ED Mcbain M Ranso S King'
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KING'S RANSOM Douglas King is rich. A nice house in the best part of the city, servants, big cars, fashionable clothes for his attractive wife, Diane. He's worked hard all his life to get where he is today, and now he's planning a big business deal. It's a very expensive deal, and there are enemies working against King, but if he wins, he'll get to be company president. If he doesn't win, he'll be out on the street. Sy Barnard and Eddie Folsom are not rich. They're small- time crooks, not very successful, but they want all the good things that money can buy. So they plan the perfect kidnapping. 'Five hundred thousand dollars by tomorrow morning, or we kill the boy,' they tell Douglas King. It's a beautiful plan. But Eddie's wife, Kathy, doesn't like it, and neither does Detective Steve Carella of the 87th Precinct. And Sy and Eddie have taken the wrong boy — not King's son, but the Reynolds boy, the son of King's chauffeur. And the chauffeur doesn't have five hundred thousand dollars. So who's going to pay the ransom? Y LIBRAR S BOOKWORM D OXFOR Mystery & Crime King's Ransom ) headwords 0 (180 5 e Stag Series Editor: Jennifer Bassett e Hedg a Trici : Editor r Founde r Baxte n Aliso d an t Basset r Jennife : Editors s Activitie ED McBAIN m Ranso s King' by novel original the from Retold Rosalie Kerr OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS OXFORD CONTENTS UNIVERSITY PRESS STORY INTRODUCTION i 1 'We want your voting stock, Doug' 1 2 'Why would anyone want to steal radio parts?' 8 ' surprise! y b m hi e Tak ! attack d an n dow p 'Jum 3 12 4 'We've got your son' 20 5 'We've got the wrong kid!' 26 9 195 n McBai d E © n editio l Origina 6 'This little boy is in big trouble' 37 9 195 r Schuste & n Simo y b A US e th n i d publishe t Firs This simplified edition © Oxford University Press 2008 7 'I want to talk to you about the ransom' 42 Database right Oxford University Press (maker) 51 First published in Oxford Bookworms 1995 ' here f o t ou u yo g takin m 'I' 8 9 'If you don't pay them, they'll kill him' 57 10 'You're out and I'm in!' 61 11 'The boy needs a hot drink' 66 2 'Tha1 t five hundre ours!e b o t d 't grango s dha 73 13 'Lock him up!' 78 " ... t bu , now d close s i e cas e 'Th 4 1 86 GLOSSARY 88 ISBN 978 0 19 479230 1 92 f o n editio s Bookworm s thi f o g recordin e complet A ACTIVITIES: Before Reading King's Ransom is available on audio CD ISBN 978 0 19 479208 0 ACTIVITIES: While Reading 93 l Bristo , Ltd g Typesettin n Wyver y b t Typese g Kon g Hon n i d Printe ACTIVITIES: After Reading 96 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 100 Illustrated by: Mark Thomas R AUTHO E TH T ABOU ABOUT THE BOOKWORMS LIBRARY 101 s word 0 22,67 : text) n (mai t coun d Wor morr Fo e informatio Oxfore th n no d Bookworms Library visit www.oup.com/elt/bookworms 1 ' Doug , stock g votin r you t wan e 'W Outside the window boats sailed up and down the River Harb. In the clear October air, orange and gold leaves screamed their . sky e blu d col e th t agains r colou e fiv e th r ove g hun t I . smoke e cigarett f o l ful s wa m roo e Th men like the breath of ghosts. The room was enormous, but it was full now, full of the dirty ash-trays, used glasses and empty bottles left at the end of a long and difficult discussion. The men . air y smok e th s a d exhauste s a e wer s themselve g Kin s Dougla e opposit g sittin n me e th , determined t bu d Tire hammered out their argument. King listened to them silently. ' all, s that' , Doug , profit t abou k thin o t u yo g askin e 'We'r George Benjamin said. 'Is that a lot to ask?' 'Think of shoes, yes,' Rudy Stone said. 'Don't forget shoes. business a , Doug , business a s i e Sho r Grange . profit f o k thin t Bu ' red. e th d an k blac e Th . loss d an t Profi 'And our job,' Benjamin said, 'is to keep Granger in the black. ' shoes. e thes t a k loo r anothe e tak w No A thin man, he moved fast and silently to a glass table, which was covered with women's shoes. He picked one up from the pile . King o t t i e gav d an 'What woman wants to buy a shoe like this?' he asked. 'Don't misunderstand us,' Stone said quickly. He was a muscular blond man who looked much younger than his forty- f o g thinkin e we'r t bu , shoe e fin a , shoe d goo a s 'It' . years e fiv profit now.' 1 'The red and the black,' Benjamin repeated. He turned to an 'Now you're asking the right questions,' Benjamin said. 'Give older man sitting beside him. 'Am I right, Frank?' us all another drink, will you, Pete?' 'One hundred per cent,' Frank Blake said, in a thick Southern Cameron began mixing the drinks. A tall and handsome man accent. He blew cigarette h s ea smok s eother ae t thth ed high ceilingwatche d an .y quickl d move e h , thirty-five f o 'The American housewife,' Benjamin said, 'can't afford this worked. shoe. But even if she could afford it, she wouldn't want it. Mrs 'All right, Doug,' Benjamin said. 'We're the top men in e th n i n woma e littl t stupides e Th . customer r ou , America Granger Shoe. I'm sales chief, you're production, and Rudy world.' here is fashion and design. We're all on the board of directors, 'We've got to excite her, Doug.' ' company. e th h wit g wron s what' w kno l al e w d an 'You're a married man, Doug. What excites Mrs King?' . asked g Kin ' that? s 'What' e th t a r ba e th t a g standin s wa , assistant s King' , Cameron e Pet 'The Old Man.' . back e smil t no d di g Kin t bu , King t a d smile e H . room e th f o k bac 'What does he know about women's tastes? What does he He stared at Benjamin. know about women?' Stone said. 'But he's president of Granger. said e Ston ' woman! a e excit s 'Clothe o t k stoc h enoug s ha e h e becaus , president s he' , year r afte r Yea e voic s hi , said n Benjami ' shoes! , bags , jackets , hats , 'Dresses keep it that way.' rising. ' down. d an n dow s goe y compan e th d 'An e excit t can' u 'Yo . said e Ston ' excitement, n o s depend t 'Profi e Blak k Fran ' year, h eac s les d an s les h wort s i k stoc y m d 'An n i l al t a t excitemen o n t jus s There' . shoes e thes h wit n woma a said. ' shoes! e thes King watched, as Benjamin went quickly to the glass table The room was silent for a moment. and picked up a red shoe. 'Look at this!' he said. 'This is what Then Douglas King said, 'What are we selling? Shoes or a I mean by excitement!' ' bed? n i e tim d goo 'Made up from my own design,' Rudy Stone said proudly. Frank Blake rose to his feet. 'Doug is making a joke,' ' he saidDoug. , it . t a k loo d goo a e 'Tak 'But it's my money I'm interested in, not jokes. I hold a lot of 'Women will love it,' Benjamin said. 'What do women know t almos s i r Grange y wh w no e se n ca I d an , company s thi n i k stoc about quality, as long as the shoe looks good?' red.e th 'n i King turned the shoe over in his big hands, saying nothing. o t g nothin s i s 'Thi . said n Benjami ' Doug, , right s i k 'Fran 'I know what he's thinking,' Stone said. 'He's thinking the make jokes about. We have t' o do that. somethin e lik e gsho fasa e t to mak sav r e GrangeGrange t le r neve d woul n Ma d Ol Shoe.' s That' . it t abou y sa o t g anythin e hav t won' n Ma d Ol e th t 'Bu 'What do you want from me?' King asked softly. why we're here today.' 2 3 y Onl . smiling , said g Kin ' here? e we'r y wh t tha s i , 'Oh 'The Old Man may have faults,' King said, 'but he's always Cameron smiled back at him.