"What have you got today Picker?"

H amp; K Incorporated specializes in period garden accessories including urns, statues, fountains, fencing, and benches. Larry also carries fine Oriental rugs and antiques.

"I picked this up the other day." I pulled the 8' x 11'5" carpet from the car and laid it out on the ground. "Wiener Werkstatte," I said. "Probably Otto Prutcher. What do you think."

Larry walked around the carpet studying it with a trained eye. Turned it over to check out the back. "Nice. Very nice. How much?"

"I've got seventy-five in it. I'd be happy with… let's call it eleven five." Warning: Telling another dealer what you’ve paid is a definite no-no. In this instance, however, I wanted to communicate that I wasn't being a pig. What I wanted was a fair mark-up. Larry is one of those rare breed of antique dealer; he's honest.

"Sounds fair. I'll cut you a check." He went into the back door of his shop. I popped the trunk and pulled out a box of cigars. Went inside; he handed me a check for $11,500.00 and I passed him the cigars. "Hope you enjoy these."

Kato was waiting patiently when I returned to the car. The cell rang. "Where are you?" Connor.

"New Hope. You?"

"Center City. How long?"

"An hour-fifteen."

"The Ritz." He cut the connection. I cranked up the Plus 8, the lightest V8 passenger car on earth. Maximum power of 367 horse power from the BMW engine.

I let her rip.

Bases loaded

"Give it to me."

We're having lunch in the Bistro at the Ritz-Carlton.

Opened in the year 2000 in a turn of the century bank, the hotel features grand marble columns both on the exterior and in its spectacular lobby.

"I spent the morning buying the most expensive baseball cards at three local shops."

"What was the spend?"