on condition he told the family he got the thousand. If I’m going to take grief from the family, I might as well take it for giving him nothing at all.”
Doc laughed softly, her chest heaving, and set the goggles and ring down. “Thanks, Gill, I like that answer—how are you?” She extended a hand, and I shook it.
“Fine.”
“That’s not what I hear from friends in Fort Lee.”
There’s a solid Asian contingent just across the GW Bridge. I had wondered if she’d call people there and check up on the latest news.
I tensed, my saddle bag feeling heavy on my shoulder. Teddy and Steve hadn’t picked up the news. Then again, they were more or less straight businessmen. Doc was a little more connected.
She waved a hand at a rattan chair opposite her. “Don’t worry, Gill, I haven’t fingered you. The Kurac are no friends to the Asian community; they think we’re all subhumans. I guess the Cubans haven’t figured that they are subhumans, too, or maybe they wouldn’t have flipped on you. I heard a Cuban squealed on you. Its people like the Kurac who make me question how there could possibly be a merciful God. Because I know your situation means I would be foolish to pay top dollar. For the Fifth Avenue sparks.”
I eased into the chair, wanting very badly to light up a Winston.
She continued, gesturing to my saddle bag.
“I understand you have some very special sparks in there. The Britany-Swindol sparks.”
“Not on me.”
“Hm.” Doc leaned back in her chair, away from the light, just a silhouette with sparkling eyes. “What say we forget about the Fifth Avenue junk? You might as well take that wherever you’re going. You can sell that as easily here as in Sweden. Did you have plans for the big stones?”
“Not yet. I’ve had a lot on my mind. That’s too tricky for me even to think about.”
“You may not have been thinking about it, but I have.”
I guzzled some of my cola and then skipped ahead a few questions. “How would you unload them? Israel?”
She shook her head. “China, dummy. The conversion rate is quite favorable for them at this time.”
“I’m a reasonable person, Doc, you know that. But I’m not going to be a pushover. There’s going to have to be serious money.” I stood. “This has got to be my ticket out. I’ll stash it for a rainy day if I have to.”
“Relax. Sit.”
“I can’t relax, Doc, you know that, there is no relaxing for me. For all I know those bastards are right outside. My brain is moving in eight directions at once trying to stay ahead of them, trying to keep them from putting my hands in meat grinders.”
“It’s not your hands you should be worried about.” She sighed. “Why would I even be discussing this opportunity if I had the Kurac in the wings? C’mon, Gill. I can help you. And Trudy. How is she?”
“Not great.”
Doc bowed her head. “She seen a cat doctor?”
“I tried, but it was a setup.”
“Damn those Cubans. Look, I can give you the name of a Chinese herbalist. He’s right around the corner. I can call and ask him to fix you up with something. That stuff they do really does work.”
“What makes you think I can trust him?”
“I’ll dial, you listen until the herbalist answers, okay? That way you’ll know it isn’t the Kurac.”
I thought about it a moment.
“What’s this going to cost me?”
Doc leaned into the light, her eyes in deep shadows from the lamp, her smile slight.
“I want you to trust me. Let me broker the Britany-Swindol sparks to Hong Kong.”
“Since you know my situation, you can use that to squeeze me.”
“I could. But you know what?”
I raised an eyebrow, waiting.
“Gill, I despise those fuckers with every fiber of my being. I want you to get away with this. Yes, I want to make money.”
“What happens when the Kurac find out you had a hand in taking their gems? They will.”
Doc cocked her head. “The Corporation may fear the Kurac, and the Russians may be their
Doc laughed softly, her chest heaving, and set the goggles and ring down. “Thanks, Gill, I like that answer—how are you?” She extended a hand, and I shook it.
“Fine.”
“That’s not what I hear from friends in Fort Lee.”
There’s a solid Asian contingent just across the GW Bridge. I had wondered if she’d call people there and check up on the latest news.
I tensed, my saddle bag feeling heavy on my shoulder. Teddy and Steve hadn’t picked up the news. Then again, they were more or less straight businessmen. Doc was a little more connected.
She waved a hand at a rattan chair opposite her. “Don’t worry, Gill, I haven’t fingered you. The Kurac are no friends to the Asian community; they think we’re all subhumans. I guess the Cubans haven’t figured that they are subhumans, too, or maybe they wouldn’t have flipped on you. I heard a Cuban squealed on you. Its people like the Kurac who make me question how there could possibly be a merciful God. Because I know your situation means I would be foolish to pay top dollar. For the Fifth Avenue sparks.”
I eased into the chair, wanting very badly to light up a Winston.
She continued, gesturing to my saddle bag.
“I understand you have some very special sparks in there. The Britany-Swindol sparks.”
“Not on me.”
“Hm.” Doc leaned back in her chair, away from the light, just a silhouette with sparkling eyes. “What say we forget about the Fifth Avenue junk? You might as well take that wherever you’re going. You can sell that as easily here as in Sweden. Did you have plans for the big stones?”
“Not yet. I’ve had a lot on my mind. That’s too tricky for me even to think about.”
“You may not have been thinking about it, but I have.”
I guzzled some of my cola and then skipped ahead a few questions. “How would you unload them? Israel?”
She shook her head. “China, dummy. The conversion rate is quite favorable for them at this time.”
“I’m a reasonable person, Doc, you know that. But I’m not going to be a pushover. There’s going to have to be serious money.” I stood. “This has got to be my ticket out. I’ll stash it for a rainy day if I have to.”
“Relax. Sit.”
“I can’t relax, Doc, you know that, there is no relaxing for me. For all I know those bastards are right outside. My brain is moving in eight directions at once trying to stay ahead of them, trying to keep them from putting my hands in meat grinders.”
“It’s not your hands you should be worried about.” She sighed. “Why would I even be discussing this opportunity if I had the Kurac in the wings? C’mon, Gill. I can help you. And Trudy. How is she?”
“Not great.”
Doc bowed her head. “She seen a cat doctor?”
“I tried, but it was a setup.”
“Damn those Cubans. Look, I can give you the name of a Chinese herbalist. He’s right around the corner. I can call and ask him to fix you up with something. That stuff they do really does work.”
“What makes you think I can trust him?”
“I’ll dial, you listen until the herbalist answers, okay? That way you’ll know it isn’t the Kurac.”
I thought about it a moment.
“What’s this going to cost me?”
Doc leaned into the light, her eyes in deep shadows from the lamp, her smile slight.
“I want you to trust me. Let me broker the Britany-Swindol sparks to Hong Kong.”
“Since you know my situation, you can use that to squeeze me.”
“I could. But you know what?”
I raised an eyebrow, waiting.
“Gill, I despise those fuckers with every fiber of my being. I want you to get away with this. Yes, I want to make money.”
“What happens when the Kurac find out you had a hand in taking their gems? They will.”
Doc cocked her head. “The Corporation may fear the Kurac, and the Russians may be their
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