The Collectors (Camel Club 2)

She called out to the driver, “Let’s roll, Freddy.” The van immediately pulled away from the curb.

She wrenched off the blond wig and put the glasses in her pocket. Next she took off her coat and stripped away the padding around her middle. She tossed Tony’s ID to him. He caught it, shamefaced, and then exclaimed, “Omigod, they have the check—”

He stopped talking as Annabelle held up the check, neatly folded.

“I’m sorry, Annabelle, I’m really sorry.”

She leaned close to him. “Little piece of advice, Tony. Don’t ever hit on the mark, especially when you’re pretending to be someone else.”

Leo added, “It was a good thing we decided to back you up on that one.”

“Why did you?” Tony asked glumly.

Annabelle answered. “Because you walked out of the van way too cocky. Cocky kills cons. That’s another good rule to remember.”

“I can go to another bank and pass it,” Tony said quickly.

“No,” she said. “We have enough for the long con. And it’s not worth the risk.”

Tony started to protest but then slumped back and said nothing.

Leo and Annabelle exchanged glances, each of them letting out a sigh of relief.

Two days later, at the rental condo, Leo knocked on Annabelle’s bedroom door.

“Yeah?” she called out.

“Got a minute?”

He sat on her bed while she put some clothes in a carry-on bag.

“Three mil,” he said reverently. “You know, you called ’em shorts, but to most cons those were longs. Things of beauty, Annabelle.”

“Any con with decent skills could’ve done them. I just upped the ante a little.”

“A little? Three million cut four ways isn’t little.”

She glanced sharply at him.

“I know, I know,” he said quickly. “You get a bigger share because it’s your game. But still, my share could last me a few years living high on the hog. Maybe even take a real vacation.”

“Not yet. We have the long con, Leo. That was the deal.”

“Right, but just think about it.”

She dropped a stack of clothes in her bag. “I have thought about it. The long con is next.”

Leo stood, fingering an unlit cigarette. “Okay, but what about the kid?”

“What about him?”

“You said we were going all-star on this. Now, I’ve got no problem with Freddy, his stuff is first-rate. But the kid almost cost us everything. If you hadn’t been there—”

“If I hadn’t been there, he would’ve thought of something.”

“Bullcrap. That teller had him made all the way. He gave her the wrong freaking ID. Talk about your bonehead moves.”

“You’ve never made a mistake on a con, Leo? Let me think for a second. Oh, how about Phoenix? Or Jackson Hole?”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t on a multimillion-dollar scam, Annabelle. I didn’t have that handed to me on a damn platter when I was still in diapers like Tony.”

“Jealousy doesn’t score you any points, Leo. And Tony can hold his own.”

“Maybe he can and maybe he can’t. The thing is I damn sure don’t want to be there to find out that he can’t.”

“You let me worry about that.”

Leo threw up his hands. “Great, you worry about that for all of us.”

“Good, I’m glad we have that settled.”

Leo prowled the room, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

“Is there anything else?” she asked.

“Yeah, what’s the long con?”

“I’ll tell you when you need to know. And right now you don’t need to know.”

Leo sat down on the bed. “I’m not the CIA. I’m a con. I don’t trust anybody.” He eyed her bag. “And if you don’t want to tell me, then I’m not going wherever the hell it is you’re going.”

“You knew the deal going in, Leo. You quit now, you get zip. Two shorts and a long. That was the arrangement.”

“Yeah, well, part of the deal wasn’t babysitting some punk who almost landed us in prison either, so maybe we need to renegotiate the deal, lady.”

She stared at him contemptuously. “What, you’re shaking me down after all these years? I gave you the best action you’ve ever had.”

“I don’t want more money. I want the long con. Or I’m not going!”

Annabelle stopped packing while she considered this. “If I tell you where we’re going, will that be good enough?”

“Depends on where it is.”

“Atlantic City.”

All the blood seemed to drain from Leo’s face. “Are you out of your damn mind? What, the last time wasn’t bad enough?”

“That was a long time ago, Leo.”

He snapped, “It’ll never be long ago enough for me! Why don’t we do something easier like hitting the mob?”

“At-lan-tic Ci-ty,” she hissed, forming five words out of two.

“Why, because of your old man?”

She didn’t answer him.

Leo stood and pointed a finger at her. “You’re certifiable, Annabelle. If you think I’m walking into that hellhole with you again because you got something to prove, you don’t know Leo Richter.”

“The plane leaves at seven a.m.”

Leo stood there nervously, watching her pack, for a couple more minutes.

“Are we at least flying first-class?” he finally said.

“Yes. Why?”

“Because if it’s my last flight, I’d like to go out in style.”

“Whatever floats your boat, Leo.”

He walked out the door while Annabelle kept right on packing.

CHAPTER 12

CALEB SHAW WAS IN THE RARE Books reading room working. There were several patron requests to see some material from the Rosenwald Vault; that required a supervisor’s approval. Then he spent a good deal of time on the phone consulting with a university professor writing a book on Jefferson’s private library, which he sold to the nation after the British had burned the city during the War of 1812, forming the basis for the present-day Library of Congress. After that, Jewell English, an elderly woman and a regular in the reading room, asked to see an issue of Beadle’s Dime Novels. She was very interested in the Beadles series and had a nice collection, she’d told Caleb. A slender woman with powdery white hair and a ready smile, Caleb assumed she was also lonely. Her husband had died ten years ago, she’d confided in Caleb, and her family was scattered around the country. It was for this reason he engaged her in conversation whenever she came in.

“You’re fortunate indeed, Jewell,” Caleb said. “It just came back from the conservation department. It needed some TLC.” He retrieved the book, chatted with her for a few minutes over the untimely death of Jonathan DeHaven and then returned to his desk. He watched for a few moments as the elderly woman slowly put on her thick glasses and looked through the old volume, copying down notes on a few pieces of paper she’d brought with her. For obvious reasons only pencils and loose-leaf paper were allowed in here, and patrons had to allow their bags to be checked before they left the room.

As the door of the reading room opened, Caleb glanced over at the woman entering. She was from the administrative department. He rose to greet her.

“Hi, Caleb, I’ve got a note here for you from Kevin.”

Kevin Philips was the acting director, having taken DeHaven’s place after his death.