the seat. There was some crushed ice in a milk shake carton. Norwood held the paper cups and Grady poured.
âThis is a nice car,â said Norwood.
âYes, Iâm doing right well,â said Grady. âHow many tubes do you think that radio has?â
âI donât know. It looks like a good one.â
âTwenty-four. Thereâs not another one like it in this part of the country. Listen to that tone. Itâs like FM.â
Norwood listened. âThat tone is good.â
âWhat happened to your thumb?â
âNothing. I mashed it.â
âYou better put something on it when you get home.â
âI already did.â
âUnguentine is good for something like that.â
âI put some shaving cream on it.â
âUnguentine is a lot better. It has special healing ingredients that shaving cream doesnât have. It goes to work on that soreness.â
âWas that what you wanted to tell me?â
âNo,â said Grady, and he took off his hat and arranged himself sideways on the seat in the attitude of a man getting down to business. âNo, itâs something else. Youâre a big strong boy, Norwood. Iâve got a place for you, I think. Hereâs the deal: We buy these bad debts from stores and filling stations at twelve cents on the dollar. Then we go out and collect what we can. A topnotch, hustling, aggressive agent can make good on forty per cent of that paper. He can make those profligate bastards cough up. And anybody, with my training, can make good on twenty-five per cent of it. Iâll train you and buy you a suit and some Florsheim shoes and furnish you with one of my late model demonstrator cars and we split halves on everything above the line. Everything above my twelve per cent investment. What do you think?â
âI donât think I would be much good at that.â
âYouâre not interested in making money.â
âNaw, I didnât say that. I said I didnât think I would be much good at it. I got a debt of my own I canât collect. Another thing is, I donât have much education. For that kind of job. Wearing a suit.â
âEducation requirements are minimal. Let me be the judge of that.â
âWell, naw, I donât think so.â
âHmmm,â said Grady, and he poured some more of the Forester. âTell me this, how would you like a trip to California?â
âI been to California.â
âThat doesnât mean you canât go again.â
âItâs too far.â
âHow about a trip to Chicago? . . . New York? . . . Atlanta?â
âNew York?â
âThatâs right, New York City. A wonderful trip, all expenses paid. Plusâand get thisâfifty dollars clear for you, found money, right off the top.â
âThis is not some kind of contest.â
âNo, no, this is a straightforward job offer. Are you a good driver?â
âYeah.â
âGood enough. You see, Tilmon and I ship off some of our surplus cars, our good ones, to other parts of the country, where we can get a better price for them. Itâs the drivers who have all the fun. Speeding across the country in a late model car, seeing all the sights.â
âI would take one to New York.â
âThatâs it.â
âHow long would it take?â
âYouâll be back in a week after a wonderful paid-for trip. Many of your friends will envyââ
âHow would I get back?â
âYou drive back. Thatâs part of the deal. You take one up and bring one back.â
âI donât get that.â
âWhat is it you donât get?â
âWell, if I take one up and bring another one back, youâre right back where you started. I donât see how that would put you ahead much.â
âThatâs because you donât understand the market. Some cars are worth more up there and some are worth more
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley