80/20

80/20


         Lil Charles looked across the table frowning. “Druid Hills?” He shook his head. “Ain’t no way in hell.”
         The jeweler peered back at him from across the table, his grey unblinking eyes narrowing behind the lenses of his glasses. “Why not?” he said. “The family will be gone for two weeks starting tomorrow.” He hunched his shoulder, raising his palms. “What could be easier?”
         Lil Charles looked back at him, skepticism etched on his face. “If it’s gon be so easy, why don’t you do it?”
         Schuler shook his head. “No, no, no. That is not what I do, that is what you do. I find the people and you take from them. I find, you take. This is what we do.”
         Lil Charles pursed his lips, sitting back in his chair. “Seem to me like one of us got an easier row to hoe than the other.”
         Schuler frowned in confusion, “What? What is this thing you are speaking of? Rows and hoes?”
         Lil Charles stifled a laugh. “I’m sayin’ one of us got a lot easier job than the other. That’s what I’m sayin’.”
         “Easy?” Schuler asked. “Easy? No. No, no, no, no, no. Not easy. Do you think it is easy getting information? No,” he said, continuing on before Lil Charles could respond. “It is not easy obtaining information about the comings and goings of strangers. Where they live. The items they possess. All of these things take time and money to obtain. My time. My money.” He fixed Lil Charles with an imperious stare. “I can assure you my friend that nothing about that is ‘easy’.”
         Lil Charles was unimpressed. “‘Cept, won’t none of that put yo’ ass on a chain gang.”
         Schuler nodded. “This is true.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, pushing the glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “Maybe 80/20 was a bit premature. Shall we say...70/30?”
         Lil Charles didn’t say anything. Thinking the offer over.
         “Life is not without risk my friend,” Schuler intoned. “To obtain much, one must risk much.”
         Lil Charles seemed to relax a bit, smiling. “That’s what my grandaddy always say.”
         Schuler nodded, “A wise man.”
         Lil Charles nodded. “That he is. But, you know what else he always say?”
         Schuler sighed. “No. What?”
         “He say, ‘the juice gotta be worth the squeeze’.”
         Schuler frowned again. “What?”
         “Looka here,” Lil Charles leaned over the table, his elbow resting on the edge nearest him. “Now, I can ‘preciate all the time and money you say you done already put in on this job. I do. But, you talkin’ ‘bout Druid Hills. That’s rich white folk. Takin’ from rich white folk mean the risk go up on everything. More security. More guns. Police come after you harder. And, if you get caught, more time.” He looked at Schuler intently. “That’s a helluva lot of risk for just thirty percent. ‘Specially,” he added, “when their might not even be anything there.”
         “The jewels will be there,” Schuler said. “There is no doubt.”
         “Says the man who’ll be home listening to Amos 'n' Andy while I'm creepin’ round in the dark.”
         Schuler sighed, removing his glasses to rub his eyes. “Very well,” he said finally. “What do you want?”
         “Half.”
         Schuler blinked, putting his glasses back on. “Half?”
         Lil Charles nodded. “Half.”
         “No,” Schuler stood, pacing back and forth behind his chair. “No. No, no, no, no, no. This cannot be.”
         “No?” Lil Charles said.
         Schuler shook his head. “No. Absolutely. No.”
         Lil Charles shrugged, starting to rise. “Alright then.”
         “Wait.” Schuler stood there for a long time, just looking at the younger man, not saying anything. He walked back to the table and sat down, gesturing for Lil Charles to do the same. He was obviously still unsure about what he was going to say.
         Lil Charles said nothing, waiting.
         Finally, Schuler looked at him. “Very well,” he said. “Very well but you must tell no one about this. Not your friends. Not your women. Not your family. No one. Do you understand?”
         Lil Charles nodded, “I know how to keep my mouth shut.”
         Schuler shook his head. “No. Do you understand? Please, say that you do.”
         “Yeah,” Lil Charles nodded. “I understand. I won’t say nuthin 'bout it.”
         Schuler eyed him again for what seemed like a long time before nodding, more to himself than to Lil Charles. He tapped the floor plan of the house again and began going over it once again, Lil Charles listening intently.