dw.jimmythekid-第5部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


it；　Murch's　Mom　hadn't　seen　it；　and　Dortmunder　wasn't　going　to　see　it。　And　Dortmunder　had　this　prejudice　anyway　about　ideas　brought　to　him　by　Kelp；　even　though　none　of　the　disasters　of　the　past　had　been　truly　Kelp's　fault。
　They　were　at　the　third…floor　landing；　and　May　was　standing　in　the　open　doorway　of　the　apartment。　There　was　a　cigarette　dangling　in　the　corner　of　her　mouth；　and　she　was　wearing　a　dark　blue　dress　and　a　green　cardigan　sweater　with　the　buttons　open　and　with　a　pocket　down　by　the　waist　that　was　bulged　out　of　shape　by　a　pack　of　cigarettes　and　two　packs　of　matches。　She　looked　very　flat。　footed；　because　she　had　on　the　white　orthopedic　shoes　she　wore　in　her　job　as　a　cashier　at　a　Bohack's　supermarket。　She　was　a　tall　thin　woman　with　slightly　graying　black　hair；　and　she　was　usually　squinting　because　of　cigarette　smoke　in　her　eyes；　since　at　all　times　she　kept　a　cigarette　burning　away　in　the　corner　of　her　mouth。
　Now；　she　said　hello　to　everybody　and　invited　them　in；　and　Kelp　paused　just　inside　the　door　to　say；　〃Did　you　read　it？〃
　Murch　and　his　Mom　had　gone　through　the　foyer　into　the　living　room。　Voices　could　be　heard　in　there；　as　they　greeted　Dortmunder。　May；　closing　the　front　door；　nodded　and　said；　〃I　liked　it。〃
　〃Good；〃　Kelp　said。　He　and　May　went　into　the　living　room；　and　Kelp　watched　Dortmunder　just　leaving　the　room　by　the　opposite　door。　〃Uh；〃　Kelp　said。
　May　said；　〃You　want　a　beer？〃　She　called　after　Dortmunder；　〃John；　and　a　beer　for　Kelp。〃
　〃Oh；〃　Kelp　said。　〃He's　getting　beer。〃
　Murch　and　his　Mom　were　settling　on　the　sofa。　The　two　full　ashtrays　on　the　drum　table　suggested　that　May　was　probably　claiming　the　blue　armchair；　and　that　left　only　the　gray　armchair。　Dortmunder　would　be　sitting　in　that。
　〃Have　a　seat；〃　May　said。
　〃No；　thanks；〃　Kelp　said。　〃I'd　rather　stand。　I'm　sort　of　up　and　excited；　you　know？〃　…
　Beer　cans　were　being　opened　in　the　kitchen；　kop；　kop；　kop。　Murch's　Mom　said；　〃May；　I'm　crazy　about　that　lamp。　Where'd　you　get　it？〃
　〃Fortunoff's；〃　May　said。　〃On　sale；　a　discontinued　model。〃
　Murch　said；　〃I　know　we're　a　little　late；　but　we　ran　into　traffic　on　the　Brooklyn…Queens　Expressway。　I　couldn't　figure　it　out。〃
　〃I　told　you　there　was　construction　there；〃　his　mother　said。　〃But　you　don't　listen　to　your　mother。〃
　〃At　eight　o'clock　at　night？　I　figured　four；　five　o'clock；　they　go　home。　Am　I　supposed　to　know　they　leave　the　machinery　there；　close　the　thing　down　to　one　lane　all　night？〃
　Kelp　said；　〃To　e　to　Manhattan　you　take　the　Brooklyn　Queens　Expressway？〃
　〃Up　to　the　Midtown　Tunnel；〃　Murch　said。　〃You　see；　ing　from　Canarsie…〃
　Dortmunder；　ing　in　then　with　his　hands　full　of　beer　cans；　said；　〃Everybody　can　drink　out　of　the　can；　right？〃
　They　all　agreed　they　could；　and　then　Murch　went　on　with　his　explanation　to　Kelp；　〃ing　up　out　of　Canarsie；〃　he　said；　〃you've　got　special　problems；　see。　There's　different　routes　you　can　take　that's　better　at　different　times　of　day。　So　what　we　did　this　time；　we　took　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　but　then　we　didn't　take　the　Interborough。　See　what　I　mean？　We　took　Bushwick　Avenue　instead；　and　crossed　over　to　Broadway。　Now；　we　could　have　taken　the　Williamsburg　Bridge；　but…〃
　〃Which　is　exactly　what　we　should　have　done；〃　Murch's　Mom　said；　and　drank　some　beer。
　〃Now；　that's　what　I'll　do　next　time；〃　Murch　admitted。　〃Until　they　get　all　that　machinery　off　the　BQE。　But　usually　the　best　way　is　the　BQE　up　to　the　Midtown　Tunnel；　and　then　into　Manhattan。〃　He　was　leaning　urgently　toward　Kelp；　gesturing　with　his　full　beer　can。　〃See　what　I　mean？〃
　It　was　more　of　an　explanation　than　Kelp　had　been　looking　for。　〃I　see　what　you　mean；〃　he　said。
　Dortmunder　handed　Kelp　a　beer　and　gestured　at　the　gray　armchair。　〃Have　a　seat。〃
　〃No；　thanks。　I　think　I'd　rather　stand。〃
　〃Suit　yourself；〃　Dortmunder　said；　and　went　over　to　sit　on　the　arm　of　May's　chair。　〃Go　ahead；〃　he　said。
　All　at　once；　Kelp　had　stage　fright。　All　at　once　he'd　lost　all　confidence　in　his　idea　and　all　confidence　in　his　ability　to　put　the　idea　across。　〃Well；〃　he　said；　and　looked　around　at　the　four　waiting　faces；　〃well。　You've　all　read　the　book。〃
　They　all　nodded。
　The　empty　chair　was　like　a　bad　omen。　Kelp　was　standing　there　in　front　of　everybody　like　an　idiot；　and　right　next　to　him　was　this　empty　chair。　Turning　his　head　slightly；　trying　not　to　see　the　empty　chair；　he　said；　〃And　I　asked　you　all　what　you　thought　of　it；　and　you　all　thought　it　was　pretty　good；　right？〃
　Three　of　them　nodded；　but　Dortmunder　said；　〃You　didn't　ask　me　what　I　thought　of　it。〃
　〃Oh。　That's　right。　Well；　uh；　what　did　you　think　of　it？〃
　〃I　thought　it　was　pretty　good；〃　Dortmunder　said。
　Kelp　grinned　with　relief。　His　natural　optimism　was　re　turning　to　him　now。　Clapping　his　hands　together　he　said；　〃That's　right。　It　is　pretty　good；　isn't　it？　And　you　know　what　else　it　is？〃
　None　of　them　knew。
　〃It's　full　of　detail；〃　Kelp　said。　〃The　whole　thing　is　worked　out　right　from　one　end　to　the　other；　every　detail。　Isn't　that　right？〃
　They　all　nodded。　Dortmunder　said；　〃But　where　do　we　e　in？〃
　Kelp　hesitated；　this　was　the　moment。　The　gray　armchair　hung　like　a　teardrop　in　his　peripheral　vision。　〃We　do　it！〃　he　said。
　They　all　looked　at　him。　Murch's　Mom　said；　irritably；　〃What　was　that？〃
　It　was　out　now；　and　a　sudden　rush　of　excitement　carried　Kelp　along　on　its　crest。　Crouching　like　a　surfer　in　the　curl；　he　leaned　toward　his　audience　and　said；　〃Don't　you　see？　That　goddam　book's　a　blueprint；　a　step…by…step　master　plan！　All　we　do　is　follow　it！　They　got　away　with　it　in　the　book；　and　we'll　get　away　with　it　right　here！〃
　They　were　staring　at　him　openmouthed。　He　stared　back；　fired　with　the　vision　of　his　idea。　〃Don't　you　see？　We　do　the　caper　in　the　book！　We　do　the　book！〃
　
　4
　
　D　0　R　T　M　U　N　D　E　R　just　sat　there。　The　others；　as　they　began　to　catch　hold　of　Kelp's　idea；　starting　making　exclamations；　asking　questions；　making　ments；　but　Dortmunder　just　sat　there；　heavily；　and　thought　about　it。
　Murch　said；　〃I　get　it！　You　mean　we　do　everything　they　do　in　the　book。〃
　〃That's　right！〃
　May　said；　〃But　it's　a　book　about　a　kidnapping。　It　isn't　a　robbery；　it's　a　kidnapping。〃
　〃It　works　the　same　way；〃　Kelp　told　her。　〃What　difference　does　it　make；　it's　still　a　caper；　and　every　detail　is　laid　right　out　there　for　us。　How　to　pick　the　kid；　how　to　get　the　kid；　how　to　get　the　payoff…〃
　May　said；　〃But；　you　can't　kidnap　a　little　child！　That's　mean。　I'm　surprised　at　you。〃
　Kelp　said；　〃No；　it　isn't。　We　wouldn't　hurt　the　kid。　I　mean；　we　wouldn't　hurt　him　anyway；　but　they　make　a　whole　big　point　about　that　in　the　book；　how　if　they　give　the　kid　back　unhurt　the　cops　won't　try　so　hard　to　get　them　later　on。　Wait；　I'll　find　the　place；　I'll　read　it　to　you。〃
　Kelp　reached　into　his　hip　pocket　and　pulled　out　a　copy　of　the　book。　Dortmunder　watched　him；　saw　him　leafing　through　it　looking　for　the　place；　and　still　didn't　say　any。　thing。　He　just　sat　there　and　thought　about　it。
　Dortmunder　was　not　a　natural　reader；　but　his　times　in。　side　prison　walls　had　shown　him　the　usefulness　of　reading　when　you're　waiting　for　a　certain　number　of　days　to　go　by。　Reading　can　speed　the　days　a　little；　and　that's　all　to　the　good。　So　all　in　all　it　had　been　a　fairly　familiar　experience　for　him；　reading　a　book；　though　strange　to　be　doing　it　in　a　place　with　no　bars　over　the　window。　And　also　strange　to　be　doing　it　for　some　other　reason　outside　the　act　of　reading　itself。　All　the　way　through　he　had　kept　wondering　what　Kelp　had　in　mind；　had　even　distracted　himself　from　the　story　here　and　there　while　trying　to　guess　what　the　purpose　of　it　all　could　be；　and　the　truth　had　never　occurred　to　him。　A　blueprint。　Kelp　wanted　them　to　read　the　book　because　it　was　a　blueprint。
　Now　Kelp　was　leafing　back　and　forth　through　his　copy；　trying　to　find　the　part　where　it　had　said　not　to　kill　the　child　they　were　kidnapping。　〃I　know　it's　here　somewhere；〃　he　was　saying。
　〃We　all　read　it；〃　Murch's　Mom　said。　〃Don't　start　reciting　it　to　us；　like　some　Traffic　Court　judge。〃
　〃Okay；〃　Kelp　said；　and　closed　the　book　again。　Standing　there；　holding　it；　looking　like　some　kind　of　paperback　preacher；　he　said；　〃You　all　agree　with　me；　don't　you？　You　see　what　a　natural　this　is；　what　a　winner　this　is。〃
　〃There's　a　lot　of　driving　in　it