Two for the Money Read Free Page A

the striped tie was still firmly knotted and in place.
    “Sonofabitch,” the watchdog said, “an old man. I got taken down by an old man. Will you look at the gray hair. Sonofabitch.”
    Nolan said nothing.
    The watchdog’s upper lip curled ever so slightly; Nolantook this to be a smile. “Let’s get back outside, and a younger man’ll show you how it’s done. . . . Come on, out the window.”
    The hand with the revolver gestured toward the open window, and Nolan grabbed for the wrist and slammed the hand down against the wooden sill, once, then again, and on the third time the fingers sprang open and the gun dropped out the window. Nolan smashed his fist into the man’s blackened temple, a blow with his whole body behind it. The hard little man crumpled and was out again.
    Nolan leaned on the wall and gasped for breath. Half a minute went by and he was all right; his side was nagging him again, but he was all right.
    He undid the watchdog’s shirt collar and untied the tie, then used it to lash the man’s slack wrists behind him and picked him up like a sack of grain and tossed him out the open window, where he landed in the hedge. Nolan figured he’d stay there a while longer this time around.
    When he returned to the door of the study, Nolan peered in through the crack and saw Werner, undisturbed, still at his desk, reading. With the .38 in hand, Nolan drew back his foot and kicked the door open.
    Werner dropped his book and sucked in air like a man going down for the third time. “Nolan . . .”
    Nolan waved hello with the .38.
    Werner shoved the book off to the side of his desk. “Uh . . . shut the door, will you, Nolan?”
    Nolan did. He walked over to a chair in front of the desk, turned it backward, and sat down, looking straight at Werner and leveling the .38 at him.
    “It’s good to see you, Nolan.”
    Nolan smiled. “Good to see you.” He laid the gun down on the desk and stretched out his arm.
    The two men shook hands.

2
    “You didn’t exactly make it easy for me,” Nolan said.
    “Oh, but I did.” Werner smiled. “I usually have two men on watch here, one in, another out. I gave the guy who covers inside the house a night off. You only had Calder to contend with.”
    “Your boy Calder didn’t seem to want you to find out I got past him.”
    The smile settled in one corner of Werner’s mouth. “That’s the way Calder’s mind works, all right. He’s a thinker. Thinks too much, really. As long as he doesn’t ever stub his toe too bad, he’s got a chance to make it in the business. Have much trouble with him, Nolan?”
    “Some. Wouldn’t have a few years back.”
    “Calder’s a hard-headed little bastard.”
    “You’re telling me.”
    Werner spread his hands. “I’m sorry to put you through this breaking-and-entering routine, but it’s best to maintain certain appearances, don’t you think, Nolan? If, uh, interested parties found out you and I still have connections after all this time, things could turn sour for me in a hurry.”
    Nolan nodded and said, “I know there’s risk involved, for both of us. I didn’t think I’d ever have to contact you again, till this came along.” He patted his side.
    “It has been a few years, hasn’t it?”
    “Five. That was when you said things had cooled down. You said, don’t worry.”
    Werner shrugged. “I thought things had cooled down. Eleven years should be time enough to cool anything down. But it obviously wasn’t. Even after that eleven years hasgone to sixteen, it’s like it started yesterday. Who’d ever think one of Charlie’s dimwits would be able to recognize that ugly face of yours, after all those years?”
    “He didn’t seem to have much trouble.”
    “How’re you feeling, anyway? How long’d it keep you down?”
    “Just over a month. Feel weak. Never was much for getting shot.”
    “Hell, you don’t look so bad. The bus trip okay?”
    Nolan got out the pack of cigarettes and offered a smoke to Werner,