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featured pale eyes, a nose which jibbed a little, and a chin sharp enough to chop ice with. I figured his age as being in the early fifties; and judging by the sheen on the serge, he was a man of sedentary habits. He nodded to the bartender and came straight down to my end.
    "Mr. Forbes?" It was the same soft voice I'd heard on the phone.
    "Right," I said.
    Without offering to shake hands, he jerked his head toward a rear table. I picked up my glass and followed him to it. He sat down with a grunt, dabbed at his forehead with a huge handkerchief, and stretched his legs. The pale eyes scanned me swiftly.
    "You mentioned a friend," he began quietly. "Has he got a name?"
    "I was talking to Eddie Sands," I said. I mentioned Sands confidently, knowing he was in no position to deny our friendship. "He said you might be able to do me some good."
    His eyes crept toward me. "When were you talking with Eddie?"
    "Couple days ago."
    "Eddie's okay." It was a flat statement, the kind a man might make when discussing the merits of a cigar. I didn't argue about it, because, if being dead is okay, Sands was indeed that. "What kind of stuff are you interested in?"
    "Anything that will move. What have you got?"
    "I can get nearly anything. What's your set-up?"
    "Another guy and I plan on doing the pushing," I offered, hoping I wasn't making a wrong play.
    "Here in Chi?"
    "Yeah."
    He grunted, somewhat skeptically. "Anything I sell has to be cash."
    "Sure."
    "How about men's suits?" He sucked on his lower lip and narrowed his eyes, counting the hangers on a distant rack. "I can let you have a hundred immediately. Nice assortment. Mostly Kuppenheimer, Eagle and H.S. & M."
    "How much?"
    "Two bits a throw. You can double up, or better, on the deal."
    "Hell, I'd need a store."
    "Get one. That's the smart way to operate."
    "What else have you got?"
    "Watches. Bulova or Benrus, most of them gift-wrapped."
    "How much?"
    "Ten bucks a copy. That's special. I've got damned near a truckload of them."
    "Sounds like a good item," I said. "What else?"
    "Nylons. Lingerie. Neckties. Accessories like cuff-links and—"
    "None of that small stuff," I interrupted. "We're interested in the big money."
    "Guns?"
    "Nix. Too dangerous."
    "Office machines?"
    I shook my head. "We might be able to move some typewriters, but I don't know.... got any cameras?"
    "We don't stock them. I can have them picked up, though, for a third of list." He brightened a little. "How about photographic film and paper? If you can move it, you can make a hell of a score."
    "How much is there?"
    "A whole shipment." He wet his lips. "Worth about four-hundred grand."
    I whistled. "Sounds interesting."
    "Damned interesting," he agreed, "but kinda tough to handle. That's why you can get a real deal on it." His eyes flickered toward me. "Think you can handle it?"
    "I'd have to have details."
    "Well, here's the story: A couple guys hijacked an Eastman truck. They thought it Was liquor, but it was this film and stuff. They've got it in a garage and don't know what to do with it. So far, nobody's been able to handle it. Too hot, you know. The shipment was interstate, which makes it a federal rap, and everything's numbered and dated. I've been scratching my head over it for a month."
    "How cheap could I get it?"
    "The guys are plenty nervous. I think they'd settle for one percent."
    "One percent?" I echoed. "Four grand?"
    "Maybe less."
    I pretended to consider. "Where will you get yours?" I asked.
    "Off the top. The boys will cut me in," he licked his lips again. "Think you can handle it?"
    "I'd have to see the stuff."
    "Natch. I'll fix it."
    He got up abruptly, moving with decision, and strode back to the phone booth. By moving my chair sidewise a few inches, I could see him through the glass door of the booth. He dialed a number, talked briefly with someone, nodding emphatically while he talked. He finished, deposited another dime, and dialed a second number. This time the party at the other end did