notion that he should, if he were smart, extricate himself at the very beginning, but he had another notion that he wouldn’t. Quincy was a compelling little bastard when he wanted to be, and was not above exploiting family loyalty if it became necessary.
“Let’s take a couple of beers,” Cousin Fred said.
Quincy bought the beers, which were carried to a little table in a dark corner. The entire place was dark, so far as that went, for Cousin Fred was averse to light and preferred in his places of relaxation the soft comfort of shadows. Physically, he bore a superficial resemblance to Quincy, a common inheritance of certain attributes on the maternal side, but the resemblance was so thin that a third party would hardly have noticed it even if the light had been a great deal stronger than it was. Although they were of a size, rather under the average, Fred’s features were sharper and his eyes had acquired a furtiveness from looking into corners and over his shoulder that Quincy’s lacked. Quincy’s eyes, as a matter of fact, had an open and childlike innocence that was quite appealing, although deceptive.
Fortified by another large swallow of beer, Cousin Fred said, “Now, Cousin Quincy, let’s hear the pitch.”
“What I want you to do,” Quincy said, “is steal a car.”
“Cousin,” Fred said, “I use the word appropriate.”
“I don’t care what you call it, so long as you do it.”
“Well, you must excuse me if I seem a little dubious, but this is the first time in a long career that I’ve had anyone ask to have a set of wheels appropriated. Already, Cousin, there’s something in this pitch I’m beginning not to like.”
“It’s perfectly simple. I leave the wheels, as you say, in a place we shall agree upon. At a time that we shall also agree upon, you make the appropriation and drive away. The only stipulation is, you must dispose of the car immediately. The profit is all yours. I ask for nothing but your service, and I appeal to you because I know you are an expert in these matters and have a sound knowledge of the market.”
“Those wheels of yours, Cousin? The profit wouldn’t pay for the effort.”
“Not mine.”
“Whose, then?”
“Never mind whose. The car, however, is a new Buick. The profit, even in your market, should be considerable.”
“I don’t like it. It’s too fat. You wouldn’t be trying to fix me with some kind of rap, would you, Cousin?”
“The trouble with you, Fred, is that the nature of your work has made you unnaturally suspicious. Would I play a dirty trick like that on the only son of my own mother’s sister?”
“Yes.”
“Well, let it go. I guarantee that there’s no risk to you whatever. The fact of the matter is, I’d be in far worse trouble than you if you were caught, which is a condition I naturally want to avoid.”
“Now I dig you, Cousin. Now I’m ready to believe. Why do you want these particular wheels appropriated?”
“The less you know about that, the better. I tell you there’s no risk and all profit.”
Cousin Fred drank beer and stared moodily at the thin foam on what was left. He couldn’t rid himself entirely of his uneasy feeling, but at the same time, like any businessman, he was tempted by a clear profit quickly acquired, and he was pretty certain now that this was part of a larger matter that Quincy could hardly afford to play fast and loose in. It was quite clearly something that Quincy wanted done quickly and expertly with no chance of detection.
“When do you want the wheels appropriated?” he said.
“Sometime early in the morning. After four o’clock, say.”
“Where will they be parked?”
“My idea is to leave the car in the municipal parking lot. I’ll leave the key in the ignition and the parking ticket in the glove compartment. All you’ll have to do is pay the parking fee and drive away. All perfectly overt and innocent. The attendant who takes your stub when you leave will be different
“Let’s take a couple of beers,” Cousin Fred said.
Quincy bought the beers, which were carried to a little table in a dark corner. The entire place was dark, so far as that went, for Cousin Fred was averse to light and preferred in his places of relaxation the soft comfort of shadows. Physically, he bore a superficial resemblance to Quincy, a common inheritance of certain attributes on the maternal side, but the resemblance was so thin that a third party would hardly have noticed it even if the light had been a great deal stronger than it was. Although they were of a size, rather under the average, Fred’s features were sharper and his eyes had acquired a furtiveness from looking into corners and over his shoulder that Quincy’s lacked. Quincy’s eyes, as a matter of fact, had an open and childlike innocence that was quite appealing, although deceptive.
Fortified by another large swallow of beer, Cousin Fred said, “Now, Cousin Quincy, let’s hear the pitch.”
“What I want you to do,” Quincy said, “is steal a car.”
“Cousin,” Fred said, “I use the word appropriate.”
“I don’t care what you call it, so long as you do it.”
“Well, you must excuse me if I seem a little dubious, but this is the first time in a long career that I’ve had anyone ask to have a set of wheels appropriated. Already, Cousin, there’s something in this pitch I’m beginning not to like.”
“It’s perfectly simple. I leave the wheels, as you say, in a place we shall agree upon. At a time that we shall also agree upon, you make the appropriation and drive away. The only stipulation is, you must dispose of the car immediately. The profit is all yours. I ask for nothing but your service, and I appeal to you because I know you are an expert in these matters and have a sound knowledge of the market.”
“Those wheels of yours, Cousin? The profit wouldn’t pay for the effort.”
“Not mine.”
“Whose, then?”
“Never mind whose. The car, however, is a new Buick. The profit, even in your market, should be considerable.”
“I don’t like it. It’s too fat. You wouldn’t be trying to fix me with some kind of rap, would you, Cousin?”
“The trouble with you, Fred, is that the nature of your work has made you unnaturally suspicious. Would I play a dirty trick like that on the only son of my own mother’s sister?”
“Yes.”
“Well, let it go. I guarantee that there’s no risk to you whatever. The fact of the matter is, I’d be in far worse trouble than you if you were caught, which is a condition I naturally want to avoid.”
“Now I dig you, Cousin. Now I’m ready to believe. Why do you want these particular wheels appropriated?”
“The less you know about that, the better. I tell you there’s no risk and all profit.”
Cousin Fred drank beer and stared moodily at the thin foam on what was left. He couldn’t rid himself entirely of his uneasy feeling, but at the same time, like any businessman, he was tempted by a clear profit quickly acquired, and he was pretty certain now that this was part of a larger matter that Quincy could hardly afford to play fast and loose in. It was quite clearly something that Quincy wanted done quickly and expertly with no chance of detection.
“When do you want the wheels appropriated?” he said.
“Sometime early in the morning. After four o’clock, say.”
“Where will they be parked?”
“My idea is to leave the car in the municipal parking lot. I’ll leave the key in the ignition and the parking ticket in the glove compartment. All you’ll have to do is pay the parking fee and drive away. All perfectly overt and innocent. The attendant who takes your stub when you leave will be different
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