Wenda Morrone

Little J. may live on the streets of East Harlem, but he knows those streets well enough to take decent care of himself and Gideon, the old man under his eight-year-old wing. Robbing a Christmas tree seller looks like money for jam--by now, he and Gideon have their teamwork down smooth as silk. But when he finds Gideon badly beaten, Little J. learns that in New York City, Christmas tree lots are all part of a single operation organized out of Canada. Steal from one seller, theyll all be after you. Little J. has to turn to somebody even bigger and scarier to rescue Gideon and himself--and net him enough cash to buy Gideon a pair of Fred Astaire shoes for Christmas. A short work of crime and urban life from our Fingerprints line.