherwise presentable appearance seem disheveled.
Flat on the table was an 11x17 layout of the Eldorado's ground floor. Evan and Clark sat on either side of Gardner, while Dempster and Jimmy stood across from them. They all peered down at Gardner's finger as it gave them an overhead tour.
"Directly on the right here," Gardner said, "just when you enter the lobby, is the front desk." His voice bordered on flamboyant. "To the desk's left here, these three little boxes are elevators."
The rooms on the layout were labeled—"Lobby," "Lounge," "Eldorado Court," "Sunset Room," a seemingly endless "Concourse" which led passed the "Pavilion" and "Kitchen" to the "Zia Room" and "Anasazi Ballroom".
"What's this room behind the front desk?" Dempster asked. It was the only room not labeled.
"That's where you'll want to go," Gardner told him. "You walk around behind the front desk here on the left. It's a two-way door, between the desk and the elevators. Cross it and you'll find a stock area with a copy machine and office supplies and forms and such. There will be a locked door. In that room you'll hit the jackpot."
"That where the safe is?" Clark asked.
"Yes, the safe, as well as the safe deposit boxes."
"How many of those are there?"
"Two hundred."
"Two hundred?" Jimmy's tone was shocked and indignant. "We'll be there all night."
"No we won't," Evan said. "They're not all gonna be full, and Doug will know which ones we want, right?"
"That's right," Gardner said. "It won't be a hundred percent accurate of course, because of a few comings and goings, but earlier in the day or the day before I'll get you a numbered list of which boxes are occupied. Whoever's going into that room will have to memorize it to the best of their abilities."
"What kind of safe deposit boxes are they?" Dempster asked.
"Standard steel bond boxes. Double nose locks."
"Double
"Good to see you, Jerky."
"Good to see you, Perky. I'll call you tomorrow."
"All right."
Dempster turned away.
"Oh, Demp?"
Turning back he saw Mike looking him over.
"Welcome back...to the world, that is."
"Yeah, thanks." He turned away again, walked passed the magazine racks until he found himself on the outskirts of the video section. There was a part of him that wanted to wander through the isles, see all of the movies he'd missed over the past five years.
No, he decided, not right now. Get out of the store, leave Mike to his work. You can look around some other time. For now you should probably get back to the house and see what the guys are up to.
He looked toward the front entryway, and from the corner of his left eye he saw her, holding a small stack of movies and wearing a red, tight-fitted sweater that emphasized her curves, even under the green Essentials apron. As she walked, the sweep of her mid-cut skirt drew attention to her full calves, which tapered smoothly down to her ankles and clog-encased feet, while her red hair bounced upon her back like roses swaying in a breeze.
When a customer stopped her for help, she had a warm, bright smile, and a friendly, enthusiastic disposition. "Absolutely," she told the customer. "I'd be happy to, just follow me."
Dempster told himself to stop looking at her. Yet something about the sight of her brought about an impure feeling that excited him. He told himself again to stop looking, but his eyes kept focused on her as she glanced casually at him, then turned and disappeared down one of the aisles.
Chapter Six
He didn't much like Doug Gardner. Right from the get-go the guy came off as an arrogant twit. He wore a tan Brooks Brothers suit with a dark blue tie that had been loosened around the neck, and he sat at the kitchen table with near perfect posture. Not more than twenty-eight or -nine, his hair had thinned out considerably, and what was left on top was shaggy, making his otherwise presentable appearance seem disheveled.
Flat on the table was an 11x17 layout of the Eldorado's ground floor. Evan and Clark sat on either side of Gardner, while Dempster and Jimmy stood across from them. They all peered down at Gardner's finger as it gave them an overhead tour.
"Directly on the right here," Gardner said, "just when you enter the lobby, is the front desk." His voice bordered on flamboyant. "To the desk's left here, these three little boxes are elevators."
The rooms on the layout were labeled—"Lobby," "Lounge," "Eldorado Court," "Sunset Room," a seemingly endless "Concourse" which led passed the "Pavilion" and "Kitchen" to the "Zia Room" and "Anasazi Ballroom".
"What's this room behind the front desk?" Dempster asked. It was the only room not labeled.
"That's where you'll want to go," Gardner told him. "You walk around behind the front desk here on the left. It's a two-way door, between the desk and the elevators. Cross it and you'll find a stock area with a copy machine and office supplies and forms and such. There will be a locked door. In that room you'll hit the jackpot."
"That where the safe is?" Clark asked.
"Yes, the safe, as well as the safe deposit boxes."
"How many of those are there?"
"Two hundred."
"Two hundred?" Jimmy's tone was shocked and indignant. "We'll be there all night."
"No we won't," Evan said. "They're not all gonna be full, and Doug will know which ones we want, right?"
"That's right," Gardner said. "It won't be a hundred percent accurate of course, because of a few comings and goings, but earlier in the day or the day before I'll get you a numbered list of which boxes are occupied. Whoever's going into that room will have to memorize it to the best of their abilities."
"What kind of safe deposit boxes are they?" Dempster asked.
"Standard steel bond boxes. Double nose locks."
"Double
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