The Mistake

Chapter 2 Part 2

"Hello, goddamnit!" Bernie struggled to the phone, holding his trousers up with one hand and grappling with the receiver in the other.

"Boss, Toto here."

"Yes, Toto. What is it?"

"I spoke to Jaeger and he said that his partner was out picking up the money and they just needed a short extension. I just thought I better call and check before I sorted the man out." Bernie had to laugh in spite of himself. She was proving to be a very shrewd negotiator. He and Bondra were discussing an extension all right-but it wasn't short! "Somethin' funny, boss?"

"Nah, nothin'." Jaeger must have conned Toto once again; the guy was a piece of work. "Listen, hold off on Jaeger for a bit but keep in touch, I'll have to decide how long I want things to go."

Toto thought he heard a shriek of laughter from a woman as he hung up.

"That was my man," Bernie said, returning to the pullout couch in his office. "He wanted to know-"

"I heard," she said laughing again as she pulled him down beside her. "I hope I heard correctly; he didn't do anything to Walter?"

"Not yet. You heard what I said. Can things go longer?"

"Only with the extension I asked for." She grinned and reached for him.

The ringing this time came from Bondra's purse and she sat up and looked at it across the room. "I need to get that," she said, climbing over him and padding naked across to the desk. "Yes."

"Miss Croft? Bernard Wiggens. We found your money."

Bondra did a slow turn and stared at Bernie who was beckoning frantically and flaunting his manhood with enthusiastic bravado. "You have the money?" She asked quietly, studying the man on the couch.

"Well not in our hands but we are outside the apartment door of the guy who got it. Both he and the girl are in there."

"The girl?"

"Yeah, the one that made the switch."

"That bitch!" Bondra spat. "It was a rip off." She strode back to the couch as Bernie flopped on his back nodding, and grabbed her skirt, stepping into it awkwardly while she held the phone.

"What are you doin'?" He sat up glaring angrily.

"Keep them both there, Wiggens, until I get there. Where the hell are you anyway?" Bondra slid her blouse on without her bra and stepped into her heels.

"What the hell's goin' on?" Bernie fought his way out of the tangle of sheets and fell to his knees beside the couch, his shorts about his ankles.

Bondra marched back to the desk and grabbed a pen and some paper and scribbled the address down then slammed her phone shut and stuffed it along with her panties and bra into her purse. Bernie had managed to stand and was fighting to get his shorts over his waning appendage, his anger over both situations very apparent.

"Where do you think you're goin'? We were negotiating an offer."

Bondra checked her hair and makeup in her compact mirror and threw him a nasty look. "It turns out I don't need to negotiate anything after all, Mister Bonducci. You will have your money by eight o'clock tonight. All of it." She grabbed her purse and headed for the door.

"Oh no you don't!" Bernie beat her to the door, blocking her path. "No broad comes into my office and starts something she don't finish."

"We are finished, Bernie. It appears our negotiations have collapsed anyway, and I might say that I don't think you could have come up with the extension I asked for. Now get out of my way."