1958 - The World in My Pocket Read Online Free

girl, standing over her. ‘Two of them think it’s too big for us. Our rules are if there’s any disagreement about the job, we vote on it. So we’re going to vote.’
    The girl frowned, her face suddenly puckering into a puzzled frown.
    ‘Too big for them?’ she repeated. ‘You mean two of them don’t want to pick up two hundred thousand dollars?’ Her voice was cold and incredulous.
    ‘I wouldn’t say that,’ Morgan said and grinned. ‘They think someone might get hurt and that bothers them.’
    The girl looked at Gypo, then her greenish-grey eyes moved to Bleck, then flickered over to stare at Kitson.
    ‘I thought you said your outfit was good,’ she said.
    The sudden scorn in her voice made Kitson flinch and turn red.
    ‘That’s what I said.’ Morgan’s grin widened. ‘But this is the first job we’ve planned that’s really big and two of us aren’t too happy about it.’
    ‘This is the big one,’ the girl said, her voice tense. ‘It pays off a million dollars. You said your outfit could handle it and I believed you, otherwise I wouldn’t have come to you. Now you are taking a vote. What is all this?’
    The three men were startled. The contemptuous, reckless note in the girl’s voice angered them.
    Bleck, who had the reputation of treating his women rough, said, ‘You sound a little loud, baby. Suppose you relax a little?’
    The girl pushed back her chair and stood up. Her pretty face was cold and hard.
    ‘I guess I’ve come to the wrong address,’ she said to Morgan. ‘We’ll skip it. I’ll peddle this idea to a mob who has blood in its veins. I’m not going to waste my time talking to a bunch of powder puffs.’
    She swung around on her heels and started towards the door.
    Still grinning, Morgan reached out and caught hold of her arm, checking her.
    ‘Take it easy!’ he said. ‘These boys are okay. They’ve just got to adjust themselves. Gypo here is the best safe man in the business. Ed has nerves as good as mine. Kitson can handle a car the way no one else can. Just take it easy. You’ve caught us on the wrong foot. Maybe I shouldn’t have got around to the facts so fast. These boys are technically good, but they’re scared someone is going to get hurt.’
    She stood staring at each man in turn.
    ‘Hurt? Who’s the dumb cluck who imagines we can pick up a million dollars without getting hurt?’ Her voice was harsh as she looked at the three men. ‘It’s a million dollars! For that kind of money I wouldn’t give a damn what happened to me or to anyone else!’
    She shook off Morgan’s restraining hand, moved back under the hard light.
    She looked directly at Kitson.
    ‘Are you scared to get your pretty skin bruised when there’s two hundred thousand dollars for the taking?’
    Kitson had to make an effort to meet her steady, scornful eyes.
    ‘The job can’t be done,’ he said sullenly. ‘I know. I’ve worked for these people. This could be a murder rap and I don’t go for that.’
    ‘All right, if that’s the way you feel about it,’ the girl said, ‘we can do without your help. If you don’t want the money, now’s the time to pick up that beautiful, muscular body of yours and get out of here!’
    Kitson’s face darkened and he pushed back his chair.
    ‘Who do you think you’re talking to? I tell you this job can’t be done! It’s a pipe dream!’
    She flicked slim fingers towards the door.
    ‘And you are a pipe dream too. Run away, powder puff. We can handle this without you.’
    Slowly, Kitson got to his feet, his breath snorting through his broken nose. He walked slowly around the table towards the girl who pivoted on her heels so she faced him.
    The three men at the table watched. Bleck looked worried. He knew Kitson’s temper was unreliable. Gypo was frowning. Morgan still grinned.
    ‘You and nobody else talks to me that way!’ Kitson said as he confronted the girl.
    They made an incongruous couple. Her head scarcely reached to the top of