dw.jimmythekid-第31节

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　〃So　long；　everybody；〃　Jimmy　said；　waving　to　them　all　through　the　open　door　of　the　truck。　〃Don't　feel　bad；〃　he　said；　and　turned　away。
　Kelp　pulled　the　door　shut；　and　Murch　drove　them　on。　〃How　much　farther？〃　he　asked。
　〃Turn　down　Seventh；〃　Dortmunder　said；　〃and　park　as　soon　as　you　can。〃
　Kelp　was　frowning。　He　said；　〃Don't　feel　bad'？　What　did　he　mean；　'Don't　feel　bad'？〃
　May　said；　〃I　suppose　because　we're　all　separating　now。　We　kind　of　got　close　there；　after　all；　and　he　did　warn　us　about　the　police。〃
　Kelp　continued　to　frown。　〃It　doesn't　feel　right；〃　he　said。
　Dortmunder　looked　at　him。　〃What's　up？〃
　〃The　kid　said；　'Don't　feel　bad。'　Why　would　he…？〃
　Kelp　blinked。　Dortmunder　looked　at　him。　The　two　of　them　swiveled　their　heads　and　looked　at　the　suitcase　May　was　sitting　on。　May　said；　〃What's　the　mat…？〃　Then　she　too　looked　down　at　the　suitcase。　〃Oh；　no；〃　she　said。
　〃Oh；　no；〃　Kelp　said。
　〃Open　it；〃　Dortmunder　said。
　Murch；　stopping　for　the　red　light　at　Seventh　Avenue；　called；　〃What's　going　on　back　there？〃
　They　were　all　on　their　knees　now　around　the　suitcase。　May　was　releasing　the　catches。　She　was　opening　it。　They　were　looking　in　at　two　pieces　of　broken　shelf；　for　weight；　and　several　pieces　of　small…size　clothing；　to　keep　the　boards　from　rattling　around。
　〃He　pulled　a　switch　on　us；〃　Kelp　said。
　Dortmunder　yelled　at　Murch；　〃Circle　the　block！　Get　that　kid　back！〃
　The　light　was　green。　Murch　tore　the　Econoline　around　the　corner；　down　to　Forty…first　Street；　and　made　the　next　right　turn　on　the　yellow。
　〃Here's　something　else；〃　May　said；　and　took　from　the　suitcase　a　small　package　wrapped　in　brown　paper。
　Murch；　driving　like　hell；　yelled　back；　〃What's　happening？〃
　〃He　pulled　a　switch　on　us；〃　Kelp　yelled。　〃He　left　us　his　laundry！〃
　May　had　opened　the　package。　Inside　the　brown　paper　was　a　stack　of　bills。　〃There's　a　note　here；〃　May　said；　and　read　it　aloud　while　Kelp　counted　the　bills。　〃Dear　friends。　Thank　you　for　everything　you've　done　for　me。　Let　this　be　a　small　token　of　my　esteem。　I　know　you're　too　smart　to　e　after　me　again；　so　this　must　be　farewell。　Kindest　regards；　Jimmy。〃
　〃There's　a　thousand　bucks　here；〃　Kelp　said。
　〃Two　hundred　apiece；〃　Dortmunder　said。　〃We　just　made　two　hundred　dollars。〃
　〃Here　we　are；〃　Murch　said；　and　braked　to　a　stop　at　Eighth　Avenue　and　Forty…second　Street。
　Jimmy　was　gone。
　
　29
　
　September　29
　Mr。　John　Donald　Riley
　27　West　45th　St。
　New　York；　N。　Y。　10036
　
　Dear　John：
　I　know　I　promised　you　I'd　never　get　involved　in　a　law。　suit　again；　but　I　think　this　just　might　be　the　exception　to　the　rule。　My　friend　Hal　out　on　the　coast　tells　me　he's　seen　a　rough　cut　of　a　movie　called　Kid　Stuff　that　is　a　direct　steal　from　my　book　Child　Heist；　except　it's　played　for　laughs。　Now；　it's　bad　enough　to　steal　from　me；　but　to　make　fun　of　me　at　the　same　time　is　even　worse。
　Hal　says　the　thing　is　a　low…budget　no…name…star　quickie　done　here　in　the　east；　produced　and　written　and　directed　by　somebody　named　James　Hurley　Harrington。　I　don't　know　who　this　Harrington　is；　he's　never　done　anything　else；　but　he's　obviously　a　crook。　I'm　told　the　distribution　deal　is　being　worked　out　with　either　Columbia　or　MGM。　Maybe　the　best　way　to　approach　it　is　through　them　instead　of　going　after　this　Harrington　direct。　But　you're　the　lawyer；　so　I'll　leave　that　up　to　you。　Hal　tells　me　there's　no　question；　it's　an　open…and…shut　case。
　Say　hello　to　Maribelle　and　the　kids。
　Yours；
　Richard　Stark
　
　
　October　7
　Mr。　Richard　Stark
　73　Cedar　Walk
　Monequois；　NJ　07826
　
　Dear　Dick：
　Enclosed　find　a　tax　form　from　England　to　be　filled　out。　It's　the　usual　form　telling　them　you're　an　American　citizen　and　have　not　lived　in　their　territory　in　the　last　eighteen　months。　You　could　send　it　on　to　the　publisher　direct。
　I've　looked　into　the　situation　re　Kid　Stuff；　and　I'm　afraid　the　story　there　is　more　plicated　than　it　might　seem　at　first　blush。　James　Hurley　Harrington；　to　begin　with；　is　a　thirteen…year…old　boy；　apparently　a　child　genius　of　some　kind。　The　story　I　get；　and　I　do　believe　I　have　this　on　good　authority；　is　that　Harrington　himself　was　kidnapped　just　about　a　year　ago；　the　ransom　was　paid；　and　the　boy　was　released　unharmed。　His　father　is　well　off；　and　has　apparently　put　up　the　hundred　fifty　thousand　or　so　that　it　took　to　make　the　picture。
　It　seems　to　me；　Dick；　there's　no　question　but　that　the　kidnappers　used　your　book　in　abducting　the　Harrington　boy。　However；　Harrington　himself　has　used　only　the　events　which　in　fact　happened　to　him；　and　as　you　know　factual　events　cannot　be　copyrighted。　If　there　is　an　infringement　of　copyright　here；　and　I　don't　see　how　there　can　help　but　be；　I　doubt　you　could　make　a　case　against　anyone　but　the　kidnappers。　And；　unfortunately；　no　one　knows　who　they　are。
　I　understand　from　my　own　sources；　by　the　way；　that　it's　quite　a　funny　little　movie。
　Sincerely。
　John　Donald　Riley
　
　30
　
　DORTMUNDER　could　never　get　used　to　the　feeling　of　riding　in　the　cab　of　a　tractor…trailer　when　there　wasn't　any　trailer　hooked　on　the　back。　This　big　loud　red　engine；　snorting　diesel　fumes　oh　a　pipe　just　above　his　window；　growling　through　all　the　gears；　struggling　like　it　was　puling　a　building　along　behind　itself；　and　when　you　turn　around　and　look　back　there's　nothing　there。　Just　the　growling　cab　and　himself　sitting　up　high　on　the　passenger's　side　while　Stan　Murch　did　the　driving。　For　some　reason；　this　cab…without…trailer　experience　always　made　Dortmunder　feel　as　though　he　were　tilting　forward；　as　though　he　were　about　to　fall　off　a　cliff。　He　kept　his　feet　planted　on　the　floor　and　his　back　pressed　against　the　seat。
　〃There's　Kelp；〃　Murch　said。
　Dortmunder　squinted。　〃I　see　him；〃　he　said。
　It　had　taken　a　long　time　for　Dortmunder　to　be　willing　to　see　Kelp　again…almost　a　year。　And　a　couple　of　mouths　after　that　before　he'd　work　with　him　any　more。　He　still　wouldn't　have　anything　to　do　with　any　big　stuff　Kelp　might　bring　around；　but　he　was　grudgingly　willing　now　to　join　in　with　Kelp　on　the　occasional　burglary　or；　like　tonight；　the　occasional　hijacking。
　It　was　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening；　and　this　space　under　the　West　Side　Highway　along　the　piers　was　lined　with　trailers。　Some　were　empty；　waiting　to　be　loaded　tomorrow　morning　with　goods　ing　in　by　ship。　Others　were　full；　waiting　to　be　off…loaded　tomorrow　morning　with　their　goods　going　into　ships。　Almost　all　of　them　were　trailers　only；　without　cabs。
　This　was　the　best　time　of　day　to　hit　this　area。　Late　enough　for　the　workmen　all　to　have　gone　home；　but　not　so　late　than　any　passing　patrol　car　would　get　suspicious。　Hook　their　cab　onto　a　trailer；　drive　down　to　Brooklyn；　turn　it　over　to　their　contact　there；　take　their　money；　go　home。
　But　not　just　any　trailer。　It　had　to　be　a　trailer　with　useful　goods　in　it。　Like　the　one　tonight。　Kelp　claimed　to　have　learned　about　a　trailer　full　of　television　sets。　If　he　was　right；　it　was　rent　money　and　then　some。
　Murch　pulled　to　a　stop　next　to　where　Kelp　was　loitering。　Kelp　had　been　prepared　to　fade　away　between　the　trailers　if　anybody　else　had　e　along；　hut　now　lie　stepped　boldly　out　and　said；　〃Hiya；〃　as　Dortmunder　climbed　down　from　the　cab。
　〃Hello；〃　Dortmunder　said。　They　had　an　agreement：
　they　were　polite；　even　friendly　with　one　another；　but　neither　of　them　ever　mentioned　the　past。　It　had　been　a　year　and　a　half　since　the　kidnapping　fiasco　and　they　both　knew　that　Dortmunder　still　had　a　tantrum　left　in　him　on　that　one　and　that　the　tantrum；　if　it　did　burst；　would　have　to　burst　on　Kelp's　head。　S0　neither　of　them　talked　about　yesterday；　or　permitted　any　reminder　of　the　past。
　〃It's　this　one；〃　Kelp　said；　gesturing　to　a　ratty…looking　trailer　with　a　lot　of　dents　on　it。
　Dortmunder　looked　at　it；　and　the　trailer　just　didn't　give　the　impression　of　being　full　of　valuable　things。　He　said；　〃You　sure？〃
　〃Positive。〃
　〃Yeah；〃　Dortmunder　said；　and　he　did　not　say；　You're　been　positive　before。　What　he　did；　he　walked　down　to　the　back　of　the　trailer；　saying；　〃Let's　just　double…check。〃
　Kelp；　following　him　down　between　the　trailers；　said；　〃I　don't　think　maybe　we　ought　to…〃
　Dortmunder　threw　the　lever　and　opened　the　rear　door。
　The　alarm　made　an　awful　sound；　it　went　right　through　your　head　like　a　science…fiction　ray　gun。　〃Shit；〃　Dortmunder　said。　Through　the　open　door；　streetlight　glare　reflected　off　white　cartons　with　the　letters　TV　on　them。　〃Shit　again；〃　Dortmunder　said。
　Kelp　was　already　running；　and　now　Dortmunder　followed　him。　Murch　was　boiling　out　of　the　stolen　cab；　and　all　three　men　ran　across　Twelfth　Avenue　and　down　into　the　warren　of　side　streets　known　as　the　West　Village。　After　two　blocks　they　slowed　to　a　walk；　and　then　strolled　on　eastward　toward　Greenwich　Village；　ignoring　the　propositions　of　the　homosexuals　who　hung　out　in　this　area　at　night。
　It　took　Dortmunder　four　blocks　to　build　himself　up　to　it　but　finally；　gritting　his　teeth；　he　turned　toward　Kelp　and　said；　〃I'm　sorry。〃
　〃It's　okay；〃　Kelp　said。　〃Could　have　Happened　to　any。　body。〃　He　was　so　glad　that　for　once　he　couldn't　be　blamed　for　what　had　happened　that　he　didn't　even　mind　the　loss　of　the　TV　sets。
　They　walked　on　a　bit　farther；　reaching　the　relatively　bright　lights　of　Sheridan　Square；　where　they　stopped　again　and　Mur