cwilleford.miamiblues-第29部分

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　With　a　sigh；　Hoke　left　the　bathroom。
　　There　was　a　single　window　air　conditioner　in　the　bedroom；　but　very　little　cold　air　filtered　into　the　sitting　room。　If　he　couldn't　wangle　another　room　air　conditioner　from　Mr。　Bennett；　he　would　have　to　buy　an　overhead　fan。　On　the　wall　above　the　desk；　there　was　a　large　painting　of　three　white　horses　pulling　a　fire　truck。　The　horses'　nostrils　flared；　and　their　eyes　rolled　wildly。　That　was　one　hell　of　a　painting；　Hoke　decided；　and　probably　worth　a　lot　of　money。　He　was　surprised　that　Mr。　Bennett　had　left　it　in　the　room　instead　of　selling　it…
　　There　was　a　rapping　on　the　door…three　sharp　peremptory　knocks。
　　Hoke　panicked。　He　pulled　open　drawers　in　the　desk；　ripping　a　fingernail　in　the　process；　forgetting　for　a　frenzied　moment　or　so　that　his　gun　had　been　stolen。　What　could　he　use　as　a　weapon？　There　was　a　heavy　glass　paperweight　on　the　desk；　with　a　butterfly　preserved　in　its　interior。　Hoke　snatched　it　up　and　stood　with　his　back　against　the　wall　beside　the　door。
　　〃Who　is　it？〃　Hoke　said。
　　〃Sergeant　Wilson；〃　a　deep　voice　rumbled。　〃Miami　Police　Department。〃
　　〃Slide　your　ID　under　the　door。〃
　　〃Are　you　kidding？〃
　　〃Try　me。　The　next　thing　you　hear；　if　you　hear　anything；　will　be　a　bullet　through　the　door！〃
　　〃Je…sus　Christ！〃　The　deep　voice　was　disgusted。
　　A　moment　later；　the　ID　card　with　Wilson's　photograph　on　it　was　slipped　beneath　the　door。　Hoke　picked　it　up。　It　showed　that　Wilson　was　black；　six　feet；　two　inches　tall；　230　pounds；　and　a　sergeant　in　the　MPD；　Vice　Division。　He　was　also　ugly。　His　nose　was　almost　as　wide　as　his　lips；　and　he　had　a　boxer's　cauliflower　ears。
　　Hoke　took　off　the　chain　lock　and　opened　the　door。　The　man　reached　for　his　ID　card。　He　held　his　badge　in　his　other　hand。　He　took　the　ID　card　from　Hoke's　fingers　and　put　it　back　in　his　card　case；　then　he　put　his　badge　away。
　　〃What's　up；　sergeant？〃　Wilson　said。　〃You　got　a　guilty　conscience？〃
　　〃I　just　came　home　from　the　hospital。〃
　　〃I　know。　I　checked。　You　also　got　something　that　belongs　to　me。　Let's　have　it。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　what　you're　talking　about。　I've　never　seen　you　before。〃
　　〃I've　seen　you。　I'm　in　Vice；　and　you've　been　moving　into　my　territory。　Let　me　have　the　envelopes；　please。〃　He　held　out　a　huge　hand。
　　Hoke　was　puzzled。　If　Hoke　had　been　paid　off　by　mistake；　how　could　anybody　take　him　for　Sergeant　Wilson？　Whoever　it　was　who　mixed　them　up　had　to　be　colorblind　or　badly　misinformed。
　　〃The　envelopes　addressed　to　me？〃
　　〃The　ones　addressed　to　you。〃
　　Hoke　handed　over　the　two　brown　envelopes。　Sergeant　Wilson　counted　the　money。　〃It's　a　hundred　dollars　short。〃
　　Hoke　cleared　his　throat。　〃I　spent　a　little。〃
　　〃Give　me　your　wallet。〃
　　〃Fuck　you。〃
　　With　the　flat　of　his　palm；　Wilson　pushed　Hoke　into　the　swivel　chair　by　the　desk　and　held　him　there　with　very　little　effort。　Hoke　struggled；　realized　how　weak　he　was；　and　slumped　back　in　the　chair。　Wilson　took　the　wallet　out　of　Hoke's　hip　pocket；　counted　out　100；　and　tossed　the　wallet　on　the　desk。　He　put　the　bills　into　the　brown　envelope　and　then　put　both　envelopes　into　the　breast　pocket　of　his　beige　silk　sports　jacket。
　　〃Pablo　wants　the　girl　back；　too；　old　timer。　Make　sure　she's　back　at　the　International　Hotel　by　ten　A。M。　tomorrow；　and　all　will　be　forgotten。　Not　forgiven；　but　forgotten。　Otherwise　　。　。　。　〃　He　looked　around　the　room　and　shook　his　head。　〃I　guess　you're　desperate　for　dough；　livin'　in　a　dump　like　this；　but　you　must've　been　crazy　to　fuck　with　me。〃
　　Wilson　checked　the　bedroom　and　then　took　a　quick　look　into　the　bathroom。　He　noticed　Hoke's　false　teeth　in　the　plastic　glass。　He　dumped　the　water　into　the　sink；　opened　the　window　in　the　sitting　room；　pushed　out　the　screen；　and　tossed　the　teeth　out　the　window。
　　Hoke　almost　asked；　what　girl？　But　he　knew　that　the　girl　was　Susan　Waggoner。　And　he　knew　now　who　had　put　him　in　the　hospital。　He　didn't　know　why；　and　he　didn't　know　why　he'd　been　sent　money；　but　he　intended　to　find　out。
　　Wilson　closed　the　door　softly　behind　him　as　he　left　the　room。
　　It　took　Hoke　twenty　minutes　to　find　his　teeth；　but　they　had　landed　in　a　cluster　of　screw…leaved　crotons　and　weren't　damaged。　He　put　them　into　a　fresh　glass　of　water　with　another　helping　of　Polident　and　wondered　what　in　the　hell　he　was　going　to　do　next。
　　
　　
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　　After　the　cab　tour　of　Collins　Avenue　in　Miami　Beach；　Mrs。　Freeman　made　a　brief　stop　so　that　Freddy　could　take　a　closer　look　at　Lincoln　Road；　the　once　famous　and　now　deteriorated　shopping　mall。　Freddy　suggested　a　late　breakfast。
　　〃You　ever　eat　at　Manny's？〃　Mrs。　Freeman　said。　〃You　can　get　a　crabmeat　omelet；　and　they　give　you　a　basket　of　hot　rolls　with　butter　and　honey。　And　it's　the　only　place　left　on　the　Beach　with　free　coffee　refills。〃
　　〃Sounds　good。〃　Freddy　nodded。　〃I　used　to　eat　crabmeat　omelets　a　long　time　ago　on　Fisherman's　Wharf；　when　I　lived　in　San　Francisco。〃
　　Manny's　was　tucked　away　between　a　four…story　kosher　spa　and　a　boarded…up　two…story　warehouse。　Mrs。　Freeman　parked　her　cab　in　the　weedy　warehouse　lot　and　they　went　into　Manny's。　The　fish　odor　inside　was　strong。　Mrs。　Freeman　ordered　the　crabmeat　omelet；　but　Freddy　shook　his　head。
　　〃I've　changed　my　mind。　Give　me　a　Denver　omelet。〃
　　〃What's　that？〃　The　Pakistani　waiter　asked。
　　〃It's　eggs　scrambled　up　with　chopped　ham；　green　peppers；　and　onions。〃
　　〃What　he　wants；〃　Mrs。　Freeman　said；　〃is　a　western　omelet。〃
　　〃That　we　got；〃　the　waiter　said；　and　went　off　to　the　kitchen。
　　〃In　California；　we　call　it　a　Denver　omelet。〃
　　〃So　you're　from　California？〃
　　〃What　makes　you　say　that？〃
　　〃You　just　said；　'In　California…'〃
　　〃Just　because　I　said　that　I'd　been　in　California　doesn't　have　to　mean　that　I'm　from　California。　People　are　too　quick　to　imply　bad　things　about　people　before　they've　thought　them　out。〃
　　〃So　you　live　in　Miami；　then？〃　Mrs。　Freeman　shook　her　gray　curls。　Her　gray　dentures　had　a　translucent　quality。　Her　pale　blue　eyes　were　clear。
　　〃Yeah。　What　I'm　looking　for　is　a　nice　little　house；　but　what　I've　seen　of　Miami　Beach　so　far　doesn't　appeal　to　me。　What's　up　a　little　farther　north？〃
　　〃Well；　after　we　pass　Bal　Harbour；　WASP　territory；　we　start　to　hit　Motel　Row。　The　Thunderbird；　The　Aztec；　theme　places　like　that。　They　cater　mostly　to　Canadian　and　British　blue…collar　vacationers　in　the　summer；　and　American　families　down　here　on　the　cheap　during　the　season。　Mostly　families　from　New　York；　Jersey；　and　Pennsylvania。　But　if　you're　looking　for　a　little　house　to　rent；　we　can　go　on　past　the　row　and　over　to　Dania。　There're　some　nice　little　houses　there；　and　it's　a　quiet　town；　too；　except　for　the　jai　alai　fronton。〃
　　〃We'll　take　a　look。〃
　　〃What　they　do　in　Dania；　they　sell　antiques。　There're　dozens　of　little　antique　shops　along　US　One。　Fakes　mostly；　but　the　furniture's　a　lot　better　made　nowadays　than　the　real　thing　used　to　be。〃
　　〃I　like　new　furniture。〃
　　〃Well；　that's　what　you　buy　in　Dania。　New　antiques。〃
　　Freddy　liked　the　looks　of　Dania。　The　small　stucco　homes　reminded　him　of　southwest　Los　Angeles；　down　around　Slauson　and　Figueroa。　The　main　street　was　also　US　1；　which　would　give　him　a　straight　shot　into　Miami；　where　US　1　became　Biscayne　Boulevard。　He　told　Mrs。　Freeman　to　cruise　slowly　up　and　down　the　tree…shaded　streets　so　he　could　look　for　For　Rent　and　For　Sale　signs。　There　were　several；　but　Freddy　told　her　to　stop　at　a　small　white　house　surrounded　by　a　white　picket　fence。　There　were　two　towering　mango　trees　in　the　front　yard；　and　the　owner　had　planted　a　border　of　geraniums　alongside　the　house　on　both　sides　of　the　front　door。　There　was　an　attached　garage　as　well。
　　Freddy　knocked　on　the　door　and　negotiated　with　the　owner。　She　was　a　widow　whose　husband　had　died　recently；　and　she　wanted　to　sell　the　house　and　move　back　to　Cincinnati　to　live　with　her　daughter　and　son…in…law。　Until　she　sold　the　house；　she　wouldn't　have　enough　money　to　leave。
　　〃I　don't　know　whether　I　want　to　buy　or　not；〃　Freddy　said；　〃but　I'll　tell　you　what　I'll　do。　I'll　rent　it　for　a　couple　of　months；　and　then　if　I　like　it　you　can　give　me　an　option　to　buy　it。　If　I　don't　buy；　you'll　still　have　two　months'　rent　money　to　spend；　and　you　can　leave　for　Cincinnati　r