cwilleford.miamiblues-第11部分

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The　white　TransArn；　in　its　numbered　slot；　seemed　to　glow　in　the　sixth　row。　Every　other　parking　light　in　the　lot　had　been　turned　off；　to　save　energy；　perhaps；　and　the　other　lights　had　been　dimmed。　The　moon　wasn't　up　yet；　and　beyond　the　cyclone　fence　was　blackness。　Looking　out　and　down　into　that　dark　land　mass；　Freddy　felt　as　if　he　were　on　the　edge　of　an　abyss。　Perspiration　from　his　armpits　trickled　down　his　sides。
　　〃Let's　go　back　inside；〃　Freddy　said。　〃Doesn't　it　even　cool　off　at　night？〃
　　〃A　little。　Around　four　in　the　morning　it'll　drop　down　to　seventy…seven　or　so；　but　then　the　humidity'll　go　up。〃
　　Freddy　took　off　his　shoes　and　his　shirt。　Susan　sat　on　the　couch　in　the　living　room。　〃D'you　want　to　watch　some　TV；　Junior？〃
　　〃Not　now。　I've　got　to　make　a　phone　call。　Where's　the　telephone　book？〃
　　〃There's　two　books　over　there；　under　the　breakfast　table。　The　phone's　on　the…〃
　　〃I　can　see　the　phone。〃
　　Freddy　looked　up　the　number　of　the　International　Hotel。　He　called　the　desk；　checked　out；　and　told　the　clerk　to　charge　everything；　including　his　barber　bill；　to　his　Gotlieb　credit　card。　〃Yes；〃　he　finished；　〃I　did　have　a　pleasant　stay。〃
　　Freddy　joined　Susan　on　the　couch　and　told　her　to　bring　him　a　pair　of　scissors。　He　cut　up　the　Gotlieb　credit　and　identification　cards；　and　put　the　cut　pieces　into　the　ashtray。
　　〃Now；〃　he　said；　〃Mr。　Gotlieb's　no　longer　in　Miami。〃
　　Freddy　patted　the　lounge；　and　Susan　sat　beside　him。　〃I　liked　the　way　you　handled　yourself　at　the　morgue；　Susan。　What　were　you　thinking　about；　anyway；　when　you　saw　your　dead　brother？〃
　　〃I　was　thinking　about　the　times　when　he　used　to　bend　my　fingers　back　when　he　wanted　me　to　do　something。　It　really　hurt；　and　after　a　while　he　didn't　have　to　bend　them　back。　All　he　had　to　do　was　threaten　to　do　it；　and　I'd　do　whatever　he　wanted。　He　was　religious；　I　guess；　but　he　was　awfully　mean。　He　said　he　wanted　to　go　to　heaven；　and　now　he's　finally　got　what　he　wanted。〃　She　was　lost　in　thought　for　a　moment；　then　she　looked　up。
　　〃What　I　want　to　do；　first　thing　tomorrow；　is　go　down　to　the　bank　and　take　out　the　CD。　Then　I　can　start　another　one　some　place　else。　We've　got　a　ten…thousand…dollar　CD　saved；　plus　another　four　thousand　in　our　joint　NOW　account。　And　I　sure　don't　want　daddy　or　the　Krishnas　to　get　it。〃
　　〃Good。　We'll　do　that　first　thing。　Now　that　we're　engaged；　we're　going　to　start　our　platonic　marriage。　D'you　know　what　that　is？〃
　　Susan　nodded。　〃Beth　had　one；　on　'The　Days　of　Our　Lives；'　when　she　moved　in　with　the　lawyer。　And　I　want　one　too。　I've　been　really　lonely　out　here　at　night。　I　didn't　like　Marty；　but　even　so；　I　missed　him　when　he　moved　out　to　the　camp。〃
　　〃Why　didn't　you　like　him？　He　was　your　brother。〃
　　〃Remember；　before；　when　I　told　you　I　never　went　steady？　Marty's　why；　that's　why。　He's　the　one　that　got　me　pregnant；　and　I　think　daddy　suspicioned　it；　too。　And　then　when　we　came　down　to　Miami　and　I　got　the　abortion；　Marty　couldn't　find　any　work。　He　met　Pablo　when　he　was　looking　for　work　at　the　hotel。　So　then　he　made　me　go　to　work　for　Pablo。　I　don't　like　working　at　the　hotel；　Junior；　I　really　don't。　That　old　man　from　Dayton；　Ohio；　today　was　disgusting。〃
　　〃You've　turned　your　last　trick　for　Pablo。　You're　living　with　me　now。〃
　　〃You　really　don't　know　Pablo。　He　smiles　and　bows　and　all　that；　but　he's　mean。　And　he　knows　where　I…where　we　live；　Junior。〃
　　〃Don't　worry　about　Pablo。　I'll　take　care　of　him。　Do　you　remember　that　Bob　Dylan　song　about　the　lady　laying　across　a　brass　bed？〃
　　〃I　don't　remember。　Maybe　I　did。　They　don't　play　much　Dylan　on　the　radio　anymore。〃
　　〃Well；　here's　what　you　do。　Go　into　the　bedroom；　take　off　your　clothes；　put　two　pillows　under　your　stomach；　and　lay　face　down　on　that　big　brass　bed。　I'm　gonna　have　another　beer；　and　then　I'll　be　right　in。〃
　　〃You're　gonna　do　it　to　me　the　back　way　whether　I　want　to　or　not；　aren't　you？〃
　　〃Yeah。〃
　　〃In　that　case；　I'd　better　get　another　San　Miguel　for　you；　and　some　Crisco　for　me。〃
　　
　　Later；　bars　of　moonlight　came　through　the　slanted　vertical　Levolors　and　made　yellow　bars　across　Freddy's　hairless　chest。　Susan；　in　a　shorty　nightgown；　snuggled　close　to　him　and　used　his　extended　right　arm　as　a　pillow。　Freddy　chuckled　deep　in　his　throat　and　then　snorted。
　　〃Remember　that　haiku　the　teacher　wrote？〃
　　〃Not　exactly；〃　Susan　said。
　　〃〃The　Miami　sun。　/　Rising　in　the　Everglades。　/　Burger　in　a　bun〃。　That's　what　I　was　laughing　at。　Now　I　know　what　it　means。〃
　　
　　
　　8
　　
　　There　was　a　middle…aged　man　sitting　in　the　glass…walled　office　with　Sergeant　Bill　Henderson　when　Hoke　arrived　in　the　squad　room。　Hoke　checked　his　mailbox　and　then　signaled　his　presence　to　Henderson　with　a　wave　of　his　arm。　Henderson　beckoned　for　him　to　e　over。　Henderson　got　to　his　feet　and　smiled　as　Hoke　crossed　the　crowded　squad　room。　Most　of　Henderson's　front　teeth　were　reinforced　with　silver　inlays；　and　his　smile　was　a　sinister　grimace。　Hoke　and　Bill　had　been　working　together　for　almost　four　years；　and　Hoke　knew　that　when　Henderson　smiled；　something　horrible　about　human　nature　had　been　reconfirmed　for　his　partner。
　　Hoke　cracked　open　the　door。　〃I'm　going　down　for　coffee；　Bill。　I'll　be　right　back。〃
　　〃I　already　got　you　coffee。〃　Henderson　pointed　to　the　capped　Styrofoam　cup　on　Hoke's　side　of　the　double　desk。　〃I　want　you　to　meet　Mr。　Waggoner。　We've　been　having　an　interesting　little　chat　here；　and　I　know　you'll　want　to　hear　what　he's　got　to　say。〃
　　Hoke　shook　hands　and　sat　in　his　chair。　〃Sergeant　Moseley。　I'm　Sergeant　Henderson's　partner。〃
　　〃Clyde　Waggoner。　I'm　Martin's　father。〃　The　man　from　Okeechobee　was　wearing　a　white　rayon　tie　with　a　blue　chambray　work　shirt；　and　khaki　trousers。　There　was　a　thin　nylon　Sears　windbreaker　folded　over　his　left　arm。　He　had　short　brown　hair　with　shaved　temples；　the　kind　of　haircut　they　call　white　sidewalls　in　the　armed　forces。　His　skin　was　sallow；　but　it　was　blotchy　in　places　from　long　exposure　to　the　Florida　sun；　and　there　were　scars　on　his　nose　and　cheeks　from　debrided　skin　cancers。
　　〃I　suppose　you　came　for　your　son's　effects；〃　Hoke　said；　unlocking　his　desk　drawer。　〃Sorry　I'm　a　little　late　this　morning；　but　I　had　to　drop　off　some　dry　cleaning。〃
　　Mr。　Waggoner　looked　down　at　his　scuffed　engineer　boots；　made　a　goatlike　sound　in　his　throat；　and　began　to　cry。　The　sound　was　softly　muffled；　but　the　tears　that　came　down　his　blotchy　cheeks　were　genuine。　Hoke　directed　a　puzzled　look　at　Henderson；　and　his　partner　broadened　his　brutal　smile。
　　〃Just　tell　Sergeant　Moseley　the　same　story　you　told　me；　Mr。　Waggoner。　I　could　summarize　it；　but　I　might　leave　something　out。〃
　　Mr。　Waggoner　blew　his　nose　on　a　blue　bandanna　and　stuffed　the　handkerchief　into　his　left　hip　pocket。　He　wiped　his　cheeks　with　his　fingers。
　　〃I　can't　prove　nothing；　sergeant；　as　I　told　Sergeant　Henderson　here。　All　I　can　tell　you　is　what　I　think　happened。　I　hope　I'm　wrong；　I　surely　do　hope　so。　My　business　is　bad　enough　already；　and　a　scandal　like　this　could　make　it　worse。　Okeechobee's　a　small　town；　and　our　moral　standards　are　a　lot　different　up　there　than　they　are　down　here　in　Miami。　You　know　what　they　call　Miami　up　in　Okeechobee？〃
　　〃No；　but　I　don't　suppose　it's　plimentary。〃
　　〃It　ain't。　They　call　it　Sin　City；　Sergeant　Moseley。〃
　　〃Are　you；　perhaps；　a　man　of　the　cloth？〃
　　〃No；　sir。　Software。　I　got　me　a　software　store　in　Okeechobee。　I　sell　video　games；　puters；　and　rent　out　TV　sets　and　movies。〃
　　〃My　father　owns　a　hardware　store　in　Riviera　Beach；〃　Hoke　said。
　　〃He's　smarter　than　me；　then。　What　I　had　in　mind　when　I　opened　the　store　was　a　puter　business　for　the　mercial　fishing　on　the　lake。　The　government　sets　quotas；　you　see；　and　I　figured　if　the　fish　houses　had　puters　they　could　always　prove　exactly　how　much　fish　they　caught　and　all　that。　Plus　they'd　know　when　they　was　falling　behind；　and　so　on。　Then　last　year；　when　the　lake　went　down　to　nine　feet；　the　government　stopped　mercial　fishing　almost　altogether。　No　nets　allowed；　you　see；　so　all　the　fish　houses're　just　about　out　of　business　now。　Besides；　nobody's　buying　puters　up　there　because　there　ain't　no　programs　written　up　for　lake　fishing　anyway。〃
　　〃So　you're　just　about　out　of　business；　right？〃
　　〃Oh；　no…I'm　doing　all　right。　But　I　borrowed　money　to　expand；　and　the　interest　is　hurting　me。　My　movie　rental　club　alone　pays　my　rent　each　month；　but　I'm　in　pretty　heavy　to　the　bank；　you　see。　But　I　ain't　here　to　talk　business。　What　I　was　telling　Sergeant　Henderson　here　is　that　I　suspect　foul　play。〃
　　〃What　kind　of　foul　play？〃
　　〃That　was　no　accident　that　killed　Martin。　That　was　murder。〃
　　〃If　so；　it's　the　first　of　a　kind。〃
　　〃Let　him　finish；〃　Henderson　said。　〃There's　more。〃
　　〃That's　the　best　kind；〃　Mr。　Waggoner　continued；　〃the　kind　that　looks　like　an　accident　but　really　ain't。　I've　seen　it　on　'The　Rockford　Files'　more　'n　once；　and　if　it　wasn't　for　Jim　Rockford；　a　lot　of　people'd　get　away　with　it；　too。〃
　　〃What　makes　you　think　your　son's　death　wasn't　an　accident？〃
　　〃I'd　really　rather　not　talk　about　it　because　it's　so　painful　to　me；　as　a　father；　you　see。　But　I'm　also　a　good　citizen；　and　justice；　no　matter　how　harsh；　must　be　done。　Even　to　kith　and　kin　。　。　。　〃　He　started　to　cry　again；　softer　this　time；　and　reached　for　his　handkerchief。
　　Hoke　took　the　plastic　lid　off　his　coffee　and　sipped　it。　It　was　cold。　〃When　did　you　get　this　coffee？〃
　　〃I　got　in　a　little　early　today；〃　Henderson　said。　〃But　I　didn't　know　you'd　be　a　half…hour　late。〃
　　Hoke　replaced　the　plastic　lid　and　dropped　the　cup　of　coffee　into　the　wastebasket。　He　lit　a　cigarette；　took　a　long　drag；　and　butted　the　cigarette　in　the　ashtray　as　he　allowed　the　smoke　to　trickle　out　through　his　nose。
　　〃So　you　think；　Mr。　Waggoner；〃　Hoke　said；　〃that　this　unidentified　assailant　who　broke　your　son's　middle　finger　killed　him　on　purpose？　Is　that　right？〃
　　〃That's　about　the　size　of　it。〃　Mr。　Waggoner　blew　his　nose；　examined　his　handkerchief；　and　then　put　it　back　into　his　pocket。　〃I　think　the　man；　whosoever　he　was；　was　hired　to　do　it。　That's　what　I　think。〃
　　〃The　chances　of　killing　a　man　that　way　are　pretty　remote；　Mr。　Waggoner。　I　doubt　if　more　than　one　man　in　a　thousand…　I　don't　know　the　actual　statistics…would　die　from　a　trauma　to　his　finger。