cwilleford.miamiblues-第24部分

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　　Without　thinking；　Hoke　had　counted　the　signatures　and　was　wondering　why　the　other　seven　hadn't　signed。　Then　he　felt　ashamed　of　himself。　There　were　a　hundred　reasons…sickness；　leave；　shift　changes…why　they　all　couldn't　sign　the　card。
　　〃For　a　while　there；〃　Captain　Brownley　said；　〃we　were　worried　about　you；　but　Dr。　Goldstein　said　you're　going　to　be　fine。　The　only　immediate　problem　is　to　take　care　of　the　paperwork　on　your　lost　gun　and　shield。　I　hate　to　lay　it　on　you；　Hoke；　but　we've　got　to　protect　you。
　　〃I've　brought　the　forms　along　and　a　legal　pad；　and　you　can　take　care　of　the　paperwork　now。　It's　been　about　six　years　since　a　Homicide　cop　lost　his　shield　and　gun；　but　the　big　question　to　answer　in　your　case　is　why　you　were　living　in　Miami　Beach　instead　of　Miami　in　the　first　place。　I　knew　you　were　living　in　the　Eldorado；　and　I　okayed　it　as　a　temporary　residence。　But　you've　been　there　for　almost　a　year　now；　and　that　puts　both　of　us　in　a　spot。　As　you　know；　all　Miami　cops　are　supposed　to　live　in　Miami…〃
　　〃I　know　at　least　a　dozen　who　don't…〃
　　〃I　know　more　than　that；　Hoke；　including　a　city　missioner　who　mutes　down　here　from　Boca　Raton。　But　he　has　an　official　address　in　Miami　to　beat　the　system；　and　we　can　do　the　same。　Henderson　told　me　your　official　address　is　his　house；　so　put　that　down　on　the　forms。〃
　　〃There's　no　way　I　can　live　with　Henderson　and　his　wife。〃
　　〃I'm　not　asking　you　to；　all　I　want　you　to　do　is　use　his　address　on　the　forms　so　we　can　cover　our　ass。　First；　fill　out　the　Victim's　Report　so　I　can　get　a　cop　from　Robbery　to　begin　an　investigation。　Next；　you've　got　to　send　me　a　red…liner　memo　explaining　the　circumstances；　and　third；　you　need　to　fill　in　this　Lost　and　Damaged　Equipment　form。　As　soon　as　you've　done　this；　I'll　get　the　badge　and　gun　numbers　into　the　puter。　Just　write　the　info　on　the　yellow　pad　and　sign　the　forms。　I　can　have　them　typed　at　the　station。　It's　a　legitimate　loss；　so　the　city'll　replace　your　gun　and　badge　at　no　cost　to　you；　and　that's　about　it；　I'll　do　everything　I　can　to　prevent　an　investigation　of　why　you　were　living　in　the　Eldorado　instead　of　Miami。〃
　　〃That　rule's　never　enforced；〃　Hoke　said。　〃There're　guys　with　condos　in　Hialeah　and　Kendall；　captain。〃
　　〃Nothing　is　enforced　until　something　happens。　Then　it's　a　different　story。　A　black　division　chief　isn't　allowed　to　make　any　mistakes。　I　gave　you　temporary　permission　to　live　on　the　Beach；　and　you　stayed　for　a　year。　It's　my　mistake　for　not　following　up　on　you；　because　now　there's　a　thief　running　around　Dade　County　with　your　gun　and　buzzer。　If　he　ever　realizes　the　kind　of　power　that　represents；　the　department'll　be　in　a　lot　of　trouble。〃
　　Hoke　shrugged　and　reached　for　the　ball　point　pen。　〃When　do　you　want　all　this　info？〃
　　〃Why　don't　you　do　it　now？　I'll　go　down　to　the　cafeteria　downstairs　and　get　a　sandwich　and　some　coffee。　I　want　to　get　that　info　into　the　puter。〃　Brownley　turned　in　the　doorway。　〃You　want　anything？　Coffee？〃
　　Hoke　shook　his　head；　and　pulled　his　wheeled　tray　closer　to　the　bed。
　　〃Okay；　then；　Hoke；　I'll　be　back　in　an　hour。　Don't　let　the　nurse　or　no　one　else　touch　my　briefcase。〃
　　Hoke　filled　in　the　forms；　and　wrote　the　red…liner　memo。　Although　it　was　possible　for　a　cop　to　be　suspended　with　pay　for　not　living　in　Miami；　the　rule　was　never　enforced；　and　he　thought　Brownley　was　a　little　paranoid　about　it。　But　then；　Brownley　wanted　that　promotion；　and　Hoke　didn't　want　to　jeopardize　it。　Perhaps　he　would；　after　all；　have　to　move　away　from　the　Eldorado…but　he　sure　as　hell　wouldn't　move　in　with　Henderson。　Hoke　didn't　like　Marie　Henderson；　and　he　liked　Henderson's　kids　even　less。
　　When　Captain　Brownley　returned　for　the　forms；　Hoke　told　him　to　thank　his　wife　for　the　fudge。
　　〃I'll　tell　her。　D'you　want　any　visitors；　Hoke？〃
　　〃I'd　rather　not；　captain。　I　look　like　hell；　and　it　hurts　me　to　talk。〃
　　〃Okay；　I'll　pass　the　word；　but　I'll　be　back　ex　officio。　One　other　thing；　Hoke；　you'll　have　a　new　partner　when　you　e　back　to　duty。　I　let　Henderson　stay　with　you　when　he　was　promoted　to　sergeant　because　you　guys　work　well　together；　but　things've　changed　lately。　I'm　getting　five　new　investigators；　all　Cubans；　all　bilingual；　and　neither　you　nor　Henderson　speak　Spanish。　I've　put　Lopez　with　Henderson；　and　you'll　have　a　bilingual　partner　when　you　get　back。　Even　if　you　and　Henderson　were　bilingual；　I'd　have　to　break　you　up。　I'm　too　short　on　experienced　people　to　let　two　sergeants　work　together　any　longer。〃
　　〃I'm　not　surprised；〃　Hoke　said。　〃Did　you　know　that　Red　Farris　resigned？〃
　　〃In　Robbery？〃
　　〃Yeah；　and　he　had　ten　years　in。　He　was　in　Homicide　before　you　came　in　as　chief。〃
　　〃I　knew　Red。　I　didn't　know　him　well；　but　I　knew　him　enough　to　talk　to　him。　He　was　a　good　man。　We're　losing　too　many　good　people；　Hoke。〃
　　
　　With　his　memory　refreshed　by　the　reports　he　had　just　written；　Hoke　went　over　again　in　his　mind　what　had　happened。　There　had　been　a　knock　on　the　door。　Was　it　timid　or　imperious？　Was　it　three　raps　or　two？　He　couldn't　remember。　Masculine　or　feminine…he　felt；　somehow；　that　it　was　feminine；　but　he　wasn't　sure。　His　response　had　been　so　automatic；　it　was　as　if　he　had　known　the　caller。　He　had　hidden　his　drink　behind　the　photograph　of　his　two　daughters。　Why？　He　was　entitled；　for　Christ's　sake；　to　have　a　drink　in　his　own　room　and　to　answer　his　door　with　a　drink　in　his　hand。　It　wasn't　the　Dominican　maid；　he　knew　her　timid；　tentative　knock；　and　it　wasn't　Mr。　Bennett。　If　that　bastard　Bennett　had　wanted　to　clobber　him；　he　would　have　gypped　the　assailant　on　the　fee；　and　the　job　wouldn't　have　been　so　thorough。
　　That　left　the　Marielitos；　but　Hoke　felt　that　the　resident　Cubans　could　be　eliminated。　When　Hoke　had　first　moved　into　the　Eldorado；　the　refugees　had　been　a　continual　problem。　There　had　been　twenty　of　them　all　in　one　room；　and　Mr。　Bennett　had　charged　them　three　bucks　a　night　to　sleep　on　mattresses　on　the　floor。　They　got　drunk；　they　fought；　they　were　loud；　and　they　brought　women　in；　terrifying　the　Jewish　retirees　who　lived　there　on　social　security。　Hoke　had　shaken　down　their　room　a　couple　of　times　and　picked　up　a　。32　pistol　（no　one　had　claimed　it　or　knew　how　it　got　there）　and　three　knives。　Finally；　when　Reagan　took　away　their　115…a…month　government　checks；　the　refugees　without　jobs　had　moved　out；　unable　to　pay　the　three　bucks　a　night。　Hoke　had　then　persuaded　Mr。　Bennett　to　get　rid　of　the　worst　offenders；　so　now　there　were　only　five　or　six　Marielitos　left；　and　they　all　had　jobs　of　some　kind。　Hoke　figured　they　all　liked　him。　He　would　pass　out　a　dollar　now　and　then…to　wash　his　car　or　to　bring　him　a　sandwich　from　Gold's　Deli。　So　if　his　attacker　was　a　Marielito；　it　had　to　be　one　that　he　had　evicted。　But　the　attack　wasn't　in　the　Latin　manner。　When　a　Latin　wanted　revenge；　he　also　wanted　you　to　know　all　about　it；　and　he　would　tell　you　at　great　length　precisely　what　he　was　going　to　do　to　you　and　why　before　he　got　around　to　doing　it。
　　Hoke　knew　that　he　had　his　share　of　enemies。　What　policeman　hasn't？　He　had　put　his　quota　of　people　away；　and　the　parole　board　released　them　faster　than　they　were　incarcerated。　There　were　bound　to　be　a　few　who　might　keep　their　promise　to　get　him　when　they　were　released。　On　the　other　hand；　a　stretch　in　prison　had　a　way　of　cooling　people　off。　There　was　ample　time　for　reflection　in　prison；　and　time；　if　it　didn't　eliminate　animosity；　at　least　ameliorated　it。　Hoke；　like　most　men；　considered　himself　a　good　guy。　He　couldn't　conceive　how　anyone　who　knew　him　could　attack　him　in　such　a　cruel；　impersonal　way。
　　Hoke　came　to　the　conclusion　that　he　had　been　mistaken　for　someone　else；　and　the　incident　was　some　kind　of　crazy　mixup。
　　He　also　thought　it　was　peculiar　that　both　boxes　of　fudge；　the　one　from　Louise　and　the　one　from　Captain　Brownley；　had　been　wrapped　in　the　same　gold　paper　and　tied　with　the　same　kind　of　flexible　gold　string。　A　few　days　later；　when　he　was　limping　around　the　hospital　corridors；　just　to　get　out　of　his　room；　he　went　into　the　hospital　gift　shop。　There　was　a　pyramid　of　fudge　on　the　counter；　each　pound　wrapped　in　gold　paper。　Hoke　looked　at　a　box　and　saw　the　sticker　on　the　bottom：　〃Gray　Lady　Fudge…4。　95〃。
　　
　　
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　　Freddy　had　always　been　a　li