cwilleford.miamiblues-第5部分

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　　Susan　blushed；　and　looked　shyly　at　the　floor。　〃You　can　kiss　me　on　the　cheek　and　sorta　seal　our　date。　That　way　I　know　you'll　really　e　to　Granny's。　I　know　you　men　don't　like　to　kiss　us　on　the　mouth　　。　。　。　〃
　　〃I　don't　mind　kissing　you　on　the　mouth。〃
　　〃You　don't？〃
　　Freddy　kissed　her　chastely；　almost　tenderly；　on　the　lips；　and　then　led　her　to　the　door。　She　waggled　her　fingers　and　smiled；　then　he　closed　the　door　after　her　and　chain…locked　it。　She　had　forgotten　the　empty　suitcase；　and　he　still　had　the　bag　of　clothes。　He　would　give　the　suitcase　to　Pablo　instead　of　the　ten　bucks　he　had　intended　to　give　him。　As　long　as　he　had　the　clothes；　he　knew　she　would　e　to　Granny's。
　　He　still　had　plenty　of　time　to　do　some　shopping。
　　
　　
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　　Bill　Henderson　and　Hoke　Moseley　worked　on　their　reports　for　the　rest　of　the　afternoon　at　the　double　desk　they　shared　in　a　glass…walled　cubbyhole　at　the　new　Miami　Police　Station。　As　sergeants　they　were　entitled　to　the　tiny　office；　which　had　a　door　that　could　be　closed　and　locked；　but　it　was　much　more　crowded　and　unfortable　than　the　space　the　other　plainclothes　detectives　had　in　the　large；　outer　bullpen。　The　room　was　undecorated；　except　for　a　twenty…two　by　thirty…inch　poster　on　the　one　unglassed　wall。　A　hand　holding　a　pistol；　with　the　pistol　pointed　at　the　viewer；　was　in　the　center　of　the　wall。　The　message；　in　bold　black　letters　beneath　the　pointing　pistol；　read　MIAMI…SEE　IT　LIKE　A　NATIVE。
　　When　they　took　the　depositions　of　the　brothers　Peeples；　only　one　man　at　a　time　could　be　acmodated　in　the　tiny　room。　Irritated　by　the　Georgians'　uncooperative　attitudes；　they　let　the　two　men　find　their　own　way　back　to　the　airport　by　taxi　instead　of　returning　them　to　the　PR　man　in　a　police　car。
　　Hoke　flipped　a　quarter。　Henderson　lost；　which　meant　that　Henderson　had　to　call　Martin　Waggoner's　father　in　Okeechobee　and　break　the　sad　news。　While　Henderson　called；　Hoke　went　downstairs　to　the　station　cafeteria　and　got　two　cups　of　coffee　in　Styrofoam　cups。　He　drank　his　in　the　cafeteria　and　brought　the　other　cup；　now　barely　warm；　back　upstairs　to　Henderson。　Henderson　took　one　sip　of　the　lukewarm　coffee；　replaced　the　lid；　and　dropped　the　cup　into　the　wastebasket。
　　〃Mr。　Waggoner　said　his　son　had　a　sister　living　with　him　here　in　Miami；　and　he　wouldn't　accept　the　truth　of　his　son's　death　until　she　identified　the　body。　His　son　was　a　deeply　religious　boy；　he　claimed；　and　was　not　the　kind　to　fight　anyone。　I　told　him　there　wasn't　any　fight；　and　about　how　it　happened　and　all；　and　he　said　that　there　had　to　be　more　to　it　than　that。　I　know　how　he　feels；　the　poor　bastard。　When　I　told　him　his　son　died　from　a　broken　finger　I　felt　like　I　was　lying　myself。〃
　　〃He　didn't　die　from　a　broken　finger。　He　died　from　shock。〃
　　Henderson　shrugged。　〃I　know。　And　I　told　him　what　Doc　Evans　said　about　shock。　Anyway；　I　made　the　call　to　Mr。　Waggoner；　so　you　can　take　the　sister　down　to　identify　the　body。〃
　　〃You　lost　the　coin　toss…〃
　　〃And　I　called　Mr。　Waggoner。　The　sister's　a　new　development；　and　my　wife　expects　me　home　for　dinner。　We're　having　pany　over。　You're　single…〃
　　〃Divorced。〃
　　〃But　single；　with　no　responsibilities　or　obligations。〃
　　〃I　pay　alimony　and　child　support　for　two　teenage　daughters。〃
　　〃Sometimes　you　break　my　heart。　Your　evenings　are　bleak　and　empty。　You　have　no　friends…〃
　　〃I　thought　you　and　I　were　friends？〃
　　〃We　are。　That's　why　you　can　get　a　hold　of　the　sister　while　I　go　home　to　my　assertive　wife；　my　gawky　teenager　son；　and　my　daughter　with　acne。　I　can　then　entertain　for　drinks　and　dinner　a　couple　my　wife　likes　and　I　can't　stand。〃
　　〃Okay；　since　you　point　out　the　joys　I'm　missing；　I'll　go。　Got　her　address？〃
　　〃I　wrote　it　all　down；　and　I've　made　some　calls。　She　lives　in　Kendall　Pines　Terrace　out　on　One…fifty…seventh　Avenue。　Building　Six…East　apartment　four…one…eight。〃
　　〃Kendall？　That's　a　helluva　ways　out。〃　Hoke　transferred　the　information　from　the　yellow　pad　to　his　notebook。
　　〃Luckily　for　you　she　isn't　home。　Susan　Waggoner　goes　to　Miami…Dade；　to　the　New　World　Campus　downtown。　She'll　be　in　class　at　six…fifteen。　I　already　called　the　registrar；　so　if　you　stop　by　the　office；　they'll　send　a　student　assistant　up　to　the　classroom　with　you　and　get　the　girl　out　of　class。　You've　even　got　time　to　get　a　drink　first。　Two　drinks。〃
　　〃And　so　everything　works　out　for　the　best；　doesn't　it？　You　can　go　home　to　dinner；　and　I　can　escort　a　hysterical　young　girl　to　the　morgue　to　see　her　dead　brother。　I　can；　then；　in　all　probability；　drive　her　to　hell　and　gone　out　to　Kendall　and　get　her　calmed　down。　Then　I　have　to　drive　all　the　way　back　to　Miami　Beach。　Maybe；　if　I'm　lucky；　I'll　be　home　in　time　to　watch　the　eleven　o'clock　news。〃
　　〃What　the　hell；　Hoke；　it's　all　overtime　pay。〃
　　〃pensatory　time。　I've　used　up　my　overtime　pay　this　month。〃
　　〃What's　the　difference？〃
　　〃Twenty…five　bucks。　Haven't　we　had　this　conversation　before？〃
　　〃Last　month。　Only　last　month　it　was　me　who　had　to　sit　in　the　hardware　store　until　four　A。M。　while　you　went　home　to　bed。〃
　　〃But　you　were　on　overtime　pay。〃
　　〃pensatory　time。〃
　　〃What's　the　difference？〃
　　〃Twenty…five　bucks。〃
　　They　both　laughed；　but　laughing　didn't　mask　Hoke's　uneasiness。　He　didn't　know　which　was　worse…telling　a　father　that　his　son　was　dead　or　telling　a　sister　that　her　brother　was　dead；　but　he　was　glad　he　didn't　have　to　tell　both　of　them。
　　
　　
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　　In　his　new　clothes　Freddy　looked　like　a　native　Miamian。　He　wore　a　pale　blue　guayabera；　white　linen　slacks　with　tiny　golden　tennis　rackets　embroidered　at　irregular　intervals　on　both　pants　legs；　white　patent…leather　loafers　with　tassels；　a　chromium　dolphin…shaped　belt　buckle；　and　pale　blue　socks　that　matched　his　guayabera。　He　had　had　a　20　haircut　and　an　8　shave　in　the　hotel　barber　shop；　charging　both　to　his　room；　together　with　a　generous　tip　for　the　barber。　He　could　have　passed　as　a　local；　or　as　a　tourist　down　from　Pennsylvania　to　spend　the　full　season。
　　Freddy　arrived　at　Granny's　a　little　before　five　and　ordered　a　pot　of　ginseng　tea；　telling　the　heavy…hipped　Cuban　waitress　that　he　was　waiting　for　a　friend。　He　had　never　tasted　ginseng　tea　before；　but　he　managed　to　kill　some　of　the　bitterness　by　adding　three　spoons　of　raw　brown　sugar　to　his　cup。　The　menu　didn't　make　much　sense　to　Freddy。　After　looking　it　over；　he　decided　he　would　order　whatever　Susan　ordered　and　hope　for　the　best。　The　ginseng　tea　was　foul；　but　it　had　seemed　like　a　better　choice　than　the　gunpowder　tea　the　waitress　had　remended。　He　had　run　out　of　cigarettes；　his　first　pack　smoked　since　leaving　prison。　But　when　he　asked　the　waitress　to　bring　him　a　fresh　package　of　Winston　100s；　she　told　him　that　no　smoking　was　allowed　at　Granny's；　and　that　〃cigarettes　are　poison　to　the　body。〃
　　Actually；　Freddy　realized；　he　didn't　truly　want　a　cigarette。　Kicking　the　habit　in　prison　had　been　difficult。　Six　days　in　the　hole　without　a　cigarette　had　given　him　a　good　start；　helping　his　body　get　rid　of　the　stored　nicotine；　but　it　hadn't　helped　his　psychological　dependence　on　smoking。　There　were　very　few　things　that　a　man　could　do　alone　in　prison。　Smoking　was　one　of　them。　Smoking　not　only　helped　to　pass　the　time；　it　gave　a　man　something　to　do　with　his　hands。　Until　he　started　pumping　iron　in　earnest；　those　long　days　of　wandering　around　in　the　yard　without　a　cigarette　had　been　his　worst　days　in　stir。　And　yet　the　first　thing　he　had　done　when　he　got　into　the　San　Francisco　bus　terminal　was　to　buy　a　package　of　Winston　100s。　He　had　picked　them　because　of　the　deep　red　package。　He　had　somehow　associated　smoking　with　freedom；　even　though　smoking　was　a　form　of　slavery。　That　settled　it。　He　would　give　it　up　before　he　got　back　into　the　habit。　Otherwise；　when　he　got　back　to　prison；　he　would　have　to　go　through　all　of　that　painful　withdrawal　business　again。
　　Susan；　still　in　her　work　clothes；　arrived　a　few　minutes　after　five。　She　waved　from　the　door　and　then　joined　him　at　the　table…for…two　against　the　wall。　She　ducked　her　head　and　sat　under　an　ominous　hanging　basket　containing　a　drooping　mass　of　ferns。　She　was　obviously　pleased　to　see　Freddy。
　　〃You　forgot　the　suitcase；〃　Freddy　said；　〃but　I　gave　it　to　Pablo。　The　clothes　are　in　the　bag　under　the　table。〃
　　〃I　didn't　really　forget。　I　just　thought　better　of　it。　A　lot　of　employees　know　what　I　do　in　the　hotel；　and　they　don't　like　me。　They　don't　like　any　of　us　girls；　because　of　the　money　we　make。　So　if　a　maid　saw　me　with　the　suitcase；　she'd　call　the　security　office　and　say　that　I　stole　it　from　a　guest　or　something。　Then；　when　I　told　the　security　officer　the　truth；　he'd　still　check　with　you；　and　he'd　find　out　that　you　didn't　have　any　other　luggage。　That　could　make　some　trouble　for　you。　What　I　think；　when　you　left　your　wife；　is　that　you　took　the　wrong　suitcase。　You　took　hers　instead　of　your　own。　Isn't　that　right？〃
　　〃Something　like　that。　That's　interesting；　Susan。　I　didn't　think　you　could　figure　out　something　that　plicated。〃
　　〃I　wasn't　always　a　thoughtful　person。　When　I　was　in　high　school　in　Okeechobee；　all　I　thought　about　was　having　a　good　time。　But　at　Miami…Dade；　the　teachers　want　us　to　use　our　minds。〃
　　〃Where's　Okeechobee？〃
　　〃It's　up　by　the　lake；　when　you　drive　north　to　Disney　World。〃
　　〃What　lake？〃
　　〃Lake　Okeechobee！〃　Susan　laughed。　〃It's　the　biggest　lake　in　the　whole　South。　Everybody　gets　their　water　down　here　from　Lake　Okeechobee。〃
　　〃I'm　from　California。　I　don't　know　shit　about　Florida。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　shit　about　California；　either。　So　I　guess　we're　even。〃
　　〃Lake　Tahoe's　a　pretty　good…size　lake　in　California。　Have　you　heard　of　Tahoe？〃
　　〃I've　heard　of　it；　but　I　don't　know　where　it　is。〃
　　〃Part　of　it's　in　Nevada；　and　the　rest　is　in　California。　On　the　Nevada　side；　you　can　gamble　in　the　casinos。〃
　　〃You　can't　gamble　in　Florida；　except　on　horses；　race　track　and　trotters；　on　dogs；　and　jai　alai。　Oh；　yes；　you　can　gamble　on　cockfighting　and　dogfighting；　too；　if　you　know　where　to　go。　But　all　other　forms　of　gambling；　the　governor　says；　are　immoral。〃
　　〃Is　the　governor　a　Jesuit？〃
　　〃That's　a　Catholic；　isn't　it？〃
　　〃An　educated　Catholic；　the　way　it　was　explained　to　me。〃
　　〃No；　he's　a　Protestant。　It　would　be　a　waste　of　money　for　a　Cat