dw.jimmythekid-第7部分

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　Murch　said；　〃I　was　just　telling　Dortmunder；　as　long　as　they've　got　that　construction　on　the　Brooklyn…Queens　Expressway；　I　give　up　on　the　Midtown　Tunnel　at　all。　At　night　like　this；　I　can　e　right　up　Flatbush；　take　the　Manhattan　Bridge；　FDR　Drive；　e　through　the　park　at　Seventy…ninth　Street；　and　here　I　am。〃
　〃Right；〃　Kelp　said。　He　sat　down　not　too　near　Dortmunder；　and　put　his　glass　on　the　table。　〃Could　I；　uh。。。〃　He　gestured　at　the　bottle。
　〃Help　yourself；〃　Dortmunder　said。　It　was　brusque；　but　not　really　unfriendly。
　〃Thanks。〃
　While　Kelp　poured；　Murch　said；　〃Of　course；　going　back；　what　I　might　try　is　go　down　the　west　side；　take　the　Battery　Tunnel；　then　Atlantic　Avenue　over　to　Flatbush；　down　to　Grand　Army　Plaza；　then　Eastern　Parkway　and　Rockaway　Parkway　and　I'm　home。〃
　
　〃Is　that　right；　Kelp　said。
　Dortmunder　pulled　a　paperback　book　out　of　his　hip　pocket　and　slapped　it　down　on　the　table。　〃I　read　this　thing　again；〃　he　said。
　〃Oh；　yeah？〃　Kelp　sipped　at　his　bourbon。
　Dortmunder　spread　his　hands。　He　shrugged。　He　seemed　to　be　considering　his　words　very　carefully；　and　finally　he　said；　〃It　could　maybe　be　used　a　little。〃
　Kelp　found　himself　grinning；　even　though　he　was　trying　to　remain　low　key。　〃You　really　think　so？〃　he　said。
　〃It　could　maybe　be　adapted；〃　Dortmunder　said。　He　glanced　at　Kelp；　then　looked　at　the　book　on　the　table　and　gave　it　a　brushing　little　slap　with　his　fingertips。　〃We　could　maybe　take　some　of　the　ideas；〃　he　said；　〃and　work　up　a　plan　of　our　own。〃
　〃Well；　sure；〃　Kelp　said。　〃That's　what　I　figured。〃　He　had　his　own　copy　of　the　book　in　his　jacket　pocket。　Pulling　it　out；　he　said；　〃The　way　I　saw　it…〃
　〃The　point　is；〃　Dortmunder　said；　and　now　he　looked　directly　at　Kelp；　and　even　shook　a　finger；　〃the　point　is；〃　he　said；　〃what　you　got　with　this　book　is　a　springboard。　That's　all；　just　a　springboard。〃
　〃Oh；　sure；〃　Kelp　said。
　〃It　still　needs　a　plan；〃　Dortmunder　said。
　〃Absolutely；〃　Kelp　said。　〃That's　why　the　first　thing　I　thought　of；　I　thought　to　bring　it　to　you。〃
　Murch　said；　〃What；　are　we　back　with　that　book？　I　thought　we　weren't　gonna　do　that。〃
　Dortmunder　was　being　very　dignified；　very　judicious；　and　Kelp　was　hanging　back　and　letting　him　have　his　head。　Turning　to　Murch　now；　Dortmunder　said；　〃I　give　the　book　another　reading。　I　wanted　to　be　fair；　and　we　don't　have　that　much　on　the　fire　that　we　ought　to　turn　something　down　without　giving　it　a　chance。〃
　〃Oh；〃　Murch　said。　He　pulled　out　a　copy　of　the　book　and　said；　〃I　brought　this　along　to　give　back　to　Kelp。〃
　〃Well；　hold　onto　it；〃　Kelp　told　him。
　He　was　immediately　sorry；　because　Dortmunder　apparently　hadn't　liked　that。　〃Hold　onto　the　book　if　you　want；〃　he　said；　〃but　what　we'll　do　is；　we'll　work　out　our　own　plan　from　it。　We　do　what　we　do；　not　what　the　book　does。〃
　〃Sure　thing；〃　Kelp　said；　and　tried　to　flash　Murch　a　high　sign　that　he　should　go　along　with　it。
　Whether　Murch　saw　the　sign　or　not；　all　he　did　next　was　shake　his　head；　look　baffled；　and　say；　〃Fine　with　me。　You　want　my　Mom　in　on　it？〃
　〃Right。　She　and　May　can　take　care　of　the　kid。〃
　〃Okay；〃　Murch　said。　〃Only；　where's　the　kid？〃
　〃Up　till　now；〃　Dortmunder　said；　〃we're　going　along　with　the　idea　this　book　can　tell　us　how　we　get　one。〃
　〃That's　right；〃　Kelp　said。　〃How　to　find　just　the　kid　we　want；　it's　all　in　the　book　here。〃
　Picking　up　his　copy；　Dortmunder　said；　〃Well；　I　got　an　open　mind。　I'm　always　ready　to　have　a　book　writer　tell　me　my　business。　Let's　take　a　look　at　that　part。〃
　Kelp；　riffling　hurriedly　through　his　own　dog…eared　copy；　said；　〃It's　chapter　four。　Page　twenty…nine。〃
　Dortmunder　said；　〃Thanks；〃　and　turned　to　the　right　page。　He　read　slowly　and　patiently；　his　lips　not　quite　moving；　his　blunt　fingertip　following　the　words　from　line　to　line。
　Kelp　watched　him　for　a　few　seconds；　then　began　to　read　the　same　chapter　in　his　own　copy　of　the　book。
　Murch　sat　there　by　himself。　He　looked　at　Dortmunder；　and　then　at　Kelp。　It　took　him　quite　a　while　to　figure　out　what　they　were　doing；　until；　in　fact；　both　of　them　had　turned　a　page。　Then　he　shrugged；　picked　up　his　own　copy　of　the　book；　shook　a　little　salt　into　his　beer　to　get　the　head　back；　drank　a　bit；　and　settled　down　to　read。
　
　
　
　
　7
　
　When　Parker　walked　into　the　apartment；　Krauss　was　at　the　window　with　the　binoculars。　He　was　sitting　on　a　metal　folding　chair；　and　his　notebook　and　pen　were　on　another　chair　next　to　him。　There　was　no　other　furniture　in　the　room；　which　had　gray　plaster　walls　from　which　patterned　wallpaper　had　recently　been　stripped。　Curls　of　wallpaper　lay　against　the　molding　in　all　the　corners。　On　the　floor　beside　Krauss's　chair　lay　three　apple　cores。
　Krauss　turned　when　Parker　shut　the　door。　His　eyes　looked　pale；　the　skin　around　them　wrinkled；　as　though　he'd　spent　too　long　in　a　swimming　pool。　He　said；　〃Nothing。〃
　Parker　crossed　the　room　and　looked　out　the　window。　A　clear　blue　cloudless　day。　Three　stories　down　and　one　block　to　the　north　was　the　Manhattan　exit　of　the　Midtown　Tunnel。　Two　lanes　of　cars　and　trucks　streamed　out　of　the　tunnel；　fanning　apart　into　half　a　dozen　lanes　of　traffic；　curving　away　to　the　left　or　the　right。　Parker　watched　for　a　few　seconds；　then　picked　up　the　notebook　and　studied　the　entries。　The　numbers　were　license　plates　and　dates　and　times　of　day。　Parker　said；　〃The　Pontiac　came　through　today；　huh？〃
　〃So　did　the　Mercedes；〃　Krauss　said。　〃But　there　isn't　any　phone　in　either　of　them。〃
　〃We　may　have　to　change　things　around。〃　Parker　dropped　the　notebook　on　the　chair　and　said；　〃We'll　try　the　Lincoln　today；　if　it　es　through。〃
　Krauss　looked　at　his　watch。　〃Ten；　fifteen　minutes；〃　he　said。
　〃If　it　isn't　any　good；〃　Parker　said；　〃Henley　will　e　take　over　here　at　four。　If　he　doesn't　show　up；　that　means　we're　on　the　Lincoln；　so　just　pack　in　everything　here。〃
　〃Right；〃　Krauss　said。
　Parker　glanced　out　the　window　again。　〃See　you　later；〃　he　said；　and　left　the　apartment。　He　went　down　the　warped　wooden　stairs　and　out　to　the　street；　then　crossed　Second　Avenue　and　got　into　a　blue　Plymouth　just　around　the　corner　on　Thirty…seventh　Street。
　Henley；　at　the　wheel；　said；　〃Anything　new？〃
　〃The　Lincoln's　still　the　best　bet。〃
　Henley　looked　in　the　rearview　mirror。　〃That's　due　pretty　soon；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Maybe　ten　minutes。〃
　Henley　rolled　down　his　side　window　and　lit　one　of　his　narrow　cigars。　They　waited　in　the　car；　neither　of　them　saying　anything；　until　Henley；　looking　in　the　mirror　again；　said；　〃Maybe。〃
　Parker　twisted　around　and　looked　out　the　back　window。　Among　the　cars　crossing　Second　Avenue；　ing　this　way；　was　a　black　Lincoln　Continental。　Squinting；　Parker　could　make　out　the　uniformed　chauffeur　at　the　wheel。　〃Right；〃　he　said。
　Henley　turned　the　key　in　the　ignition。　When　the　Lincoln　went　by；　an　eight…year…old　boy　could　be　seen　alone；　reading　a　ic　book　in　the　backseat。　Henley　shifted　into　drive　and　eased　the　Plymouth　into　line　two　vehicles　back　from　the　Lincoln。
　The　black　car　led　them　across　to　Park　Avenue；　then　north　to　Seventy…second　Street；　then　through　the　park　and　north　again　on　Central　Park　West。　At　Eighty…first　Street　the　Lincoln　made　a　U…turn　and　stopped　in　front　of　the　canopied　entrance　to　a　large　apartment　house。　Henley　eased　into　a　bus…stop　zone　across　the　street；　and　Parker　watched　as　a　livened　doorman　opened　the　Lincoln's　door；　and　the　boy　stepped　out；　not　carrying　his　ic　book。　The　doorman　shut　the　Lincoln's　door　and　the　boy　went　into　the　building。　The　Lincoln　moved　forward　along　the　curb　and　stopped　in　a　no…parking　zone　just　beyond　the　canopy。　The　chauffeur　took　his　cap　off；　picked　up　a　tabloid　newspaper　from　the　seat　beside　him；　and　settled　down　to　read。
　Parker　said；　〃I'll　be　right　back。〃　He　got　out　of　the　car；　crossed　the　Street；　and　walked　slowly　down　the　block　past　the　Lincoln。　Looking　in　on　the　way　by；　he　saw　the　telephone　built　into　the　back　of　the　front　seat。　Good。　He　went　on　down　to　the　corner；　crossed　to　the　park　side　of　the　street　again；　went　back　to　the　Plymouth；　and　slid　in　next　to　Henley。　〃It's　got　one；〃　he　said。
　Henley　smiled；　drawing　his　lips　back　to　show　his　teeth　clenched　on　the　cigar。　〃That's　nice；〃　he　said。
　〃Now　we　wait　for　the　kid　to　e　out　again；〃　Parker　said。　〃Then　we'll　take　a　look　at　his　route　home。〃
　
　8
　
　WHEN　DORTMUNDER　walked　into　the　apartment；　Kelp　was　asleep　at　the　window　with　the　binoculars　in　his　lap。　〃For　Christ's　sake；〃　Dortmunder　said。
　〃Huh？〃　Startled；　Kelp　sat　up；　scrabbled　for　the　binoculars；　dropped　them　on　the　floor；　picked　them　up；　slapped　them　to　his　face；　and　stared　out　at　the　Lincoln　Tunnel　exit。
　They　hadn't　been　able　to　find　an　apartment　overlooking　the　Midtown　Tunnel。　This　one；　in　a　condemned　tenement　on　West　Thirty…ninth　Street；　had　an　excellent　view　of　the　Manhattan　exit　of　the　Lincoln　Tunnel；　bringing　cars　in　from　New　Jersey。　It　also；　since　it　faced　south；　got　a　terrific　amount　of　sun；　even　though　it　was　now　October；　they　were　all　getting　sunburns；　with　white　circles　around　their　eyes　where　they　would　hold　the　binoculars。
　Kelp　was　sitting　in　a　maroon　armchair　with　broken　springs；　this　was　a　furnished　apartment；　three　rooms　full　of　the　most　awful　furniture　imaginable。　The　floor　lamps　alone　were　cause　for　weeping。　Kelp's　notebook　and　pen　were　on　a　drum　table　next　to　him；　the　drum　table　having　been　painted　with　green　enamel　and　its　top　having　been　covered　with　Contac　paper　in　a　floral　design。　The　walls　were　covered　with　a　patterned　wallpaper　showing　cabbage　roses　against　an　endless　trellis。　Some　of　this　wallpaper　had　peeled　itself　off；　and　curls　of　it　lay　against　the　molding　in　all　the　corners。　On　the　floor　beside　Kelp's　chair　stood　three　empty　beer　cans　and　three　full　beer　cans。
　Dortmunder　slammed　the　door。　〃You　were　asleep；〃　he　said。
　Kelp　put　the　binoculars　down　and　turned　an　innocent　face。　〃Huh？　I　was　just　resting　my　eyes　a　minute。〃
　Dortmunder　crossed　the　room　and　picked　up　the　notebook　to　study　the　entries。　〃You　been　resting　your　eyes　since　one…thirty；〃　he　said。
　〃There　wasn't　anything　useful　since　one…thirty；〃　Kelp　said。　〃You　think　chauffeured　limousines　with　a　kid　alone　in　the　back　seat　e　through　every　minute？〃
　〃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　sa