Bandits (1987) Read Online Free

said.
    So I don ' t see a problem unless he ' s got a gun.
    Yeah, did he?
    Just then he turns around and we ' re looking right at each other. The guy says, very calmly, ' yI bet I have the wrong room. This isn ' t 1515, is it? ' I said, ' yYou aren ' t even close. ' Then what does he do, he sits down in a chair, takes out a cigarette, and says, ' yYou mind if I smoke? ' I said, ' yWhy, you nervous? ' He says, ' yThis never happened to me before. ' He lights up. I ask him if he ' s ever been busted. He says, ' yYeah, but no convictions. How about you? ' I tell him, picked up once for scalping tickets at the Superdome and fined two hundred bucks. He says, ' yI don ' t want to sound like a whiner, I hate whiners, but this was gonna be my last job. I ' m supposed to go in the car-leasing business with my brother-in-law. ' The way he said it you could tell he didn ' t want to. See, the thing was my brother-in-law, I ' m talking about Leo, was trying to get me to be a mortician even back then. It was like we had something in common.
    You and the guy.
    Yeah, Buddy and I. See, that ' s who it was, Buddy Jeannette, the guy I just saw dead.
    But if he wasn ' t too big, why didn ' t you belt him?
    For what?
    And call the cops.
    Jack paused, took a sip of his drink. It was like didn ' t you ever meet someone, right away you like the person, you feel a rapport, you feel you have something in common?
    Yeah, but the guy broke in.
    And he starts talking like we ' re sitting in the lobby. This is something new; play it, see where it goes. At that point, why not?
    Did he take any of your stuff?
    I didn ' t have anything worth taking. He tells me he ' s been scouting Bettybarr ' cause she wore expensive clothes and had some gold that was nice. Then he tells me he was in this room once before, during the day. I ask him, ' yWhat ' d you come back for? ' He goes, ' yThere ' s nothing in the room when the people are away. That ' s how you do it, man, get a reading of the layout. See, then I come back when she ' s here, she ' s sleeping, her wallet and jewelry are on the dresser, and I don ' t go around bumping into things. ' He even knew I wasn ' t with the group, when they came from New York. I asked him, I said, ' yWhat do you do, size people up? ' He goes, ' yI appraise them. Downstairs in the bar, different places. You can generally tell who ' s got it. This one ' s borderline, but it would still be worth the trip. She ' s got over a grand in cash. ' I asked him how he got in the room, he says with a key. Then he turns it around. He says, ' yWhat happens if the lady comes out of the bedroom? ' I said, ' yI guess you ' d be fucked. ' He says, ' yWhat happens if she doesn ' t come out? ' I said, ' yThat ' s different. But tell me about this magic key you have. '
    He got one at the desk, Mario said.
    No, what he does, he checks in, gets a room. Then late at night he pulls the lock out of the door, takes it all apart and figures out how to make a fire key.
    What ' s a fire key?
    What it sounds like. It ' ll open any door in the hotel, in case of fire or some emergency they have to check every room. The guy use to be a locksmith. So I ask him, ' yAnd how many fire keys do you have? ' He says, ' yYou understand a fire key would be worth upwards of five grand or more to certain people. ' I said, ' yYeah, or you might want to give it to somebody who ' s in a position to do you a favor. ' He says, ' yI thought you had something else in mind. You put the cash in your pocket, I leave with everything else, and she thinks that wad in your jeans is ' cause you love her. '
    Jack smiled, shaking his head. Guy was something. High-class professional burglar, wore a suit and tie it was like meeting a movie star and you find out the guy talks and acts just like a regular person.
    You took the guy ' s key, Mario said, and let him go.
    Jack held up his hand. I said to him, ' yFirst, you put everything back. ' He says, ' yYou could still take the cash and I walk out