chiaasen.stormyweather-第21部分

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　Max　Lamb　met　and　fell　in　love　with　Bonnie　Brooks　when　she　was　an　assistant　publicist　for　Crespo　Mills　Internationale；　a　leading　producer　of　snack　and　breakfast　foods。　Rodale　&　Burns　had　won　the　lucrative　Crespo　advertising　account；　and　assigned　Max　Lamb　to　develop　the　print　and　radio　campaign　for　a　new　cereal　called　Plum　Crunchies。　Bonnie　Brooks　flew　in　from　Crespo's　Chicago　headquarters　to　consult。
　
　Basically；　Plum　Crunchies　were　ordinary　sugar…coated　cornflakes　mixed　with　rock…hard　fragments　of　dried　plums…that　is　to　say；　prunes。　The　word　〃prune〃　was　not　to　appear　in　any　Plum　Crunchies　publicity　or　advertising；　a　corporate　edict　with　which　both　Max　Lamb　and　Bonnie　Brooks　wholeheartedly　agreed。　The　target　demographic　was　sweet…toothed　youngsters　aged　fourteen　and　under；　not　constipated　senior　citizens。
　
　On　only　their　second　date；　at　a　Pakistani　restaurant　in　Greenwich　Village；　Max　sprung　upon　Bonnie　his　slogan　for　Crespo's　new　cereal：　You'll　go　plum　loco　for　Plum　Crunchies！
　
　〃With　p…l…u…m　instead　of　p…l…u…m…b　on　the　first　reference；〃　he　was　quick　to　explain。
　
　Though　she　personally　avoided　the　use　of　lame　homonyms；　Bonnie　told　Max　the　slogan　had　possibilities。　She　was　trying　not　to　dampen　his　enthusiasm；　besides；　he　was　the　expert；　the　creative　talent。　All　she　did　was　bang　out　press　releases。
　
　On　a　napkin　Max　Lamb　crudely　sketched　a　jaunty；　cockeyed　mynah　bird　that　was　to　be　the　cereal…box　mascot　for　Plum　Crunchies。　Max　said　the　bird　would　be　colored　purple　（〃like　a　plum！〃）　and　would　be　named　Dinah　the　Mynah。　Here　Bonnie　Brooks　felt　she　should　speak　up；　as　a　colleague；　to　remind　Max　Lamb　of　the　many　other　cereals　that　already　used　bird　logos　（Froot　Loops；　Cocoa　Puffs；　Kellogg's　Corn　Flakes；　and　so　on）。　In　addition；　she　gently　questioned　the　wisdom　of　naming　the　mynah　bird　after　an　aging；　though　much…beloved；　TV　singer。
　
　Bonnie：　〃Is　the　bird　supposed　to　be　a　woman？〃
　
　Max：　〃The　bird　has　no　particular　gender。〃
　
　Bonnie：　〃Well；　do　mynahs　actually　eat　plums？〃
　
　Max：　〃You're　adorable；　you　know　that？〃
　
　He　was　falling　for　her；　and　she　was　falling　（though　a　bit　less　precipitously）　for　him。　As　it　turned　out；　Max's　bosses　at　Rodale　&　Burns　liked　his　slogan　but　hated　the　concept　of　Dinah　the　Mynah。　The　executives　of　Crespo　Mills　concurred。　When　the　new　cereal　finally　debuted；　the　box　featured　a　likeness　of　basketball　legend　Patrick　Ewing；　slam…dunking　a　giddy　cartoon　plum。　Surveys　later　revealed　that　many　customers　thought　it　was　either　an　oversized　grape　or　a　prune。　Plum　Crunchies　failed　to　capture　a　significant　share　of　the　fruited…branflake　breakfast　market　and　quietly　disappeared　forever　from　the　shelves。
　
　Bonnie　and　Max's　long…distance　romance　endured。　She　found　herself　carried　along　by　his　energy；　determination　and　self…confidence；　misplaced　as　it　often　was。　While　Bonnie　was　bothered　by　Max's　tendency　to　judge　humankind　strictly　according　to　age；　race；　sex　and　median　ine；　she　attributed　his　cold　eye　to　indoctrination　by　the　advertising　business。　She　herself　had　bee　cynical　about　the　brain　activity　of　the　average　consumer；　given　Crespo's　worldwide　success　with　such　dubious　food　products　as　salted　doughballs；　whipped　olive　spread　and　shrimp…flavored　popcorn。
　
　In　the　early　months　of　courtship；　Max　invented　a　game　intended　to　impress　Bonnie　Brooks。　He　bet　that　he　could　guess　precisely　what　model　of　automobile　a　person　owned；　based　on　his　or　her　demeanor；　wardrobe　and　physical　appearance。　The　skill　was　intuitive；　Max　told　Bonnie；　a　gift。　He　said　it's　what　made　him　such　a　canny　advertising　pro。　On　dates；　he'd　sometimes　follow　strangers　out　of　restaurants　or　movie　theaters　to　see　what　they　were　driving。　〃Ha！　A　Lumina…what'd　I　tell　ya？　The　guy　had　midsize　written　all　over　him！〃　Max　would　chirp　when　his　guess　was　correct　（which　was；　by　Bonnie's　generous　reckoning；　about　five　percent　of　the　time）。　Before　long；　the　car　game　grew　tiresome　and　Bonnie　Brooks　asked　Max　Lamb　to　stop。　He　didn't　take　it　personally；　he　was　a　hard　man　to　insult。　This；　too；　Bonnie　attributed　to　the　severe　environment　of　Madison　Avenue。
　
　While　Bonnie's　father　was　amiably　indifferent　to　Max；　her　mother　was　openly　unfond　of　him。　She　felt　he　tried　too　hard；　came　on　too　strong；　that　he　was　trying　to　sell　himself　to　Bonnie　the　same　way　he　sold　breakfast　cereal　and　cigarets。　It　wasn't　that　Bonnie's　mother　thought　Max　Lamb　was　a　phony；　just　the　opposite。　She　believed　he　was　exactly　what　he　seemed　to　be…pletely　goal…driven；　every　waking　moment。　He　was　no　different　at　home　than　he　was　at　the　office；　no　less　consumed　with　attaining　success。　There　was；　said　Bonnie's　mother；　a　sneaky　arrogance　in　Max　Lamb's　winning　attitude。　Bonnie　thought　it　was　an　odd　criticism；　ing　from　a　woman　who　had　regarded　Bonnie's　previous　boyfriends　as　timid；　unmotivated　losers。　Still；　her　mother　had　never　used　the　term　〃asshole〃　to　describe　Bonnie's　other　suitors。　That　she　pinned　it　so　quickly　on　Max　Lamb　nagged　painfully　at　Bonnie　until　her　wedding　day。
　
　Now；　with　Max　apparently　abducted　by　a　raving　madman；　Bonnie　fretted　about　something　else　her　mother　had　often　mentioned；　a　trait　of　Max's　so　obvious　that　even　Bonnie　had　acknowledged　it。　Augustine　knew　what　she　was　talking　about。
　
　〃Your　husband　thinks　he　can　outsmart　anybody。〃
　
　〃Unfortunately；〃　Bonnie　said。
　
　〃I　can　tell　from　the　phone　tapes。〃
　
　〃Well；〃　she　said；　fishing　for　encouragement；　〃he's　managed　to　make　it　so　far。〃
　
　〃Maybe　he's　learned　when　to　keep　his　mouth　shut。〃　Augustine　stood　up　and　stretched　his　arms。　〃I'm　tired。　Can　we　do　the　scar　thing　some　other　time？〃
　
　Bonnie　Lamb　laughed　and　said　sure。　She　waited　until　she　heard　the　bedroom　door　shut　before　she　phoned　Pete　Archibald　at　his　home　in　Connecticut。
　
　〃Did　I　wake　you？〃　she　asked。
　
　〃Heck；　no。　Max　said　you　might　be　calling。〃
　
　Bonnie's　words　stuck　in　her　throat。　〃You…Pete；　you　talked　to　him？〃
　
　〃For　about　an　hour。〃
　
　〃When？〃
　
　〃Tonight。　He's　all　frantic　that　Bill　Knapp's　gonna　snake　the　Bronco　cigaret　account。　I　told　him　not　to　worry；　Billy's　tied　up　with　the　smokeless　division　on　some　stupid　rodeo　tour…〃
　
　〃Pete；　never　mind　all　that。　Where　did　Max　call　from？〃
　
　〃I　don't　know；　Bon。　I　assumed　he'd　spoken　to　you。〃
　
　Bonnie　strained　to　keep　the　hurt　from　her　voice。　〃Did　he　tell　you　what　happened？〃
　
　On　the　other　end；　Pete　Archibald　clucked　and　ummmed　nervously。　〃Not　all　the　gory　details；　Bonnie。　Everybody…least　all　the　couples　I　know…go　through　the　occasional　bedroom　drama。　Fights　and　whatnot。　I　don't　blame　you　for　not　giving　me　the　real　story　when　you　called　before。〃
　
　Bonnie　Lamb's　voice　rose。　〃Peter；　Max　and　I　aren't　fighting。　And　I　did　tell　you　the　real　story。〃　She　caught　herself。　〃At　least　it　was　the　story　Max　told　me。〃
　
　After　an　unfortable　pause；　Pete　Archibald　said；　〃Bon；　you　guys　work　it　out；　OK？　I　don't　want　to　get　in　the　middle。〃
　
　〃You're　right；　you're　absolutely　right。〃　She　noticed　that　her　free　hand　was　balled　in　a　fist　and　she　was　rocking　sideways　in　the　chair。　〃Pete；　I　won't　keep　you。　But　maybe　you　could　tell　me　what　else　Max　said。〃
　
　〃Shop　talk；　Bonnie。〃
　
　〃For　a　whole　hour？〃
　
　〃Well；　you　know　your　husband。　He　gets　rolling；　you　know　what　he's　like。〃
　
　Maybe　I　don't；　Bonnie　thought。
　
　She　said　good…bye　to　Pete　Archibald　and　hung　up。　Then　she　went　to　Augustine's　room　and　knocked　on　the　door。　When　he　didn't　answer；　she　slipped　in　and　sat　lightly　on　the　corner　of　the　bed。　She　thought　he　was　asleep；　until　he　rolled　over　and　said：　〃Not　a　good　night　for　the　skull　room；　huh？〃
　
　Bonnie　Lamb　shook　her　head　and　began　to　cry。
　
　Edie　Marsh　gave　it　her　best　shot。　For　a　while；　the　plan　went　smoothly。　The　man　from　Midwest　Casualty　took　meticulous　notes　as　he　followed　her　from　room　to　room　in　the　Torres　house。　Many　of　the　couple's　belongings　had　been　pulverized　beyond　recognition；　so　Edie　began　embellishing　losses　to　inflate　the　claim。　She　lovingly　described　the　splintered　remains　of　a　china　cabinet　as　a　priceless　antique　that　Tony　inherited　from　a　great…grandmother　in　San　Juan。　Pausing　before　a　bare　bedroom　wall；　she　pointed　to　the　nails　upon　which　once　hung　two　original　（and　very　expens