Joe laughed. "If your damned CPA is so all-powerful, why can't you
_make_ me go?"
"Violation of Civil Rights."
"Damn it, there must be some way you can help me! We both want the same
thing. We both want to see me convicted of a crime."
"How can I help you without committing a crime myself?" Hendricks
walked to his desk, opened a drawer and removed a small black book.
"See this? It contains names and addresses of all the people in New
York who aren't properly protected. Every week we find people who
aren't protected properly--blind spots in our protection devices. As
soon as we find them, we take steps to install anti-robbery devices,
but this is a big city and sometimes it takes days to get the work done.
"In the meantime, any one of these people could be robbed. But what can
I do? I can't hold this book in front of your nose and say, 'Here, Joe,
pick a name and go out and rob him.'" He laughed nervously. "If I did
that, I'd be committing a crime myself!"
He placed the book on the desk top, took a handkerchief from a pocket
again and wiped sweat from his face. "Excuse me a minute. I'm dying of
thirst. There's a water cooler in the next room."
Joe stared at the door to the adjoining office as it closed behind the
big man. Hendricks was--unbelievably--offering him a victim, offering
him a crime!
Almost running to the desk, Joe opened the book, selected a name and
address and memorized it: _John Gralewski, Apt. 204, 2141 Orange St._