jg.atimetokill-第11部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
The bartender disappeared； and a minute later emerged from between two mirrors behind the liquor。 He motioned for the Haileys； who followed him through a small door； past the restrooms and through a locked door up the stairs。 The office was dark and gaudy。 The carpet on the floor was gold； on the walls； red； on the ceiling； green。 A green shag ceiling。 Thin steel bars covered the two blackened windows； and for good measure a set of heavy； dusty； burgundy drapes hung from ceiling to floor to catch and smother any sunlight robust enough to penetrate the painted glass。 A small； ineffective chrome chandelier with mirror panes rotated slowly in the center of the room； barely above their heads。
Two mammoth bodyguards in matching three…piece black suits dismissed the bartender and seated Lester and Carl Lee； and stood behind them。
The brothers admired the furnishings。 〃Nice； ain't it？〃 Lester said。 B。B。 King mourned softly on a hidden stereo。
Suddenly； Cat entered from a hidden door behind the marble and glass desk。 He lunged at Carl Lee。 〃My man！ My man！ Carl Lee Hailey！〃 He shouted and grabbed Carl Lee。 〃So good to see you； Carl Lee！ So good to see you！〃
Carl Lee stood and they bearhugged。 〃How are you； my man！〃 Cat demanded。
〃Doin' fine； Cat； just fine。 And you？〃
〃Great！ Great！ Who's this？〃 He turned to Lester and threw a hand in his chest。 Lester shook it violently。
iuia ucie s my orother； Lester；〃 Carl Lee said。 〃He's from Chicago。〃
〃Glad to know you； Lester。 Me and the big man here are mighty tight。 Mighty tight。〃
〃He's told me all about you；〃 Lester said。 Cat admired Carl Lee。 〃My； my； Carl Lee。 You lookin' good。 How's the leg？〃
〃It's fine； Cat。 Tightens up sometimes when it rains； but it's fine。〃
〃We mighty tight； ain't we？〃
Carl Lee nodded and smiled。 Cat released him。 〃You fellas want a drink？〃
〃No thanks；〃 said Carl Lee。
〃I'll take a beer；〃 said Lester。 Cat snapped his fingers and a bodyguard disappeared。 Carl Lee fell into his chair and Cat sat on the edge of his desk； his feet dangling and swinging like a kid on a pier。 He grinned at Carl Lee； who squirmed under all the admiration。
〃Why don't you move to Memphis and go to work for me？〃 Cat said。 Carl Lee knew it was ing。 Cat had been offering him jobs for ten years。
〃No thanks； Cat。 I'm happy。〃
〃And I'm happy for you。 What's on your mind？〃
Carl Lee opened his mouth； hesitated； crossed his legs and frowned。 He nodded； and said； 〃Need a favor； Cat。 Just a small favor。〃
Cat spread his arms。 〃Anything； big man； anything you want。〃
〃You remember them M…16's we used in 'Nam？ I need one of them。 As quick as possible。〃
Cat recoiled his arms and folded them across his chest。 He studied his friend。 〃That's a bad gun。 What kinda squirrels you huntin' down there？〃
〃It ain't for squirrels。〃
Cat analyzed them both。 He knew better than to ask why。 It was serious； or Carl Lee wouldn't be there。 〃Semi？〃
〃Nope。 The real thing。〃
〃You talkin' some cash。〃
〃How much？〃
〃It's illegal as hell； you know？〃
〃If I could buy it at Sears I wouldn't be here。〃
Cat grinned again。 〃When do you need it？〃
〃Today。〃
The beer arrived and was served to Lester。 Cat moved behind his desk； to his orange vinyl captain's chair。 〃Thousand bucks。〃
〃I got it。〃
Cat was mildly surprised； but didn't show it。 Where did this simple small…town Mississippi nigger find a thousand dollars？ Must have borrowed it from his brother。
〃Thousand for anyone else； but not for you； big man。〃
〃How much？〃
〃Nothin'； Carl Lee； nothin'。 I owe you somethin' worth much more than money。〃
〃I'll be glad to pay for it。〃
〃Nope。 I won't hear it。 The gun's yours。〃
〃That's mighty kind； Cat。〃
〃I'd give you fifty of them。〃
〃Just need one。 When can I get it？〃
〃Lemme check。〃 Cat phoned someone and mumbled a few sentences into the receiver。 The orders given； he hung up and explained it would take about an hour。
〃We can wait；〃 Carl Lee said。
Cat removed the patch from his left eye and wiped the empty socket with a handkerchief。 〃I gotta better idea。〃 He snapped at the bodyguards。 〃Get my car。 We'll drive over and pick it up。〃
They followed Cat through a secret door and down a hall。 〃I live here； you know。〃 He pointed。 〃Through that door is my pad。 Usually keep some naked women around。〃
〃I'd like to see it；〃 Lester volunteered。
〃That's okay；〃 said Carl Lee。
Farther down the hall Cat pointed to a thick； black； shiny iron door at the end of a short hallway。 He stopped as if to admire it。 〃That's where I keep my cash。 Post a guard in there around the clock。〃
〃How much？〃 Lester asked with a sip of beer。
Cat glared at him and continued down the hall。 Carl Lee frowned at his brother and shook his head。 Where the hall ended they climbed a narrow stairway to the fourth floor。 It was darker； and somewhere in the darkness Cat found a button on a wall。 They waited silently for a few
__〃〃〃 u；。m me wait opened and revealed a bright elevator with red carpet and a NO SMOKING sign。 Cat pushed another button。
〃You gotta walk up to catch the elevator goin' down；〃 he said with amusement。 〃Security reasons。〃 They nodded approval and admiration。
It opened in the basement。 One of the bodyguards waited by the open door of a clean white stretch limo； and Cat invited his guests in for a ride。 They moved slowly past a row of Fleetwoods； several more limos； a Rolls； and an assortment of European luxury cars。 〃They're all mine；〃 he said proudly。
The driver honked and a heavy door rolled up to reveal a one…way side street。 〃Drive slow；〃 Cat yelled to the chauffeur and the bodyguard way up front。 〃I wanna show you fellas around some。〃
Carl Lee had received the tour a few years earlier during his last visit to Cat。 There were rows of beaten and paintless shacks that the great man referred to as rental properties。 There were ancient red…bricked warehouses with blackened or boarded windows and no clue as to what was stored inside。 There was a church； a prosperous church； and a few blocks away； another one。 He owned the preachers too； he said。 There were dozens of corner taverns with open doors and groups of young blacks sitting on benches outside drinking quart bottles of Stag beer。 He pointed proudly to a burned…out building near Beale and told with great zeal the story of a petitor who had attempted to gain a foothold in the topless business。 He had no petitors； he said。 And then there were the clubs； places with names like Angels and Cat's House and Black Paradise； places where a man could go for good drink； good food； good music； naked women； and possibly more； he said。 The clubs had made him a very rich man。 Eight of them in all。
They were shown all eight。 Plus what seemed like most of the real estate in south Memphis。 At the dead end of a nameless street near the river； the driver turned sharply between two of the red…bricked warehouses and drove through a narrow alley until a gate opened to the right。 Past the gate a door opened next to a loading dock and the limo disap…
peared into the building。 It stopped and the bodyguard got out。
〃Keep your seats；〃 Cat said。
The trunk opened； then shut。 In less than a minute the limo was again cruising the streets of Memphis。
〃How 'bout lunch？〃 Cat asked。 Before they answered he yelled at the driver； 〃Black Paradise。 Call and tell them I'm in' for lunch。
〃Got the best prime rib in Memphis； right here in one of my clubs。 Course you won't read about it in the Sunday paper。 I've been shunned by the critics。 Can you imagine？〃
〃Sounds like discrimination；〃 Lester said。
〃Yeah； I'm sure it is。 But I don't use that until I'm indicted。〃
〃We ain't read about you lately； Cat；〃 Carl Lee said。
〃It's been three years since my last trial。 Tax evasion。 Feds spent three weeks puttin' on proof； and the jury stayed out twenty…seven minutes and returned with the two most precious words in the Afro…English language…'Not guilty。' 〃
〃I've heard them myself；〃 Lester said。
A doorman waited under the canopy at the club； and a set of matching bodyguards； different bodyguards； escorted the great one and his guests to a private booth away from the dance floor。 Drinks and food were served by a squad of waiters。 Lester switched to Scotch and was drunk when the prime rib arrived。 Carl Lee drank iced tea and swapped war stories with Cat。
When the food was gone； a bodyguard approached and whispered to Cat。 He grinned and looked at Carl Lee。 〃Y'all in the red Eldorado with Illinois plates？〃
〃Yeah。 But we left it at the other place。〃
〃It's parked outside 。。。 in the trunk。〃
〃What？〃 said Lester。 〃How…〃
Cat roared and slapped him on the back。 〃Don't ask； my man； don't ask。 It's all taken care of； my man。 Cat can do anything。〃
As usual； Jake worked Saturday morning； after breakfast at the Coffee Shop。 He enjoyed the tranquility of his office on Saturday…no phones； no Ethel。 He locked the office； ig…
uuicu me pnone； and avoided clients。 He organized files； read recent decisions from the Supreme Court and planned strategy if a trial was approaching。 His best thoughts and ideas came during quiet Saturday mornings。
At eleven he phoned the jail。 〃Sheriff in？〃 he asked the dispatcher。
〃Lemme check；〃 came the reply。
Moments passed before the sheriff answered。 〃Sheriff Walls；〃 he announced。
〃Ozzie； Jake Brigance。 How are you？〃
〃Fine； Jake。 You？〃
〃Fine。 Will you be there for a while？〃
〃Coupla hours。 What's up？〃
〃Not much。 Just need to talk for a minute。 I'll be there in thirty minutes。〃
〃I'll be waitin'。〃
Jake and the sheriff had a mutual like and respect for each other。 Jake had roughed him up a few times during cross…examinations； but Ozzie considered it business and nothing personal。 Jake campaigned for Ozzie； and Lucien financed the campaigns； so Ozzie didn't mind a few sarcastic and pointed questions during trial。 He liked to watch Jake at trial。 And he liked to kid him about the game。 In 1969； when Jake was a sophomore quarterback at Karaway； Ozzie was a senior all…conference； all…state tackle at Clanton。 The two rivals； both undefeated； met in the final game at Clanton for the conference championship。 For four long quarters Ozzie terrorized the Karaway of
