5432852385743

“Okay. Keep your mouth shut as much as you can until you pick up the lingo and the feel of the
place. Go slow. Don’t make waves.”
I tried to smile, but I’m not sure I made it. The briefcase felt very heavy, as if it were filled with
rocks instead of money and bogus ID. I thought I might faint. And yet, God help me, part of me still
wanted to go. Couldn’t wait to go. I wanted to see the USA in my Chevrolet; America was asking me
to call.
Al held out his thin and trembling hand. “Good luck, Jake. God bless.”
“George, you mean.”
“George, right. Now get going. As they say back then, it’s time for you to split the scene.”
I turned and walked slowly into the pantry, moving like a man trying to locate the top of a
staircase with the lights out.
On my third step, I found it.