cwilleford.miamiblues-第1部分

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　　Morning　sun　stripes　cell。
　　Five　fingers　feel　my　hard　heart。
　　It　hurts；　hurts；　like　hell。
　　…　F。J。　Frenger；　Jr。
　　
　　
　　
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　　Frederick　J。　Frenger；　Jr。；　a　blithe　psychopath　from　California；　asked　the　flight　attendant　in　first　class　for　another　glass　of　champagne　and　some　writing　materials。　She　brought　him　a　cold　half…bottle；　uncorked　it　and　left　it　with　him；　and　returned　a　few　moments　later　with　some　Pan　Am　writing　paper　and　a　white　ball　point　pen。　For　the　next　hour；　as　he　sipped　champagne；　Freddy　practiced　writing　the　signatures　of　Claude　L。　Bytell；　Ramon　Mendez；　and　Herman　T。　Gotlieb。
　　The　signatures　on　his　collection　of　credit　cards；　driver's　licenses；　and　other　ID　cards　were　difficult　to　imitate；　but　by　the　end　of　the　hour　and　the　champagne；　when　it　was　time　for　lunch…martini；　small　steak；　baked　potato；　salad；　chocolate　cake；　and　two　glasses　of　red　wine…Freddy　decided　that　he　was　close　enough　to　the　originals　to　get　by。
　　The　best　way　to　forge　a　signature；　he　knew；　was　to　turn　it　upside　down　and　draw　it　instead　of　trying　to　imitate　the　handwriting。　That　was　the　foolproof　way；　if　a　man　had　the　time　and　the　privacy　and　was　forging　a　document　or　a　check。　But　to　use　stolen　credit　cards；　he　knew　he　had　to　sign　charge　slips　casually；　in　front　of　clerks　and　store　managers　who　might　be　alert　for　irregularities。
　　Still；　close　enough　was　usually　good　enough　for　Freddy。　He　was　not　a　careful　person；　and　a　full　hour　was　a　long　time　for　him　to　engage　in　any　activity　without　his　mind　turning　to　something　else。　As　he　looked　through　the　three　wallets　he　found　himself　wondering　about　their　owners。　One　wallet　was　eelskin；　another　was　imitation　ostrich；　and　the　third　was　a　plain　cowhide　billfold　filled　with　color　snapshots　of　very　plain　children。　Why　would　any　man　want　to　carry　around　photographs　of　ugly　children　in　his　wallet？　And　why　would　anyone　buy　imitation　ostrich；　when　you　could　get　an　authentic　ostrich…skin　wallet　for　only　two　or　three　hundred　dollars　more？　Eelskin　he　could　understand；　it　was　soft　and　durable；　and　the　longer　you　carried　it　in　your　hip　pocket　the　softer　it　got。　He　decided　to　keep　the　eelskin　one。　He　crammed　all　of　the　credit　cards　and　IDs　into　it；　along　with　the　photos　of　the　ugly　children；　and　shoved　the　two　emptied　wallets　into　the　pocket　of　the　seat　in　front　of　him；　behind　the　in…flight　magazine。
　　fortably　full；　and　a　trifle　dizzy　from　the　martini　and　the　wine；　Freddy　stretched　out　in　the　wide　reclining　seat；　hugging　the　tiny　airline　pillow。　He　slept　soundly　until　the　attendant　awakened　him　gently　and　asked　him　to　fasten　his　seat　belt　for　the　descent　into　Miami　International　Airport。
　　
　　Freddy　had　no　baggage；　so　he　wandered　through　the　mammoth　airport　listening　to　the　announcements　that　boomed　from　multiple　speakers；　first　in　Spanish　and　then；　half　as　long；　in　English。　He　was　eager　to　get　a　cab　and　to　find　a　hotel；　but　he　also　wanted　some　nice…looking　luggage。　Two　pieces　would　be　better　than　one；　but　he　would　settle　for　a　Vuitton　one…suiter　if　he　could　find　one。　He　paused　for　a　moment　to　light　a　Winston　and　reconnoiter　a　long　line　of　American　tourists　and　diminutive　Indian　men　and　women　going　to　the　Yucatan　Peninsula。　The　vacationers　kept　very　close　to　their　baggage；　and　the　Indians　pushed　along　large　boxes　held　together　with　strips　of　gray　duct　tape。　Nothing　for　him　there。
　　A　Hare　Krishna；　badly　disguised　in　jeans；　a　sports　shirt；　and　a　powder　blue　sports　jacket；　his　head　covered　with　an　ill…fitting　brown　wig；　stepped　up　to　Freddy　and　pinned　a　red…and…whitestriped　piece　of　stick　candy　to　Freddy's　gray　suede　sports　jacket。　As　the　pin　went　into　the　lapel　of　the　287　jacket；　charged　the　day　before　to　a　Claude　L。　Bytell　at　Macy's　in　San　Francisco；　Freddy　was　seized　with　a　sudden　rage。　He　could　take　the　pin　out；　of　course；　but　he　knew　that　the　tiny　pinhole　would　be　there　forever　because　of　this　asshole's　carelessness。
　　〃I　want　to　be　your　friend；〃　the　Hare　Krishna　said；　〃and…〃
　　Freddy　grasped　the　Hare　Krishna's　middle　finger　and　bent　it　back　sharply。　The　Krishna　yelped。　Freddy　applied　sharper　pressure　and　jerked　the　finger　backward；　breaking　it。　The　Krishna　screamed；　a　high…pitched　gargling　sound；　and　collapsed　onto　his　knees。　Freddy　let　go　of　the　dangling　finger；　and　as　the　Krishna　bent　over；　screaming；　his　wig　fell　off；　exposing　his　shaved　head。
　　Two　men；　obviously　related；　who　had　watched　the　whole　encounter；　broke　into　applause　and　laughed。　When　a　middleaged　woman　wearing　a　Colombian　poncho　heard　one　of　the　tourists　say　〃Hare　Krishna；〃　she　took　a　Krishna　Kricket　out　of　her　purse　and　began　to　click　the　metal　noisemaker　in　the　pain…racked　Krishna's　face。　The　injured　Krishna's　partner；　dressed　similarly　but　wearing　a　black　wig；　came　over　from　the　line　he　was　working　at　Aeromexico　and　began　to　berate　the　woman　for　snapping　the　Kricket。　The　elder　of　the　two　laughing　men　came　up　behind　him；　snatched　off　his　wig；　and　threw　it　over　the　heads　of　the　gathering　crowd。
　　Freddy；　who　had　slipped　away　from　the　scene；　went　into　the　men's　room　next　to　the　bar　on　Concourse　D　and　took　the　stick　of　candy　out　of　his　lapel。　In　a　mirror　he　examined　the　pinhole　and　smoothed　it　out。　A　stranger　would　never　notice　it；　he　decided；　but　the　flaw　was　there；　even　though　it　wasn't　as　bad　as　he　had　thought　it　would　be。　Freddy　dropped　the　stick　of　candy　into　his　jacket　pocket；　took　a　quick　leak；　washed　his　hands；　and　walked　out。
　　
　　A　young　woman　slept　soundly　in　a　row　of　hard…plastic　airport　chairs。　A　two…year…old　boy　sat　beside　her　quietly；　hugging　a　toy　panda。　The　wide…eyed　child；　drooling　slightly；　had　his　feet　resting　on　a　one…suiter　with　the　Cardin　logo　repeated　on　its　light　blue　fabric。　Freddy　stopped　in　front　of　the　boy；　unwrapped　the　stick　of　candy；　and　offered　it　to　him　with　a　smile。　The　boy　smiled　back；　took　the　candy　shyly；　and　put　one　end　in　his　mouth。　As　the　boy　sucked　it；　Freddy　took　the　suitcase　and　walked　away。　He　took　the　Down　escalator　to　the　outside　ramp　and　hailed　a　Yellow　cab。　The　Cuban　driver；　who　spoke　little　English；　finally　smiled　and　nodded　when　Freddy　said　simply　〃Hotel。　Miami。〃
　　The　cabbie　lit　a　cigarette　with　his　right　hand　and　swung　into　the　heavy　traffic　with　his　left；　narrowly　missing　an　old　lady　and　her　granddaughter。　He　cut　in　front　of　a　Toyota；　making　the　driver　stall　his　engine；　and　headed　for　the　Dolphin　Expressway。　By　this　route　he　managed　to　get　Freddy　into　downtown　Miami　and　to　the　front　of　the　International　Hotel　in　twenty…two　minutes。　The　meter　read　8。37。　Freddy　gave　the　driver　a　ten；　handed　his　suitcase　to　the　doorman；　and　registered　at　the　desk　as　Herman　T。　Gotlieb；　San　Jose；　California；　using　Gotlieb's　credit　card。　He　took　a　135…a…day　suite　and　signed　the　charge　slip　in　advance；　then　followed　the　fat　Latin　bellman　to　the　elevator。　Just　before　the　elevator　reached　the　seventh　floor；　the　bellman　spoke　up：
　　〃If　there's　anything　you　want；　Mr。　Gotlieb；　please　let　me　know。〃
　　〃I　can't　think　of　anything　right　now。〃
　　〃What　I　mean　　。　。　。　〃　the　bellman　cleared　his　throat。
　　〃I　understand　what　you're　saying；　but　I　don't　want　a　girl　right　now。〃
　　The　bedroom　was　small；　but　the　sitting　room　was　furnished　pleasantly　with　a　fortable　couch　and　an　easy　chair　in　matching　blue…and…white　stripes；　a　desk　with　a　glass　top；　and　a　small　bar　with　two　stools。　The　refrigerator　behind　the　bar　held　vodka；　gin；　Scotch；　and　bourbon；　several　rows　of　mixers；　and　a　split　of　champagne。　There　was　a　price　list　taped　to　the　door。　Freddy　looked　at　the　list　and　thought　that　the　per…drink　prices　were　outrageous。　He　gave　the　bellman　2。
　　〃Thank　you；　sir。　And　if　you　need　me　for　anything　at　all；　just　call　down　to　the　bell　captain　and　ask　for　Pablo。〃
　　〃Pablo。　Fine。　Where's　the　beach；　Pablo？　I　might　want　to　go　for　a　swim　later。〃
　　〃The　beach？　We're　on　Biscayne　Bay；　sir；　not　the　ocean。　The　ocean's　over　there　in　Miami　Beach。　But　we　have　a　nice　pool　on　the　roof；　and　a　sauna。　And　if　you　want　a　massage…〃
　　〃No；　that's　okay。　I　just　thought　that　Miami　was　on　the　ocean。〃
　　〃No；　sir。　That's　Miami　Beach。　They're　separate　cities；　sir；　connected　by　causeways。　You　wouldn't　like　it　over　there　anyway；　sir…it's　nothing　but　crime　on　the　Beach。〃