Donald Westlake

---, • • f.</p><p> I· Mystery master Denald E.</p><p> Westlake reveals the origins of his new comic caper B~ MICUAR GILTt pi ". ~ ,I,,·, """ ,1,1 ~. 1: '. 1 \\',.."',,l,· ", .. , 'PH'" "'".</p><p> I."" 'f n,,")' I •••• I,~', "","en. -M.,. ..... , h"'kh"l!"" ..... """ ...... ,,,_ hi. ......... '" ,~><'''',' New y(~~ .</p><p> Ik', .... ,~' •. " ",,,. ''''''' n""" I""U cl,,"Y"" h,", ",,'J ,,, ,1i'lwl", '''''' 1""lir,,' ""'I'"'· -",.M"HI ,n, I ",i,,~: my,-,",' II,' b"l:h. ,,,,.) ""'n "If,',. ". "" "d,k: -, 10", ~"' •• ""'I' (,,' • "','!>';!",. ~",." I D.I ,1",-< .".,1.', i" I' ........... · .. • .... l· ""ft·.· .... , "',"'I" 1>0 •• 1.; "".. .. "" ,·n . ",n"tw, .... ,'>t • "''''''' ..... ",,'>I. " .... ""',~ I. ,,~,>t: W"""~' j, '0"'" P"1'"'''' ,h"" ,',',',. -,'.,~ """'" _ ,h,­I,,,,,,, ""~ I"-,k,,,, f .. "o;" .. "~",, · ... ,,d f""uri,, ~ • <I.,;n_.' I,.""J, ,1,,' ", ,,,:,,. ,,1,1. ~ ... 'h, .... 'J>! ... 1i",I" hi",,,,1f , ..</p><p> I,;' '''''' ... ",,' ."HI h .... "J -;o.,l h.</p><p> U ... ~"'" .,," ni"" .... ,,"' ,:,.~,,,,,,,,, -,,,, ,h,,·/,·.,l,·.</p><p> Dooald E;:.·;;,~.i~. ~""n ,)0. .. "."" ... « -i. ,,~, \\',~I ...... cl", ,,"" "\\'1>;11" .he W .... , ',-,,,,;,',,1.,,1,-i. ',~, .... ". ,t"!,, I M._ "n'''''''' ~~ "f ,I.~' ,',,'~ .. r." '''·'I·''''' .~' '''~, ""'f "." I,., I."",', ,.,,,, 1"·,,"',,, I" 'h ... 1,"-"""'" " """ .. "".' "I ,,, ... :...old lI ....... nr _ • _ .. ;< ',_"J .m • .... ,,,' 1>U","~,,,k, ...... _ ~i" , ..... "' •. " 1 .. ,,,,1. w;,h At.""" '.-',,""'" " ...</p><p> I" , .. ,'" •• ' ,,,~ l>;no1r L>eV" .. '" " '''''''I' Ii.,· ""P ",111,,,,,,,1,,·, libi" "",01 Now.- ;. d ... ,c [)"'''"unJ<r, A8.in" hi. b<1t<r iuJ~"'.n'.</p><p> UU. bu"\hli,,~ h,m "~,«. '" ""."We • ""dy (m"' • ~",v~'Y.rd .oJ pl.n, > .ub"ilU'~. '11,,, 4"",klr Ic.d •• o .. "~Ii,,~ "'ith , P"~ or """"Id·b< «lmln.l<- "n,d. pi,. i, '"I'"~ off ,h. b.n,!· ,,,,«J hUI be.u,; ul U,,1c ~o"hcr "~J.',,,,, as 'he b .. ""n>lnh'~ ""0"" I'e, ,,( 'n Indi.n ",I ... "".~" '~ "or (''''1',1",,1) cli~iblc f,,, ""o-.hi,,1 ""',,,,,.hil' "r"" [,.Ii.". ,'.,Iok' ""110 Ih,,,,,"",,Je.</p><p> I"",I",J • .1'''" ,on bc IV'" Ihin~. "'ill ~., w"'''g. ",", .. know ,h,"-•• ~, 1I'",I.k "Iou 1'<1'1'<" I,), 100"" wi,,, "><Iul 'ip •.• uch ., hnw ,,, dc,.,minc "N .. h 'r< ,10< 1><" < ... t" """wl'e fur" ~,I, I" r.l<I, "11.101 Nc,,"'-Ix",in, "j,h, p<l"'", on .....</p><p> II>! ,,, do if y"" find pm,«lf ,00,,' t" I>< ",uKlol hy 'he I",lice "hon bu,,~) .. i'in~ ,J<r'''' 'nc'" "" ••.</p><p> Th. "'''""rI" is wh>t 1"'''' Wc"l,k. -who n" .. " ("U()".</p><p> I ." ,,,,,II,,. -,h.</p><p> Ide> (,,' hi' I" .. k, -fl,e ."'~ r""·,t,,,ugh, I h,.. "., "I Il"r<m"nd« In , dep'''rncn, '''>T •• I"pi"~ .k>n~ w;,h ''''0 "~e 11,,&. rotted with 1""lenJ •• me ••• ." .. y.</p><p> Westlake. "And .uJ""nlr , ..... ). li~h' in ,I,. pl."" ~o .. "n.</p><p> WI", ""w/ A"d I .. , ,1><." ,nd ,h""ght. wi'll, wh" now" "W"" "",,'r i,o', • quco'iQn w,·.,bk.· It .. fX"J ""y ,,1«'11, II,' " .. ">"' knew hi, f"w," "." in ",ti,· ",~, N[W YOlK' I\OS>, ~Y .</p><p> AP<lI' B, lqool , "I "'.11 "'"n ;n I!,.~, ~'IYII "",' ,.,;",,1 up"". ill Y""ke,, ."J AI~"'I' ."J ,hen I f,,,.lIy f"",,J • '10' ... ,i"" .,," ",''" ""ok ,,, New ,"."k," h" .,'Y',"I ", ...</p><p> Iw.,y. ",d ....</p><p> I W,".n En~Ii." "'*"" ,h«,· Jiffote,,' ,'"I· I<j;OI ..</p><p> J go, "o",h«"." WI«n I",,",ed. 'he ",I,,,, "",,,1« ,I." he ",Igh' h,,'e "~'''''~'"h;I' "'., ""'1,1,,1"'1. "W.,i, • tIIi,,,,,,', I h'ff< l"rpy ,1.:" ""Iy ,,, .. ill f,,'" 1< "',,,~i,,~1 I I~" h" Ii,", ,,,",,he, j"l, " A, I,'»' hi, 1 •• >h, "I,i.h ""'0 ,~'''" filmoJ , '" ""j"" "f ,i tIIO<.</p><p> I",'" 1'''''' IJod "'" k r,,, 011"" "" ", .. \\',·"I"ke 10",,', "''''' 'h" 1> .. " .",I,'d "I' • ,up."· m"l« ",,,,,~e, .</p><p> I \\"e>' I.ke w,,' ked fu, • wl,il,' ;0' En,pi,o, "'.'~e" ill Alh.n~ ""J 'S<:h.nc""Jr.l lie .1.., ,d.N,kd in ,I,," 'The lIery first thought I had was of Dorlmunder in "",,';,' ."I"I',,,J f ... n, ""e of hi> I~wk'. 10", 11"111, .. ",,,1". ".,·k "'<0'" wi,h ,h,' .",1,,,, i-1'"'''' ,"xhl Iii, (."'''';1< I. 1')(,7, "I''''", Ui"ok." "'''',''.' I~,' Mon",e 'I hoi d",;< w .. b"eJ "" , h,,"k "."'''~ 'h" DO'''''''' """,' I' ... k« (."J ,.." j,,,' 'ent,kI,' b. ,"«e"f" lIv .. "".,yhxk" wi,h ~Id GiO"""I, It",; " -M,ny. y.: ... '~". w,.,,, '~~'''"''''e .. " 'nl1l' In,,' """k E~ui', '''eOie' ", mn~h,m 'on, NS . ." ho WIl • .,b"". "I a deparlment , store with two bags filled with [stolen] wo. ,,"~,ki,,~ ".<k".~e ""d It •• i,,~ ,i"~lo ·li",· ,olco.ln .:'Iul,y ,he· >Ie,. 'hO ""I"'" cameras,' says Wesllake. lit" " 'I"illio" " .. , "The 'i,if"",," hi •• J'I,,,,,I,,,, ~f , fi,,, '1 h"'''I''~'' h<lp;' nlk.t,II "1'1"'"'''''' -A, ,"" <lid "1.10,, ",,,,,,,.</p><p> I",K' 'Iw" 'lu,lili"J r", .n f.q"i'y <o,J. 5" ;n 'h~ mlJJIe "f "'" ..",,..m, F.'lui'y Kn' .,,"on" ,""'e m",,,,bl ,1 .... ,' ,It. ~ni"n.</p><p> AnJ 'h,' tI,illg ,h" ~ ... , "Ie -,,,J 'h"y "iJ ,hi. wi,,, r,;J,,­ "'., ,ho, in 'h< 1"",Nio~ )','" on 'he 'W'",," ,1,,1', ~I 1'<"""'" of 'h" "",-d ..... hl!"!, ~.". ,,,., .... \\'«,I"kc 'n 1>,.", ""mi,,_,· ""n I" Iw •. ~""n NIl', -110" II", N"d" -wi,!, Nnl,." "oJ!",J. "I "II I~'''~k I'I,y,,,~ 'he ,t"w"·,,,,·hi.­ h"'k """"'''''"'' _;. l'k'kin~ k,­,,', ","h .~e. "I",,, ,klJ ""'y. it". "><,,<1 ",,,.ie oOW ,IUD i, woo "'''0'' i, c,m" ou,: "'I" w,'"l.rk "Ute ~",bkm" ,h. ';me ...... ,h .. i, wo< ,imply imJ'O"ibk '0 look ., H"I",,, HeJ(u,J ,n" 'hink. '100.<,." 1"1", h •• choolO'" 0,",' ,h. ye, ...</p><p> Y"" doo', I"ok ., him .0J 'hink '~~,'J ,'n boy horo' "YII>OI<, Ho diJ, nk" job pl"y],,!, ,he po".</p><p> OM II', ." .... , ,,, ,,,e ,I,., ,<ow," CI".,dy. hi. 'wu ,,,,,," 1><>I,ul" ,,1t"><I<" .te wi"",,. for V,b,I.ke, 100' ""'n ,hi. , ... w·win· Iti"~ ""i,," I"" II,J 'h" ,,,,, "o'n~k ".,', 'he YeO'" I" I""]. '''' pullli,lI"" -[,h< Ax:. ~';I'f" "~ ""..t·.l",,,, ,/t,llle, "",,,, J"wn.i<in ~ go,"", ,mol<. 11 .... ".i •• J ,ud, ~".... , .. ie"', for .he.popul>r "0' "n,t",·,hc· .. d ..</p><p> W""I"'o ,I", h. fd, e .. ","",u' ~,."r.L'" '" " .. ,it< 0 w""h~ f"llow."p ,nJ ,off"e" "',i'«'" bl",k fu,. "hiI<-. " 11< ,,,ti'eJ ,h., ",f .. , ~o )"'<S, rU" c,,,.h.,. s«onJ·boo~ p,,,b· lent.," A",! 1'0'" o .. li",. "",~i '. d;ppin~ ;'"'' ,,'h~, ~",,,e, .• "ch ... de .... " Ii",i"". wi,,, ."luOII, he c"uIJ,,', qui'e n,il hi. "'''. try .. "',i'il\~ a <hiIJ,,,,,', bool<. -, J"n', ,!til,k i, "I>, p,,,,ictlbrly .",,,«.fll i. ."d! "" ... diJ it '&,in." .... \\'e<,I.ke."1 'hlnk y<>u lI>v< ,,, he «.'''y <Ie .. ,lid ,;"",,« '0 w,it< f""hij,h"." I""" .1.." nlC'" y<>u It.v. '0 he ,h,f,y ., .... "n1<"" ... <.",hy '0 ,.,It" ,""'" <.'';min,I,/ "Yo.," It< "'Y' wi,h a 1'''Eh. "Ab",lu,dy,"