thunter.fearloathinglasvegas-第22部分

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is　woman　has　been　into　laudanum；　it's　a　controlled　experiment；　but　I　suspect　we'll　need　your　cooperation　before　this　thing　is　over。〃
　　〃Well。。。certainly；〃　he　said。　〃We're　always　happy　to　cooperate　with　the　police。。。just　as　long　as　there　won't　be　any　rouble。。。for　us；　I　mean。〃
　　〃Don't　worry；〃　I　said。　〃You're　protected。　Just　treat　this　or　woman　like　you'd　treat　any　other　human　being　in　trouble。〃
　　〃What？〃　He　seemed　to　be　stuttering。　〃Ah。。。yes；　yes；　I　see　what　you　meen　。　。　。　yes。。。so　you'll　be　responsible　then？〃
　　〃Of　course；〃　I　said。　〃And　now　I　have　to　get　back　to　the　news。〃
　　〃Thank　you；〃　he　muttered。
　　〃Send　the　ice；〃　I　said；　and　hung　up。
　　My　attorney　was　smiling　peacefully　at　the　TV　set。　〃Good　work；〃　he　said。　〃They'll　treat　us　like　goddamn　lepers；　after　that。〃　I　nodded；　filling　a　tall　glass　with　Chivas　Regal。
　　〃There　hasn't　been　any　news　on　the　tube　for　three　hours；〃　he　said　absently。
　　〃That　poor　fool　probably　thinks　we're　plugged　into　some　kind　of　special　cop　channel。　You　should　call　back　and　ask　him　to　send　up　a　3000　watt　sensing　capacitator；　along　with　the　ice。　Tell　him　ours　just　burned　out　。。
　　〃You　forgot　about　Lucy；〃　I　said。　〃She's　looking　for　you。〃　He　laughed。　〃No；　she's　looking　for　you。〃
　　〃Me？〃
　　〃Yeah。　She　really　flipped　over　you。　The　only　way　I　could　get　rid　of　her；　out　there　in　the　airport；　was　by　saying　you　were　taking　me　out　to　the　desert　for　a　showdown…that　you　wanted　me　out　of　the　way　so　you　could　have　her　all　to　yourself。〃　He　shrugged。　〃Shit；　I　had　to　tell　her　something。　I　said　she　should　go　to　the　Americana　and　wait　to　see　which　one　of　us　came　back。〃　He　laughed　again。　〃I　guess　she　figures　you　won。　That　phone　message　wasn't　for　me；　was　it？〃　I　nodded。　It　made　no　sense　at　all；　but　I　knew　it　was　true。　Drug　reasoning。　The　rhythms　were　brutally　clear…and；　to　him；　they　made　excellent　sense。
　　He　was　slumped　in　the　chair；　concentrating　on　Mission　Im　possible。
　　I　thought　for　a　while；　then　stood　up　and　began　stuffing　things　into　my　suitcase。
　　〃What　are　you　doing？〃　he　asked。
　　〃Never　mind；〃　I　said。　The　zipper　stuck　momentarily；　butl　yanked　it　shut。　Then　I　put　on　my　shoes。
　　〃Walt　a　minute；〃　he　said。　〃Jesus；　you're　not　leaving？〃　I　nodded。　〃You're　goddamn　right；　I'm　leaving。　But　don't　worry。　I'll　stop　at　the　desk　on　my　way　out。　You'll　be　taken　care　of。〃　He　stood　up　quickly；　kicking　his　drink　over。　〃OK；　god　damnit；　this　is　serious！　Where's　my　。357？〃　I　shrugged；　not　looking　at　him　as　I　crammed　the　Chivas　Regal　bottles　into　my　hand…satchel。　〃I　sold　it　in　Baker；〃　I　said。　〃I　owe　you　35　bucks。〃
　　〃Jesus　Christ！〃　he　shouted。　〃That　thing　cost　me　a　hundred　and　ninety　goddamn　dollars！〃　I　smiled。　〃You　told　me　where　you　got　that　gun；〃　I　said。　〃Remember？〃　He　hesitated；　pretending　to　think。　〃Oh　yeah；〃　he　said　finally。　〃Yeah。。。that　punk　out　in　Pasadena　。。　。〃　Then　he　flared　again。　〃So　it　cost　me　a　goddamn　grand。　That　asshole　shot　a　narc。　He　was　looking　at　life！。。。shit；　three　weeks　in　court；　and　all　I　got　was　a　fucking　six…shooter。〃
　　〃You're　stupid；〃　I　said。　〃I　warned　you　about　dealing　with　junkies　on　credit…especially　when　they're　guilty。　You're　lucky　the　bastard　didn't　pay　you　off　with　a　bullet　in　the　stomach。〃　My　attorney　sagged。　〃He　was　my　cousin。　The　jury　found　him　innocent。〃
　　〃Shit！〃　I　snapped。　〃How　many　people　has　that　junkie　bastard　shot　since　we've　known　him？　Six？　Eight？　That　evil　little　tuck　is　so　guilty　that　I　should　probably　kill　him　myself；　on　general　principles。　He　shot　that　narc　just　as　sure　as　he　killed　that　girl　at　the　Holiday　Inn。。。and　that　guy　in　Ventura！〃　He　eyed　me　coldly。　〃You　better　be　careful；　man。　You're　into　some　heavy　slander。〃　I　laughed；　tossing　my　luggage　together　in　a　lump　at　the　foot　of　the　bed　while　I　sat　down　to　finish　my　drink。　I　actually　intended　to　leave。　I　didn't　really　want　to；　but　I　figured　that　nothing　I　could　possibly　do　with　this　gig　was　worth　the　risk　of　tangled　up　with　Lucy。。。No　doubt　she　was　a　beautiful　person；　if　she　ever　got　straight。。。very　sensative；　with　a　secret　reserve　karma　undernenth　her　Pit　Bull　act；　a　great　talent　with　fine　instincts。。。Just　a　heavy　little　gal　who　unfortunately　went　stone　crazy　somewhere　prior　to　her　eighteenth　birthday。
　　I　had　nothing　personal　against　her。　But　I　knew　she　was　perfectly　capable…under　these　circumstances…of　sending　us　both　to　prison　for　at　least　twenty　years；　on　the　strength　of　some　heinous　story　we　would　probably　never　even　hear　until　she　took　the　stand：　〃Yessir；　those　two　men　over　there　in　the　dock　are　the　ones　who　gave　me　the　LSD　and　took　me　to　the　hotel　。　。
　　〃And　what　did　they　do　then；　Lucy？〃
　　〃Well；　sir；　I　can't　rightly　remember　。　。
　　〃Indeed？　Well；　perhaps　this　document　from　the　District　At　torney's　files　will　refresh　your　memory；　Lucy。。。This　is　the　statement　you　made　to　Officer　Squane　shortly　after　you　were　found　wandering　naked　in　the　desert　near　Lake　Mead。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　for　sure　what　they　done　to　me；　but　I　remem　ber　it　was　horrible。　One　guy　picked　me　up　in　the　Los　Angeles　airport；　he's　the　one　who　gave　me　the　pill。。。and　the　other　one　met　us　at　the　hotel；　he　was　sweating　real　bad　and　he　talked　so　fast　that　I　couldn't　understand　what　he　wanted。。。No　sir；　I　don't　recall　exactly　what　they　did　to　me　at　that　point；　because　I　was　still　under　the　influence　of　that　drug。。。yessir；　the　LSD　they　gave　me。。。and　I　think　I　was　naked　for　a　long　time；　maybe　the　whole　time　they　had　me　there。　I　think　it　was　evening；　because　I　remember　they　had　the　news　on。　Yessir；　Walter　Cronkite；　I　remember　his　face　all　through　it。。。〃　No；　I　was　not　ready　for　this。　No　jury　would　doubt　her　testi　mony；　especially　when　it　came　stuttering　out　through　a　fog　of　tears　and　obscene　acid　flashbacks。　And　the　fact　that　she　couldn't　recall　precisely　what　we　had　done　to　her　would　make　it　impossible　to　deny。　The　jury　would　know　what　we'd　done。　They　would　have　read　about　people　like　us　in　the　2。95　paper　backs：　Up　To　The　Hilt　and　Only　Skin　Deep；　。　and　seen　your　type　in　the　5　fuck…flicks。
　　And　of　course　we　could'nt　possibly　taking　the　stand　in　our　own　defense…not　after　they'd　cleaned　out　the　trunk　of　the　Whale：　〃And　I'd　like　to　point　out；　Your　Honor；　that；　our　Prosecution　Exhibits　A　through　Y　are　available　to　the　jury　…　yes；　this　incredible　collection　of　illegal　drugs　and　narcotics　which　the　defendants　had　in　their　possession　at　the　time　of　their　arrests　and　forcible　seizure　by　no　less　than　nine　officers；　six　of　whom　are　still　hospitalized。。。and　also　Exhibit　Z；　sworn　testimony　by　three　professional　narcotics　experts　selected　by　the　president　of　the　National　District　Attorneys'　Conference…which　was　seriously　embarrassed　by　the　defendants'　attempts　to　infiltrate；　disrupt　and　pervert　their　annual　convention。。。these　experts　have　testified　that　the　drug　cache　in　the　possession　of　these　defendants　at　the　time　of　the　arrests　was　enough　to　kill　an　entire　platoon　of　United　States　Marines。。。and　gentlemen；　I　use　the　word　kill　with　all　due　respect　for　the　fear　and　loathing　I'm　sure　it　provokes　in　every　one　of　you　when　you　reflect　that　these　degenerate　rapists　used　this　galaxy　of　narcotics　to　pletely　destroy　the　mind　and　morals　of　this　once…innocent　teenager；　this　ruined　and　de　graded　young　girl　who　now　sits　before　you　in　shame。。。yes；　they　fed　this　girl　enough　drugs　to　scramble　her　brains　so　hor　ribly　that　she　can　no　longer　even　recall　the　filthy　details　of　that　orgy　she　was　forced　to　endure。。。and　then　they　used　her；　ladies　and　gentlemen　of　the　jury；　for　their　own　unspeakable　ends！〃
　　
　　　5。　A　Terrible　Experience　with　Extremely　Dangerous　Drugs。
　　
　　There　was　no　way　to　cope　with　it。　I　stood　up　and　gathered　my　luggage。　It　was　important；　I　felt；　to　get　out　of　town　immediately。
　　My　attorney　seemed　to　finally　grasp　this。　〃Wait！〃　he　shouted。　〃You　can't　leave　me　alone　in　this　snake　pit！　This　room　is　in　my　name。〃　I　shrugged。
　　〃OK；　goddamnit；〃　he　said；　moving　toward　the　phone。
　　〃Look；　I'll　call　her。　I'll　get　her　off　our　backs。〃　He　nodded。
　　〃You're　right。　She's　my　problem。〃　I　shook　my　head。　〃No；　it's　gone　too　far。〃
　　〃You'd　make　a　pisspoor　lawyer；〃　he　replied。　〃Relax。　I'll　handle　this。〃　He　dialed　the　Americana　and　asked　for　1600。　〃Hi；　Lucy；〃　he　said。　〃Yeah；　it's　me。　I　got　your　message。。。what？　Hell　no；　I　taug