dw.jimmythekid-第17部分

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ke　him　unlock　it；〃　he　said。
　Dortmunder　said；　〃Unlock　the　doors。　Make　it　snappy。〃
　A　switch　on　the　driver's　door　would　lock　or　unlock　all　the　others。　Van　Golden；　also　realizing　right　away　what　these　people　had　to　be　up　to；　and　seeing　no　point　in　making　trouble　for　himself　in　a　situation　where　he。　was　essentially　an　innocent　bystander；　pushed　the　switch　and　unlocked　the　doors。　He　also　slid　his　window　open　again。
　In　the　back　seat；　May　had　finally　wrestled　the　telephone　out　of　Jimmy's　hands　and　disconnected　the　bewildered　operator。　〃Now；〃　she　said；　panting　from　exertion；　〃we're　going　to　play　make…believe。　I'm　going　to　make　believe　I'm　Mickey　Mouse；　and　you're　going　to　make　believe　you　can　behave。〃
　〃Kidnapping；〃　Jimmy　said；　〃is　a　Federal　offense。　Conviction　carries　a　mandatory　life　sentence。〃
　〃Just　be　quiet；〃　May　said。　〃I'm　here　to　soothe　you；　and　you're　making　me　upset。〃
　In　the　front　seat；　Kelp　had　entered　and　was　holding　a　gun　pointed　at　the　chauffeur。　Every　time　he　inhaled；　the　rubber　mask　pressed　itself　to　his　face。　He　was　getting　enough　air；　but　nevertheless　he　felt　as　though　he　was　suffocating。　His　voice　garbled　by　the　mask；　he　said；　〃Let's　not　scare　the　kid。　Nobody's　gonna　get　hurt。〃
　Van　Golden　said；　〃What？　I　don't　know　what　you're　saying。〃
　Holding　the　mask　out　from　his　mouth　with　his　free　hand；　Kelp　said；　〃Let's　not　scare　the　kid。　Nobody's　gonna　get　hurt。〃　It　was　a　line　word　for　word　from　Child　Heist；　which　Kelp　had　been　rehearsing　for　two　weeks　now。
　According　to　the　book；　the　chauffeur　was　now　supposed　to　ask　Kelp　what　he　wanted。　Instead　of　which；　Ven　Golden　pointed　at　the　pistol　and　said；　〃Scare　the　kid？〃　Then　he　gestured　a　thumb　over　his　shoulder　and　said；　〃Scare　that　kid？　Hah！〃
　Kelp's　memorized　response　didn't　suit　any　of　that；　so　he　stayed　silent。
　Dortmunder；　meantime；　had　gone　around　to　the　rear　doors　of　the　tractor…trailer。　He　rapped　on　them；　and　the　doors　swung　open；　pushed　out　by　Murch；　also　in　a　Mickey　Mouse　mask。　He　looked　critically　out　and　down　at　the　Cadillac　and　said；　〃You'll　have　to　back　it　up。　Just　like　in　the　book。〃
　〃I　know；〃　Dortmunder　said。　Just　like　in　the　book。　Dortmunder　turned　and　walked　back　past　the　Cadillac　toward　the　Caprice。　Inside　the　Cadillac；　Kelp's　Mickey　Mouse　face　was　staring　at　the　chauffeur　and　May's　Mickey　Mouse　face　was　staring　at　the　boy。　She　was　supposed　to　be　chattering　at　him；　keeping　him　calm　with　a　soothing　flow　of　words；　but　she　was　just　staring　at　him。　They　seemed　to　have　some　sort　of　Mexican　standoff　in　there。
　Dortmunder　backed　up　the　Caprice；　then　walked　to　the　Cadillac　again；　opened　the　chauffeur's　door　and　said；　〃Move　over。〃
　Kelp　made　room；　and　Van　Golden　slid　over　into　the　middle　of　the　seat。　He　said；　〃I　hope　you　birds　are　bright　enough　to　surrender　if　some　state　trooper　happens　by。　I　don't　want　to　be　a　hostage　or　a　victim　or　anything　like　that。〃
　Kelp；　given　an　opportunity　to　produce　another　of　his　lines　from　the　book；　said；　〃Keep　it　down。　I　told　you；　we　don't　scare　the　kid。〃
　But　he'd　said　it　without　lifting　his　mask　away　from　his　mouth。　Van　Golden　looked　at　him　and　said；　〃What？〃
　〃Forget　it；〃　Kelp　said。
　〃What？〃
　Kelp　took　the　mask　away　from　his　mouth。　〃Forget　it！〃
　〃You　don't　have　to　shout；　fella；〃　Van　Golden　said。　〃I'm　right　next　to　you。〃
　Dortmunder　started　the　Cadillac　and　backed　it　away　from　the　truck。　Then　Murch　pulled　out　the　two　wooden　planks　they　were　going　to　use　instead　of　a　metal　ramp。　May　was　the　one　who　had　pointed　out　that　if　they　used　a　ramp　they　wouldn't　be　able　to　put　it　back　in　after　the　car　was　inside　the　truck；　since　the　car's　wheels　would　be　in　the　way。　Dortmunder　had　said；　〃And　that's　the　book　we're　supposed　to　follow；〃　but　Murch　had　immediately　suggested　a　pair　of　planks；　which　could　be　stored　under　the　Cadillac　once　it　was　inside。
　But　it　took　a　while　to　place　them。　Dortmunder　sat　with　both　hands　on　the　wheel；　and　Murch　kept　running　back　and　forth　between　the　truck　and　the　car；　making　minor　shifts　in　the　two　planks；　lining　them　up　with　the　front　wheels　and　trying　to　keep　them　nice　and　parallel。　Finally；　content；　he　climbed　up　into　the　truck　and　gestured　for　Dortmunder　to　drive　forward。
　Slowly　they　went　up　the　ramp。　They　could　feel　the　planks　bending　beneath　the　weight；　but　Murch　had　positioned　them　properly　and　the　tires　were　nicely　in　the　middle　of　each　plank。　The　front　tires；　the　rear　tires　were　still　on　the　ground　when　the　bumper　scraped　against　the　rear　of　the　truck。
　〃Now　what？〃　Dortmunder　said。
　Murch；　frowning；　went　to　look　at　the　left　front　fender　of　the　Cadillac；　and　then　at　the　right　front　fender。　He　shook　his　head；　frowned　more　deeply；　put　his　hands　on　his　hips；　and　went　back　to　consider　the　left　front　fender　again。　Then；　leaning　on　that　fender；　he　called　to　Dortmunder；　〃It's　too　wide！〃
　Dortmunder　stuck　his　head　out　the　side　window。　〃What　do　you　mean　it's　too　wide？〃
　〃It　won't　fit。〃
　Murch　backed　up　from　the　Cadillac；　standing　inside　the　truck　and　studying　the　two　vehicles。　He　held　his　hands　up；　palms　facing　one　another；　and　peered　through　them。　He　shook　his　head。
　Murch's　Mom；　sitting　at　the　wheel　of　the　school　bus　and　not　knowing　what　the　hell　was　going　on；　considered　honking　the　horn　to　try　to　attract　somebody's　attention。　But　probably　this　wasn't　a　good　time　to　distract　them　all　from　whatever　they　were　doing　over　there。　On　the　other　hand；　it　did　seem　to　be　taking　them　a　long　time　to　get　that　Cadillac　into　that　truck。
　Inside　the　Cadillac；　Kelp　said；　〃I　never　heard　of　such　a　thing。　Cars　always　fit　inside　trucks。〃
　Van　Golden　said；　〃What？〃
　〃Nothing；〃　Kelp　said。
　〃I　should　have　known；〃　Dortmunder　said。
　Jimmy；　in　the　back　seat；　found　himself　considering　the　situation　as　though　it　were　a　problem　to　be　solved。　Like　the　problems　in　Scientific　American；　to　which　he　was　a　subscriber。　But　that　wasn't　the　right　thing　to　do；　he　wasn't　on　their　side；　he　was　on　the　other　side。　So　he　tabled　the　problem；　to　be　considered　at　some　later　time。
　May；　leaning　forward；　said；　〃Maybe　we　could…〃　and　the　phone　rang。
　Everybody　jumped。　The　Cadillac　sagged　on　the　boards。　May　stared　at　the　phone　in　horror　and　said；　〃What　do　I　do？〃
　Dortmunder　twisted　around。　It　was　hard；　with　three　men　crammed　in　together　in　the　front　seat；　but　he　turned　sufficiently　to　be　able　to　look　through　the　eyeholes　in　his　Mickey　Mouse　mask　at　both　May　and　the　boy。　He　said；　〃The　kid　has　to　answer　it。〃
　The　phone　rang　again。
　Dortmunder　said　to　the　boy；　〃You　play　it　like　everything's　okay。　You　got　the　idea？〃
　〃I　won't　cause　any　trouble；〃　Jimmy　said。　He　wasn't　exactly　frightened　of　these　people；　but　he　was　well　aware　that　a　tense　situation　could　sometimes　make　a　person　react　more　violently　than　they　would　normally。　He　didn't　want　any　of　this　gang　going　into　a　panic。
　〃You　just　answer　the　phone；〃　Dortmunder　said。　〃You　act　normal；　and　you　make　it　as　short　as　you　can。〃
　〃All　right；〃　Jimmy　said。　He　reached　out　to　pick　up　the　phone　as　it　rang　for　the　third　time。
　Dortmunder　said；　〃Hold　it　away　from　your　ear；　so　we　can　all　hear　what　they're　saying。〃
　Jimmy　nodded。　His　mouth　and　throat　were　dry。　Picking　up　the　phone；　he　held　it　so　the　back　part　was　out　and　away　from　his　ear。　〃Hello？〃
　〃Hel…lo；　there；　is　this　James　Harrington？〃　The　cheerful　male　voice　came　tinnily　from　the　phone。
　〃Yes；　it　is。〃
　〃Well；　this　is　Bob　Dodge　of　radio　WRTZ；　the　voice　of　Sussex　County；　calling　you　from　Hotline　For　Facts。　Your　postcard　has　been　selected　at　random；　and　you　have　the　opportunity　to　win　prizes　totaling　over　five　hundred　dollars！　And　now；　here's　Lou　Sweet　to　tell　you　what　prizes　are　in　this　week's　Hotline　Jackpot！〃
　Another　voice　began　to　ripple　from　the　phone；　describing　prizes；　in　each　case　giving　the　name　of　the　merchant　who　had　contributed　the　prize。　A　camera　from　a　drugstore。　Dog　food　from　a　supermarket。　A　dictionary　and　a　table　radio　from　a　department　store。　Dinner　for　two　at　a　local　restaurant。
　〃I　don't　believe　this；〃　Dortmunder　said；　and　May　shushed　him　again。
　Bob　Dodge　came　back　on　the　phone。　〃Are　you　familiar　with　the　rules　of　our　game？〃　he　asked；　but　before　Jimmy　could　answer　he　gave　them　anyway；　talking　at　top　speed。　There　seemed　to　be　something　about　levels；　options　of　subject　matter；　v