cwilleford.miamiblues-第42部分

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in　the　spine；　and　Freddy　stopped　moving。　Hoke　bent　down　and　fired　another　round　into　the　back　of　Freddy's　head。
　　Hoke　slumped　into　a　kitchen　chair　and　put　his　pistol　on　the　table。　When　Bill　Henderson；　Ellita　Sanchez；　and　Sanchez's　uniformed　cop　cousin　from　Hollywood　came　through　the　unlocked　front　door；　Hoke　was　still　sitting　in　the　kitchen　chair；　smoking　his　third　cigarette。
　　
　　
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　　〃You　okay；　Hoke？〃　Henderson　asked。
　　〃I'm　not　hurt；　if　that's　what　you　mean。〃　Hoke　dropped　the　cigarette　on　the　floor　and　stepped　on　it　as　he　got　to　his　feet。
　　〃Stay　there；〃　Henderson　said。　〃Sit　down。〃　Henderson　told　the　uniformed　officer　to　go　out　to　the　front　porch；　and　to　prevent　anyone　else　from　ing　into　the　house。　〃You　don't　have　to　stay　out　in　the　rain；　Mendez。　Just　turn　on　the　porch　light；　and　stand　inside　the　front　door。〃
　　〃Mendez？〃　Hoke　said；　starting　to　get　up　again。
　　The　officer　left　the　kitchen。　〃Yeah；〃　Henderson　said；　〃Mendez　is　Sanchez's　cousin；　a　traffic　officer　from　Hollywood。　Why　in　the　hell　didn't　you　wait　for　us；　for　Christ's　sake？〃
　　Sanchez　was　on　her　knees　beside　Freddy's　body。　She　took　a　Swiss　army　knife　out　of　her　handbag；　opened　the　small　scissors；　and　started　to　cut　away　the　bandage　on　Freddy's　left　hand。　Hoke　watched　her　with　keen　interest。
　　〃I　was　afraid　he'd　get　away；　Bill。　It　looked　as　if　he　was　preparing　to　leave；　and　I　didn't　think　I'd　have　any　trouble。　I　didn't　intend　to　shoot　him；　but　when　he　went　for　his　gun　　。　。　。　　well　　。　。　。　〃
　　〃Did　you　know　he　killed　Wulgemuth　and　his　bodyguard　at　the　coin　exchange　store？〃
　　〃He　said　he　shot　his　pistol；　but　denied　hitting　anyone。　According　to　him；　he　was　attacked　by　the　two　men　and　he　shot　back　in　order　to　get　away。〃
　　〃Bullshit。　It　was　on　the　radio。　Didn't　you　have　the　radio　on　when　you　drove　after　him　to　Dania？〃
　　〃I　haven't　got　a　radio。　Remember？　Somebody　stole　it　when　I　was　in　the　hospital。〃
　　〃But　you　did　see　him　ing　out　of　Wulgemuth's　Coin　Exchange；　right？〃
　　〃With　a　gun　in　his　hand；〃　Sanchez　said；　looking　up　with　a　smile。　She　raised　Freddy's　unbandaged　left　hand。　〃See？　Three　fingers　missing。　When　the　ME　matches　them　up；　Sergeant　Moseley'll　be　credited　with　a　quick　solution　to　a　double　murder。〃
　　Hoke　shook　his　head。　〃I　didn't　see　him　e　out　of　any　coin　exchange。　I　was　tailing　him；　hoping　to　get　some　probable　cause　to　shake　him　down。　As　an　ex…felon；　if　he　had　a　pistol　on　him；　I　was　going　to　pick　him　up。　I　lost　him；　and　then　picked　him　up　again　on　the　corner　of　Flagler　and　Miami　Avenue。〃
　　〃Listen　carefully；　Hoke。〃　Bill　took　a　chair　from　the　table　and　sat　in　front　of　Hoke；　looking　directly　into　his　eyes。　〃You're　in　some　jurisdictional　trouble　if　you　don't　get　your　story　straight。　And　here's　the　way　you　tell　it；　and　this　is　the　way　we'll　write　it　up。　You　were　tailing　him；　yes；　and　you　lost　him　for　a　while；　right？　Then　you　saw　him　ing　out　of　Wulgemuth's　store　and　putting　a　gun　into　his　pocket　as　he　came　out。　Suspecting　him　of　a　robbery；　you　called　Sanchez　for　backup　from　Broward　County；　and　then　drove　here　to　his　house　after　losing　him　downtown　when　he　ran　away。　Isn't　that　what　happened？〃
　　〃Something　like　that。〃
　　〃No；　exactly　like　that。〃
　　〃All　right。　Exactly　like　that。〃
　　〃After　you　called　Sanchez　and　she　got　a　hold　of　me；　we　found　out　about　the　killing　of　the　two　men。　Sanchez　called　her　cousin；　and　he　came　here　in　his　own　car。　We　knew　you　were　in　danger；　so　we　didn't　have　time　to　contact　the　Broward　County　sheriff's　office；　you　see。　You　knew　he　had　a　gun　because　you　saw　it　when　he　came　out　of　the　store。　As　an　off…duty　police　officer；　you　went　after　him　and　contacted　higher　authority；　through　Sanchez。〃
　　〃I　also　suspected　him　of　a　California　assault；　and　I　had　reasonable　cause　to　pick　him　up　on　that。〃
　　〃Okay。　That's　your　story。　Don't　change　it。　I'll　call　Captain　Brownley　and　Doc　Evans。　Brownley'll　call　the　Broward　sheriff；　and　I　imagine　Doc　Evans　will　contact　the　Broward　County　ME。　The　report's　going　to　be　a　jurisdictional　mess。〃
　　〃What　about　the　girl？〃　Sanchez　said；　joining　them　at　the　table。　〃What's　her　name？〃
　　〃Susan　Waggoner；〃　Henderson　said。　〃We'll　put　out　an　APB　on　her。　In　this　rain；　she　can't　get　too　far　away。　I'll　get　out　the　all…points　as　soon　as　I　call　Brownley。〃
　　〃D'you　want　me　to　call？〃　Sanchez　said。
　　〃No；　I'll　call。　Why　don't　you　make　some　coffee？　This　is　going　to　be　a　helluva　long　evening。〃
　　〃I'll　make　the　coffee；〃　Hoke　said；　getting　up。
　　Sanchez　went　to　the　sink；　and　turned　on　the　tap。　〃Find　the　pot；〃　she　said。　〃We'll　make　it　together。〃
　　
　　Captain　Brownley　and　the　Broward　County　sheriff　both　made　some　promises；　and　so　did　the　Broward　County　medical　examiner。　It　was　more　important　to　clear　up　the　murders　of　the　coin　exchange　proprietor　and　his　bodyguard　than　it　was　to　hold　hearings　in　Broward　County。　A　young　lieutenant　from　the　Dania　Police　Departthent；　who　was　temporarily　in　charge　while　the　Dania　chief　of　police　was　hunting　wolves　in　Canada；　was　awed　by　all　of　the　brass　from　Dade　and　Broward　counties　and　was　willing　to　do　almost　anything　to　get　Freddy's　body　out　of　town　as　quickly　as　possible。　In　a　small　town　like　Dania；　shootings　of　any　kind　were　bad　for　business。
　　Susan　Waggoner　was　picked　up　by　a　Florida　state　trooper　in　Belle　Glade。　Her　TransAm　was　impounded　there；　and　she　was　brought　to　the　Miami　police　station　by　the　trooper。　The　trooper　who　picked　her　up　also　gave　her　a　ticket　for　having　tinted　windows　in　the　TransAm　that　were　twice　as　dark　as　the　law　allowed。
　　Hoke；　Henderson；　and　Sanchez　were　still　working　on　their　joint　report　when　Susan　was　brought　in。　They　took　her　down　to　an　interrogation　room；　and　Henderson　read　her　her　rights。
　　〃D'you　understand；〃　Hoke　said；　〃that　you　can　have　a　lawyer　present？　You　don't　have　to　tell　us　anything　if　you　don't　want　to；　but　we　need　to　clear　up　a　few　things。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　what　this　is　all　about；〃　Susan　said。　〃When　we　had　the　windows　tinted　on　the　car；　the　man　said　it　was　legal。　You　see　a　lot　of　people　driving　around　Miami　with　tinted　windows；　and　a　lot　of　them　are　darker　than　mine。〃
　　〃Never　mind　the　tinted　windows；〃　Hoke　said。　〃I　followed　you　in　my　car　from　Dania　to　downtown　Miami；　and　I　was　across　the　street　when　you　parked　in　the　yellow　loading　zone　on　Miami　Avenue。　I　saw　your　boyfriend　get　out　of　the　car…〃
　　〃Junior？〃
　　〃Junior。　And　then　you　took　off　almost　immediately。　Did　you　know　he　was　going　to　rob　the　coin　store？〃
　　〃No。　Why　would　he　rob　the　store？　He　had　some　silver　dollars　to　sell。　That's　what　he　told　me；　and　he　wanted　me　to　go　with　him。　I　didn't　want　to　go　because　of　the　rain；　and　when　I　said　I'd　stay　in　the　car　and　wait　for　him　he　got　mad　at　me。　That's　when　he　told　me　that　he　was　the　one　who　broke　my　brother's　finger　out　at　the　airport。　Remember　that？〃
　　〃He　told　you　that？〃
　　〃That's　right。　And　I'll　sign　a　statement　to　that；　too。　We'd　had　some　arguments　before；　and　he　even　hit　me　once；　but　I　stayed　with　him　because　of　his　other　good　qualities。　But　when　I　found　out　that　he　was　the　one　responsible　for　Martin's　death；　I　got　scared。　I　realized　that　I　was　in　danger　from　him；　and　I　got　scared。　Once　he　told　me　that；　you　see；　he'd　always　know　that　I　had　something　on　him；　and　he　could　kill　me；　too。　So　I　just　took　off；　came　home　to　Dania；　got　my　money；　and　left。　I　was　on　my　way　back　to　Okeechobee　when　the　state　trooper　pulled　me　over　in　Belle　Glade。〃
　　〃What　were　Junior's　good　qualities？〃　Sanchez　asked。
　　Susan　frowned。　She　poked　out　her　lips。　〃Well；　he　was　a　good　provider；　and　he　liked　everything　I　cooked　for　him。　There　were　lots　of　good　things　about　Junior　I　liked。　But　I'm　not　going　to　live　with　him　anymore。〃
　　〃Junior's　dead；　Susan；〃　Henderson　said。　〃Didn't　you　know　he　had　a　gun？〃
　　〃Yes；　but　I　didn't　know　he　was　going　to　rob　anybody。　He　carried　a　gun　for　protection。　He　almost　got　killed　a　few　weeks　ago　by　a　gunman　in　a　Seven…Eleven　store。　So　he　needed　the　gun　for　protection；　he　told　me。　Junior's　dead？〃
　　〃That's　right；〃　Henderson　said。　〃He　was　killed。〃
　　〃I　guess　his　gun　didn't　do　him　much　good；　then；　did　it？　I'm　sorry　to　hear　that。　I　never　wished　him　any　harm。　I　wasn't　going　to　tell　on　him；　either；　about　Martin；　I　mean；　but　I　don't　wan