An Unvarnished History by Josephine Tey — Read

Kif learned that Angel and Danny habitually worked together, and that the unfortunate Sammy had been the partner of the elder Carroll, except on the occasion on which he was pulled, when he had elected in the face of much good advice to do a job alone. Mr Carroll seemed quite willing to use Kif if Kif were usable, and Kif did his best to qualify. Twice he was entrusted with the task of obtaining the layout of a house. The results of these were so good--Kif had included in his report the habits of every member of the respective households--that Mr Carroll beamed on him and signified his approval by introducing Kif to his most precious possession--his tools. These were, amazing as it may seem, kept in the house, and though ultimately Kif learned to his intense admiration and amusement their hiding-place it is not to be recorded here. Carroll is still in business, and I have no doubt is using the same tools. Kif handled them curiously and reverently as another might have examined the emblems of priestcraft, and Carroll lectured on them--jemmies and bits, nitroglycerine, oxy-acetylene, torches, cylinders, queer contraptions of wire--explaining their uses, peculiarities, and some of their history with the enthusiasm of the specialist. And Kif listened and admired.

He spent no time in examining the morality of the situation. He was not even possessed of as positive a thing as a grudge against society. A way had opened for him and he liked the look of it; that was all. The way led to comfort--which he had had stolen from him and to which he felt vaguely that he had a right--and to what was much dearer, adventure. He accepted the chance as unquestioningly as he had joined the army at fifteen, ignoring the main issue since the incidentals were what he wanted. There was no one to keep him back; he had shed his acquaintances as he went along--his family (he knew the whereabouts of one brother who had heard from a sister three years ago but had lost the letter), the folk at Tarn, the Barclays, his army friends, Marcelle, Hough and his crowd--they had all melted into nothingness behind him; he was as unattached now as he had been at fifteen. Only Carroll remained--Carroll and Baba. There was nothing to deter him.