dw.jimmythekid-第4部分

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veway　and　went　away。
　Kelp　came　walking　over；　a　cheerful　smile　on　his　face　in　the　sunshine。　〃Hi；　Stan；〃　he　said。
　〃Mister　Cheep；〃　Max　said；　〃could　you　use　a　job？〃　〃What？　No；　thanks；　I've　got　something　on　the　fire。〃　Murch　said；　〃You　wanted　to　talk　to　me？〃
　〃Right。　You　want　a　lift　somewhere？〃　〃I　left　my　car　at　a　diner　on　Jericho　Turnpike。〃　〃I'll　take　you　there；〃　Kelp　said。
　Murch　said　so　long　to　Max；　who　was　still　looking　dazed；　and　went　with　Kelp　to　the　car　he　had　parked　at　the　curb。　It　was　a　Mercedes；　with　MD　plates。　Murch　said；　〃Still　copping　doctors'　cars；　huh？〃
　〃They　got　the　best　taste；〃　Kelp　said。　〃Power　steering；　power　seats；　power　everything。　You　never　catch　a　doctor　cranking　his　own　window　down。　Get　in。〃
　They　got　into　the　car；　Murch　pushing　a　paperback　that　was　resting　on　the　seat　out　of　his　way。　Kelp　started　the　engine；　and　they　rolled　away　from　the　curb。
　Murch　said；　〃What's　the　story？〃
　Kelp；　pointing　to　the　book　on　the　seat　between　them；　said。　〃That。〃
　Murch　laughed　politely。
　〃No；　on　the　level；〃　Kelp　said。　〃What　I　want　you　to　do；　I　want　you　to　read　that　book。〃　…
　〃Read　a　book？〃　Murch　read　the　Daily　News　and　several　car　magazines；　but　he　didn't　read　books。
　〃You'll　like　it；〃　Kelp　told　him。　〃And　I've　got　an　idea　that　hooks　up　with　it。〃
　Murch　picked　up　the　book。　He　would　like　it？　Child　Heist；　by　Richard　Stark。　〃What's　it　about？〃
　〃About　a　crook；〃　Kelp　said。　〃A　crook　named　Parker。　He'll　remind　you　of　Dortmunder。〃
　〃That　sounds　great；〃　Murch　said；　but　without　much　enthusiasm。　He　riffled　through　the　book：　words　on　every　page。
　〃You　read　it；〃　Kelp　said。　〃Dortmunder's　reading　it；　too。　And　have　your　Mom　read　it。　Then　when　everybody's　had　a　chance　to　go　through　the　book；　we'll　have　a　meeting。〃
　〃Dortmunder's　in　on　this？〃
　〃Sure；〃　Kelp　said；　casual　and　convincing。　Murch　I　opened　the　book；　feeling　the　stirrings　of　curiosity。
　
　When　the　guard　came　to　open　the　cell　door；　Parker　said　to　the　big　man　named　Krauss；　〃e　see　me　next　week　when　you　get　out。　I　think　I'll　have　something　on。〃
　
　3
　
　K　E　L　P　was　very　excited　and　very　happy。　He　couldn't　sit　in　one　place；　and　the　result　was　he　got　to　Dortmunder　and　May's　place　half　an　hour　early　for　the　meeting。　He　didn't　want　to　risk　annoying　Dortmunder　again；　so　he　spent　the　half　hour　walking　around　the　block。
　He　was　so　sure　of　this　idea　that　he　didn't　see　any　possible　way　for　Dortmunder　to　turn　it　down。　With　Dortmunder　and　May　in；　plus　Murch　to　do　the　driving　and　Murch's　Mom　to　handle　the　kid；　it　was　all　going　to　work　just　beautifully。　Just　like　the　book。
　The　way　Kelp　had　e　across　that　book；　he'd　been　in　jail　at　the　time：　a　fact　he　didn't　intend　to　mention　to　anybody。　It　had　been　upstate　in　Rockland　County；　a　small　town　where　he'd　run　into　a　little　trouble　when　some　cops　stopping　cars　to　look　for　drugs　had　found　a　whole　lot　of　burglar　tools　in　his　trunk。　It　had　taken　five　days　to　get　the　whole　thing　squashed　because　of　the　element　of　illegal　search；　but　during　those　five　days　Kelp　had　been　kept　locked　up　in　the　local　pokey。　And　a　very　poky　pokey　it　had　been；　too…nothing　to　do　but　roll　Bugler　cigarettes　and　read　paperback　books　donated　by　some　local　ladies'　club。
　Several　of　the　hooks　had　been　by　this　writer　Richard　Stark；　always　about　the　same　crook；　named　Parker。　Robbery　stories；　big　capers；　armored　cars；　banks；　all　that　sort　of　thing。　And　what　Kelp　really　liked　about　the　books　was　that　Parker　always　got　away　with　it。　Robbery　stories　where　the　crooks　didn't　get　caught　at　the　end…fantastic。　For　Kelp；　it　was　like　being　an　American　Indian　and　going　to　a　western　movie　where　the　cowboys　lose。　Wagon　train　wiped　out；　cavalry　lost　in　the　desert；　settlement　abandoned；　ranchers　and　farmers　driven　back　across　the　Mississippi。　Grand。
　Child　Heist　was　the　third　of　the　Parker　novels　he'd　read；　and　even　while　he　was　reading　it　he'd　known　it　meant　something　special　to　him；　even　more　than　the　others。　And　as　he　was　finishing　the　book　the　revelation　had　e　on　him　like　a　sudden　flood　of　heavenly　light；　like　his　little　gray　cell　had　just　been　illumined　by　a　thousand　suns。　That's　the　way　it　had　been。　And　when；　the　next　day；　the　Public　Defender　had　finally　gotten　him　sprung；　he'd　walked　out　of　there　with　Child　Heist　concealed　inside　his　shirt；　and　as　soon　as　he'd　made　it　back　to　the　city　he'd　gone　to　a　bookstore　and　picked　up　half　a　dozen　more　copies。
　Would　the　others　see　it　the　way　he　had？　May　probably　would；　she　was　smart；　and　in　any　case　she'd　go　along　with　it　if　Dortmunder　did。　Murch　probably　not；　he　tended　not　to　understand　anything　that　didn't　have　wheels；　but　that　wouldn't　really　。　matter；　not　if　Dortmunder　went　for　it。　Murch　would　follow　Dortmunder's　lead；　and　Murch's　Mom　would　follow　Murch。
　So　it　all　came　down　to　Dortmunder；　and　how　could　Dortmunder　say　no？　It　was　a　natural；　it　had　struck　Kelp　in　that　jail　cell　as　a　natural；　and　it　was　going　to　strike　Dortmunder　as　a　natural。　Going　to。　Have　to。　No　question。
　Kelp；　growing　more　and　more　terrified　that　Dortmunder　wasn't　going　to　think　it　was　a　natural；　walked　around　and　around　the　block　for　half　an　hour　until　a　voice　called　to　him　from　amid　the　traffic；　〃Hey；　Kelp！〃
　He　looked　up　and　saw　a　cab　going　by；　with　Murch　in　the　back　seat；　waving　at　him　out　the　window。　Kelp　waved　back　and　the　cab　continued　on；　toward　the　building　in　the　middle　of　the　block　where　Dortmunder　and　May　lived。　Kelp　turned　around　and　walked　briskly　after　it；　and　saw　the　cab　pull　in　next　to　a　fire　hydrant　down　there。　Murch　got　out；　waving　at　Kelp　again；　and　then　the　driver　got　out　and　walked　around　the　front　of　the　cab　to　the　sidewalk。　The　driver　was　short　and　stocky；　wearing　gray　pants　and　a　black　leather　jacket　and　a　cloth　cap。
　〃Hi；〃　Kelp　shouted；　and　waved。
　Murch　stood　waiting；　and　when　Kelp　got　there　he　said；　〃Hey；　Kelp。　How　e　you　were　going　the　wrong　way？〃
　Kelp　frowned　at　him。　〃The　wrong　way？〃
　〃You　were　going　that　way。　You　miss　the　address？〃
　〃Oh；　right！〃　Kelp　said。　He　didn't　want　to　display　nervousness　or　indecision；　so　he　shouldn't　mention　about　walking　around　the　block　for　half　an　hour。　〃Ha　ha；〃　he　said。　〃How　do　you　like　that；　I　walked　right　on　by　it。　I　guess　I　must　have　been　thinking；　huh？〃
　The　cabdriver　said；　〃We　going　in　or　what　are　we　gonna　do？　I　could　be　out　making　a　buck。〃　She　pulled　the　cloth　cap　off；　and　it　was　Murch's　Mom。
　〃Oh；　hi；　Mrs。　Murch；〃　Kelp　said。　〃I　didn't　recognize　you。　Sure；　let's　go　in。〃　…
　〃This　is　my　shift；〃　Murch's　Mom　said。　〃I'm　supposed　to　be　working　now。〃
　〃It'll　be　a　short　meeting；　Mom；〃　Murch　said。　〃Then　maybe　you'll　get　somebody　that　wants　to　go　to　the　airport。〃
　The　three　of　them　had　entered　the　tiny　vestibule　of　the　building；　and　Kelp　was　pressing　the　button　for　Dortmunder　and　May's　apartment。　Murch's　Mom　said；　〃You　know　the　kind　of　fare　I'll　get？　You　know　the　way　it's　been　lately？　Park　Slope；　that's　what　I'll　get；　into　darkest　Brooklyn　for　a　two…bit　tip　and　no　customers　and　drive　back　to　Manhattan　empty。　That's　what　I　get。〃
　The　door　buzzed　and　Kelp　pushed　it　open。　He　said；　〃Mrs。　Murch；　your　days　of　driving　a　taxicab　are　over。〃
　〃I've　had　traffic　cops　say　the　same　thing。〃　She　really　wasn't　in　a　wonderful　mood　at　all。
　The　staircase　was　narrow；　they　had　to　go　up　one　at　a　time。　Kelp　let　Murch's　Mom　go　first；　and　naturally　her　son　had　to　follow；　so　Kelp　went　up　last。　He　called　past　Murch；　〃Did　you　read　the　book；　Mrs。　Murch？〃
　〃I　read　it。〃　She　was　stumping　up　the　stairs　as　though　stair…climbing　was　the　punishment　for　a　crime　she　hadn't　mitted。
　〃Wha'd　you　think？〃
　She　shrugged。　Grudging　it；　she　said；　〃Make　a　nice　movie。〃
　〃Make　a　nice　bundle；〃　Kelp　told　her。
　Murch　said；　〃The　part　where　they　put　the　car　in　the　truck。　That　was　okay。〃
　Kelp　was　feeling　the　awkwardness　of　a　guy　bringing　his　new　girl　friend　around　to　meet　the　fellas　at　the　bowling　alley。　He　called　up　the　stairs　to　Murch's　Mom's　back；　〃I　thought　it　had　a　like　a　kind　of　realism　to　it。〃
　She　didn't　say　anything。　Murch　said；　〃And　they　got　away　with　it　at　the　end。　That　was　okay。〃
　〃Right；〃　Kelp　said。　All　of　a　sudden　he　was　convinced　Dortmunder　wasn't　going　to　see　it。　Murch　hadn't　seen　it；　Murch's　Mom　hadn't　seen　it；　and　Dortmunder　wasn't　going　to　see　it。　And　Dortmunder　had　this　preju