ch.doublewhammy-第17部分

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o　go。　The　direction　that　made　the　most　sense　was　away　from　the　road；　but　he　didn't　want　to　abandon　Skink；　if　Skink　were　still　alive。
　Decker　crawled　to　a　tree　and　stood　up；　cautiously　aligning　his　profile　with　the　trunk。　Nothing　moved　in　the　clearing；　the　morning　lay　dead　silent；　the　songbirds　still　mute　with　fear。
　What　the　hell；　Decker　thought。　At　the　top　of　his　lungs　he　shouted；　〃Skink！〃
　Something　big　and　pale　moved　at　the　edge　of　the　woods　across　the　clearing。　It　made　a　tremendous　noise。　〃I　told　you　to　call　me　captain！〃　it　bellowed。
　Skink　was　fine。　He　stood　stark　naked　except　for　his　military　boots。　〃Look　what　that　asshole　did　to　my　suit！〃　He　held　up　the　plastic　rain　jacket。　There　were　three　small　holes　between　the　shoulder　blades。　〃I　got　out　of　it　just　in　time；〃　Skink　said。　〃Hung　it　on　a　limb。　When　I　rustled　the　branch　the　guy　squared　around　perfectly　and　cut　loose。　He　was　looking　the　wrong　place；　slightly。〃
　Hairy　and　bare…assed；　Skink　led　Decker　to　the　body。　The　dead　man　had　a　black　crusty　circle　between　his　sandy　eyebrows。　His　mouth　was　set　in　an　O。
　〃You　were　right　about　the　Ruger；〃　Skink　said。　The　rifle　lay　at　the　man's　side。　The　clip　had　been　removed。
　〃To　answer　your　question；　no；　I've　never　seen　him　before；〃　Skink　said。　〃He's　hired　help；　somebody's　out…of…town　cousin。　His　pal　stayed　at　the　treeline　as　a　lookout。〃
　〃I'm　sure　they　figured　one　gun　was　enough；〃　Decker　said。
　〃Guy's　all　of　thirty　years　old；〃　Skink　mused；　looking　down　at　the　dead　man。　〃Stupid　jerkoff。〃
　Decker　said；　〃May　I　assume　we　won't　be　notifying　the　authorities？〃
　〃You　learn　fast；〃　Skink　said。
　
　In　the　mid…1970s　a　man　named　Clinton　Tyree　became　governor　of　Florida。　He　was　everything　voters　craved：　tall；　ruggedly　handsome；　an　ex…college　football　star　（second…team　All…American　lineman）；　a　decorated　Vietnam　veteran　（a　sniper　once　lost　for　sixteen　days　behind　enemy　lines　with　no　food　or　ammunition）；　an　eligible　bachelor；　an　avid　outdoorsman…and　best　of　all；　he　was　native…born；　a　rarity　at　that　time　in　Florida。　At　first　Clinton　Tyree's　political　ideology　was　conservative　when　it　was　practical　to　be；　liberal　when　it　made　no　difference。　At　six…foot…six；　he　looked　impressive　on　the　campaign　trail　and　the　media　loved　him。　He　won　the　governorship　running　as　a　Democrat；　but　proved　to　be　unlike　any　Democrat　or　Republican　that　the　state　of　Florida　had　ever　seen。　To　the　utter　confusion　of　everyone　in　Tallahassee；　Clint　Tyree　turned　out　to　be　a　pletely　honest　man。　The　first　time　he　turned　down　a　kickback；　the　bribers　naturally　assumed　that　the　problem　was　the　amount。　The　bribers；　wealthy　land　developers　with　an　eye　on　a　particular　coastal　wildlife　preserve；　followed　with　a　second　offer　to　the　new　governor。　It　was　so　much　money　that　it　would　have　guaranteed　him　a　fortable　retirement　anywhere　in　the　world。　The　developers　were　clever；　too。　The　bribe　money　was　to　emanate　from　an　overseas　corporation　with　a　bank　account　in　Nassau。　The　funds　would　be　wired　from　Bay　Street　to　a　holding　pany　in　Grand　Cayman；　and　from　there　to　a　blind　trust　set　up　especially　for　Clinton　Tyree　at　a　bank　in　Panama。　In　this　way　the　newly　acquired　wealth　of　the　newly　elected　governor　of　Florida　would　have　been　shielded　by　the　secrecy　laws　of　three　foreign　governments。
　The　crooked　developers　thought　this　was　an　ingenious　and　foolproof　plan；　and　they　were　dumbfounded　when　Clinton　Tyree　told　them　to　go　fuck　themselves。　The　developers　had　naively　contributed　large　sums　to　Tyree's　gubernatorial　campaign；　and　they　could　not　believe　that　this　was　the　same　man　who　was　now…on　a　state　letterhead！…dismissing　them　as　〃submaggots；　unfit　to　suck　the　sludge　off　a　septic　tank。〃
　The　rich　developers　were　further　astounded　to　discover　that　all　their　conversations　with　the　governor　had　been　secretly　tape…recorded　by　the　chief　executive　himself。　They　learned　about　this　when　carloads　of　taciturn　FBI　agents　pulled　up　to　their　fancy　Brickell　Avenue　office　tower；　stormed　in　with　warrants；　and　arrested　the　whole　gold…chained　gang　of　them。　Soon　the　Internal　Revenue　Service　merrily　leapt　into　the　investigation　and；　within　six　short　months；　one　of　the　largest　land…development　firms　in　the　Southeastern　United　States　went　belly…up　like　a　dead　mudfish。
　It　was　an　exciting　and　historic　moment　in　Florida　history。　Newspaper　editorials　lionized　Governor　Clint　Tyree　for　his　courage　and　honesty；　while　network　pundits　promoted　him　as　the　dashing　harbinger　of　a　New　South。
　Of　course；　the　people　who　really　counted…that　is；　the　people　with　the　money　and　the　power…did　not　view　the　new　governor　as　a　hero。　They　viewed　him　as　a　dangerous　pain　in　the　ass。　True；　every　slick　Florida　politician　got　up　and　preached　for　honest　government；　but　few　vaguely　understood　the　concept　and　even　fewer　practiced　it。　Clint　Tyree　was　different；　he　was　trouble。　He　was　sending　the　wrong　message。
　With　Florida　no　longer　virgin　territory；　petition　was　brutal　among　greedy　speculators。　The　edge　went　to　those　with　the　proper　grease　and　the　best　connections。　In　the　Sunshine　State　growth　had　always　depended　on　graft；　anyone　who　was　against　corruption　was　obviously　against　progress。　Something　had　to　be　done。
　The　development　interests　had　two　choices：　they　could　wait　for　Tyree's　term　to　expire　and　get　him　voted　out　of　office；　or　they　could　deal　around　him。
　Which　is　what　they　did。　They　devoted　their　full　resources　and　attention　to　corrupting　whoever　needed　it　most；　a　task　acplished　with　little　resistance。　The　governor　was　but　one　vote　on　the　state　cabinet；　and　it　was　a　simple　matter　for　his　political　enemies　to　secure　the　loyalty　of　an　opposing　majority。　Money　was　all　it　took。　Similarly；　it　was　simple　（though　slightly　more　expensive）　to　solidify　support　in　the　state　houses　so　that　Clinton　Tyree's　oft…used　veto　was　automatically　overridden。
　Before　long　the　new　governor　found　himself　on　the　losing　side　of　virtually　every　important　political　battle。　He　discovered　that　being　interviewed　by　David　Brinkley；　or　getting　his　picture　on　the　cover　of　Time；　meant　nothing　as　long　as　his　colleagues　kept　voting　to　surrender　every　inch　of　Florida's　beachfront　to　pinky…ringed　condominium　moguls。　With　each　defeat　Clint　Tyree　grew　more　saturnine；　downcast；　and　withdrawn。　The　letters　he　dictated　became　so　dark　and　profane　that　his　aides　were　terrified　to　send　them　out　under　the　state　seal；　and　rewrote　them　surreptitiously。　They　whispered　that　the　governor　was　losing　too　much　weight；　that　his　suits　weren't　always　pressed　to　perfection；　that　his　hair　was　getting　shaggy。　Some　Republicans　even　started　a　rumor　that　Tyree　was　suffering　from　a　dreaded　sexual　disease。
　Meanwhile　the　rich　developers　who　had　tried　to　bribe　him　finally　went　to　trial；　with　the　governor　sitting　as　the　chief　witness　against　them。　It　was；　as　they　say；　a　media　circus。　Clinton　Tyree's　friends　thought　he　held　up　about　as　well　as　could　be　expected；　his　enemies　thought　he　looked　glazed　and　unkempt；　like　a　dope　addict　on　the　witness　stand。
　The　trial　proved　to　be　a　tepid　victory。　The　developers　were　convicted　of　bribery　and　conspiracy；　but　as　punishment　all　they　got　was　probation。　They　were　family　men；　the　judge　explained；　churchgoers；　too。
　By　wretched　coincidence；　the　day　after　the　sentencing；　the　Florida　Cabinet　voted　6…1　to　close　down　the　Sparrow　Beach　Wildlife　Preserve　and　sell　it　to　the　Sparrow　Beach　Development　Corporation　for　twelve　million　dollars。　The　purported　reason　for　the　sale　was　the　unfortunate　death　（from　either　sexual　frustration　or　old　age）　of　the　only　remaining　Karp's　Seagrape　sparrow；　the　species　for　whom　the　verdant　preserve　had　first　been　established。　With　the　last　rare　bird　dead；　the　cabinet　reasoned；　why　continue　to　tie　up　perfectly　good　waterfront？　The　lone　vote　against　the　land　deal　belonged　to　the　governor；　of　course；　and　only　afterward　did　he　discover　that　the　principal　shareholder　in　the　Sparrow　Beach　Development　Corporation　was　none　other　than　his　trusted　running　mate；　the　lieutenant　governor。
　The　morning　after　the　vote；　Governor　Clinton　Tyree　did　what　no　other　Florida　governor　had　ever　done。　He　quit。
　He　didn't　tell　a　soul　in　Tallahassee　what　he　was　doing。　He　simply　walked　out　of　the　governor's　mansion；　got　in　the　back　of　his　limousine；　and　told　his　chauffeur　to　drive。
　Six　hours　later　he　told　the　driver　to　stop。　The　limo　pulled　into　a　bus　depot　in　downtown　Orlando；　where　the　governor　said　goodbye　to　his　driver　and　told　him　to　get　the　hell　going。
　For　two　days　Governor　Clinton　Tyree　was　the　subject　of　the　most　massive　manhunt　in　the　history　of　the　state。　The　FBI；　the　highway　patrol；　the　marine　patrol；　the　Florida　Department　of　Law　Enforcement；　and　the　National　Guard　sent　out　agents；　troops；　psychics；　bloodhounds　and　helicopters。　The　governor's　chauffeur　was　polygraphed　seven　times　and；　although　he　always　passed；　was　still　regarded　as　a　prime　suspect　in　the　disappearance。
　The　search　ended　when　Clinton　Tyree's　notarized　resignation　was　delivered　to　the　Capitol。　In　a　short　letter　released　to　the　press；　the　ex…governor　said　he　quit　the　office　because　of　〃disturbing　moral　and　philosophical　conflicts。〃　He　graciously　thanked　his　friends　and　supporters；　and　closed　the　message　by　quoting　a　poignant　but　seemingly　irrelevant　passage　from　a　Moody　Blues　song。
　After　Clint　Tyree's　resignation；　the　slimy　business　of　selling　off　Florida　resumed　in　the　state　capital。　Those　who　had　been　loyal　to　the　young　governor　began　to　give　interviews　suggesting　that　for　two　whole　years　they'd　known　that　he　was　basically　a　nut。　A　few　intrepid　reporters　depleted　precious　expense　accounts　trying　to　track　down　Clinton　Tyree　and　get　the　real　story；　but　with　no　success。　The　last　confirmed　sighting　was　that　afternoon　when　the　fugitive　governor　had　vanished　from　the　downtown　Orlando　bus　depot。　Using　the　name　Black　Leclere；　he　had　purchased　a　one…way　ticket　to　Fort　Lauderdale；　but　never　arrived。　Along　the　way　the　Greyhound　Scenic　Cruiser　had　stopped　to　refuel　at　an　Exxon　station；　the　driver　hadn't　noticed　that　the　tall　passenger　in　a　blue　pinstriped　suit　who　had　gotten　off　to　use　the　men's　room　had　never　e　back。　The　Exxon　station　was　located　across　from　a　fruit　stand　on　Route　222；　four　miles　outside　the　town　limits　of　Harney。
　Clinton　Tyree　had　selected　Harney　not　only　becaus