ss.iftomorrowcomes-第32部分

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　〃You　forgot　something；〃　Tracy　said。
　
　They　turned　to　look　at　her；　startled。　The　younger　man　frowned。　〃What　are　you　doing　here？　A　car　from　the　Bureau　was　supposed　to　have　been　at　the　station　to　pick　you　up。〃　His　southern　accent　was　gone。
　
　〃Then　why　don't　we　go　back　and　find　it？〃　Tracy　suggested。
　
　〃Can't。　We're　on　another　case；〃　Trevor　explained。　〃We　have　to　catch　this　plane。〃
　
　〃Give　me　back　the　jewelry；　first；〃　Tracy　demanded。
　
　〃I'm　afraid　we　can't　do　that；〃　Thomas　Bowers　told　her。　〃It's　evidence。　We'll　send　you　a　receipt　for　it。〃
　
　〃No。　I　don't　want　a　receipt。　I　want　the　jewelry。〃
　
　〃Sorry；〃　said　Trevor。　〃We　can't　let　it　out　of　our　possession。〃
　
　They　had　reached　the　gate。　Trevor　handed　his　boarding　pass　to　the　attendant。　Tracy　looked　around；　desperate；　and　saw　an　airport　policeman　standing　nearby。　She　called　out；　〃Officer！　Officer！〃
　
　The　two　men　looked　at　each　other；　startled。
　
　〃What　the　hell　do　you　think　you're　doing？〃　Trevor　hissed。　〃Do　you　want　to　get　us　all　arrested？〃
　
　The　policeman　was　moving　toward　them。　〃Yes；　miss？　Any　problem？〃
　
　〃Oh；　no　problem；〃　Tracy　said　gaily。　〃These　two　wonderful　gentlemen　found　some　valuable　jewelry　I　lost；　and　they're　returning　it　to　me。　I　was　afraid　I　was　going　to　have　to　go　to　the　FBI　about　it。〃
　
　The　two　men　exchanged　a　frantic　look。
　
　〃They　suggested　that　perhaps　you　wouldn't　mind　escorting　me　to　a　taxi。〃
　
　〃Certainly。　Be　happy　to。〃
　
　Tracy　turned　toward　the　men。　〃It's　safe　to　give　the　jewels　to　me　now。　This　nice　officer　will　take　care　of　me。〃
　
　〃No；　really；〃　Tom　Bowers　objected。　〃It　would　be　much　better　if　we…〃
　
　〃Oh；　no；　I　insist；〃　Tracy　urged。　〃I　know　how　important　it　is　for　you　to　catch　your　plane。〃
　
　The　two　men　looked　at　the　policeman；　and　then　at　each　other；　helpless。　There　was　nothing　they　could　do。　Reluctantly；　Tom　Bowers　pulled　the　chamois　bag　from　his　pocket。
　
　〃That's　it！〃　Tracy　said。　She　took　the　bag　from　his　hand；　opened　it；　and　looked　inside。　〃Thank　goodness。　It's　all　here。〃
　
　Tom　Bowers　made　one　last…ditch　try。　〃Why　don't　we　keep　it　safe　for　you　until…〃
　
　〃That　won't　be　necessary；〃　Tracy　said　cheerfully。　She　opened　her　purse；　put　the　jewelry　inside；　and　took　out　two　5。00　bills。　She　handed　one　to　each　of　the　men。　〃Here's　a　little　token　of　my　appreciation　for　what　you've　done。〃
　
　The　other　passengers　had　all　departed　through　the　gate。　The　airline　attendant　said；　〃That　was　the　last　call。　You'll　have　to　board　now；　gentlemen。〃
　
　〃Thank　you　again；〃　Tracy　beamed　as　she　walked　away　with　the　policeman　at　her　side。　〃It's　so　rare　to　find　an　honest　person　these　days。〃
　
　
　
　BOOK　THREE
　Chapter　18
　
　
　
　Thomas　Bowers…　né　Jeff　Stevens…　sat　at　the　plane　window　looking　out　as　the　aircraft　took　off。　He　raised　his　handkerchief　to　his　eyes；　and　his　shoulders　heaved　up　and　down。
　
　Dennis　Trevor…　a。k。a。　Brandon　Higgins…　seated　next　to　him；　looked　at　him　in　surprise。　〃Hey；〃　he　said；　〃it's　only　money。　It's　nothing　to　cry　about。〃
　
　Jeff　Stevens　turned　to　him　with　tears　streaming　down　his　face；　and　Higgins；　to　his　astonishment；　saw　that　Jeff　was　convulsed　with　laughter。
　
　〃What　the　hell's　the　matter　with　you？〃　Higgins　demanded。　〃It's　nothing　to　laugh　about；　either。〃
　
　To　Jeff；　it　was。　The　manner　in　which　Tracy　Whitney　had　outwitted　them　at　the　airport　was　the　most　ingenius　con　he　had　ever　witnessed。　A　scam　on　top　of　a　scam。　Conrad　Morgan　had　told　them　the　woman　was　an　amateur。　My　God；　Jeff　thought；　what　would　she　be　like　if　she　were　a　professional？　Tracy　Whitney　was　without　doubt　the　most　beautiful　woman　Jeff　Stevens　had　ever　seen。　And　clever。　Jeff　prided　himself　on　being　the　best　confidence　artist　in　the　business；　and　she　had　outsmarted　him。　Uncle　Willie　would　have　loved　her；　Jeff　thought。
　
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　It　was　Uncle　Willie　who　had　educated　Jeff。　Jeff's　mother　was　the　trusting　heiress　to　a　farm…equipment　fortune；　married　to　an　improvident　schemer　filled　with　get…rich…quick　projects　that　never　quite　worked　out。　Jeff's　father　was　a　charmer；　darkly　handsome　and　persuasively　glib；　and　in　the　first　five　years　of　marriage　he　had　managed　to　run　through　his　wife's　inheritance。　Jeff's　earliest　memories　were　of　his　mother　and　father　quarreling　about　money　and　his　father's　extramarital　affairs。　It　was　a　bitter　marriage；　and　the　young　boy　had　resolved；　I'm　never　going　to　get　married。　Never。
　
　His　father's　brother；　Uncle　Willie；　owned　a　small　traveling　carnival；　and　whenever　he　was　near　Marion；　Ohio；　where　the　Stevenses　lived；　he　came　to　visit　them。　He　was　the　most　cheerful　man　Jeff　had　ever　known；　filled　with　optimism　and　promises　of　a　rosy　tomorrow。　He　always　managed　to　bring　the　boy　exciting　gifts；　and　he　taught　Jeff　wonderful　magic　tricks。　Uncle　Willie　had　started　out　as　a　magician　at　a　carnival　and　had　taken　it　over　when　it　went　broke。
　
　When　Jeff　was　fourteen；　his　mother　died　in　an　automobile　accident。　Two　months　later　Jeff's　father　married　a　nineteen…year…old　cocktail　waitress。　〃It　isn't　natural　for　a　man　to　live　by　himself；〃　his　father　had　explained。　But　the　box　was　filled　with　a　deep　resentment；　feeling　betrayed　by　his　father's　callousness。
　
　Jeff's　father　had　been　hired　as　a　siding　salesman　and　was　on　the　road　three　days　a　week。　One　night　when　Jeff　was　alone　in　the　house　with　his　stepmother；　he　was　awakened　by　the　sound　of　his　bedroom　door　opening。　Moments　later　he　felt　a　soft；　naked　body　next　to　his。　Jeff　sat　up　in　alarm。
　
　〃Hold　me；　Jeffie；〃　his　stepmother　whispered。　〃I'm　afraid　of　thunder。〃
　
　〃It…　it　isn't　thundering；〃　Jeff　stammered。
　
　〃But　it　could　be。　The　paper　said　rain。〃　She　pressed　her　body　close　to　his。　〃Make　love　to　me；　baby。〃
　
　The　boy　was　in　a　panic。　〃Sure。　Can　we　do　it　in　Dad's　bed？〃
　
　〃Okay。〃　She　laughed。　〃Kinky；　huh？〃
　
　〃I'll　be　right　there；〃　Jeff　promised。
　
　She　slid　out　of　bed　and　went　into　the　other　bedroom。　Jeff　had　never　dressed　faster　in　his　life。　He　went　out　the　window　and　headed　for　Cimarron；　Kansas；　where　Uncle　Willie's　carnival　was　playing。　He　never　looked　back。
　
　When　Uncle　Willie　asked　Jeff　why　he　had　run　away　from　home；　all　he　would　say　was；　〃I　don't　get　along　with　my　stepmother。〃
　
　Uncle　Willie　telephoned　Jeff's　father；　and　after　a　long　conversation；　it　was　decided　that　the　boy　should　remain　with　the　carnival。　〃He'll　get　a　better　education　here　than　any　school　could　ever　give　him；〃　Uncle　Willie　promised。
　
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　The　carnival　was　a　world　unto　itself。　〃We　don't　run　a　Sunday　school　show；〃　Uncle　Willie　explained　to　Jeff。　〃We're　flimflam　artists。　But　remember；　sonny；　you　can't　con　people　unless　they're　greedy　to　begin　with。　W。　C。　Fields　had　it　right。　You　can't　cheat　an　honest　man。〃
　
　The　carnies　became　Jeff's　friends。　There　were　the　〃front…end〃　men；　who　had　the　concessions；　and　the　〃back…end〃　people；　who　ran　shows　like　the　fat　woman　and　the　tattooed　lady；　and　the　flat…store　operators；　who　operated　the　games。　The　carnival　had　its　share　of　nubile　girls；　and　they　were　attracted　to　the　young　boy。　Jeff　had　inherited　his　mother's　sensitivity　and　his　father's　dark；　good　looks；　and　the　ladies　fought　over　who　was　going　to　relieve　Jeff　of　his　virginity。　His　first　sexual　experience　was　with　a　pretty　contortionist；　and　for　years　she　was　the　high…water　mark　that　other　women　had　to　live　up　to。
　
　Uncle　Willie　arranged　for　Jeff　to　work　at　various　jobs　around　the　carnival。
　
　〃Someday　all　this　will　be　yours；〃　Uncle　Willie　told　the　boy；　〃and　the　only　way　you're　gonna　hang　on　to　it　is　to　know　more　about　it　than　anybody　else　does。〃
　
　Jeff　started　out　with　the　six…cat　〃hanky…park；〃　a　scam　where　customers　paid　to　throw　balls　to　try　to　knock　six　cats　made　out　of　canvas　with　a　wood…base　bottom　into　a　net。　The　operator　running　the　joint　would　demonstrate　how　easy　it　was　to　knock　them　over；　but　when　the　customer　tried　it；　a　〃gunner〃　hiding　in　back　of　the　canvas　lifted　a　rod　to　keep　the　wooden　base　on　the　cats　steady。　Not　even　Sandy　Koufax　could　have　downed　the　cats。
　
　〃Hey；　you　hit　it　too　low；〃　the　operator　would　say。　〃All　you　have　to　do　is　hit　it　nice　and　easy。〃
　
　Nice　and　easy　was　the　password；　and　the　moment　the　operator　said　it；　the　hidden　gunner　would　drop　the　rod；　and　the　operator　would　knock　the　cat　off　the　board。　He　would　then　say；　〃See　what　I　mean？〃　and　that　was　the　gunner's　signal　to　put　up　the　rod　again。　There　was　always　another　rube　who　wanted　to　show　off　his　pitching　arm　to　his　giggling　girl　friend。
　
　Jeff　worked　the　〃count　stores；〃　where　clothespins　were　arranged　in　a　line。　The　customer　would　pay　to　throw　rubber　rings　over　the　clothespins；　which　were　numbered；　and　if　the　total　added　up　to　twenty…nine；　he　would　win　an　expensive　toy。　What　the　sucker　did　not　know　was　that　the　clothespins　had　different　numbers　at　each　end；　so　that　the　man　running　the　count　store　could　conceal　the　number　that　would　add　up　to　twenty…nine　and　make　sure　the　mark　never　won。
　
　One　day　Uncle　Willie　said　to　Jeff；　〃You're　doin'　real　good；　kid；　and　I'm　proud　of　you。　You're　ready　to　move　up　to　the　skillo。〃
　
　The　skillo　operators　were　the　crème　de　la　crème；　and　all　the　other　carnies　looked　up　to　them。　They　made　more　money　than　anyone　else　in　the　carnival；　stayed　at　the　best　hotels；　and　drove　flashy　cars。　The　skillo　game　consisted　of　a　flat　wheel　with　an　arrow　balanced　very　carefully　on　glass　with　a　thin　piece　of　paper　in　the　center。　Each　section　was　numbered；　and　when　the　customer　spun　the　wheel　and　it　stopped　on　a　number；　that　number　would　be　blocked　off。　The　customer　would　pay　again　for　another　spin　of　the　wheel；　and　another　space　would　be　blocked　off。　The　skillo　operator　explained　that　when　all　the　spaces　were　blocked　off；　the　customer　would　win　a　large　sum　of　money。　As　the　customer　got　closer　to　filling　in　all　the　spaces；　the　skillo　operator　would　encourage　him　to　increase　his　bets。　The　operator　would　look　around　nervously　and　whisper；　〃I　don't　own　this　game；　but　I'd　like　you　to　win。　If　you　do；　maybe　you'll　give　me　a　small　piece。〃
　
　The　operator　would　slip　the　customer　five　or　ten　dollars　and　say；　〃Bet　this　for　me；　will　you？　You　can't　lose　now。〃　And　the　mark　would　feel　as　though　he　had　a　confederate。　Jeff　became　an　expert　at