They wantonly danced to the funky band’s erotic pound

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He knew he was never going back to school. The education he sought was hidden away in the minds of those boss players who frequented Milwaukee’s jazz joints and cabarets. Beck was determined to infiltrate these clubs and steal secrets from well-heeled pimps. As a minor, he had always managed to talk his way out of prison, but he was a legal adult now, and for his next offense he would likely be sent to the Wisconsin State Reformatory. Mary’s absence gave Beck the perfect chance to explore the gambling dens and taverns in Milwaukee’s red-light district. He had neither the money nor the flash to try to break luck at any of the big-name clubs like the Congo Club and the 711 Club, so he made for the underground speakeasies instead. In one unnamed dive, Beck found a fraternity among a group of has-been pimps and gamblers. The old men had enjoyed moments of glory as the neighborhood’s top asskickers, but now they were broken down from a lifetime of prison, drugs, and scheming. They had stories to tell, though, and Beck memorized as many of them as he could.