Used Book Store

On the corner of ninth and Broadway is the best used book store anywhere. Take my word for it. If you want it and it exists, he's got it. It might not be on the shelf, but ask and he'll get it. I used to look around other places first and then go there as a last resort, 'cause he always has weird prices, but after a while, I just took to goin' there first, and he's always got it, whatever it is.

Weird prices? Yeah. Real weird. Like the books on the shelves, you know? They're normal enough. Just a dollar figure. But I'm into the harder to find stuff, the rare shit, and he's got it, but he wants things. Like he'll ask for another book in exchange. And it's weird, 'cause he always asks for something I've got, and it's not like it's always something I got from him, though sometimes it is. Still, he always gets me what I want, so I deal with his creepy way of doing business, and it's usually cheaper anyway. Now I just call and ask what he's gonna want for whatever my book is this time.

And his hours are weird too. Like he only answers his phone late at night. Seriously late. His shop opens at midnight, and he doesn't pick up the phone till then, He's open till three though, so I come round in the morning or on lunch, so that's not so bad. Still, everyday, it's always him in the place, like he's the only guy that works there, and he's open everyday. I'd hate those kind of hours. Whatever.

Anything you want. I used to think it was just books or other printed stuff, but it turns out he deals in any information you can think of. How I found out that is he asked me for something new. One of my bosses, the fat bald one, I saw him one day going into this hole-in-the-wall pay-by-the-hour type place on the other side of town. I never liked the guy, and I thought it might be cool to have some shit on him, so I followed him in. I saw him goin into a room with this big guy in leather chaps, then I heard moans through the door. They didn't see me.

Well, I didn't stick around in that sorta place to see him come out, and that was too fucked up, so I didn't tell anyone. But this guy at the bookstore, he right out and asked me. Not did it happen, like he already knew that, but would I give it to him. I asked him what did he mean, give it to him, and he told me to type it out, sign and date it, and get it notarized. He promised that I wouldn't end up in court, and I wanted this book real bad, an original manuscript of the Malleus Maleficarum, and that's all he wanted, so I did it. Turns out my asshole boss is the big boss' favorite nephew and the beefy guy was only seventeen. Somebody got some extra stock options or something outa that document.

So anyway, now I knew that that guy was into some more interesting shit than just books, not that books aren't interesting, but most of them aren't illegal. So the other day when I saw the guy in the nice Armani come up out of the stairwell down into the basement where the shop is, without any books or anything, and get into a real nice car, nothing like should be in that neighborhood, I got curious. I wanted to know what he bought, and what he paid with. So I followed him.

Yeah, it was stupid, but I didn't get caught.

So this guy, he stops at a restaurant, Luigi's or something, and goes in. Big man in another nice suit is waiting for him in the corner. I take a table nearby and order and try to hear what they're sayin over the Sinatra. I guess some prick stiffed them on a loan, and the bookstore guy knew where to find him. They didn't say exactly what they paid him, and I wasn't gonna go ask 'em, but they said something about Da Vinci and something about "the notebook," so I'm definitely gonna see if I can get my hands on that. God only knows what I'll have to give for it. So the first guy left, and I didn't want to be suspicious so I kept eating and he was long gone when I left. They didn't say the guy's name or the address, so I don't know what happened to him, but they didn't sound too cheery.

But what gets me is, how did they know that the bookstore had that sort of information? And how'd the bookstore guy know that that would be useful later? And don't get me started on how he actually gets anything out of all this. Those special transactions, they don't involve money. At least, they never have that I know of, and after that I asked around. Lots of people know about him if you look in the right places, but they all keep quiet. I don't know.

Still, this is an information age, at least that's what they say. Seems like a nice business to be in if you can swing it. I think I'll see if he can get me an application. My boss has been even worse since I needed that book. Be nice to have a career change.