cwilleford.miamiblues-第37部分

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　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃I　want　you　to　do　a　couple　of　things　for　me。〃
　　〃What？〃
　　〃You　can　probably　handle　it　all　with　a　few　phone　calls。　If　not；　take　a　car　and　visit　Florida　Power　and　Light；　and　the　phone　pany。　The　water　department；　too。　Perhaps　you　should　check　the　water　pany　first。〃
　　〃What　case　is　this　one？　Should　I　not　read　the　file　first？〃
　　〃No；　that　won't　be　necessary。　Just　take　down　this　information　as　I　give　it　to　you。〃
　　〃Captain　Brownley　told　me　you　wouldn't　be　back　to　work　for　two　weeks。　If　you're　on　sick　leave；　why　are　we　working　on　a　new　case？　And　why　are　you　withholding　information　from　me　when　I'm　your　partner？　I　don't　understand　this　at　all。　So；　before　I　do　anything　for　you；　Sergeant　Moseley；　I'm　going　to　check　with　Captain　Browjiley　to　see　if　it's　all　right。　The　way　I…〃
　　〃Shut　up。〃　Hoke's　deep　voice　dropped　an　octave　with　anger。
　　〃What？〃
　　〃I　said　shut　up。　Now　listen；　Sanchez；　because　I　don't　want　to　repeat　myself。　We　are　indeed　new　partners；　but　I　am　the　senior　partner；　and　a　sergeant。　You're　the　junior　partner；　and　you're　not　a　detective　yet。　So　far　you're　a　dispatcher　with　a　Latin　name。　And　because　you　have　a　Latin　name；　you've　been　given　a　chance　to　work　with　me　as　a　detective。
　　〃Luckily　for　you；　you've　been　assigned　to　a　patient；　understanding　Homicide　detective　who'll　take　the　time　to　explain　the　facts　of　life　to　you。　If；　under　any　circumstances；　I　give　you　an　order；　or　a　request；　or　a　suggestion；　and　you　go　over　my　head　to　check　it　out　with　Captain　Brownley　or　go　to　anyone　else　who　happens　to　be　my　superior；　I　guarantee　you　that　you'll　be　lucky　to　bee　a　dispatcher　again。
　　〃In　fact；　you'll　never　see　the　inside　of　a　police　station　again。　I'll　see　to　it　that　you're　assigned　permanently　to　the　night　shift　at　the　Orange　Bowl；　from　midnight　to　eight　A。M。　So　if　you　don't　want　to　spend　the　rest　of　your　police　career　checking　the　locks　on　vending　machines；　get　a　pencil　and　a　piece　of　paper　and　follow　my　instructions。　Do　you　understand；　or　do　I　have　to　run　it　by　you　again？〃
　　〃I　understand；　sergeant。〃
　　〃Good。　Check　with　the　water　department；　the　F。　P。　and　L。；　and　Ma　Bell。　And　see　if　anyone　named　Waggoner　or　Mendez…W…A…G…G…O…N…E…R；　and　you　can　spell　Mendez…put　down　a　new　deposit　in　the　last　three　weeks。　Water；　Florida　Power；　and　phone　pany。　Just　during　the　last　three　weeks。　If　you　don't　get　a　list　of　names　and　addresses　from　these　three；　make　another　call　to　the　Public　Gas　pany；　just　in　case　there's　an　outside　tank。　Any　questions？〃
　　〃No。　I　got　it。〃
　　〃Then　call　me　back　here　at　the　Eldorado　Hotel　by　five　today　on　what　you've　found　out。　Let　the　phone　ring　at　least　twenty　times　before　you　hang　up。　The　man　at　the　desk　is　hard　of　hearing。　If　I　don't　hear　from　you　by　five；　I'll　call　you　your　desk　by　five…thirty。　Got　that？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃Till　five；　then。〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　Hoke　got　up　from　the　rolltop　desk　and　crossed　to　the　side　table　by　the　Victorian　armchair　where　he　had　left　his　bottle　of　Early　Times。
　　That　wasn't　exactly　what　Captain　Brownley　had　in　mind；　Hoke　thought；　when　he　said　I　would　have　to　win　Ellita　Sanchez　over。　By　the　time　I　finish　this　drink；　she'll　be　in　Brow　nley's　office。　By　the　time　I　start　to　pour　another；　she'll　be　explaining　to　Willie　Brownley　how　I　have　been　discriminating　against　her　for　being　a　Latin；　first；　and　for　being　a　woman；　second；　She'll　tell　Brownley　about　my　threat；　and　I'll　have　to　make　it　good。　Whether　there　are　enough　people　left　in　the　department　who　owe　me　enough　favors　to　send　Sanchez　to　the　Orange　Bowl　is　a　moot　question。　But　I　can　get　her　out　of　Homicide。　That　much　I　know　I　can　do。　Vice！　Sergeant　Wilson。　Sergeant　Wilson　threw　my　teeth　out　the　window。　He　owes　me　for　that。　I　can　get　Wilson　to　ask　for　her　in　Vice。　A　few　months　of　trapping　johns　on　79th　Street　will　be　good　training　for　Sanchez；　and　after　she　works　for　a　mean　prick　like　Wilson　for　a　couple　of　weeks　she　will　surely　wish　to　hell　she　had　done　what　kindly　old　Hoke　Moseley　asked　her　to　do　　。　。　。　
　　Hoke　finished　his　drink。　He　lit　another　cigarette；　smoked　it　down　to　the　cork　tip；　and　put　it　out　in　the　ashtray　with　the　Hotel　Fontainebleau　logo。　There　was　no　telephone　call　from　Captain　Brownley。
　　
　　At　four…thirty　P。M。　the　phone　woke　Hoke　from　his　nap。　Sanchez　had　a　list　of　names　and　addresses　for　him。　There　were　two　Mendezes；　one　Wagner；　one　Wegner；　and　one　Susan　Waggoner。　Susan　Waggoner；　however；　was　not　in　Dade　County。　She　had　put　down　deposits　for　water；　electricity；　gas；　and　a　telephone　in　Dania；　which　was　right　over　the　county　line　in　Broward　County。
　　Hoke　hadn't　told　Sanchez　to　check　in　Broward　County；　but　he　had；　apparently；　frightened　her　into　using　initiative。
　　
　　
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　　The　rain　began　to　fall　lightly　at　four…thirty　A。M。；　but　by　six；　when　the　lightning　flashed　and　the　thunder　rumbled；　passing　over　Dade　County　from　the　Everglades；　the　rain　came　down　in　torrents。　Hoke　cursed　the　rain　and　rolled　up　the　window　to　avoid　getting　drenched。　The　windows　steamed　almost　immediately；　and　he　had　to　wipe　the　inside　of　the　windshield　with　his　handkerchief。
　　Hoke　had　been　parked　under　a　cluster　of　sea…grape　trees　since　four　A。M。　The　overhanging　branches　with　their　huge　leaves　concealed　most　of　his　car　from　Susan　Waggoner's　little　house　a　hundred　yards　away　on　the　other　side　of　the　street。　The　rain；　as　he　thought　about　it；　would　make　tailing　easier。　He　didn't　know　whether　Mendez　was　in　the　house　with　Susan　or　not；　but　he　was　certain　that　she　would　lead　him　to　Mendez　if　he　followed　her　long　enough。
　　When　the　lights　in　the　house　went　on　at　six…fifteen；　Hoke　was　more　than　a　little　surprised。　He　hadn't　expected　the　girl　to　get　up　so　early。　Hoke　took　a　leak　in　the　coffee　can；　replaced　the　lid；　and　placed　the　warm　can　on　the　floor　in　front　of　the　passenger's　seat。　He　wanted　another　cigarette；　but　he　wouldn't　light　one　now　because　the　girl　might　see　the　glow。　The　girl　was　his　only　lead　to　Mendez；　and　he　didn't　intend　to　take　any　chances。　The　white　TransAm；　with　its　Kansas　license　plate；　would　be　easy　to　follow；　whereas　his　own　beatup　Pontiac　blended　right　in　with　the　thousands　of　dented　cars　on　Miami's　highways。　No；　the　only　thing　that　bothered　Hoke　was　the　actual　apprehension　of　Ramon　Mendez；　but　he　would　be　able　to　handle　that　when　the　time　came　　。　。　。　
　　
　　Freddy　awoke　at　six；　went　to　the　bathroom；　showered；　and　then　shook　Susan　awake。　Freddy　was　pleased　by　the　rain　and　asked　Susan　how　long　she　thought　it　would　last。　Susan；　who　was　bustling　in　the　kitchen　preparing　a　large　breakfast；　went　to　the　window　and　looked　out。
　　〃This　is　the　tail　end　of　the　hurricane　season；　and　we　always　get　a　lot　of　rain。　It　could　last　three　or　four　days；　or　it　may　pass　over　in　two　or　three　hours。　From　the　looks　of　the　sky；　I'd　say　all　day。〃
　　Susan　ladled　chipped　beef　and　peppery　milk　gravy　over　six　buttered　toast　points。　She　set　the　plate　in　front　of　Freddy　and　stepped　back　as　he　forked　a　huge　mouthful　and　chewed　with　his　eyes　closed。
　　〃This　is　good　SOS；〃　he　said。　〃But　you　should've　fixed　home　fries　to　go　with　it。　SOS　tastes　better　over　potatoes　than　it　does　on　toast。　That　way；　you　can　eat　the　toast　separately　with　a　little　marmalade。　This　gravy's　so　thick　I　can　hardly　taste　the　butter　on　the　toast。〃
　　〃It　won't　take　a　minute　to　fix　some　home　fries；　if　that's　what　you　want。　There's　a　cold　baked　potato　in　the　fridge；　and　I　can　slice　it　up…〃
　　〃No；　this　is　okay。　I　meant　for　next　time。　I　like　a　big　breakfast　when　I　go　out　on　a　job。　Gives　a　man　energy。〃
　　〃How's　your　wrist？〃
　　Freddy　got　up　from　the　table；　dropped　to　the　floor；　and　did　a　one…arm　pushup　with　his　bad　arm。　〃That's　one；〃　he　said；　wincing　as　he　sat　at　the　table　again。　〃Tomorrow　I'll　try　for　two。〃
　　〃Does　it　still　hurt；　I　mean？〃
　　〃A　little；　when　I　do　pushups。　But　I　don't　think　it　was　ever　broken；　or　it　wouldn't've　healed　by　now。　Probably　just　a　bad　sprain。〃
　　〃I　guess　this　rain　don't　make　no　nevermind　to　your　plans；　does　it？〃
　　〃It　helps　us；　that's　all；　by　cutting　down　the　visibility。　Did　you　fix　the　lunch　yet？〃
　　〃Tunafish　sandwiches；　what's　left　of　the　vinegar　pie；　some　apples　and　bananas。　And　two　bags　of　Doritos。　There's　tea　in　the　thermos；　and　a　six…pack　of　Dr。　Pepper