Goodbye California - Alistair [44]
‘What indeed? Got any gloves?’
‘Now he asks me. Do I have any gloves? Masks – hoods, rather – because you told me. Now that I – and I suppose you – have smeared fingerprints all over the shop you ask for gloves.’
‘Our fingerprints don’t matter. You think Donahure is going to report this matter and complain about the disappearance of all this money which we are about to take with us? I just want you to count the stuff and not smear up fingerprints. Old notes are no good, they could carry a hundred smears. Maybe some new notes. Count from the bottom left – most people and most tellers count from the top right.’
‘Where did you get those toys from?’
‘From Donahure’s toy shop.’ Ryder looked at the two rifles. ‘Always wanted one of those. Thought you might want one too.’
‘Rifles you have.’
‘Not those. I’ve never seen one. I’ve seen a diagram.’
‘What are they?’
‘You’ll be surprised. Unobtainable in this country. We think we make the best rifles in the world. The British think they do and the Belgians think the same of their own Nato rifles. Well, we don’t think, we say. But they all know that this is the best Light, deadly accurate, can be stripped down in seconds and hidden in the pockets of your top-coat. Splendid weapon for terrorists – as the British soldiers in Northern Ireland have found out to their cost.’
‘The IRA have those?’
‘Yes. It’s called the kalashnikov. If a person’s hunting you at night with one of those fitted with infra-red telescopic sights you might as well shoot yourself. Or so they say.’
‘Russian?’
‘Yes.’
‘Catholics and Communists make strange bedfellows.’
‘The people who use those in Northern Ireland are Protestants. An extremist splinter-group officially disowned by the IRA. Not that the Communists care very much with whom they associate as long as they can stir up trouble.’
Jeff took one of the rifles, examined it, looked at the unconscious Donahure and then at Ryder.
Ryder said: ‘Don’t ask me. All I know about our friend’s early background is that he’s a first-generation American.’
‘From Northern Ireland?’
‘From Northern Ireland. Fits in neatly. Probably fits in too neatly.’
‘Donahure – a Communist?’
‘We mustn’t look for a Red under every bush. No law against it – well, not since McCarthy departed the scene. I don’t think so, anyway. He’s too stupid and too selfish to be interested in any ideology. That’s not to say, of course, that he wouldn’t accept their money. Count those notes and then check the rest of the desk. I’ll go over the rest of the room.’
Ryder looked while Jeff counted. After some minutes Jeff looked up, his face alight. ‘Boy, this is interesting. Eight packets of notes, each containing one-thousand, two-hundred-and-fifty dollars. Ten thousand.’
‘So I was wrong. He’s now got an eighth unofficial bank account. Very interesting, I agree. But nothing to get excited about.’
‘No? There are several new notes in each packet. I’ve only made a quick check but as far as I can see they’re in series. And they’re the bicentennial two dollar notes.’
‘Ah, this is interesting. The one the ungrateful American public turned their thumbs down on. The Treasury had carloads of the stuff printed but there’s only a small percentage of it in circulation. If they really are in series, the FBI should be able to trace it without trouble.’
Nothing more came to light and they left five minutes later after freeing a now-stirring Donahure of his handcuffs, Scotch Tape and blindfold.
Major Dunne was still in his office, handling two phones at the same time. When he’d hung up Ryder said: ‘Not yet abed?’
‘No. And I don’t expect to be – not this night, anyway. I’ll have plenty of company in my misery. Statewide alert, twenty-four-hour basis, for every agent who could walk. Description of Morro has been telexed, or is being telexed, throughout the country. I’ve arranged for this list of the organized weirdos, but I won’t have that until tomorrow. Your Peggy has been taken care of.’
Jeff said to Ryder: Our Peggy?’
‘Forgot to tell you.