Knock Knock Who's There?

Her arm went back across her eyes.

"Sorry, Johnny. I'm on edge."

On edge? Johnny suppressed a sigh. He looked at her, lying there, so desirable and to him, beautiful. On edge? He felt now the chill of fear. In spite of his warnings, she didn't seem to realize what kind of jungle they were heading for.

They waited, listening to the traffic, hearing a police whistle and in the distance, an ambulance siren. The tension in the room built up. The minute hand of Johnny's watch crawled on. Could a minute last so long?

"Johnny!" Freda sat up. "Please call him now."

"Okay, baby."

He picked up the receiver and dialled Sammy's number.

Listening to the burr-burr-burr on the line, he thought of the moment when he unlocked the locker and pulled the two heavy bags out and he closed his eyes. All that money!.

Then Sammy's voice came on the line.

"Who's that?"

"Sammy? Johnny. You checked the bus station?"

"I checked it, Mr. Johnny. There's no one there."

Johnny leaned forward, his heart beginning to thump.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. I went all over it. The boys have gone."

"Where's Toni?" Johnny knew Capello was the danger man.

"I don't reckon he's back yet, Mr. Johnny. The boss sent him to Florida. I haven't seen him."

"Okay." Johnny thought for a moment. The way south and out of town would take him past Sammy's place. "Around midnight, I'll look in with the money. Be there."

"Six thousand, Mr. Johnny?"

"That's it. Be there," and Johnny hung up. He looked at Freda who had got off the bed and was watching him. "It's okay. They really think we're in Havana. We'll leave here at seven-thirty. Let's pack. I'll fix a Hertz car."

"You really mean it's safe . . . you'll get the money?"

Johnny put his fingers into his shirt to feel his St. Christopher medal: it was a reflex action, but when his fingers felt nothing but the sweat-coated hairs of his chest, he again heard his mother's words: as long as you wear it nothing really bad can happen to you.

"We're going to try, baby. Nothing in this life is safe, but we're going to try."

He picked up the phone book, found the number of Hertz-rent-acar and called them. They said they would deliver a car to the hotel at 19.00.

Freda pulled on her green trouser suit and she was doing her hair as Johnny hung up.

"The car's fixed," he said, then going to his suitcase, he took out his gun and harness.

Watching him, her eyes opened wide.

"What are you doing?"

"Just being careful, baby." He smiled at her. "I don't think we'll need it, but one never knows."

"You're frightening me, Johnny."

"Go on packing. This isn't the time to be frightened . . . this is the time to look ahead . . . to the future. This time tomorrow, you and me will be worth one hundred and eighty-six thousand dollars!"

"Yes."

While she was carefully folding her new clothes into the suitcase, Johnny looked out of the window at the blue sky and the white clouds. His fingers went to his shirt, then dropped away.

He saw the little plop of water as the medal had hit the lake. He knew he could be walking into a trap. Sammy might be betraying him. He knew that, but what else was there to live for? If he didn't try to get the money, sooner or later, they would find him. So he had to try. He just might be lucky. He just might have the boat for a few months, but this he was sure of . . . they would never take him alive. He looked over at Freda as she shut the lid of the suitcase. She and he, he decided, must share this destiny. They could have luck. Again he thought of the boat. He thought of the medal. That was superstition. There was still luck left.

In less than four hours, he would know if luck meant anything.

The hours crawled by. The lights over the bus station were on. The crowds were thinning out. The big clock above the bus station read 23.00.

"I've got to take a pee," Toni said. "My back teeth are floating."

"Hurry it up!" Andy snapped and eased his aching muscles.

Toni put down the target rifle and went fast to Massino's toilet.

As he laid down the rifle, Johnny drove into the parking lot of the bus station.

"Here we are baby," he said, his heart thumping. "You take over. Now listen, if anything bad happens, drive away fast. You understand? Don't wait . . . just go." He took from his hip pocket the last of Sammy's money and dropped the bills in her lap. "It'll be all right, but I want to be sure. Go back to the Welcome hotel. You understand?"

Freda shivered.

"Yes . . . It will be all right, Johnny?"

He put his hand on hers.

"Don't be scared. I'll get the money and come right back. You take off as soon as I'm in. Head up street. It's easy. At the traffic lights you turn left. Don't drive too fast."

"Oh, Johnny!"

He pulled her to him and kissed her.

"It's going to work out."

"I love you."

"Those are the best words. I love you too," then he walked into the bright lights and towards the luggage lockers.