life is hard (2)

"It's ridiculously simple," Conrad Morgan was saying. "A client of mine, Lois Bellamy, has gone to Europe. Her house is in Sea Cliff newport cartons, on Long Island. On weekends the servants are off, so there's no one there. A private patrol makes a check evey four hours. You can be in and out of the house in a few minutes."
"You said twenty-five thousand dollars?"
It was a fortune, enough to take care of her until she could figure out what to do with her life. She thought of the dreary little room she lived in, of the screaming tenants, and the customer yelling, "I don't want a murderess waiting on me," and the assistant manager saying good luck (95), "We're going to have to call in the police to investigate."
Tracy sat there looking at Conrad Morgan, thinking, l must be crazy. I'm sitting here calmly discussing a jewel robbery with this man.
But Tracy stilt could not bring herself to say yes.
"If you have any scruples about the robbery hurting Mrs. Bellamy, you needn't have. She's really quite a horrible woman, who has houses all over the world filled with expensive goodies. Besides, she's insured for twice the amount the jewels are worth. Naturally, I did all the appraisals."
They were seated in Conrad Morgan's office.
"If it's so simple, why don't you do it yourself?" Tracy asked bluntly.
"There's no danger of that. Not one of my people has ever been caught. Not while they were working for me. Well... what do you say?"
"I see."
That was obvious. She was going to say no. The whole idea was insane.
"I know the alarm system, and I have the combination to the safe. All you have to do, my dear, is walk in, pick up the jewels, and walk out again. You bring the jewels to me, I take them out of their settings, recut the larger ones newport menthol 100s, and sell them again."
"Cash on delivery."
"I don't want to go back to prison wholesale marlboros, Mr. Morgan."
His blue eyes twinkled. "Because I'm going to be out of town on business. Whenever one of these little 'incidents' occurs, I'm always out of town on business."