"Destroyer 013 - Acid Rock.pdb" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williams Remo)

"What's an aspersion?"
"A not nice thing, Willie. But you should be a rich man."
"I'm loyal to the people I work for," said Willie and his dark brown eyes narrowed.
"I am not suggesting you betray any of your employers, Willie," said Edelstein, smiling as wide as he could. He wiped the perspiration from his forehead. "I am suggesting a way to make a lot of money. Lots and lots of money. More money, Willie, than you ever made in your whole life."
"'Cause I wouldn't never betray the people I work for."
"I know you wouldn't, Willie. That's why I'm giving you this great opportunity. How would you like to make almost a million dollars? Do you know how much that is, Willie?"
Willie the Bomb Bombella's eyes rose. He thought very hard. And what he thought was This man is lying to me.
"It's a lot," said Willie.
"I'm telling you the truth, Willie. Almost a
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million dollars. It's waiting out there for you and just a little bit for me. Just what you owe me, Willie. A hundred and twelve thousand dollars."
Willie's eyes opened wider. He nodded. If there was $112,000 in it for Edelstein, maybe this man was not lying to him. When there was so much money for Edelstein in anything, everything seemed to happen.
"My employers have done me some injustices I can think of," said Willie.
"No, no. It has nothing to do with them. I have a second cousin who lives on the West Coast . . ."
"There is nothing worse than blood betraying blood," Willie interrupted.
"No, no, Willie. Listen to me. He is a funeral director. He buried someone recently and a strange thing happened. There was money in a funeral wreath. It was not his money so he did not keep it."
Willie's eyes narrowed. This man is lying to me, he thought again.
"He didn't keep it because he was afraid."
Willie nodded. Edelstein might be telling the truth, he thought.
"But a strange thing happened. A voice on the telephone asked him one night if the money had reached the family of the dead man."
Willie nodded and Edelstein continued.
"My cousin is smart. He found out what the money was for. The word is open contract."
Willie's eyes narrowed.
"An open contract. You've heard of a contract on someone's life?" Edelstein paused and laughed nervously. "Of course you have. Well, this is the sort of contract where anyone can fill it and collect the money. See?"
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This man is lying to me or setting me up or is a fool. No, thought Willie, Edelstein is no fool.
"You mean you get paid after the job?"
"Right."
"What if no one wants to pay you?"
"I don't think that would happen. Already more than $100,000 has been thrown around for failures. Real money. My second cousin wasn't the only person this happened to. Other funeral directors had the same thing happen. Most of them aren't as smart as my cousin. He got a phone number."
Willie watched Edelstein take a piece of paper from the center desk drawer.
"You get financial details from that number," Edelstein said.
"Did you call this number, Mo?"
"That is not my sort of thing, Willie. I've got to stay here to protect you in case there is any trouble. I should not even tell you that the girl's name is Vickie Stoner, she is nineteen, and she will be at an acid rock concert in Massachusetts in two days, if she is still alive."
Willie blinked. "Let me get this straight. I am supposed to try to do a job on somebody who might not be alive for someone I never saw for money I do not get until the hit is good. Is that what you are telling me, Mo?"
"A million dollars, Willie. A million dollars. Can you think of a million dollars?"
Willie tried to think of a million dollars. He thought of it in cars, in ready cash, in owning pieces of companies, but he could not imagine it. Another thought was crowding it out. This man may be crazy.
"I'm not crazy, Willie," said Edelstein. "If it
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weren't so strange, why would so much be offered? A million dollars, Willie."
Willie looked at the piece of paper in Edelstein's hand. "How come there's ten numbers?"
"Area code."
"I do not know this area code."
"Chicago."
"Why is it you know the girl's name?"
"My cousin."
"Give me your phone," said Willie, taking the piece of paper from Edelstein's hand.
"No, Willie. Not from here. We don't want that. We don't want our defense lawyer to be connected, because he has to stay free in case something goes wrong. We want to be able to say, 'I want my attorney, Mo Edelstein,' not, 'Guard, I have a message for Inmate 79312.' That's what we want, Willie."
"We want you to come with us," said Willie.
"No, no. That's what we don't want," yelled Edelstein.