Methodically, Percival picked up each item, pulled it close to his hideous glasses, clicked his teeth, then wrote down a number. He seemed to appreciate a pair of ruby earrings, and as he studied them he relaxed deeper into his chair, stretching his bare feet in their direction under the desk. The paint on his toenails matched the polish on his fingers.
Hugh and Jimmie kept their faces grim, but they knew they would laugh all the way back to Biloxi. If, indeed, they made it out alive.
He didn’t wear a watch and evidently didn’t care for them, but he studiously examined each one and assigned a value. All seemed to freeze as time stood still. They were patient, though, because Percival had the cash.
He worked in silence as he chain-smoked unfiltered Camels. The cigar smoker behind them didn’t help matters as he puffed away. After an eternity, Percival kicked back again and announced, “I’ll offer four thousand bucks for the lot.”
They had estimated the retail value at something close to ten thousand but were expecting a heavy discount.
Jimmie said, “We were thinking five thousand was a fair price.”
“Oh you were? Well, boys, I’m the expert here and you’re not.” He looked at the cigar smoker and said, “Max?”
With no hesitation, Max said, “Forty-two tops.”
“Okay, I’ll pay forty-two hundred, cash on the table.”
“Deal,” Hugh said. Jimmie nodded his agreement. Percival looked at Max, who left the room. Percival asked them, “How steady is your supplier?”
Jimmie shrugged and Hugh looked down at his shoes. In doing so, he caught another glimpse of the red toenails.
“There’s more,” Jimmie said. “You’re in the market?”
Percival laughed and said, “Always. But be careful out there. Got a lot of crooks in this business.”
Howling with laughter on the ride home, they would repeat this admonition a hundred times.
Max returned with a large cigar box and gave it to his boss. Percival withdrew a stack of $100 bills, slowly counted forty-two of them, and laid them in a neat row. Max handed back their driver’s licenses. On the way out, they thanked Percival and promised to be back, grateful that he did not rise or extend a hand.
When they emerged onto Royal Street, they inhaled the muggy air and practically ran to the nearest bar.
* * *
The easy cash was addictive but they fought the urge to launch another crime spree. They paid Sissy $500 and threw in some jewelry to boot. They plotted for a month, and when the timing felt right they left Biloxi early one Tuesday morning and drove three hours east to the town of Marianna, Florida, population 7,200. Faber’s Jewelry was a small shop at one end of Central Street, far away from a busy café. They parked on a side street and gave each other a pep talk. Hugh and Sissy entered the store and Mrs. Faber herself greeted them. She was delighted to show the young couple her best engagement rings. There were no other customers in the store and she was even happier when Jimmie walked in and asked about some watches. Five minutes later, Mrs. Faber was on the floor, wrapped in duct tape, and every single diamond was gone.
They spent the night in Macon, Georgia, and had dinner in a downtown café, but the town was too big and there were too many people in the shops. They drove two hours east to Waynesboro, the seat of Burke County, and saw an easy target. Tony’s Pawn and Jewelry was on Liberty Street, the main drag, across from the courthouse.
Jimmie had been griping about his limited role in the heists and wanted to swap jobs with Hugh, who considered himself the better actor. Sissy really didn’t care. She was the star anyway and could handle herself with either prospective groom. Hugh eventually agreed to stay behind and waited as they entered and went about their routine.
The clerk was a teenager named Mandy who’d worked at Tony’s part-time for years. She loved showing engagement rings to brides and pulled out the best ones for Sissy and Jimmie. After five minutes, Hugh left the car, with a small pistol in his pocket. He did not realize that Jimmie had the Ruger on his belt under his jacket.