‘Twenty-five hundred,’ Rico said promptly. ‘It’s worth at least six grand.’
‘It’s worth five,’ Kile said. ‘At the moment it isn’t worth a dime. I’d have to keep it for some time: maybe a year. It’s a dangerous thing to keep. I might give you a thousand for it, but not a dollar more.’
‘Make it two, and you can have it,’ Rico said hopeful y, then as Kile pushed the bracelet back to him, he went on hastily, ‘Wel , okay. I’m losing money, but I want it out of my place. I’l take a grand.’
Kile nodded.
‘You’l have to wait for the money, Rico. I’l let you have it in a week or two.’
‘That’s okay,’ Rico said, sit ing down. ‘I trust you, Mr Kile. Two weeks is okay with me.’
Kile nodded again and put the bracelet in his inside pocket.
‘There’s something I want to talk to you about, Rico,’ he said, paused to take a long drink from his glass, stared across at Rico, trying to make up his mind how much to tell him. He decided to say as little as possible. ‘There may be a big job coming along in the near future,’ he went on. ‘If it comes off you could make yourself fifteen thousand. It’s in the air at the moment, but I’m trying to get two or three good men together. Would you be interested?’
Fifteen thousand! Rico’s eyes gleamed. This was big-time stuff!
‘Why, sure,’ he said, leaning across the desk. ‘You know I want to work with you, Mr Kile. What would you want me to do?’