[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
shouldn't. I don't like to be bullied. Especially by Thomas."
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Yes! Jack resisted the impulse to pump his fist. Instead he rose to his feet.
"It's your decision," he said. "And either way, there's not much I can do for
you. But I'll keep thinking on it. Maybe I can come up with someone who can
help."
"Why?" she said. "Don't get me wrong. I'd welcome any help you care to offer.
But I got the impression you're strictly fee for service. Why are you staying
involved?"
Jack shrugged. "Curiosity."
"Considering what happened to the others who've gotten involved, curiosity
could be dangerous."
"I know," he said. "You're a dangerous lady to be around."
She frowned, and suddenly he regretted the remark. She was feeling bad
enough. But it was true: He'd have to watch his back if he linked up with
Alicia. Have to find out who was behind all the rough stuff, then throw them
off balance by feeding them a few doses of their own medicine. Get them
watchingtheir backs.
"Hang in there," he told her as he pulled open the door. "I'll let you know
if I come up with something."
Jack walked away thinking about curiosity. One of his worst vices. Rarely did
it fail to get him in trouble.
3.
Jack spent most of the afternoon looking at real estate. He finally found the
place he wanted: a three-story Victorian town house on West Twenty-first
Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.
The place had a history, and Dolores, the chubby agent from Hudak Realty,
told him the whole sordid story. The previous owner had been a psychiatrist
who'd blown his head off near Times Square and left the place to one of his
patients. The patient later had an accident in the house and didn't want to
stay there. So she was offering it for lease, fully furnished.
"Perfect," Jack told her. "But I must, absolutelymust move inimmediately .
Rehearsals begin tomorrow, and I simplycan't have any distractions."
Dolores said she was sure that would be no problem. She seemed ga-ga over the
fact that her client was the actor who would be taking over the part of Javert
inLes Miserables . He promised her tickets for his first performance. "When I
step on that stage,you will be in the audience."
Jack signed a one-year lease as Jack Ferris, then paid first-month and
last-month rent plus a security deposit with a check from a Santa Monica bank.
He'd be done with the place before it bounced.
On the way out of the Hudak office he managed to snag a few pieces of
stationery, and a blank deposit receipt form.
He picked up a disposable Kodak camera and hurried back to snap a couple of
photos of the town house before the light faded. Then he called Jorge and met
him at the Malibu Diner on Twenty-third decent coffee and a fabulous array of
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their own baked goods.
He gave him the camera and a sheet with the layout and copy for the flyers
they'd planned.
"Get this printed up with the Hudak Realty letterhead on top. Then pass them
out like we discussed."
Jorge looked at the camera, at the rough sketch of the flyer, then at Jack.
"This will get me the money I am owed?"
Jack shrugged. "It's bait. If Ramirez bites, we've got a shot. If he doesn't,
we'll try something else."
"All right. If you say so."
Jorge left, shaking his head.
Jack couldn't blame him. This was a long shot, even if Ramirez took the bait.
He stepped out under the Malibu's bright orange canopy and watched the crowd
for a while. The offices and garment factories had let out and the hordes were
on the move, streaming through the dark into the subway entrances or bustling
toward Penn Station. Night came so early these days. Barely past five now and
already the stars were poking through the inky mantle of night.
He headed back to the Center. All the while he'd been hiking around with the
real estate agent when he should have been concentrating on Jorge's
problem he'd found himself thinking instead about Alicia and that house. He
kept reminding himself that it wasn't his sort of gig, that he couldn't
resolve this for her. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
shouldn't. I don't like to be bullied. Especially by Thomas."
Page 104
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Yes! Jack resisted the impulse to pump his fist. Instead he rose to his feet.
"It's your decision," he said. "And either way, there's not much I can do for
you. But I'll keep thinking on it. Maybe I can come up with someone who can
help."
"Why?" she said. "Don't get me wrong. I'd welcome any help you care to offer.
But I got the impression you're strictly fee for service. Why are you staying
involved?"
Jack shrugged. "Curiosity."
"Considering what happened to the others who've gotten involved, curiosity
could be dangerous."
"I know," he said. "You're a dangerous lady to be around."
She frowned, and suddenly he regretted the remark. She was feeling bad
enough. But it was true: He'd have to watch his back if he linked up with
Alicia. Have to find out who was behind all the rough stuff, then throw them
off balance by feeding them a few doses of their own medicine. Get them
watchingtheir backs.
"Hang in there," he told her as he pulled open the door. "I'll let you know
if I come up with something."
Jack walked away thinking about curiosity. One of his worst vices. Rarely did
it fail to get him in trouble.
3.
Jack spent most of the afternoon looking at real estate. He finally found the
place he wanted: a three-story Victorian town house on West Twenty-first
Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.
The place had a history, and Dolores, the chubby agent from Hudak Realty,
told him the whole sordid story. The previous owner had been a psychiatrist
who'd blown his head off near Times Square and left the place to one of his
patients. The patient later had an accident in the house and didn't want to
stay there. So she was offering it for lease, fully furnished.
"Perfect," Jack told her. "But I must, absolutelymust move inimmediately .
Rehearsals begin tomorrow, and I simplycan't have any distractions."
Dolores said she was sure that would be no problem. She seemed ga-ga over the
fact that her client was the actor who would be taking over the part of Javert
inLes Miserables . He promised her tickets for his first performance. "When I
step on that stage,you will be in the audience."
Jack signed a one-year lease as Jack Ferris, then paid first-month and
last-month rent plus a security deposit with a check from a Santa Monica bank.
He'd be done with the place before it bounced.
On the way out of the Hudak office he managed to snag a few pieces of
stationery, and a blank deposit receipt form.
He picked up a disposable Kodak camera and hurried back to snap a couple of
photos of the town house before the light faded. Then he called Jorge and met
him at the Malibu Diner on Twenty-third decent coffee and a fabulous array of
Page 105
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
their own baked goods.
He gave him the camera and a sheet with the layout and copy for the flyers
they'd planned.
"Get this printed up with the Hudak Realty letterhead on top. Then pass them
out like we discussed."
Jorge looked at the camera, at the rough sketch of the flyer, then at Jack.
"This will get me the money I am owed?"
Jack shrugged. "It's bait. If Ramirez bites, we've got a shot. If he doesn't,
we'll try something else."
"All right. If you say so."
Jorge left, shaking his head.
Jack couldn't blame him. This was a long shot, even if Ramirez took the bait.
He stepped out under the Malibu's bright orange canopy and watched the crowd
for a while. The offices and garment factories had let out and the hordes were
on the move, streaming through the dark into the subway entrances or bustling
toward Penn Station. Night came so early these days. Barely past five now and
already the stars were poking through the inky mantle of night.
He headed back to the Center. All the while he'd been hiking around with the
real estate agent when he should have been concentrating on Jorge's
problem he'd found himself thinking instead about Alicia and that house. He
kept reminding himself that it wasn't his sort of gig, that he couldn't
resolve this for her. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]