The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling
“At a quarter to eleven I called the number on J. Rudyard Whelkin’s business card. I let it ring unheeded for a full minute, then dialed 411 for the number of the Martingale Club. They charge you for those calls, and I could have taken a minute to look it up in the White Pages, but I’d earned a fortune the night before and I felt like sharing the wealth.
The attendant at the Martingale Club said he didn’t believe Mr. Whelkin was on the premises but that he’d page him all the same. Time scuttled by. The attendant reported mournfully that Mr. Whelkin had not responded to the page, and would I care to leave a message? I decided not to.
A couple of browsers filtered into the store. One of them looked potentially larcenous and I kept an eye on him as he worked his way through Biography and Belles-Lettres. He surprised me in the end by spending a few dollars on a volume of Macaulay’s historical essays.
Carolyn popped in a few minutes after noon and deposited a paper bag on the counter.
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