Cosi Fan Tutti - 5 by Michael Dibdin Read Free Book Online Page B

we’ve made a little plan. The two girls this pair are so mad about are out of town for a few weeks, and we aim to put all their fine talk to the test.’
    Libera smiled thoughtfully.
    ‘It’s intriguing. Definitely more imaginative than our normal line of work.’
    ‘But will it pay as much?’ queried Iolanda. ‘A girl’s got to make a living, you know.’
    Zen took a sip of tea and eyed them both.
    “I can offer you five hundred thousand each down, and the same again if you succeed.’
    ‘For two weeks’ work?’ the blonde exclaimed indignantly.
    ‘We can make more than that in a few nights on the street!’
    ‘Not if I bust you for prostitution, tax evasion, and corrupting a minor/ Zen retorted with a smile.
    ‘What minor?’
    He shrugged.
    “I can easily find one. The city’s full of corrupt minors.’
    Iolanda pushed her hair back impatiently.
    “I don’t think it’s very nice of you to threaten us.’
    Zen laughed insincerely.
    ‘Only joking! If you don’t think you’re up to the challenge, I can always find someone else. But you two are definitely the most stunning-looking women I’ve seen so far. If anyone can bring this off, you can.’
    He produced the two snapshots which Valeria gave him earlier, showing each couple posed self-consciously against a view of a sunlit beach.
    ‘Meanwhile, here’s a look at the competition/ he said.
    The two prostitutes scrutinized the photographs closely.
    ‘God, that hair!’ cried Iolanda.
    ‘And those clothes!’ added Libera.
    “Those ghastly earrings!’
    ‘That posture!’
    ‘They definitely need a girlfriend to take them in hand ‘To take them shopping, too.’
    ‘But the guys are really cute!’
    ‘What a waste!’
    Libera looked at Zen.
    ‘It’s a deal/ she said.
    ‘So the money’s not a problem?’
    Iolanda sniffed haughtily.
    ‘It’s not a question of money/
    ‘It’s an act of charity/ explained Libera. ‘To see two virile young men throw themselves away on a couple of homely figlie ‘e mamma like that…’
    ‘It’ll be a pleasure to show them what a real woman is like!’ said Iolanda.
    ‘But how exactly are we to go about this?’ asked Libera.
    With a cautious glance all around, Zen lowered his voice and began to outline the details of his plan. Not that anyone was listening. In fact the bar had emptied considerably by now. The travellers had left to catch their trains, the railwaymen had returned to work, and the cleaning crew were on their way out too, apparently in response to a pager which one of them had clipped to the breast pocket of his overalls. Only the elderly whore remained slumped over her table, gazing morosely into her glass of wine.
    The street cleaners climbed into their orange truck, which drove off along the main avenue for some distance before turning into a side-street riddled with deep potholes.
    The only illumination here, apart from the truck’s headlights, came from the open fires of the prostitutes spaced at intervals along the pavement. And one of them, at least, appeared to be doing some business. A large saloon was parked at the kerb near her pitch, the engine still running. From the driver’s window, a man beckoned to the thin, slight woman leaning against the wall at the corner. With an odd gesture, half-shrug and half-wave, she walked over to the car.
    About fifty yards farther back another car stood beside the kerb, its lights off and the engine silent. It might at first sight have appeared to be the scene of a similar
    encounter, but one which had progressed beyond the           stage of negotiations. It would have taken a very keen observer to notice that the car had only one occupant,
    who was sitting bolt upright behind the wheel, looking straight ahead, with occasional glances in the rear-view mirror. As the garbage truck came into view he switched on the ignition and pumped the brake pedal three times.
    The headlights behind flicked momentarily to high beam.
    Meanwhile the