”
Haggerty lit another Camel.
Eric continued to stare around, trying to spot something. “ I wonder, when will we see a crime? ”
“ We already saw one. ”
Eric looked at the older man.
“ The drunk, ” Haggerty explained patiently, indicating the man leaning against the building. “ He just picked the pocket of the man who left the bar. ”
“ You ’ re serious. ’’
“ Indeed. ”
“ Damn, and I missed it. ” Eric said and he shook his head. “ Boy, do I have a lot to learn. ”
Haggerty gestured toward the newsstand. The owner was old and small, and needed a cane to hobble around. What business he was doing was in the Sunday Daily News. “ See the owner? ”
“ I do, yessir. ”
Now he gestured again. “ Now, see those two playing with the spaldeen at the corner? ”
“ The little kids without the shirts you mean? ”
“ They are little but Hispanics tend to be. But I ’ d guess they were your age. Damn close anyway. And I ’ d also guess that when they feel so inclined, they will mug and rob the newsstand owner. ”
“ He ’ s a cripple. ”
“ That shows how smart they are. Nobody in his right mind is going to mug Bronko Nagurski. Let me explain about muggers to you, Eric. Except for the fact that it ’ s low in social prestige, it ’ s not a bad occupation. Short hours, excellent wages, the taxes are very low. What muggers want to avoid is just what the rest of us want to avoid: trouble. Heaven for a mugger is an old woman alone on crutches. ”
“ And you don ’ t think we could stop them? ”
“ You can ’ t stop crime, Eric—that ’ s why the job is so draining —it flows on over you. And the tide is rising. ”
Eric was silent a moment and then began to laugh. “ I was just thinking of a story—true story—about this famous legendary con man named Yellow Kid Weil. Wore yellow kid gloves. Immaculate gentleman. And he used to work the ocean liners. First class. Sail over, become friends with someone rich, and then cheat them in a card game the last night or get them to invest in something not so legal. And this one trip on the last night he had this old fat guy ripe and ready and they ’ re starting a rummy game when Weil looks up and this other con man is signaling to him to come over. Weil tries to ignore him but this other con man comes right up to the table and says, “I’ m glad you two know each other ’ — the old fat guy was a con man too. ” Eric laughed again, forced it, then went silent. “ Now why did I tell that? ”
Haggerty sat there smoking. Ahead of them, in the next block, a number of bottles crashed against the pavement.
“ I guess I was thinking what if the other guy was a pickpocket too. ”
The two shirtless Puerto Ricans moved a few steps closer to the newsstand, playing expert catch with the spaldeen.
“ I still don ’ t get it. ”
“ I was trying to make everything come out all right I guess. If they ’ d picked each other ’ s pockets, no one would have lost. ”
More bottles shattered in the darkness up ahead.
“ Eric, what the hell are you doing here? ”
“ You mean why did I decide to be a policeman? Well, there were a bunch of us at Swarthmore interested in the Peace Corps —after graduation, you understand—for the experience. And … ” He stopped now, looking at a tall beautiful woman who exited the dance hall by the bar. “ That black lady ’ s a whore, obviously, right? Or a madam do you think? ”
“ Too young and pretty for a madam, and she ’ s also a man. ” Haggerty pointed. “ Transvestite bar. ”
Eric just stared at her.
“ What ’ s wrong with the Peace Corps? ”
“ Nothing—nothing at all—but the Philadelphia police— Swarthmore ’ s not far from Philly—they ’ ve got a new recruiting program and they sent a guy to campus—not too warmly received But he said, ‘ Why do you want to go across the world to help out in some jungle? Believe me, we ’ ve got plenty of
Haggerty lit another Camel.
Eric continued to stare around, trying to spot something. “ I wonder, when will we see a crime? ”
“ We already saw one. ”
Eric looked at the older man.
“ The drunk, ” Haggerty explained patiently, indicating the man leaning against the building. “ He just picked the pocket of the man who left the bar. ”
“ You ’ re serious. ’’
“ Indeed. ”
“ Damn, and I missed it. ” Eric said and he shook his head. “ Boy, do I have a lot to learn. ”
Haggerty gestured toward the newsstand. The owner was old and small, and needed a cane to hobble around. What business he was doing was in the Sunday Daily News. “ See the owner? ”
“ I do, yessir. ”
Now he gestured again. “ Now, see those two playing with the spaldeen at the corner? ”
“ The little kids without the shirts you mean? ”
“ They are little but Hispanics tend to be. But I ’ d guess they were your age. Damn close anyway. And I ’ d also guess that when they feel so inclined, they will mug and rob the newsstand owner. ”
“ He ’ s a cripple. ”
“ That shows how smart they are. Nobody in his right mind is going to mug Bronko Nagurski. Let me explain about muggers to you, Eric. Except for the fact that it ’ s low in social prestige, it ’ s not a bad occupation. Short hours, excellent wages, the taxes are very low. What muggers want to avoid is just what the rest of us want to avoid: trouble. Heaven for a mugger is an old woman alone on crutches. ”
“ And you don ’ t think we could stop them? ”
“ You can ’ t stop crime, Eric—that ’ s why the job is so draining —it flows on over you. And the tide is rising. ”
Eric was silent a moment and then began to laugh. “ I was just thinking of a story—true story—about this famous legendary con man named Yellow Kid Weil. Wore yellow kid gloves. Immaculate gentleman. And he used to work the ocean liners. First class. Sail over, become friends with someone rich, and then cheat them in a card game the last night or get them to invest in something not so legal. And this one trip on the last night he had this old fat guy ripe and ready and they ’ re starting a rummy game when Weil looks up and this other con man is signaling to him to come over. Weil tries to ignore him but this other con man comes right up to the table and says, “I’ m glad you two know each other ’ — the old fat guy was a con man too. ” Eric laughed again, forced it, then went silent. “ Now why did I tell that? ”
Haggerty sat there smoking. Ahead of them, in the next block, a number of bottles crashed against the pavement.
“ I guess I was thinking what if the other guy was a pickpocket too. ”
The two shirtless Puerto Ricans moved a few steps closer to the newsstand, playing expert catch with the spaldeen.
“ I still don ’ t get it. ”
“ I was trying to make everything come out all right I guess. If they ’ d picked each other ’ s pockets, no one would have lost. ”
More bottles shattered in the darkness up ahead.
“ Eric, what the hell are you doing here? ”
“ You mean why did I decide to be a policeman? Well, there were a bunch of us at Swarthmore interested in the Peace Corps —after graduation, you understand—for the experience. And … ” He stopped now, looking at a tall beautiful woman who exited the dance hall by the bar. “ That black lady ’ s a whore, obviously, right? Or a madam do you think? ”
“ Too young and pretty for a madam, and she ’ s also a man. ” Haggerty pointed. “ Transvestite bar. ”
Eric just stared at her.
“ What ’ s wrong with the Peace Corps? ”
“ Nothing—nothing at all—but the Philadelphia police— Swarthmore ’ s not far from Philly—they ’ ve got a new recruiting program and they sent a guy to campus—not too warmly received But he said, ‘ Why do you want to go across the world to help out in some jungle? Believe me, we ’ ve got plenty of
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