III + 

Sam Vettori’s heavy, dark face looked puffy and his eyes were swollen. He hadn’t been sleeping well lately and he had been drinking whisky. As wine was his usual drink, the whisky indicated a state of mind the reverse of calm. He sat chewing a cold stogie and from time to time pouring himself a shot from the bottle at his elbow. Rico was playing solitaire, his hat tilted over his eyes. The Big Boy sat opposite Vettori, his derby on the side of his head, and his huge fists, fists which at one time had swung a pick in a section gang, lying before him on the table. + 

The Big Boy shook his head from side to side slowly. + 

“Not a chance, Sam,” he said, “I can’t do nothing for you. Why, you must be out of your mind. Listen, they’re after me hot and heavy. I got all I can do to take care of number one, see? Things was running too good for you, Sam. That’s your trouble. You thought I was God himself. But listen, I ain’t no miracle man. A stickup more or less, what’s that? But when it comes to plugging a bull like Courtney, that’s out! No, Sam. You’re on your own now. It ain’t gonna be none too healthy for none of us for a while. Just don’t lose your nerve, that’s the main thing. Just hang on and watch the guys that are in the know.” + 

“You leave that to me,” said Rico without looking up. + 

“OK,” said the Big Boy. “I think you’re the goods, Rico. But don’t get nervous with that gat of yours, or they’ll put a necktie on you. Get this. No more stickups. No more jobs. Just lay low, all of you. If you run out of jack, I’ll stake you. Now I got to beat it. Don’t call me up no more, Sam. Because I can’t do nothing for you and it might give the bulls an idea.” + 

The Big Boy got to his feet and stood leaning his huge hairy paws on the table. + 

“Why, you guys are lucky and don’t know it. Wood’s manager got so goddamn rattled he identified one of the plainclothes men as the guy that did the inside stand. Jesus, but it was rich! Spike Rieger was boiling. Pretty soon he pinned the manager down and the damn dummy said that the guys that did the job were Poles. So they went out and grabbed Steve Gollancz. Steve and his bunch had just tapped a bank and Steve thought they had the goods on him. It was funny as hell!” + 

The Big Boy put his head back and brayed. Sam Vettori drummed on the table irritably. + 

“All right, laugh,” said Sam. + 

“Sure, I’ll laugh,” said the Big Boy; “if you’d seen Steve’s face when he found out what it was all about, you’d split your pants laughing.” + 

“Steve’s the goods,” said Rico. + 

“You said a mouthful,” said the Big Boy, “he’s got them eating out of his hand. Well, I’m gonna beat it. You guys lay low and it might blow over. If things get hot, I’ll tip off Scabby and then you all better hit the rods. So long.” + 

The Big Boy went out slamming the door. They heard him go downstairs; he walked as heavily as a squad of police and banged each step with his heels. + 

Rico went on with his game of solitaire. + 

“Well,” said Vettori, “something just tells me we’re gonna get ours.” + 

“Oh, hell!” said Rico, pushing the cards away from him, “I’d like to get the guy that invented that game.” + 

Vettori swore softly to himself at Rico’s indifference, then, pouring himself another drink, he said: + 

“You think Joe’s safe, Rico.” + 

“Yeah,” said Rico, “as long as they don’t nab him and put it to him. He can’t stand the gaff.” + 

“How about The Greek?” + 

Rico laughed. + 

“Safe as hell. Only thing with Otero, he gets lit and wants to raise hell. I had to knock him down a couple of times last night. He gets a little money and he goes nuts. That goddamn greaser never saw over five dollars all at once till I picked him up in Toledo. But he’s safe.” + 

“How about Tony?” + 

Rico didn’t say anything for a minute, but picked up his cards and began to shuffle them. + 

“I don’t know about Tony.” + 

Sam Vettori got up and walked back and forth, mopping his forehead at intervals with his big white silk handkerchief. + 

“Love of God, Rico, we can’t take no chances with him.” + 

Rico dealt out a couple of poker hands and began to play an imaginary game. + 

“You leave that to me, Sam,” he said. + 

Vettori put his hand on Rico’s shoulder. + 

“That’s the talk, Rico. We get a break, we may come clean.” Vettori dropped back into his chair and poured himself another drink, but Rico reached across the table and pushed the glass off onto the floor. + 

“Slow down on that stuff, Sam. You got to keep your head clear.” + 

Vettori looked at Rico in a fury, then he lowered his eyes. + 

“You got the right dope, Rico. That stuff don’t do nobody no good.” + 

Vettori took the whisky bottle and locked it up in a cupboard. + 