IF A MAN BITES A DOG
49
"He's got work to do," Mr. Schmuck said when the door
was closed.
"If
he had any more he might have a whole case."
"Listen kid, get wise to yourself," he said suddenly sitting
erect and pointing his finger dramatically at Mr. Rosenberg.
"If
you're going to begin letting these guys tell you a sob story
you'll be licked from the start. You'll never get anywhere that
way. I'm telling you this for your own good. Say, if I believed all
they tell me I'd've died of a broken heart long ago. Don't
worry, I was soft like you, too, when I first got out of law school.
But I had it knocked out of me pretty quick, see. Boy, you got
to learn not to trust your own mother in this game, take it from
me."
"I guess it's a skin game alright," Mr. Rosenberg said,
gloomily trying to tighten a button that had worked loose on his
jacket and was hanging now by a single thread.
"What d'you mean skin game!" Mr. Schmuck spat out his
cigar butt into the cuspidor under his desk. "Sure it's a skin
game. What aint a skin game? It's not your funeral because
some boob owes your client money, is it?"
Miss Bitterman entered bearing a cluttered file and placing
it on the lawyer's desk turned to leave the office, like an auto–
maton, prodding under her hair with the blunt end of a pencil.
"I suppose not," said Mr. Rosenberg. "Just a case of dog
eat dog, eh ?"
"You said it
I
Dog eat dog. And how
I"
Opening the top drawer of his desk Mr. Schmuck took out
a fresh stogie, bit off the tip and stuck the cigar between his
strong yellow teeth.
"Say, how about that guy Shreves?" he said striking a
match to his cigar and emitting puffs of smoke. "Did you find
th~
bastard yet?"
"No, missed him again," Mr. Rosenberg said turning to–
ward the door.
"Wait a minute. What d'you mean missed him again?
I thought you said you had lots of' experience."
"What am I supposed to be a detective or something?"
Mr. Rosenberg said squirming impatiently.
"That's what I'm paying you for ain't it?"
"You're paying me
I"
Mr. Rosenberg said, a trace of bit–
terness in his voice. "I don't know as you've ever paid me for
anything I haven't done."
