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hat rain？
He said something； but the drumming of the rain on both the bank roof and his umbrella drowned out the words。 May said； 〃What？〃
Shrilly； he yelled； 〃I don't want any trouble！〃
〃That's wonderful！〃 May shouted back。 〃Neither do I！〃
〃Look！〃
He was pointing down。 May leaned forward； getting her hair wet； and looked at the ground beside the trailer； and it was pale green。 〃Oh； for God's sake；〃 she said and looked to left and right。 The bank was blue and white again。 〃Oh； good Christ；〃 she said。
〃I don't want any trouble！〃 the manager shouted again。 May took her head in from the rain。 〃e on in；〃 she invited。
He took a step back； shaking his head and his free hand。 〃No no。 No trouble。〃
May called to him； 〃What are you going to do？〃
〃I don't want you here！〃 he yelled。 〃The boss would kick me out！ No trouble； no trouble！〃
〃You won't call the police？〃
〃Just go away！ Go away and I won't call them and it never happened！〃
May tried to think。 〃Give us an hour；〃 she said。
〃Too long！〃
〃We have to get a truck。 We don't have a truck here。〃
His quandary was making him so nervous he was hopping from foot to foot； as though he had to go to the bathroom。 Maybe； with all the rain beating down； he did。 〃All right；〃 he yelled at last。 〃But no more than an hour！〃
〃I promise！〃
〃I'll have to unhook you！ The water and electricity！〃
〃All right！ All right！〃
He fidgeted out there until she realized he was waiting for her to shut the door。 Should she thank him？ No； he didn't want thanks； he wanted reassurance。 〃You won't have any trouble！〃 she yelled at him； and waved； and shut the door。
Dortmunder was standing beside her。 〃I heard；〃 he said。
〃We'll have to take it somewhere else；〃 she said。
〃Or give up。〃
Herman and Kelp had wandered out from behind the partition。 Herman said； 〃Give up？ I've just begun to fight！〃
Kelp said； 〃What's the problem？ How'd he tip to us？〃
May told him； 〃We used water…base paint。 The rain washed it off。〃
Herman said； 〃We can't give up； that's all。 We just have to take it someplace else。〃
Dortmunder said； 〃With every cop on Long Island out looking for it。 And with the green paint gone。 And with no place in mind to put it。〃
Murch said； 〃And no truck to drive it anywhere。〃
Kelp said； 〃That's never a problem； Stan。 Trucks are never a problem。 Trust me。〃
Murch gave him a glum look。
Victor said； 〃In this rain； there won't be much of a search。〃
〃When you're looking；〃 Dortmunder said； 〃for something fifty feet long and twelve feet wide； colored blue and white； you don't need much of a search。〃
May had been silent during all this； thinking about things。 She had no particular craving for money herself； and so didn't care so much about the contents of the safe as that the job be successful。 Dortmunder was gloomy enough in his natural state； life with him if this robbery failed would be about as cheerful as a soap opera。 〃I tell you what；〃 she said。 〃I got us an hour here。〃
The lights went off。 Gray and rainy illumination seeped in through the windows； depressing everyone even further。
〃An hour；〃 Dortmunder said； 〃is just enough time for us all to go home and get to bed and make believe none of this ever happened。〃
〃We have two cars。〃 May said。 〃We can spend that hour looking for someplace to move。 If we don't find anything； we give up。〃
〃Fine；〃 Herman said。 〃And I'll keep working on the safe。〃 He hurried back behind the partition。
〃It's getting cold in here；〃 Murch's Mom said。
〃You'd be warmer with the brace on；〃 her son said。
She gave him a look。
Dortmunder sighed。 〃The thing that scares me；〃 he said； 〃is that we probably will find a place。〃
27
DORTMUNDER said； 〃I suppose it's unfair to blame you for this job。〃
〃That's right；〃 Kelp said。 He was driving； and Dortmunder was in the front seat beside him。
〃But I do；〃 Dortmunder said。
Kelp gave him an aggrieved look and faced front again。 〃That isn't fair；〃 he said。
〃Nevertheless。〃
They had until nine…thirty to get back to the bank； and it was now about nine… fifteen。 Kelp and Dortmunder and Murch had started out in this station wagon together； until Kelp had found a truck big enough to do the job。 It said HORSES on the sides； and the interior had a slight smell of stable to it； but it was empty。 Kelp had started it up and turned it over to Murch； who had taken it away to the trailer court。 Now； Kelp and Dortmunder were roaming the earth looking for somewhere to move the bank。 Victor and Murch's Mom were doing the same thing in Victor's Packard。
〃We'd better get back；〃 Dortmunder said。 〃We aren't going to find anything。〃
〃We might；〃 Kelp said。 〃Why be so pessimistic？〃
〃Because we covered all this ground last week；〃 Dortmunder said； 〃and there wasn't any place to hide the bank then。 So why would there be someplace now？〃
〃Just five minutes more；〃 Kelp said。 〃Then we'll head back。〃
〃You can't see anything in this rain anyway；〃 Dortmunder said。
〃You never know；〃 Kelp said。 〃We might get lucky。〃
Dortmunder looked at him； but Kelp was concentrating …on his driving。 Dortmunder considered several things he might say； but none of them seemed adequate； so after a while he turned his head and looked out the windshield at all the rain and listened to the wipers clicking back and forth。
〃It's really ing down；〃 Kelp said。 〃I see it。〃
〃You don't usually get a rain like this on a Friday；〃
Kelp said。
Dortmunder looked at him again。
〃No； I mean it；〃 Kelp said。 〃Usually you get this kind of a rain on a Sunday。〃
Dortmunder said； 〃Are the five minutes up？〃
〃One minute to go。 Keep looking for a place。〃
〃Sure；〃 Dortmunder said and looked out the windshield again。
The only good thing was the absence of cops。 They'd seen a couple of patrol cars； but no more than normal； the search was obviously being hampered by the rain。
It seemed to Dortmunder； sitting there in the stolen station wagon while Kelp optimistically dragged him around through all this rain on a wild goose chase； that this was the story of his life。 His luck was never all good； but it was never all bad either。 It was a nice bination of the two； balanced so exactly that they canceled each other out。 The same rain that washed away the green paint also loused up the police search。 They stole the bank； but they couldn't get into the safe。 On and on。
Dortmunder sighed and looked at his watch。 〃Your minute is up；〃 he said。
Reluctantly； Kelp said； 〃Okay； I guess so。〃 Then he said； 〃I'll take a swing around and head back that way。〃
〃Go straight back；〃 Dortmunder said。
〃I don't want to go back the same roads。 What's the point of that？〃
〃What's the point of the whole thing？〃
〃You're just depressed；〃 Kelp said。 〃I'll turn right at that light up there and swing back that way。〃
Dortmunder was about to tell him to make a U…turn； but memories arose and he changed his mind。 〃Just so we're back by nine…thirty；〃 he said； though he knew they wouldn't be。
〃Oh； sure；〃 Kelp said。 〃Definitely。〃
Dortmunder slumped in the co