Nick: When was it you started thinking you were better than me?
Nick Wells: Nice working with you, ace. Okay, bye-bye.
Nick Wells: After this no more jobs. This is the last one I'm doing. I'm quitting for good.
Max: Yeah? How many times have you told me that in twenty-fie years. I mean, I'm gonna believe that when the pigs eat my brother, right?
Max: My God! Let me get a look at you. You know, you look like shit. What's your secret?
Answer: Norton already has an advance plan to prevent himself from getting caught. The delay is both to fluster DeNiro, and to prevent him from having enough time at the moment of the double-cross to come up with an alternate to handing over the prize without getting caught himself.
Rooster of Doom