novel 88 - 19. second thoughts

by nick nelson

part 19 of ?

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what am i doing? tucker thought morosely, as he trudged through the rain and wind. what am i thinking? i must have let the sight of the painting affect my mind. wrap the painting in newspaper? even under ordinary circumstances? there must be a better way. he had been so afraid he would miss his chance at the painting that all his common sense had gone out the window. he should go back to bradley’s room, tell him he would be back the next day, with a box or whatever to pick up the painting. to seal the deal, he would give bradley his money they had agreed on and then go home and get a good night’s sleep. he turned around to go back to bradley’s building. as soon as he did, all his fears returned. bradley had seemed so suspicious and paranoid! all his, tucker’s, own fault, for making him suspicious. but too late now. there was one logical way out - to get rid of bradley. easy to say. but did he, tucker, after a lifetime of watching movies and tv shows in which smooth noir heroes and villains casually disposed of people who stood in their way as easy as lighting a cigarette - he could use a cigarette himself now, after all those years - did he really have it in him to “get rid” of bradley just like that? and with what? where would he get a gun? he had known some people who claimed to know a guy who knew a guy who could help him out in this regard. but how many years ago? did he have anybody’s phone number who might help him? and out of nowhere. at this time of night? as these thoughts were running through tucker’s head. his feet were propelling him back into the teeth of wind to bradley’s apartment. he reached the apartment building, and went through the front door into the tiny lobby. in the stuffy but warm lobby, he realized how wet he had gotten in the rain. he pressed the buzzer to bradley’s room. next

novel 88 - 18. ninety-five dollars

by nick nelson

part 18 of ?

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to begin at the beginning, click here

ninety-five? now i know you are nervous and are trying to cheat me. enough of this. how much do you want for it? one hundred and twenty-five. all right. i will give you one hundred and twenty-five. bradley hesitated. do you want the hundred and twenty-five? i will take it. all right. wrap it up and i will be on my way. i do not have anything to wrap it up with. are you serious? it is raining out, i am not just going to carry it in the rain. bradley shrugged. go out and buy something to wrap it in. like a newspaper or something. a newspaper? where do they sell newspapers these days, especially at this time of night? wang lee’s. on 66th street, two blocks away and half a block to your left. he sells chinese papers. all right. wait here. where am i going to go? tucker left, closing the door softly behind him. bradley went over to the window. he watched tucker emerge from the front door, pull his coat collar up against the rain, and head north on 66th street as bradley had directed. bradley took an insulted box and a canvas bag out of the bottom drawer of the dresser beside his bed and put the picture in the box, and the box in the canvas bag. then he put his hat and coat on and left the room with the bag slung on his shoulder, not bothering to lock the door behind him, and went down to the street. he headed south. next