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Henry and Johnny took a little tour around California after the Lonnegan job, just long enough to cool the heels of anyone who might have taken an interest in them in particular, and they were back in Chicago by the next summer.
Henry moved back in with Billie and Johnny got a room in a boarding house halfway across the city. They did a few jobs here and there, pulling in old grifters who arrived by train or boat and then swept back out of town once it was done. Every job went seamlessly. After a few months Johnny started to get suspicious.
“Are you doing tryouts for something?” he asked Henry one night over a beer. “And are you trying out them or me?” They were in Henry’s room at Billie’s place, playing poker with the window open and a feeble, hot breeze blowing through.
Henry flicked him an amused glance and looked back down at his cards. He was trying to teach Johnny how to play poker by the rules, but Johnny only knew how to cheat, and he was getting too tipsy to even do that. “Since I’ve been out of the business a while,” said Henry, “I’m mostly auditioning myself. But I might be planning another big job. And if I am, I need to know the players are at the top of the game. I already know you’re up for it.”
That was a pretty big compliment; Johnny’s eyebrows rose. Henry ignored him and laid down some cards that meant something on the table. Johnny was too tired to understand poker. He tossed his hand on top of it and pushed over the pile of bottlecaps that they were using as poker chips. “I fold,” he said.
“You’re not on top of this game, though,” said Henry.
“Well, next time play me when I didn’t have to run halfway across the city first,” said Johnny. That had even been the seamless version of the plan – Johnny gets spotted and leads the mark on a chase to the next location. His legs were still sore and would feel worse in the morning.
“Can I borrow a bed for the night? I’m beat.”
“Sorry, kid,” said Henry. “Billie’s got a beau over. If you’re sleeping here, you’re bunking up with me.”
Johnny glanced at the single, narrow bed by the window, then back at Henry, leaning back in his chair in his undershirt. Henry’s face was completely neutral; apparently Johnny was the only one having any particular thoughts here. “You know, I don’t want to put you out,” said Johnny. “The train station’s not that far. I’ll just go home.”
On the train home, Johnny leaned his head against the dirty window, thinking that over.
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The next audition involved cleaning out the till at a country club and convincing the owner his business partner was responsible. Johnny was excited, at first, that Henry pulled in three other guys this time, but they all turned out to be bit parts. Henry played a corrupt banker, Johnny did the lift in a borrowed janitor’s jumpsuit. It was over in a couple hours, as tidy and disappointing as the others.
Henry seemed in a good mood, though. Obviously one of the other grifters had proved their stuff in some way. Henry and Johnny liberated a bottle of rye from the country club on their way out and went to drink it in Johnny’s room at the boarding house. The other guys faded away on the street, not to be seen again until tomorrow when Henry would count the take into fifths and they’d meet up to distribute it.
Johnny’s room was nicer than his last one – that and a few suits were all he let himself spend the money on. He had a double bed under a curtained window, a sink with a mirror, and an armoire for the suits. The bathroom down the hall was only shared by two other guys and they were pretty quiet. There was also a little writing desk with a chair. Johnny gave Henry the chair and he sat on the edge of the bed, picking apart a knot on the coverlet.
They dissected the con for a while. Johnny kept thinking about it, though, and after a few [fingers] of rye it came out: “I didn’t know Billie had beaus that slept over.” It sounded pretty graceless, and he winced. “What you said the other night,” he explained. “I’m surprised she’d kick you out of bed.”
“It’s her bed,” said Henry, visibly amused. “This beau, Tom, he’s been with Billie a long time. He comes through town when he’s not on the road. Nice guy, and he’s nice to her. Billie and I, we’re more . . . friends. Good friends.”
“Sounds like a nice arrangement,” said Johnny. Henry inclined his head, watching Johnny closely over the rim of his glass. “I mean, I wish my girl Crystal was so flexible. Well – she was pretty flexible. Anyway. So Billie doesn’t mind if you see other girls either?” said Johnny.
“You got a girl in mind who likes washed up confidence men?” said Henry.
Johnny could see it on Henry’s face; he already knew Johnny wasn’t wondering about girls. It was so hard to talk to him when he was a step ahead. Johnny knew Henry had a whole script already set up, and he was going to lead Johnny through it, and it would end with Johnny getting told, politely, that he didn’t know what he was talking about, and Henry would go home early and think that was that. Johnny hadn’t learned yet how to skillfully change the script. But just like in poker, not everything required skill. Sometimes you just had to cheat.
“I hadn’t asked you to bed before now because I thought Billie would mind,” Johnny said, interrupting Henry’s smug expression. “Do you want to stay over and be ‘good friends’?”
Johnny got to watch a whole series of expressions cross Henry’s face before he locked it down. “Kid,” he started, then lost that thread and had to take another drink. Johnny smiled, fascinated.
Another swallow, though, and Henry was back on track. “I don’t have that many friends,” he said. “I really prefer to keep business and pleasure separate.”
“Oh, please,” said Johnny. “Like you and I have never had fun doing a con.”
“You know what I mean,” said Henry. “I don’t sleep with people I work with.”
“And I suppose you and Billie met at church, chaperoned by her mama?” said Johnny.
“As a matter of fact-” Henry began.
“Don’t bother,” said Johnny. “Billie already told me you met when you were trying to rob her cathouse.”
“Oh, is that what she told you,” said Henry.
“Fine,” said Johnny. This was getting away from him a little bit. “What I’m saying is, we work together great on the job. Think of how well we could work in the sack.”
Henry shook his head. “And what I’m saying is, kid, I’ve known Billie for fifteen years. I know she’s sticking around. She’s got a room for me and once Tom is on the road again she’ll have a bed for me when I want it. I’ve known you for a few months and for all I know you’ll be gone after the next big con. It’s best to keep this partnership professional.”
Johnny sat back on the bed. “Is that it? Look, you and I both know that if you thought I was unreliable you wouldn’t be introducing me to your entire address book. I’m in this for the long haul. And I wouldn’t have asked you if I thought you were only good for one night. Jesus, Henry.” He tilted his head. “Tell me you haven’t at least thought about it.”
Henry sat, swirling his glass gently, regarding Johnny on the bed. Johnny sensed a new script was forming, except he didn’t know where this one went. “You noticed I was introducing you to folks, then,” said Henry, getting up and loosening his tie.
“Uh. Yes,” said Johnny. Henry slid the tie out of his collar and draped it on the back of the chair, turning his attention to his cufflinks, very slow and deliberate.
“I’m planning out a very specific kind of job. I don’t just need skilled grifters; I need to make sure they work well together before I can make any invitations. Can you get the door?”
The door was already shut and locked, because this was Prohibition and Johnny wasn’t an idiot, but Johnny hopped up anyway to double check. “I’m really interested in this new job, but you’re undressing right now. What are we doing?”
Henry had set the cufflinks on the desk and was halfway down the buttons of his shirt. “Mixing business and pleasure,” he said. “At your recommendation.”
“Well, you got me there,” said Johnny. He climbed back on the bed and laid back. “Maybe you can do my buttons next. So, this job?”
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The next job was robbing a circus when it came to Chicago. It took fourteen guys and three girls and Johnny got to pretend to be an elephant trainer. Johnny was glad Henry had spent so long planning it out, mostly in Johnny’s bed. His attention to detail was really something.