Taking It on the Lam by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Cheap Hotel

After having been put off by Cohen upon my arrival in Chicago I drove around the Loop for a while to get my bearings. I had to stay for a while, I didn’t have much in my pockets, and I wanted something that was both near Cohen’s employer, McConnell’s Pawn Shop, which was at the intersection of Milwaukee and Devon Avenues, where they meet the Chicago River, and didn’t charge much; a flophouse. They being easily detectable from a distance, I found a cheap flophouse on Milwaukee Avenue, easily walkable to the pawnshop.

The lack of a name, the missing “O” and “E” in Hotel, the American flag at the entry, and the bricked over windows at the side were dead giveaways, matter-of-factly saying; “Welcome, loser.” Since I had not anticipated staying in Chicago, and had consequently not brought a change of duds I figured I would take a day or two to fit in with the rest of the HTL clientele.

Taking It on the Lam