Four Delinquents

chapter 10- A Custodial Advantage

I walked away and heard Baby Face hesitate then follow me. It took awhile for Pretty Boy, Clyde , and Italo finally set off. I think they might’ve watched me and Baby Face walk away. I looked over at Baby Face. His charicteristic smile was not on his face.

“sorry I razzed you about your girl.” I said.

“its fine.” said Baby Face airily. “ you did what you had to. How else would you have answered?”

“I probably could’ve come up with some thin else. It was just that first thing that came to mind. It was slightly careless.” I apologized.

“its just fine. In a few months she’ll probably be a distant memory anyway.” he replied.

“why is that?” I asked

“cant stay here for long can we? Coppers will put 2 and 2 together soon enough wont they? isn’t that the point of this whole thing? To get into the business? Start paying our dues now?” he stated.

“yeah it is. Just I didn’t think we would be leaving. We would need a whole new plan to do that wouldn’t we? Car and stuff?” I said

“I don’t think so.” said Baby Face plainly. “something like that probably just happen. Cant really plan an escape like that. Probably just have to exicute it.”

“yeah that’s true. Probably be better just to jump.” I said. “lets not kid ourselves if we are going to run. Why don’t we just run right after the heist?”

“make it look too suspicious.” said Baby Face “if we leave a little after. Right before the coppers put 2 and 2 together. Then it just looks like some hooligans running away from home. Give us a couple of weeks to find another hold. Then all we have to do is find a way into another business. Bank robbers arent viewed very well amoung criminals.”

“no the organized crime boys don’t really like em do they?” I admitted. “we could do it to get started but we would need to graduate as soon as possible. don’t want a reputation like that this early”

We walked in silence toward the outskirts of town. Then along the road to the other town. Eventually we reached the bank. It was tall and had polished marble steps. We walked up them and the guard at the door asked us what we wanted.

“uh we are here to see the janitor sir” I replied “about the assitant position he has open in the paper.”

He nodded his head and lead us through a door in to what was clearly a break room of some sort. He peeked his head into a room and called out to the janitor

“Karpy! Some boys here to see ya.” he said and walked away.

Eventually a small man stepped out of the door to greet us. There was no other word to describe him but creepy. With his funny bulbous nose and his crooked smile stretched over his jaged teeth. He stuck out his skinny arm to us. You could see the bones and tendons ripple in it. He was disturbingly skinny.

“how ya doin boys?” he asked “what can I do for ya?”

He shook each of our hands vigorously. The strength he had was very surprising. He was stronger than a walking tooth pick should be.

“we are here to discuss the job you posted in the paper.” I said charmingly.

“oh yeah you boys interested?” he asked.

“yes we were and we were wondering if maybe there was an option for both of us to be hired. We are both in need of a job. We will of course go through the interview process. We were just hoping you would take on both of us. If you found both of us capable subjects.”