“It’s always the hands. Not the eyes, not the facial expression, not the body language. Keep an eye on the other guy’s hands, that’s where potential danger is. But I abhor violence. Our hands are intended to be used for stealing, forgery, opening vaults, etc. Manual dexterity combined with never-ending practice is how we make a living.”
The old geezer was a patient teacher. He spent long hours showing the younger inmates various skills they could potentially use if they ever got paroled. His specialty was No Touch Pickpocket and he could also forge anybody’s signature from memory. “You look at the guy’s John Hancock for a second, turn away, get a piece of paper and jot it down. Compare the two. The first try’s never any good but now you know which direction to go next. Do it again and again, until it’s perfect. Make sure it’s one smooth draw because that’s how people sign their name. Now you’re in business.”
He spent several sessions on How To Wire A Car With One Hand while seemingly putting a CD into the player with the other. “Here the trick is that you never lower your head because people on the outside would notice. You gotta work the wires by feel, using your mind’s eyes.”
His most attentive student, named Clint, decided that after two years of immersion learning he was ready to escape from prison. Swimming through the strong Frisco current was a piece of cake for the athletic Clint, who, as luck would have it, found an unlocked car in Fisherman’s Warf. As he wired it, he suddenly realized he should’ve stayed for tomorrow’s lesson, How To Drive Stick.
Published in ScribesMicro April 2024
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