The man rocked his chair back. “You looking for work? Or transportation?”
“Work.”
“Florida’s full of guys that came down and couldn’t find a job and want a free ride somewhere else.”
Duff stood in front of a railing that crossed the wide, dingy room. “Look. Suppose I could bring a friend’s business here? Would that help me get a job?”
“Wouldn’t hurt none. What kind of business?” Duff invented a business. “Making a modernistic line of furniture out of bamboo. Getting popular up north. He ships by rail right now.”
“Fool to, I’d say.”
“He’s got a pretty good deal. Still, if your trucks go to all the big cities — regularly, I mean—”
“New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Buffalo, Cleveland and Toledo, regularly. And points between. And unscheduled trips about once a month to ten-fifteen more cities. Would that suit your friend?”
“Sounds good,” Duff said, and left.
He went over to the diner. Four big-shouldered truck drivers leaned on the counter drinking coffee, dunking doughnuts, listening to radio dance music. Duff ordered the same.