cwilleford.miamiblues-第15部分

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　　〃Are　you　positive　Martin　was　the　father？〃
　　〃No　doubt　about　that。　They　was　alone　in　the　house　all　the　time；　and　Martin；　he　never　let　her　go　out　with　no　one　else。　I　didn't　see　what　was　going　on　at　first。　I　just　thought　he　was　protecting　her　from　those　other　boys　up　there；　the　way　a　big　brother'll　look　after　his　little　sister。　But　after　they　left；　I　looked　around　the　house　some；　and　I　found　things。　Martin；　pretending　to　be　so　religious　and　all…butter　beans　wouldn't　melt　in　his　mouth…had　two　French　ticklers　hid　in　his　old　high　school　Blue　Horse　notebook　way　back　in　the　closet。　And　they　was　other　things；　too　　。　。　。　〃　He　looked　at　the　toes　of　his　boots　and　whispered。　〃Noises　in　the　night　　。　。　。　　you　know　the　kind。　Down　deep；　I　guess　I　must've　known　what　they　was　up　to　all　along；　but　I　didn't　want　to　believe　it；　so　I　pretended　it　was　something　else。
　　〃I　don't　fear　God　or　no　man。　What　I　fear　is　that　little　hairpie；　that's　what　I　fear。　And　knowing　what　I　know；　and　knowing　what　kind　of　girl　Susie　is；　a　sneaky　little　girl；　I　just　know　she　got　her　revenge　on　Martin。　But　as　I　said；　I　can't　prove　nothing。　I　had　to　tell　you　what　I　think。　The　rest　is　up　to　you。　I　just　hope　you　prove　I'm　wrong。〃
　　〃If　I　type　up　a　statement　about　your　suspicions；〃　Henderson　said；　〃will　you　sign　it？〃
　　〃Well；　no。　I　told　you；　and　that　should　be　enough。　I'll　sign　for　Martin's　effects；　though。　I　know　I've　got　to　do　that。〃
　　〃I'm　sorry；〃　Hoke　said；　〃but　in　view　of　what　you've　told　us；　we're　going　to　hang　on　to　them　for　a　while。　At　least　until　we　plete　the　investigation。〃
　　〃Including　the　money？　Sergeant　Henderson　said　Martin　had　more'n　two　hundred　dollars　in　his　wallet。〃
　　〃That's　right。　The　money；　too。　He　might've　left　a　will；　and　in　that　case　the　money'll　go　into　probate。〃
　　〃I　understand。　I　guess　that's　the　price　a　man　pays　for　doing　his　duty。　How　do　I　get　the　body？〃
　　〃It　depends　upon　when　they　finish　the　post…mortem。　But　you　can　notify　any　funeral　director　to　take　care　of　it　for　you。　If　you　want　a　cremation；　the　Neptune　Society　will　do　it　for　you　and　scatter　his　ashes　at　sea。〃
　　〃Can't　I　get　the　ashes　myself'？　I'd　like　to　scatter　'em　on　the　lake。　Martin　always　loved　the　lake　as　a　boy；　so　that's　where　he'd　like　to　be　scattered。〃
　　〃You　can　do　whatever　you　like。　You　don't；　by　law；　have　to　have　the　body　embalmed；　so　don't　let　anybody　talk　you　into　that；　Mr。　Waggoner。　Thank　you　for　ing　in。〃　Hoke　stood　up；　and　so　did　Mr。　Waggoner。
　　〃You'll　let　me　know；　then；　how　the　investigation　es　out？〃
　　〃No。　All　our　inquiries　will　be　confidential。　If　the　investigation's　negative；　it　would　be　foolish　to　let　anyone　know　we　made　one　in　the　first　place。　So　you　don't　have　to　worry　about　any　publicity。〃
　　〃I　may　not　look　it；〃　Mr。　Waggoner　said；　〃but　I'm　ashamed。　I'm　deeply　ashamed　of　what　I　had　to　tell　you。　Thank　you　both　for　being　so　patient。〃
　　〃I'll　take　you　to　the　elevator；〃　Henderson　said。　〃It's　easy　to　get　turned　around　in　this　building。〃
　　
　　Henderson　took　a　glazed　doughnut　out　of　his　desk　drawer；　broke　it　in　half；　and　offered　the　smaller　half　to　Hoke。　Hoke　shook　his　head；　and　Henderson　began　to　eat　the　doughnut。
　　〃How'd　you　like　Mr。　Waggoner's　little　story；　Hoke？〃
　　〃I　found　the　bit　about　the　hair…pie　instructive。〃
　　〃Me；　too。　Although　I　knew　already　that　I　was　weak　in　that　regard。　You　ever　been　in　Okeechobee？〃
　　〃Years　ago。　But　not　since　I　left　Riviera　Beach。　My　dad　and　I　went　fishing　for　catfish　on　the　lake　a　few　times；　but　we　only　went　into　the　town　a　couple　of　times。　There's　nothing　much　there；　or　there　wasn't　ten　years　ago。　It's　just　an　elbow　bend　on　the　highway　north。　I　wouldn't　think　the　town　could　support　a　software　store；　even　if　Waggoner　rents　out　films　for　TV。　But　for　all　I　know；　Okeechobee's　probably　tripled　in　size　by　now；　just　like　every　other　town　in　Florida　the　last　few　years。　If　a　man　likes　to　fish；　it　wouldn't　be　a　bad　place　to　retire。〃
　　〃Apparently；　there's　a　shortage　of　women。　Otherwise；　a　brother　wouldn't　have　to　screw　his　own　sister。〃
　　〃You　know　I　spent　some　time　with　the　girl；　Susan；　last　night；　and　there　might　be　some　truth　to　what　Waggoner　told　us。〃
　　〃Bullshit。　If　you　hire　somebody　in　Miami　to　do　a　beating　for　you；　you　get　a　professional　job　with　bicycle　chains。　You　don't　pay　anyone　fifty　bucks　to　break　a　lousy　finger。〃
　　〃But　wouldn't　a　girl　be　chicken…hearted　and　not　want　her　big　brother　hurt　too　badly？〃
　　〃Anything's　possible。　You　want　to　check　it　out？　We've　got　better　things　to　do；　you　know。〃
　　〃Susan's　boyfriend　was　with　her　when　I　took　her　down　to　the　morgue。　He's　an　ex…con；　I'm　positive；　and　strong　enough　to　break　someone's　arm。　He　gave　me　a　phony　name；　Ramon　Mendez；　and　for　no　good　reason　that　I　could　see…unless　he's　on　the　run。〃
　　〃Did　you　run　a　make　on　the　name？〃
　　〃On　Mendez？　We've　got　hundreds　of　them。　Remember　when　we　tried　to　get　a　make　on　José　Perez？　Twenty…seven　with　records　popped　up。　These　Latins　all　have　four　last　names　and　a　half…dozen　first　names；　including　at　least　one　saint　on　the　list。　And　they　use　the　ones　they　want　at　the　time。　But　this　boyfriend　isn't　a　Latin　in　the　first　place。　Remember　the　intelligence　seminar　we　went　to　last　year；　the　one　the　agent　from　Georgia　gave？　He　was　with　the　GBI。〃
　　〃I　remember　that　sonofabitch　all　right。　He　learned　my　name　in　the　first　class　and　called　on　me　at　every　session。〃
　　〃Well；　Susan's　boyfriend　had　blue　eyes　just　like　his…flat　and　staring。　And　he　never　looked　away。　I'd　planned　to　lean　on　him　a　little；　but　after　we　talked　for　a　while　I　knew　I'd　be　wasting　my　time。　Now；　if　Susan　asked　him　to；　this　guy　would　break　her　brother's　finger　or　neck　without　even　thinking　about　it。　He's　done　time；　I'm　sure；　and　he　might　even　be　a　fugitive。　He　says　he's　from　California；　here　to　study　management　at　Miami…Dade。〃
　　〃That's　possible。　People　e　from　all　over　the　world　to　study　at　Miami…Dade。〃
　　〃Not　from　California。　In　California；　you　can　go　to　college　free。　So　why　would　a　man　e　three　thousand　miles　to　pay　out…of…state　fees　at　Miami…Dade？〃
　　〃You　can　go　to　college　free　in　California？〃
　　〃That's　right；　right　on　through　a　bachelor's。〃
　　〃Why　don't　you　check　him　out；　then；　at　Miami…Dade？〃
　　〃I　will。　But　I'll　have　to　find　out　what　his　right　name　is　first。〃　Hoke　got　up；　and　pushed　his　chair　into　the　desk　kneehole。
　　〃Is　that　where　you're　going　now？〃
　　〃No。　I'm　going　down　to　the　cafeteria　for　some　coffee　and　a　doughnut。〃
　　
　　
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　　Susan　made　scrambled　eggs　with　green　peppers；　buttered　rye　toast；　and　fried　baloney　slices　for　Freddy's　breakfast。　After　he　finished　eating；　he　took　his　cup　of　coffee　out　to　the　screened　porch。　The　brown；　cultivated　fields　stretched　out　for　several　miles；　and　there　were　bands　of　dusty　green　that　faded　into　a　misty；　darker　green　toward　the　horizon。　The　country　was　so　incredibly　flat　he　couldn't　get　over　it。　There　wasn't　a　single　mound　or　a　dip　or　a　gully　for　as　far　as　he　could　see。　And；　from　the　fourth　floor；　the　horizon　had　to　be　at　least　twenty　or　twentyfive　miles　away。　Susie's　apartment　was　on　the　western　side　of　the　building　and　shaded　in　the　morning；　but　he　knew　that　the　sun　would　bake　this　side　all　afternoon。
　　Inside；　with　the　air　conditioning　set　on　seventy…five；　the　apartment　was　nice　and　cool。　Out　on　the　porch；　where　the　humid　heat　was　at　least　eighty…five；　the　sudden　change　brought　a　shock　to　his　skin。　But　he　decided　he　liked　the　heat。　Freddy　didn't　wear　any　underwear；　and　his　linen　slacks　stuck　to　the　backs　of　his　legs　as　he　sat　in　the　plastic…webbed　porch　rocker。　Susan；　wearing　white　shorts　and　a　light　blue　bikini　halter；　brought　out　the　coffeepot　and　refilled　his　cup。　Her　bare　feet　were　long　and　narrow；　and　she　looked　about　thirteen　years　old。
　　〃Explain　about　the　bank　business　again；〃　Freddy　said。
　　〃It　isn't　a　bank；　it's　a　savings　and　loan；　but　it　works　just　like　a　bank。　I　don't　know　the　exact　difference　except　that　the　S　and　L　pays　a　higher　interest　rate。　Marty　and　me　got　a　CD　for　ten　thousand　in　both　our　names；　and　a　NOW　checking　account。　The　interest　from　the　CD　goes　into　our　checking　account　automatically　at　the　end　of　each　month。　There's　more'n　four　thousand　in　it。　So　I'm　going　to　draw　it　all　out　and　start　another　CD