by Jeff Fleischer
For the third time, I have a short story included as an episode of the PenDust radio podcast from Rivercliff Books. Originally published as the chapbook “The Art Business” by the Chicago Tribune’s Printers Row Journal back in 2014, the story is now released as “Found Art, Lost Art.” You can listen to it at the site, or via Spotify, iTunes, the Apple Podcast app, or wherever you get your podcasts.
An excerpt:
“How much did you say again?” Davis Javits had heard the number perfectly clearly. He didn’t doubt his hearing; it was his imagination that he mistrusted.
The heavyset man seated across from him grinned, unconsciously straightening the lapels on his obviously expensive suit. He casually leaned back in his chair, about as far as he could without tipping over. “One million, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.” He’d said it as “one-point-two-five million” the previous time, but took the question as a lack of understanding. When that second response was met with only a quiet stare, The Suit leaned his girth forward, opened his metallic briefcase, and removed a strapped-together stack of bearer bonds that totaled the quoted amount. He handed the bearer bonds to Davis, who examined them in silence for so long that The Suit half expected him to bite one to verify its validity, like a cartoon version of a nineteenth-century merchant. “Satisfied?” The Suit asked, leaning back again.
