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〃It's all that beer you drink;〃 Dortmunder told him。 〃You drink that stuff and then you sit in the sun here; and you go to sleep。〃
〃For maybe two minutes;〃 Kelp said。 〃Maybe at the most five。 But not what you could call a deep sleep。〃
Dortmunder shrugged and dropped the notebook back on the drum table。 〃Anyway;〃 he said; 〃we've got that Caddy to follow。〃
〃Sure;〃 Kelp said。 〃It's a natural。 And I bet it's got a phone in it。 Why else would it have that big antenna thing?〃
〃Because it's probably the police missioner of Trenton; New Jersey;〃 Dortmunder said; 〃and they'll see Murch and me following the car; and we'll get picked up for anarchists。〃
〃Ha ha;〃 Kelp said。
Dortmunder looked out the window。 〃Traffic;〃 he said。
〃You know;〃 Kelp said; 〃I have a very hopeful feeling about this operation。〃
〃I wish you hadn't told me that;〃 Dortmunder said。 He looked at his watch。 〃If the Caddy's ing through; it'll be pretty soon。〃
〃Sure it's ing through;〃 Kelp said。 〃Monday; Wednesday; Friday; right around two…thirty。〃
〃Uh huh。 If it turns out it's no good; Murch'll e take over here at four。 Try to stay awake until then。〃
〃I wasn't really asleep;〃 Kelp said。 〃Not really。 Anyway; I'm wide awake now。〃
〃Uh huh。 If Murch doesn't show up here at four; that means we're either following the Caddy or some damn thing has gone wrong; and you should pack up everything and go home。〃
〃Right;〃 Kelp said。
Dortmunder glanced toward the tunnel; looked at Kelp; sighed and said; 〃See you later。〃
〃Sure。〃
Dortmunder left and went down the warped wooden stairs and out to the street。 He walked to the corner; went a block up Tenth Avenue; and got into the Renault just around the corner on Fortieth Street。 Murch; at the wheel; said; 〃Anything new?〃
〃Kelp was asleep;〃 Dortmunder said。
〃It's all that beer he drinks;〃 Murch said。 〃He drinks that beer and then he sits in the sun; and he falls asleep。〃
〃I just told him that。〃
〃So what do we do? Follow the Caddy?〃
〃If it shows up。〃
〃Right。〃 Murch started the Renault; drove a block; waited for a green light; turned left on Dyer Avenue; and parked over against the left…hand curb。
There wasn't much room in the Renault; and Dortmunder had long legs。 While he shifted around; trying to get fortable; Murch rolled down his side window and took a long narrow cigar out of his shirt pocket。 Dortmunder stopped squirming to watch him light it; and then said; 〃What's that? You don't smoke cigars。〃
〃I thought I'd try one;〃 Murch said。
〃It stinks;〃 Dortmunder said。
〃You think so? I kind of like it。〃
Dortmunder shook his head。 He scrunched around again; moving himself an inch farther away from Murch; and then rolled his side window down。 He hung his right arm outside; and watched the ining tunnel traffic stream past his right elbow and on up Dyer Avenue。
Dyer Avenue; on the west side of midtown Manhattan; has almost no true existence at all。 It runs eight blocks; from Thirty…fourth Street to Forty…second Street; and contains no houses; no shops; no churches or schools or factories。 Lined with the blank walls of warehouse backs and overpass supports; it is partially roofed by ramps leading to the upper levels of the Port Authority Bus Terminal; and is used exclusively to funnel traffic ing out of the Lincoln Tunnel。 There's no reason to park there; and in fact no parking is permitted。
Which was what the mounted policeman told them; ten minutes later。 ing up on Dortmunder's side of the car; he leaned down beside the neck of his horse and said; 〃There's no parking here; fella。〃
Dortmunder looked up and back; and saw this policeman's face suspended in midair。 Then he saw it was a policeman's head with a horse's body。 He just stared。
〃Didn't you hear me; fella?〃 the policeman said。
Dortmunder reared back; as best he could in the Renault; closed one eye; and finally managed to get the right perspective。 〃Oh;〃 he said。 〃Right。 Yeah。〃 Nodding to the policeman; he turned to tell Murch to drive them away from there。
〃Just a minute;〃 the policeman said; and when Dortmunder looked at him again he was climbing down off his horse。 Now what? Dortmunder thought; and he waited while the policeman got himself down onto the blacktop and leaned his head close to the window。 He gave Dortmunder a hard look; and then gave Murch a hard look。 He also sniffed loudly; and Dortmunder realized the police。 man thought they were drunk。 He sniffed again; and wrinkled his face up; and said; 〃What's that stink?〃
〃His cigar;〃 Dortmunder said。 〃I told him it stunk;〃 he said; and watched the Caddy go by。 Silver…gray Cadillac limousine; whip antenna; gray…uniformed chauffeur; kid in the backseat; Jersey plate number WAX 361。 Dortmunder sighed。
〃Urp;〃 Murch said。 Then; being very hasty; he said; 〃Okay; officer; I'll move it now。〃 He even shifted into gear。
〃Just hold on there;〃 the policeman said。 The Cadillac went on up to Forty…second Street and turned right。 The policeman; leading his horse; walked slowly in his tight riding boots around the front of the Renault。 He studied the car and the license plate; and frowned through the windshield at the two men inside there。 Murch gave him a big wide smile; and Dortmunder just looked at him。
There wasn't room for the horse between the left side of the Renault and the brick wall of the overpass support; so the policeman left it standing broadside in front of the car。
Still smiling broadly at the policeman; Murch said out of the corner of his mouth; 〃What if he asks for license and registration?〃
〃Maybe there's a registration in the glove partment。〃
〃Yeah; but I don't have a license。〃
〃Wonderful;〃 Dortmunder said; and the policeman leaned down to look in Murch's window and say; 〃What are you parked here for; anyway?〃
Murch said; 〃I got a dizzy spell ing through the tunnel。〃 Out front; the horse's tail; which was on Dortmunder's side of the car; lifted up and the horse began to relieve himself。
The policeman said; 〃Dizzy spell; huh? Let's see your…〃
〃Your horse;〃 Dortmunder said loudly。
The policeman looked past Murch at Dortmunder。 〃What?〃
〃Your horse;〃 Dortmunder said; 〃is shitting on our car。〃
The policeman leaned in and looked through the windshield at his horse。 〃Son of a bitch;〃 he said。 He removed his head from the car; went around front; grabbed the reins; and led the horse away from the car。
〃Get us out of here;〃 Dortmunder said。
〃Right。〃 Murch put the Renault in gear again and angled out away from the curb and around the policeman and his horse。 Moving slowly by; he called to the policeman; 〃Thank you; officer。 I feel a lot better now。〃
The horse apparently preferred walking to standing still when relieving itself; and was now walking slowly up Dyer Avenue; plopping contentedly behind itself; and ignoring the policeman's efforts to make it stop。 〃Yeah yeah;〃 the policeman said; nodding in distraction at Murch; and to the horse said; 〃Stop there; Abner; stop there。〃
Up at Forty…second Street the light was against them。 They stopped; and Dortmunder said; 〃Goddam it to hell and goddam it back again。〃
〃So we'll try it again Friday;〃 Murch said。
〃The horse'll shit in the windo