emb.seethemdie-第7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！


e　a　warm　response　in　its　recipient。　Even　Parker；　faced　with　the　sudden　dazzling　brilliance　of　the　grin；　smiled。
　〃For　two　cents；〃　he　answered；　〃I'd　kick　your　ass　all　over　the　sidewalk。〃　But　there　was　no　menace　in　his　words。　The　threat；　disarmed　by　the　grin；　was　a　hollow　one。
　〃See？〃　Zip　said；　still　grinning。　〃I'll　bet　he　can　lick　any　sixteen…year…old　kid　on　the　block。〃
　〃Go　ahead；〃　Parker　said；　〃push　me　another　inch；　kid。〃　But　again　the　threat　was　not　real；　the　smile　had　stolen　all　its　power。　He　turned　his　attention　to　the　sailor；　studied　him　for　a　moment　and　then　said；　〃What　are　you　doing　around　here；　sailor？〃
　〃Same　thing　as　the　kid　here；〃　Jeff　answered。　〃Having　a　cup　of　coffee。〃
　〃Let's　try　it　again；〃　Parker　said　tiredly。　〃What　are　you　doing　around　here？〃
　〃I　heard　you　the　first　time；〃　Jeff　said。
　〃Then　give　me　a　straight　answer。〃
　〃Is　this　neighborhood　off　limits？〃
　〃No；　it　ain't　off　limits；　but　it　sure　as　hell。。。〃
　〃Then　leave　me　alone。〃
　Parker　studied　him　silently　for　a　moment。　Then　he　said；　〃Pretty　salty；　huh？〃
　〃Yeah；　pretty　salty；〃　Jeff　said。
　〃Andy；　he's　a　little　drunk；〃　Luis　put　in；　spreading　his　hands。　〃You　know；　go　easy　on。。。〃
　〃Keep　out　of　this；　Luis；〃　Parker　snapped。
　〃I'm　sober　now；　Louise。　Thanks。〃
　〃I　asked　a　question。〃
　〃Oh；　for　God's　sake；〃　Jeff　said；　〃I　came　to　sit　up　with　a　sick　grandmother。〃
　Zip　burst　out　laughing　and　then　immediately　squelched　the　laughter　when　Parker　turned　a　frigid　glare　on　him。　Zip　shrugged。　Parker　turned　back　to　the　sailor。
　〃What's　your　grandmother's　name？〃　he　asked　icily。
　〃Now　you　got　me；　officer。　I　always　just　called　her　plain　Grandma。〃
　〃What　ship　you　off？〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃I'm　asking！〃
　〃How　do　I　know　you　ain't　a　Russian　spy？〃
　〃You　guys　think　you're　pretty　wise；　don't　you？　ing　up　here　and　fouling　up　my　precinct？〃
　〃Who's　fouling　up　your　lousy　precinct？　I'm　drinking　a　cup　of　coffee；　that's　all。〃
　〃Here；　Andy；　here；〃　Luis　said；　anxious　to　make　peace。　〃Here's　your　coffee。　Drink　it　while　it's　still　hot。〃
　Parker　took　the　cup。　〃You　know　how　many　sailors　get　rolled　up　here？〃　he　persisted。
　〃How　many？〃　Jeff　asked。
　〃This　sailor　don't　get　rolled；　Lieutenant；〃　Zip　said。　〃He's　under　my　protection。〃
　〃You　couldn't　protect　a　wooden　nickel　from　a　blind　man。　What'd　you　e　looking　for；　sailor？〃
　〃I　told　you；〃　Jeff　said；　annoyed　now。　〃Grandma。〃
　〃Tail？〃
　〃Why？　You　peddling　it　on　the　side？〃
　〃Sailor；　don't　get。。。〃
　〃You　mean　to　tell　me　I　could　actually　find　some　in　this　nice；　sweet；　clean　precinct　you're　so　afraid　I'm　going　to　foul　up？〃
　〃Sailor；　I'm　talking　to　you　like　a　friend。　Get　the　hell　out　of　here。　Luis；　am　I　giving　him　bum　advice？〃
　Luis　shrugged。　〃I　told　him　the　same　thing；　Andy！〃
　〃Sure；〃　Parker　said；　nodding。　〃Look；　Luis　lives　here。　He　knows　this　place　like　the　back　of　his　hand。　Did　you　tell　him　about　this　neighborhood；　Luis？〃
　〃I　told　him；　I　told　him。〃
　〃About　what　you　run　into　around　here？　The　guys　like　Pepe　Miranda？〃
　〃Si；　ah；　there's　a　one；〃　Luis　said。
　〃What's　the　matter　with　Pepe？〃　Zip　asked。　〃He　made　you　guys　look　like　a　bunch　of　monkeys　yesterday。〃　He　grinned　suddenly。　〃How　many　cops　did　he　ambush？　Four？　Five？　Man；　he　made　you　look　sick。〃　He　turned　to　Jeff。　〃They　walked　into　the　apartment；　and　in　ten　seconds　he　had　their　guns　and　was　on　his　his　merry　way。　They're　lucky　he　didn't　shoot　them；　just　for　kicks。〃
　〃Big　hero；　huh？〃　Parker　said。　〃He　eludes　the　law；　so　you　make　him。。。〃
　〃I　ain't　making　him　nothing。　It　only　seems　to　me　that　you　big　detective　masterminds　should　have　got　him　by　now；　that's　all。　Don't　you　think　so？〃
　〃We'll　get　him；〃　Parker　said。　〃Especially　if　he　came　back　to　this　neighborhood。〃
　〃Did　he　e　back？〃　Zip　asked；　leaning　forward。
　〃Maybe；〃　Parker　said。
　〃No　kidding？〃
　Parker　shrugged。
　〃Here？　No　kidding？〃
　〃You　wouldn't　happen　to　know　where；　would　you？〃
　〃Me？　Why；　Lieutenant；　I　would　tell　you　instantly　if　I　knew。　But；　unfortunately；　I　do　not　follow　the　movements　of　the　underworld。〃
　〃Luis？〃　Parker　asked；　turning　to　the　counter　suddenly；　as　if　hoping　to　catch　Luis　off　guard。
　〃This　is　the　first　I'm　hearing；　Andy。　Why　did　he　e　back　here？　He　didn't　cause　enough　trouble　here？〃
　〃Who's　Pepe　Miranda？〃　Jeff　asked。
　〃Pepe　Miranda　is　a　thirty…five…year…old　punk。　Am　I　right；　Luis？〃
　〃He's　only　a　punk　'cause　you　can't　nab　him；〃　Zip　said。
　〃No；　no；　Andy　is　right；〃　Luis　said。　〃Miranda's　no　good。　Pghhh；　he's　rotten。〃
　〃Luis　and　I　get　along　fine；〃　Parker　said。　〃We　understand　each　other。　He's　been　around　here　as　long　as　I　have；　and　he　never　so　much　as　spit　on　the　sidewalk。〃　Parker　grinned。　〃He　knows　I'd　drag　him　down　the　station　house　if　he　did；　huh；　Luis？〃
　〃Oh；　sure；　sure；〃　Luis　said；　riding　with　the　gag。
　〃Why　don't　you　drag　Miranda　down　the　station　house；　Lieutenant？〃　Zip　asked　sweetly。
　〃Don't　think　we　won't！　And　cut　the　lieutenant　crap！　He's　been　riding　for　a　fall　for　a　long　time　now。　When　a　kid　has　a　j。d。　card　before　he's　fourteen　。。。〃
　〃A　what？〃　Jeff　asked。
　〃A　juvenile　delinquency　record。　At　fourteen。　So　what　can　you　expect？　He's　no　different　now　than　when　he　started　that　street　gang　years　ago。　The　Golden　Spaniards。　Remember　them；　Luis？　This　was　even　before　street　gangs　were　normal　around　here。〃
　〃He　was　ahead　of　his　time；〃　Zip　said；　grinning。
　〃Ahead　of　his　time；　my　ass。〃
　〃No　good；〃　Luis　said；　pulling　a　face。　〃I　remember。　Snotnoses。　Like　today。　No　different。〃
　〃Except　today　is　the　atomic　age；〃　Parker　said；　〃so　they　carry　guns　instead　of　knives。　Miranda　killed　a　kid　in　1942；　sailor；　when　he　was　seventeen。　Slit　the　kid　from　ear　to　ear。〃
　〃The　kid　probably　deserved　it；〃　Zip　said。
　〃His　lawyer　got　him　off　with　manslaughter；〃　Parker　said。
　〃He　should　have　got　the　chair；〃　Luis　put　in。　〃They　should　have　burned　him。〃
　〃They　sent　him　upstate；　to　Castleview；　and　he　spent　just　enough　time　there　to　get　out　of　fighting　in　World　War　II。　When　he　was　paroled；　he　came　back　here。　Heroin　was　the　big　thing　then。　Miranda　started　pushing　it。〃
　〃Poisoning　children！　Argh；　what　makes　men　do　this！〃
　〃Nobody　starts　on　horse　unless　he　wants　to；　dad；〃　Zip　said。　〃Don't　go　blaming　Miranda。〃
　〃Okay　by　you　if　we　blame　him　for　all　the　people　he's　killed　in　this　goddamn　city？〃
　〃You　can't　prove　he　killed　anybody。〃
　〃That's　what　you　think。　There's　a　lady　dying　in　General　Hospital　right　now；　and　she　identified　a　photo　of　Miranda　as　the　guy　who　beat　her　up　and　took　her　purse。〃
　〃Miranda　mugging？　Don't　snow　me；　cop。〃
　〃Miranda　mugging；　yes！　Not　such　a　goddamn　big　shot　any　more；　is　he？　No　more　high…pay　torpedo　jobs　now　that　the　heat's　on。　Only　little　ladies　to　beat　up。　Believe　me；　when　we　get　that　bastard　we're　gonna　throw　away　the　key　on　him。〃
　〃Sure；　when　you　get　him。〃
　〃We'll　get　him。　He's　here　someplace；　that's　for　sure。　Once　we　find　out　where；　goodbye　Miranda。　One　less　hero　in　the　neighborhood。〃　He　took　a　long　draw　at　his　coffee；　finishing　it。　Putting　down　the　cup；　he　said；　〃That　was　good　coffee；　Luis。　Luis　makes　the　best　damn　cup　of　coffee　in　the　city。〃
　〃Sure；　sure。〃
　〃He　thinks　I'm　kidding　him。　Even　if　I　didn't　like　you；　Luis；　I'd　still　e　here　to　drink　your　coffee；　you　know　that？〃
　〃It's　good　having　a　cop　for　a　steady　customer。　It　keeps　trouble　away。〃
　〃And　there's　plenty　of　that　around　here；〃　Parker　said。
　〃Well；　you　don't　die　from　being　bored　around　here；〃　Luis　said；　grinning。
　〃It's　a　hell　of　a　lot　different　from　the　island；　ain't　it？〃
　〃Oh；　yes；　yes。〃
　〃I　was　down　there　for　a　week　once；　had　to　bring　back　this　punk　who　skipped　the　city　after　holding　up　a　jewelry　store　on　South　Fourth。　That's　the　life；　all　right。　Lay　in　the　sun　all　day　long；　suck　sugar　cane；　go　fishing。　And　at　night。。。〃　He　winked　at　Luis。　〃There's　no　holding　down　the　Puerto　Rican　men　at　night；　eh；　Luis？〃
　〃Andy；　for　a　man　who's　a　man　。。。　the　nights　are　the　same　any　place；　no？〃
　〃Oh；　brother；　watch　out　for　this　guy！〃　Parker　said；　laughing。　〃He's　got　three　kids　already；　and　I　think　he's　gunning　for　number　four。〃
　〃At　my　age？〃　Luis　said；　laughing　with　him。　〃No；　no；　it　would　take　a　miracle。〃
　〃Or　a　boarder；〃　Parker　said。　〃Keep　your　eye　on　the　boarder；　Luis。〃　He　put　his　hand　on　Jeffs　shoulder。　〃There　are　more　boarders　in　this　neighborhood　than　you　can　shake　a