after something as big as ten million dollars, he did it in a still bigger way.
The same cars that left the Clipper base were in the procession that
arrived at the Hotel Equator, even to the armored truck. The police, however,
were wearing blue, and there were less of them. They represented the Force of
Miami Beach, and they had taken over duty from the Miami police at a halfway
point on the causeway across Biscayne Bay.
Murk watched Durez alight and gained a good look at him, because the hotel
entrance caught the glow from a brightly illuminated swimming pool beyond a
hedge. The pool lay toward the beach, where rows of cabanas awaited bathers,
whether they chose pool or surf. For the ocean came next, and across it, an
early moon was promising one of the beautiful nights that made the Miamis
famous.
Pool, ocean, and moon meant nothing to Murk. He watched the armored truck
pull into the garage at the rear of the hotel, until its contents had been
removed. He counted the police who carried the coffers inside, and decided
there were too many of them - for the present.
From the window, Murk noted two men who looked like bankers, and were.
They went upstairs with the Durez party, and so did two others, who couldn't
have been mistaken for anything other than private detectives.
Waiting patiently, Murk counted the police who came out. He accounted for
all of the escort except two. The fact that some of the cops remained around
outside, didn't trouble Murk in the least.
"Ten minutes more," said Murk to the men who waited with him. "Pass the
word along to the boys and we'll all be set. Time the garage job right to the
minute we pull ours upstairs."
One of the lieutenants spoke.
"What about the private dicks, Murk?"
"They're fixed," returned Murk. "They know what they're supposed to do.
They've got it easy."
"I don't trust them guys," put in Murk's other lieutenant. "The way I
figure it, a guy wouldn't be in their racket unless he was a double-crosser to
start with."
"Which means they'll sell for the biggest price," assured Murk, "and
nobody's able to talk bigger dough than I am. Not when I'm figuring on taking
over ten million bucks!"
The very size of the amount brought cautious whispers from the lieutenants
as they started from the room. Murk told them to quit acting foolish; that this
job was just the same as any other. He added that it would "go the limit,"
which was the only difference, but that the size of the prize made it worth it,
to which the other men agreed.
They went their way, and Murk struck a match to study his watch; used the
flame to light a cigarette.
OUTSIDE the hotel, a trim roadster with lowered top pulled up beside the
hedge. Its driver was an attractive girl whose looks brought approving stares
from the police, though their sense of duty prevailed. One cop sauntered over.
Rather pleasantly, he inquired:
"You're a guest here?"
"Why, no," the girl began to explain. "Only -"
