94
JASCHA
KESSLER
salmons that run two arms and a leg, fruits, apricots, peaches, pears,
maraschinos even, and oranges and pineapple and melons that
cost a small fortune just to look at the crates. Even dairy, juice and
milk and cream! Where
is
that tapeworm? Am I running a
mad·
house here? I say it has got to stop this very night, or else I
am
going to see to it, personally!" He smashed his clenched fist down
on the bartop so hard that Acker's breath jumped down his throat
with fright. What was the matter with Gruber? Didn't he know the
help steals you blind, no matter what? even right under the un·
winking eyes of a zealot like Mrs. Jewett? All right, it was bad; but
not so bad as he made it. Consequently, Acker tried to return a soft
answer to the anger he had roused. "Well, Mr. Gruber, not so much
as that, I would say."
"Oh,
you
would say? A thousand dollars of inventory a week
is not
so
bad?"
Acker smiled forgivingly, emboldened by his drinks, and said in
a liquorish murmur that he was again instanteously sorry for, "Let's
not exaggerate, Gruber. It's not a thousand. Even five hundred
would be good, too."
"What? Your five hundred, Acker, or mine? A fiver not enough!
Why, man, in the Army I could prosecute you, even if you were a
fellow officer, for a knife, a fork, a spoon-let alone a helmet or a
pair of pants! And I could make you,
you,
Acker, personally
re–
sponsible to see to it that even the top of the mayonnaise jar
is
screwed on just
so
and according to the book. Understand? Just
so, or else!"
Acker didn't reply. Which set the man off even worse. "I
tell
you what, Acker. I will give you till tomorrow morning to find out
the story. Okay? Then I get Pinkerton. You know what it means
if
he comes down? All right!
If
I was you, I'd poke in and out and
spot who's in charge of this racket, and drop me the word. And
if
I was you, Acker, I wouldn't tear up no contracts tonight. Because
if you turn around next thing and tell me you don't want this job,
I'll know who to look for. Exactly! You wouldn't be feeling
so
fresh·
mouth and talky. That's all."
Under the sheer force of such a threat, Acker shrunk into him·
self.
It
was as though he sat paralyzed at a table and watched some
stupid busboy's overstacked tray of dirty dishes begin tipping over
