Read Without a Hitch for Free Online

salaries. 
Incredible!  Hey, you make as much as I do!  I thought I made more.”
    “Life is full of
surprises, Cecil .”
    “That’s a family
name, long story.”  Beckett handed the printout back to Corbin.  “Do you think
these guys have good enough credit for our purposes?”
    “Are you
kidding?  They’re untapped wells of credit.  If any of them ever spent a penny,
they did it kicking and screaming.  Look at Kak, he drives a ’74 Dodge, lives
in a run down shack, hasn’t taken a vacation in seven years, buys his suits at
Wal-Mart, and hasn’t left a tip in living memory.  The rest of them are just as
tight, except for maybe Wilson and Nesbit.  Nesbit’s got the coke problem, and
Wilson’s got an expensive divorce habit.  The rest should be fine.”
    “I’d still feel
better if we surveyed their houses.”
    “Not a problem! 
We have their addresses,” Corbin laughed, holding up the printout.
     
    Corbin sat on
his couch in the dark eating cold Chinese food from the container.  Through the
big glass door leading to his apartment’s balcony, he could see endless lines
of headlights inching their way across the bridges from the District.  It was
raining.  His phone rang.  He checked the caller ID before answering.
    “Hey Vez.” 
Corbin knew Tobias Alvarez, or “Vez” as Corbin called him, since college.
    “Hey Corbin, you
had dinner yet?”
    Corbin looked at
the half-empty food container in his hand.  “Sort of.  But I’ll tell you what,
I’ll join you anyway.  I need to talk to you about something.”  Corbin heard
his doorbell ring.  “Hold on a second, somebody’s at my door.”  Corbin walked
to the front of his one-bedroom apartment, turning the kitchen light on as he passed. 
Looking through the viewer, he saw his seventy-year-old neighbor’s grey hair.  “Hi
Mrs. Tuttle, I’ll be with you in a second.”  He returned the phone to his ear. 
“Let me call you back.  My neighbor just got back from the store, and I always
help her with her groceries.”
    “I’ll be here.”
    “Actually, hold
on.  Where are you going for dinner, I’ll meet you there.”
     
    Corbin thanked
the blond girl in the skintight blouse and slid into the booth.  Alvarez had
already ordered.  He still wore his work clothes, a pair of khaki pants and a
golf shirt with the name of his employer embroidered across the chest pocket. 
Corbin wore jeans and a blue oxford shirt.
    “Can I get you
something?” the girl asked.
    “Just a Coke
please.  I’ll look at the menu later,” Corbin responded.  The girl smiled and
walked away.
    “Sorry, I
couldn’t wait, I’ve been starving all day.”  Alvarez began disassembling his
burger.  “They always put these things together wrong.”
    Corbin looked
around to make sure no one could hear them, which wasn’t a problem with the
deafening noise from the capacity crowd.  “I broached the subject with Beckett
today.”
    Alvarez raised
an eyebrow.  “What did he say?”
    “He’s on board.”
    “Really?” 
Alvarez pulleda pickle out from under the patty
with his fork.  “I hate pickles.”
    “He’s agreed to
manage the duffel bag for you on the first trip.”
    “Does he know
who I am?”
    “No, he only
knows you as Joe Nobody.”
    “I have to say,
this really surprises me.  When you said a couple weeks ago you thought he
might be willing, all I could think of was how many times you told me he’s got
this strict moral code.”
    “Desperation can
be very liberating.  It lets people do extraordinary things, and he’s getting
increasingly desperate trying to find a way to support his wife and kids.  When
he finally got turned down for that promotion. . . well, that was too big of an
opportunity to pass up.”
    The waitress
returned with Corbin’s Coke and took his order while Alvarez reassembled his
burger.  When the waitress left, they returned to their conversation.
    “Is he solid?”
Alvarez asked.
    “Mostly.  He
gets