Dortmunder threw the lever and opened the rear door.
The alarm made an awful sound, it went right through your head like a science-fiction ray gun. “Shit,” Dortmunder said. Through the open door, streetlight glare reflected off white cartons with the letters TV on them. “Shit again,” Dortmunder said.
Kelp was already running, and now Dortmunder followed him. Murch was boiling out of the stolen cab, and all three men ran across Twelfth Avenue and down into the warren of side streets known as the West Village. After two blocks they slowed to a walk, and then strolled on eastward toward Greenwich Village, ignoring the propositions of the homosexuals who hung out in this area at night.
It took Dortmunder four blocks to build himself up to it but finally, gritting his teeth, he turned toward Kelp and said, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Kelp said. “Could have happened to anybody.” He was so glad that for once he couldn’t be blamed for what had happened that he didn’t even mind the loss of the TV sets.
Westlake, Donald E - Jimmy the Kid
More than any other Dortmunder novel, I thought this one dealt with some serious issues for the characters, and the most major one is shown in this final few lines. I was surprised by the relationship between Kelp and Dortmunder thoughout the novel. Usually its fun and light-hearted, and their were moment of that here. But it was also quite tense and I found myself not at all siding with Dortmunder. Funny.
Still, another fun, light book to read, and just what I needed after NaNo.
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