emb.seethemdie-第19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！


　He　learned　several　things。
　The　first　thing　he　learned　was　that　it　wasn't　nice　to　receive　a　beating。　In　the　movies；　a　beating　is　usually　a　battle。　The　person　getting　the　lumps　is　a　fighting　devil　。who　manages　to　pick　off　a　dozen　of　his　assailants　before　he　is　finally　subdued。　Then　he　gets　up；　shakes　the　dizziness　out　of　his　head；　wipes　a　trickle　of　blood　from　his　lip；　dusts　off　his　clothes；　and　narrows　his　eyes；　leaving　the　audience　to　speculate　on　just　what　that　narrowing　of　eyes　meant。　In　real　life；　a　beating　is　very　rarely　administered　with　fists。　The　men　who　worked　over　Parker　on　that　night　in　autumn　were　all　as　big　as　he　was；　and　they　were　armed　with　sawed…off　broom　handles；　and　they　really　beat　the　piss　out　of　him。　They　kept　beating　him　long　after　he　was　unconscious；　they　beat　him　within　an　inch　of　his　life；　and　the　cliche　happened　to　fit　the　situation　well　because　they　damn　near　beat　him　to　death；　and　he　may　have　been　a　lot　closer　than　an　inch　to　leaving　the　land　of　the　quick。　He　had　not　liked　that　experience　at　all。　So　the　first　thing　he　learned　was　that　he　would　never　again；　ever；　as　long　as　he　walked　the　earth；　be　on　the　receiving　end　of　a　beating。　Ever。　He　learned　this　the　way　a　young　boy　learns　his　catechism。　I　will　never　again　take　a　beating。　I　will　never　again　take　a　beating。
　And　the　way　to　be　certain　you　will　never　take　a　beating　is　to　hit　first　and　ask　questions　later。　It's　handy　to　own　a　policeman's　badge　at　such　times。　It　makes　apologies　to　innocent　people　easier　afterward。
　The　second　thing　that　Parker　learned　was　that　he　was　being　entirely　too　easy　and　naive　in　his　approach　to　police　work。　From　that　day　on；　Parker　would　give　a　summons　to　anyone　who　so　much　as　spat　on　the　sidewalk。　In　fact；　and　curiously；　from　that　day　on　Parker　brought　in　more　drunks；　vagrants　and　innocuous　offenders　than　any　other　cop　working　in　the　precinct。　In　his　own　eyes；　Parker　had　stopped　being　a　nice　guy。　He　was　a　mean；　tough　son　of　a　bitch；　and　he　knew　it。　And　if　you　didn't　happen　to　like　him；　that　was　just　too　bad。　Parker　had　a　life　to　lead；　and　he　knew　how　to　lead　it。
　I　will　never　again　take　a　beating；　he　told　himself。
　I　will　never　again　take　a　beating。
　
　In　the　luncheonette　on　the　corner；　Jeff　Talbot　held　the　wet　handkerchief　to　the　cut　on　the　side　of　his　face；　wiping　away　the　blood。　Some　of　the　blood　had　spilled　onto　the　collar　of　his　jumper；　and　he　was　already　looking　ahead　to　the　scrub　job　he　would　have　to　do　on　it　to　get　out　the　stain。　Luis；　behind　the　counter；　was　more　concerned　with　the　sailor's　condition　than　with　the　excitement　in　the　street　outside。　He　watched　the　sailor　anxiously；　almost　like　a　father。
　〃You　all　right？〃　he　asked。
　〃I'm　all　right；〃　Jeff　replied。　〃What's　that　kid　supposed　to　be？〃
　〃Zip？〃
　〃Is　that　his　name？　Yeah。　Him。〃
　〃I　don't　know。〃
　〃I　mean；　what　the　hell；　who　was　giving　him　any　trouble？　I　was　minding　my　own　business。〃
　〃His　business　is　minding　other　people's　business。　He'll　wind　up　no　good。　Like　Miranda　up　there。〃
　〃What　I'm　trying　to　get　at　。。。　well；　what's　he　looking　for　trouble　for？　Is　he　hotheaded　or　something？〃
　Luis　shrugged。　〃No　more　than　most；〃
　〃Spanish　people　are　supposed　to　be　hotheaded；　ain't　they？〃
　〃Some　are；　some　aren't；〃　Luis　said；　shrugging　again。
　〃We　ain't　got　a　single　Spanish　person　in　all　Fletcher；　you　know　that？〃　Jeff　said；　a　touch　of　surprise　in　his　voice。　〃I　never　even　seen　a　Spanish　person　until　today；　how　do　you　like　that？〃
　〃I　never　saw　anybody　from　Fletcher　until　today；〃　Luis　answered。
　〃What　I'm　trying　to　figure　out。。。〃　Jeff　paused；　studied　the　blood…smeared　handkerchief；　and　then　looked　up　at　Luis。　〃Well；　you　seem　all　right。〃
　〃All　right？〃
　〃I　mean　。。。　you　ain't　like　him。〃　Jeff　paused。　〃That　Miranda's　Spanish　too；　ain't　he？〃
　〃Si。〃
　Jeff　said　nothing。　He　nodded；　and　then　seemed　to　fall　into　silent　thought。
　〃If　you　figure　that　way；　sailor；　you　will　be　making　a　big　mistake。〃
　〃What　way？〃
　〃You　know　what　way。　That's　the　easy　way　to　figure。〃
　〃This　is　pretty　personal　with　me；　Louise；〃　Jeff　said。　〃I　got　to　know。　I　ain't　doing　this　just　for　the　fun　of　it。　It's　。。。　it's　important　to　me。〃
　〃Why　is　it　so　important　to　you？〃
　〃Because；　well。。。〃　He　looked　at　the　clock　on　the　wall；　and　he　wondered　if　China　would　keep　her　date　with　him。　And　then　he　wondered　if　he　still　wanted　to　see　her。　He　frowned　and　said；　〃It's　just　important　to　me；　that's　all。〃
　
　
　10
　
　Everyone　seemed　ready　for　whatever　might　lie　ahead。
　The　police　in　the　streets　and　on　the　rooftops　and　in　the　back　yard　were　ready。　The　people　watching　the　show　were　ready。　Zip　and　Sixto　had　obtained　a　large　packing　crate　from　the　lot　on　the　corner　and　had　set　it　up　just　beyond　the　barricade；　they　were　ready。　And　even　Lieutenant　Byrnes　seemed　ready　now。　He　apparently　had　learned　that　his　forces　were　deployed　exactly　the　way　he　wanted　them。　He　held　a　large；　battery…powered　megaphone；　and　he　stepped　out　from　behind　the　squad　car；　put　the　cumbersome　apparatus　to　his　mouth；　blew　into　it　several　times　to　test　the　volume；　and　then　said；　〃Miranda？　Pepe　Miranda？　Can　you　hear　me？〃
　His　voice　echoed　on　the　silent　street。　The　people　waited　for　Miranda's　reply；　but　none　came。
　〃Can　you　hear　me？〃　Byrnes　said　again；　his　voice　booming　out　of　the　speaker。　Again；　there　was　silence。　In　the　silence；　the　crowd　seemed　to　catch　its　breath　together；　so　that　something　like　a　sigh　escaped　their　collective　lips。　〃All　right；　I　know　you　can　hear　me；　so　listen　to　what　I'm　saying。　We've　got　this　street　and　the　next　street　blocked。　There　are　policemen　with　guns　in　every　window　and　on　every　rooftop　facing　that　apartment；　front　and　rear。　You're　trapped；　Miranda。　You　hear　that？〃
　Zip　and　Sixto　clambered　up　onto　the　crate　and　peered　over　the　heads　of　the　crowd。　〃This　is　our　box；　you　dig　me？〃　Zip　said。　〃Only　for　the　Latin　Purples。　I　don't　want　nobody　else　climbing　on　it。〃
　〃How　about　it；　Miranda？〃　Byrnes　said。　〃You　ing　out；　or　do　we　have　to　e　in　after　you？〃
　〃Why　don't　he　answer？〃　Zip　said　impatiently。　He　turned　to　the　first…floor　windows；　cupped　his　hands　to　his　mouth；　and　shouted；　〃Answer　him；　Pepe！〃
　〃If　there's　shooting　around　here；〃　Byrnes　said　into　the　megaphone；　〃some　of　these　people　in　the　street　might　get　hurt。　Now　how　about　it；　are　you　ing　out？〃
　There　was　another　long　silence。　Byrnes　waited。
　〃Okay；〃　he　started；　〃if　you。。。〃　and　the　voice　came　suddenly　from　one　of　the　first…floor　windows。　There　was　。no　body　attached　to　the　voice；　no　one　visible　in　any　of　the　windows。　The　voice　seemed　to　materialize　from　nowhere；　a　shouted　voice　which　rang　into　the　street；　cutting　off　the　lieutenant's　words。
　〃Who　did　I　shoot？〃
　〃It's　Pepe！〃　Zip　shouted；　and　the　cry　spread　through　the　crowd　like　lava　rushing　down　a　mountainside；　〃It's　Pepe；　Pepe；　it's　Pepe；　it's　Pepe；　Pepe；　Pepe。〃
　〃You　shot　one　of　our　patrolmen；〃　Byrnes　said。
　〃Did　I　kill　him？〃　Miranda　shouted　from　the　apartment；　still　invisible；　his　voice　floating　down　into　the　street。
　'Wo。〃
　〃You're　lying　to　me。　I　killed　him。〃
　〃You　hit　him　in　the　shoulder。　Are　you　ing　out？〃
　〃Did　I　kill　him？　Is　he　dead？〃
　〃Let　them　e　after　you；　Pepe！〃　Zip　shouted。
　〃Miranda；　we　don't　want　to　play　games　here。　If　you　're　ing　out。。。〃
　A　new　sound　erupted；　drowning　out　the　words　that　came　from　the　megaphone；　filling　the　air　with　its　familiar　wail。
　〃What's　that？〃　Miranda　shouted。
　〃It's　an　ambulance。　What　do　you　say；　Miranda？〃
　〃He　shouldn't　have　tried　nothing　with　me；〃　Miranda　said。　〃He　could　have　got　killed。　I　could　have　killed　him。〃
　〃Butyou　didn't。　So　what　do　you　say？　Yes　or　no？　You　ing　out？〃
　〃No！〃　Miranda　shouted；　suddenly　and　viciously。　〃You　think　you　got　some　cheap　punk　up　here？　This　is　Pepe　Miranda！〃　His　voice　rose。　〃You　hear　me？　You　want　me；　you　e　in　here　and　get　me！〃
　〃That's　telling　them；　Pepe！〃　Zip　yelled；　and　he　poked　Sixto　in　the　ribs；　and　suddenly　the　street　was　alive　with　cheers　of　encouragement。
　〃Yea；　Pepe！〃
　〃Bravo；　Pepe！〃
　〃Tell　'em；　tell　'em！〃
　〃Quiet！〃　Byrnes　roared。　〃Everybody　quiet！〃　Patrolmen　moved　quickly　into　the　crowd；　and　the　people　in　the　street　fell　suddenly　silent。　But　the　rooftops　still　rang　with　cheers　for　the　trapped　killer　in　the　apartment。　Byrnes　waited　for　the　sound　to　d