The Soft Centre

‘We’ll go to the bank first,’ Lepski said to Williams as they got into their car. ‘I’d like to have a few facts to ram down Hardy’s throat.’

Williams, a tall, youngish man who spent most of his time in the finger-print department was resentful that he should have been taken from his safe desk and teamed with a crazy man like Lepski. He was sure Lepski could lead him into trouble. The thought of suddenly being confronted by two such vicious thugs as Jacko and Moe scared him. It was all very well for Lepski who had had years of experience handling thugs. He was unmarried and as reckless as a madman. Williams up to now had managed to keep clear of violence. Besides, his wife was expecting their third baby. What would happen to her if he got killed?

Lepski, wiry, tough, his sun-tanned face lined and his clear blue eyes alert, drove the police car swiftly to the Commercial and South Banking Corporation where he knew Hardy banked.

‘What’s the matter with you?’ he demanded, as he weaved the car expertly through the heavy traffic. ‘You look like you swallowed a bee.’

Williams shifted uneasily.?‘There’s nothing the matter with me,’ he said shortly. He couldn’t admit he was sick with fear. That kind of confession might get back to Terrell.

Lepski poked his head out of the car window and cursed a driver who was trying to cut in. The driver started to curse back, then seeing the black and white stripe on the car with the word POLICE on the hood, he hurriedly bit back his angry words.

Lepski sneered at him, then turned his attention once more to Williams.?‘Relax. You can only die once. I’d rather get a slug in the gut than cancer.’

Williams flinched. He shifted lower in the car seat. His hot, sweating hand moved inside his coat and touched the butt of his .38. The feel of the cold metal gave him no comfort.

Parking, the two men walked into the bank and after a brief wait, they were shown into the manager’s office.

The manager, lean and balding, was one of the best .22 rifle shots in Miami. He had shot against Lepski often enough and Lepski was one of the few members of the rifle dub who could match him. He beamed as he shook hands.

‘I’ll be at the club tonight,’ he said. ‘I have a pal coming who can shoot nearly as good as I can.Will you be there, Tom?’

‘I guess not,’ Lepski said regretfully. ‘I have a murder hunt in my hair. If I can, I will if only to show your pal a trick or two.’

The manager whose name was Werner, laughed.?‘What’s this murder hunt, Tom?’?‘A couple of hoods. Look, you could help. I don’t expect you to give bank secrets away, but this is important. Has Lee Hardy asked you for money… today or yesterday.’

‘Now, Tom, you know that’s not a proper question to ask.’?‘Yeah, but we have reason to believe Hardy could have staked these two for a quick get away. They are his men. So far they have murdered three not-so-important people. If we don’t find them fast, they could murder others… more important.’

Werner looked shocked. He hesitated, then said, ‘All I can tell you is a certain party came here and wanted five thousand dollars. He was in the red, and I wouldn’t give him credit. He was here around ten o’clock this morning.’

‘Thanks,’ Lepski said. ‘Maybe I will be seeing you at the club tonight after all.’

When they got back to their car, Lepski said, ‘Now we’ll go talk to Hardy.’?‘Think it would be an idea to call the Chief?’ Williams asked without much hope. ‘Maybe he would want to talk to Hardy himself.’

‘We go talk to Hardy,’ Lepski repeated and started the car. As he moved the car into the stream of traffic he went on, ‘How are you with a gun, Bill?’

‘Not so good,’ Williams said, sweat on his face. ‘I haven’t been to the range for a couple of years. You know, Tom, this is beginning to bother me. Suppose we walk into those two?’

‘What two?’ Lepski asked. ‘You mean Jacko and Moe? So what? They either come quietly or they come dead. Even if you are a lousy shot you couldn’t miss a fat slob as big as Jacko. Shoot him in the gut… that’ll let the gas out of him!’

‘Those two are pretty handy with a gun themselves,’ Williams said miserably. ‘My wife is expecting a baby.’

‘Is that right? Well, so long as you don’t have the baby, why should you worry?’ Lepski said and swinging the car into a parking bay, he switched off the ignition. ‘Come on: let’s go talk to Hardy.’

The two men walked down the street until they came to Hardy’s apartment block. Nearby, Lepski spotted a patrol officer. He signalled to him. The officer hurried up.

‘Look, Jamey, I’m going to talk to Lee Hardy. I don’t expect trouble, but I could walk into it. If you hear guns, get the boys. Understand? Don’t come up and be a hero: get the boys. Then get back here and pop those two if they come out… we’re after Jacko and Moe.’

That seemed to make sense to the officer and Williams, who was now feeling pretty sick, envied him.

‘Okay. There’s a call booth at the end of the road,’ the officer said. ‘hear shooting and I’ll be in there faster than a Sputnik.’