Pages 1-10 Summary

During 1944 William Lee lives in a dingy apartment and has an acquaintance named Norton who is always selling stolen goods. One day Norton gives Lee a Thompson submachine gun and several boxes of morphine syrettes on the understanding that Lee will sell them for whatever he can get. Lee speaks to another associate named Jack, a sharp operator who confidently and successfully pulls many minor scams. Jack takes Lee to an apartment and introduces him to Herman, Joey, and Roy. Herman is not interested in Lee's wares, but Roy makes a low-ball offer on most of the morphine and arranges to pick it up in a few days. They all sit around the apartment and drink while Jack spins unlikely stories of a petty criminal nature. Herman glowers at Lee, disliking him instantly.

A few days later, Lee decides to use...