Free A Tree Born Crooked by Steph Post Page B

Remember Lyndell Clayborne? Used to drag race out on 231 when we was kids.”
    “Can’t recall.”
    “Well, see, we know all ‘bout how the operation works, because we’re there, or Delmore’s there, most every night. He knows how the place is shut down and he knows how the alarm is set. It’s genius.”
    James rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath.  
    “Rabbit. Do you know how much money is actually inside the building of a strip club? The money comes in with the guys. It goes out with the girls. And the boss. And whoever else. There’s not some magical vault with a rainbow hanging over a pot of gold. It’s a strip joint, not a casino. I bet you’d make more money selling pills there in a week than you’d make robbing the place.”
    “Now, just listen—”
    “And did you never stop to think that if you were to pull this off, I’m saying if you were, you two are probably the first people this Lyndell guy is going to come after? For the same reasons you just told me. Come on, Rabbit. You’re being stupid.”
    “Just listen a second. You never listen to me.”
    James crossed his arms and went back to staring out the window.  
    “Alright, I’m listening. I don’t give a shit about what you have to say, but you want me to listen, I’m listening.”
    Rabbit cleared his throat.
    “Thank you. First of all, we’re gonna have an airtight alibi. Waylon’s covering for us. The way we’re setting it up, there won’t even be no questions. We’ll have witnesses to where we was at.”
    Rabbit licked his lips and counted off on his fingers.  
    “Second. You’re the stupid one for thinking that we was stupid in the first place.”
    “What? That doesn’t even make sense.”
    “We’re not there to rob the till. It’s something much, much bigger. Tell him, Delmore.”
    Delmore only grunted. He obviously did not care if James knew or not.
    “You tell him. He’s your brother.”
    Rabbit ignored the flat tone of his voice. He was too excited to notice Delmore’s lack of enthusiasm. Rabbit’s eyes were shining and his face was flushed as he continued.
    “Okay, we know that Lyndell washes a lot of money in and out of Lucky’s, right? But like you said, there’s never really a whole lot just sitting ‘round. But Delmore here, he overheard Lyndell talking to his boss on the phone.”
    Rabbit paused to see if he had James’ attention. James was looking at him now, dumbstruck. Rabbit kept going.  
    “He heard that this big boss man, what’s his name, Delmore?”
    Delmore answered, but didn’t bother to take his eyes off the two teenage girls he was watching through the windshield. They had started to cross the street next to the laundromat, but one had stopped and bent over to pick something up.  
    “Sully Granger.”
    “Yeah, this guy Sully’s doing a big drop. Big. Like a hundred thousand dollars big.”
    James started to sigh loudly, but Rabbit stopped him.
    “No wait, seriously. Delmore heard it all. So this money is just gonna be sitting there, hanging out to dry tonight, so to speak. Tonight! Just waiting for us to come along and find it a new home. You get it? You see how easy this is gonna be? A hundred thousand, James. You gotta be in on this with us.”
    James was quiet for a moment. That look on Rabbit’s face. The one that made James feel like someone had taken a mallet and hit him in the stomach with it. This was Rabbit’s big score. He wanted so badly to impress his older brother, to prove that by staying behind in Crystal Springs he had made something out of himself. He was doing something that James could be envious of, but mostly, that he could be proud of. James knew that if he declined, he would be letting Rabbit down once again.  
    “You’re out of your goddamn mind.”
    Rabbit grinned and rubbed the back of his head.
    “I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but whatever works. So are you in,