The Black Ice Score (1968) – Gold Medal

A Parker Job (#11)

Also published as The Women Sharers in For Men Only magazine, October 1968.

___“You want me to plan your heisting the diamonds.”
___Gonor frowned. “Heisting?”
___Formutesca grinned at him. “Stealing,” he explained, then said to Parker, “I went to M.I.T. Mr. Gonor learned his English in school.”
___Gonor was irritated. “M.I.T. is a school,” he snapped. Then to Parker he said, “The proposition is this. We will pay you twenty-five thousand dollars, plus expenses, to plan the robbery and train us to perform it, the money payable on the eve of the robbery before we do it and yours whether the robbery succeeds or not.”
___“You don’t want me along.”
___“Not unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Gonor said. “Which would be, of course, your decision. If you feel your physical presence during the robbery will be necessary, we will pay you an additional twenty-five thousand dollars. At the same time as the first.”
___“You’ll give me the layout?”
___“Naturally.”
___“What if I look at it and decide it can’t be done?”
___“We’ll pay your expenses up to that point,” Gonor said, “and thank you for your opinion.”
___Parker watched the traffic. “Where are you staying?”
___Gonor grimaced. “At a place called the Sunrise Motel.”
___“For colored,” Formutesca said, amused.
___“If I call at eight o’clock tonight,” Parker said, “it means yes. If I don‘t, it means no.”
___“Fair enough,” Gonor said. “We’ll hope to hear from you.”
___Parker nodded and turned away and went back into the restaurant. The air inside was too cold for comfort now, chilling the sweat on his face and back. He sat down at the table and Claire smiled knowingly at him, saying, “You’re going to do it.”
___“Maybe,” Parker said.
___“They got your interest,” she said. “You’ll do it.”
___“Maybe,” Parker said.

Buy it here:

Gold Medal, 1968 (PB)
Berkley, 1973 (PB)
Allison & Busby (UK), 1986 (HC)
University of Chicago Press, 2010 (PB)
E-Book, 2011
Audio Book, 2010