The Ninth Score
October, 1961
Peter Stelver was a lover of games. When he was eight years old the names Parker and Bradley warmed his blood and rattled his brain in its pan; they moved him as the sight of Monte Carlo from the sea might goad a gambler. His relatives noted his taste, and his toy chest was racked high with bright lithographed layouts of games of skill and chance. He spent hours over them, and he didn't care whether he played with someone or alone. When his middle finger flew off the trigger of his thumb and the...
