按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
t all on her； that he hadn't even asked for her sympathy； that had won her sympathy。 He'd just stood there； shaking his head； with packages of boiled ham and American cheese falling out of his armpits； and she just hadn't had the heart to turn him in。 She still tried to pretend sometimes that he couldn't pierce her toughness； but he could。
〃Anyway；〃 Kelp said； 〃we're none of us gonna have to work that penny…ante stuff for a while。〃
〃I don't know about that；〃 Dortmunder said。
〃You're just not used to Victor；〃 Kelp said； 〃that's the only problem。〃
〃May I never get used to Victor；〃 Dortmunder said。
May dropped backward into the sofa again； she always sat down as though she'd just had a stroke。 〃What's the story？〃 she said。
〃A bank job；〃 Kelp said。
〃Well； yes and no；〃 Dortmunder said。 〃It's a little more than a bank job。〃
〃It's a bank job；〃 Kelp said。
Dortmunder looked at May as though hoping to find stability and reason there。 〃The idea is；〃 he said； 〃if you can believe it； we're supposed to steal the whole bank。〃
〃It's a trailer；〃 Kelp said。 〃You know； one of those mobile homes？ The bank's in there till they put up the new building。
〃And the idea；〃 Dortmunder said； 〃is we hook the bank onto a truck and drive it away。〃
〃Where to？〃 May asked。
〃Just away；〃 Dortmunder said。
〃That's one of the things we've got to work out；〃 Kelp said。
〃Sounds like you've got a lot to work out；〃 May said。
〃Then there's Victor；〃 Dortmunder said。
〃My nephew；〃 Kelp explained。
May shook her head。 〃I never saw a nephew yet；〃 she said； 〃that was worth his weight in Kiwanis gum。〃
〃Everybody's somebody's nephew；〃 Kelp said。
May said； 〃I'm not。〃
〃Every man。〃
〃Victor is a weirdo；〃 Dortmunder said。
〃But he es up with good ideas。〃
〃Like secret handshakes。〃
〃He doesn't have to do the job with us；〃 Kelp said。 〃He just pointed to it。〃
〃That's all he has to do。〃
〃He's got all that FBI experience。〃
May looked alert。 〃The FBI's after him？〃
〃He was in the FBI；〃 Kelp said and waved his hand to indicate he didn't want to explain any more。 〃It's a long story；〃 he said。
〃I don't know；〃 Dortmunder said。 He sat down wearily on the sofa beside May。 〃What I prefer；〃 he said； 〃is a simple hold…up。 You put a handkerchief over your face； you walk in； you show guns； you take the money； you walk away。 Simple； straightforward； honest。〃
〃It's getting tougher these days；〃 Kelp said。 〃Nobody uses money any more。 There aren't any payroll jobs because there aren't any payrolls； everybody pays by check。 Stores are on credit cards； so they never have any cash either。 A bag of money is a very tough thing to find these days。〃
〃Don't I know it；〃 said Dortmunder。 〃It's all very depressing。〃
May said to Kelp； 〃Why don't you go get yourself a beer？〃
〃Sure。 You？〃
〃Naturally。〃
〃Dortmunder？〃
Dortmunder nodded。 He was frowning across at the blank television screen。
Kelp went out to the kitchen； and May said； 〃What do you think of it； really？〃
〃I think it's the only thing that's e along in a year；〃 Dortmunder said。
〃But do you like it？〃
〃I told you what I liked。 I like to go to a shoe factory with four other guys； walk into the payroll office； walk out with the payroll。 But everybody pays by check。〃
〃So what are you going to do？〃
From the kitchen； Kelp called； 〃We can get in touch with Murch； have him check it out。 He'd be our driver。〃 They could hear him popping can tops out there。
〃I got to go with what's there；〃 Dortmunder said； shrugging。 Then he shook his head and said； 〃But I really don't like all this razzle…dazzle。 I'm like a regular cowboy and the only place left to work is the rodeo。〃
〃So you look it over；〃 May said； 〃you see how it pans out； you don't have to mit yourself one way or the other yet。〃
Dortmunder gave her a crooked grin。 〃Keep me out of mischief；〃 he said。
That's what she'd been thinking。 She didn't say anything； just grinned back； and was removing a cigarette ember from her mouth when Kelp came in with the beer。 〃Why don't I do that？〃 he said； handing the cans around。 〃Give Murch a call。
Dortmunder shrugged。 〃Go ahead。〃
7
STAN MURCH； in a uniform…like blue jacket； stood on the sidewalk in front of the Hilton and watched cab after cab make the loop in to the main entrance。 Doesn't anybody travel in their own car any more？ Then at last a Chrysler Imperial with Michigan plates came hesitantly up Sixth Avenue； made the left…
hand loop into the Hilton driveway and stopped at the entrance。 As a woman and several children got out of the doors on the right of the car； toward the hotel entrance； the driver climbed heavily out on the left。 He was a big man with a cigar and a camel's…hair coat。
Murch was at the door before it was halfway open； pulling it the rest of the way and saying； 〃Just leave the keys in it； sir。〃
〃Right；〃 the man said around his cigar。 He got out and sort of shook himself inside the coat。 Then； as Murch was about to get behind the wheel； the driver said； 〃Wait。〃
Murch looked at him。 〃Sir？〃
〃Here you go； boy；〃 the man said and pulled a folded dollar bill from his pants pocket and handed it across。
〃Thank you； sir；〃 Murch said。 He saluted with the hand holding the dollar； climbed behind the wheel； and drove away。 He was smiling as he made the right turn into 53rd Street it wasn't every day a man gave you a tip for stealing his car。
It was rush hour； and several cabs had to be hustled out of their jocks before Murch reached Eleventh Avenue。 Three times he got the supreme accolade： Cabbies in his wake opened their doors； put one foot on the pavement； stepped out； and shook their fists。
The West Side Highway was no good at this time of day； as Stan Murch well knew； but it was possible to make fairly good time if one drove under it； down along the docks。 You had to be willing to go around trucks parked sideways every block or so； but that was all。
The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel was hopeless； as usual； but at rush hour there just isn't any sensible way to get to Brooklyn； so Murch waited it out； revving the engine in park and drumming his fingertips on the steering wheel to a stereo cassette of 〃Mantovani Swings Bartok for Sleepy Lovers〃； these cassettes were very nice； particularly in a tunnel where the radio couldn't pick up anything。
On the other side； Murch paid the toll； angled across seven lanes of fist…
shakers； and took an obscure exit marked 〃Local Streets。〃 While the rest of the world faced stop…and…go traffic on Flatbush and Prospect Expressway； Stan Murch angled down through neighborhoods that hadn't seen a strange face since the Brooklyn Navy Yard closed； and in the general vicinity of Sheepshead Bay he stopped in front of a metal garage door in a long gray brick wall and honked three times。 A small door beside the garage entrance carried a sign reading 〃J & L Novelties…Deliveries。〃 This door opened； a thin black man with a sweatband around his head leaned out； and Murch waved at him。 The thin man nodded； disappeared； and a second later the m