Mr. Roan hesitated, then nodded. “All right, partner.” He held out his hand. Tommy took it even though he was thinking he would not remain a partner for very long.
Tommy Dancer left the key shop shortly before five-thirty. As he climbed into his old flivver he looked across the street and saw a beige-colored coupe at the curb. He swore under his breath but climbed into his car and drove in the direction of La Brea. At La Brea he turned right and pulled up to the curb. The beige-colored car parked a block ahead. Tommy drove in low gear a hundred feet, stopped the car and climbing out, walked up to the car ahead. When he reached it, he stuck his head into the car and looked at a swarthy man of about thirty who was not very much surprised.
“What’s the idea?” Tommy demanded.
“What’s that, pal?” the man asked.
“You know damn well what I’m talking about. You’ve been following me.”
“Me?”
“Who put you on my trail?”
“Look, bub, it’s a free country or didn’t you know about that?”
“I live on Las Palmas,” Tommy said. “That’s where I’m going now. I’m just telling you in case I happen to make a couple of quick turns and lose you.”
“That’s a coincidence,” the man said. “I was thinking of going over to Las Palmas myself.” He grinned. “Just in case you happen to see me in your neighborhood.”
“On the other hand, I might be going over to North Whitley, the Lehigh Apartments. You know where Willis Trent lives?”
The swarthy man nodded. “Thanks, pal. It so happens I might be going in that direction, too. But don’t think nothin’ of it, huh?”
“Don’t think anything of it if you run into a handful of knuckles,” Tommy snarled.
“Are you kiddin’?”
“I’m not kidding, I’m warning you.”
“Well, I’m warning you, bub, fightin’s my business. Fists, blackjack, brass knuckles; don’t make no difference to me. Catch on?”
Angrily Tommy started back to his car, got in and drove off. At Sunset he turned right and drove past Las Palmas. At the next corner he turned left and in a moment or two crossed Hollywood Boulevard, and began climbing the hill on Whitely. When he pulled up near the Lehigh Apartments, he looked back and saw the beige coupe pulling in to the curb a hundred feet away. He entered the apartment house and rode up to the fifth floor.
Trent’s houseboy answered his ring at the doorbell.
“Good evening, sar.”
“Mr. Trent.”
“Who iss calling?”
Before Tommy could reply Trent appeared behind the Filipino, coming out of the bedroom. His eyes met Tommy’s. “Oh, hello there, Tommy. Come in! Come in!”
The Filipino backed away and Tommy entered the apartment.
“Manuel,” Trent exclaimed, “get us a couple of drinks.”
The Filipino disappeared into the kitchen. Tommy waited until he had gone, then burst out, “What’s the idea of having me shadowed?”
Trent regarded Tommy coolly. “Do you think I’m a fool, Tommy? This is a big deal and I’m not taking any chances of anything going wrong.” He smiled thinly. “For that much money I wouldn’t trust my mother.”
Tommy glowered at him. “Well, you’re frank about it at least.”
“Why not?”
“In other words, from now on I can expect to have somebody follow me?” Tommy nodded. “Well, don’t be surprised if you find somebody following you.”
Trent chuckled. “Attaboy!”
The Filipino entered the room with a tray on which were a couple of glasses. Trent took them off the tray and handed one to Tommy. “To us!”
“Good shadowing.”
Trent barely tasted his liquor. “Now, let’s talk about the big plan.”
Tommy looked at the Filipino but the servant was already beating a retreat to the kitchen.
“I got the box.” He reached into his pocket and drew out the safety deposit box keys. The two for Box 365.
“It’s going to take two trips for each key. Four altogether.”
Trent frowned. “You couldn’t get the impression of both keys on one trip?”
“Can I take a chance? The woman leaves the room, all right, but suppose she happens to come back? Suppose there’s another customer comes into the vault?” Tommy set his whiskey glass down on a polished end table and scowled at Trent. “Of course, if you would come up right behind me and keep the girl busy for a few moments, I might be able to make both impressions at the same time. I’d have to be sure that the girl would be kept busy.”
Trent hesitated. “I was planning on something just like that on the last trip.” He paused. “As a matter of fact I’ve had a box in the Hollywood-Highland Bank for the last couple of years.”
Tommy drew two key blanks from his pocket. He held up one. “This is a blank for the customer’s lock. This other one is for the bank’s lock. I can make the impressions for both if I can count on a full sixty seconds without interruption. If you can give me that sixty seconds tomorrow and again in a couple of days I could finish the whole job in three trips. One, tomorrow, to make the impressions, another in a couple of days to test the keys and get the last changes and a third trip, well, for boodle.”
Trent’s eyes gleamed. “Three trips.” He suddenly seated himself and looked up at Tommy. “Tomorrow, Friday and—” he paused — “Monday!”
Chapter Ten
When the Hollywood-Highland bank was opened the next morning at ten o’clock, Tommy Dancer was one of the first people to enter. Only a few feet behind him was Willis Trent. Each was aware of the other, yet neither showed any signs of recognition. Trent went to one of the writing stands and filled out a deposit slip, while Tommy Dancer went to the Safety Deposit window and signed his name and the box number on one of the little slips. Then he noticed something that he had not been aware of the day before.
The woman behind the counter took his slip and put it in a little machine that stamped the time of the day. Tommy frowned uneasily when he noticed that. He went into the Safety Deposit vault. As he stepped through the door, he looked over his shoulder and saw Willis Trent at the Safety Deposit window. Box 365 was opened and the attendant, nodding, left the vault. Although he was as taut as a tightly wound steel spring, Tommy Dancer went about his little job seemingly oblivious of his surroundings. He took an envelope out of his pocket and removed two prepared key blanks. One he inserted in the lower lock of Box 294, the other he inserted perfunctorily in the upper lock. He already had a key that fitted this lock perfectly but the second blank was for emergency purposes. Finished with the keys, he dropped them carefully into the white envelope and returned it to his pocket. Then he closed his own safety deposit box and left the vault.
It was nice timing. Just as he stepped through the door, the attendant approached with Willis Trent in tow. Tommy had to step sidewards so that they could pass him in the narrow doorway.
Tommy went through the bank to the sidewalk and started for McCadden. As he turned into the side street he looked over his shoulder and swore roundly when he saw the swarthy man, who’d been shadowing him the day before, close on his heels. He continued on to the parking lot, got his car and drove to Melrose Avenue.
He was late again this morning. But, since he was now a partner instead of a mere employee, George Roan did not remark on it. He greeted Tommy cheerfully, “Good morning, partner.”
Tommy forced a grin. “Good morning.”
“How’d you like to run over to the Hadley people with me, this morning, Tommy?” Mr. Roan asked. “There’s a lot of figuring to be done and you’ve always been pretty good at that.”