‘You’re a bigger sucker than you look,’ Baird said. ‘Don’t you know who Hater is?’
Rico shifted uneasily in his chair.
‘I don’t know what you’re get ing at,’ he said. ‘Hater used to be one of the big operators about twenty years ago. He specialised in jewellery. I seem to remember he pulled off a big deal and a fence shopped him.’
‘About fifteen years back he pul ed off a four-million-dollar job and cached the stuff. It was never found,’ Baird said softly.
‘Four mil ion?’ Rico gulped. ‘It was never found?’
‘That’s right. Doesn’t the nickel drop now?’
‘You mean Kile’s after the stuff?’
‘Kile and someone else. It looks like it, doesn’t it? Why should they want to kidnap Hater? He’s only got two more years to serve. If he escapes now, he’l be on the run for the rest of his life until he’s caught.’
‘Four mil ion dol ars!’ Rico got up and began to pace up and down. ‘Jeepers! That’s dough.’
‘That’s about the first sensible thing you’ve said tonight,’ Baird said sourly. ‘And they’re paying me ten grand. That’s a laugh, isn’t it?’