ch.nakedcamethemanatee-第14部分

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t　about　the　riots　when　word　got　out　that　he　was　about　to　enjoy　a　big　plate　of　arroz　con　polio　in　the　glare　of　fluorescent　lights　and　mirrors　at　La　Carreta？
　Did　that　phone　call　mean　that　this　woman；　a　disenchanted　revolutionary；　was　still　maintaining　her　own　special　brand　of　diplomatic　relations　with　Fidel　Castro？　And　if　that　was　the　case；　exactly　how　〃inside〃　was　her　mysterious　tipster　on　the　phone？
　Britt；　having　a　hunch…and　her　hunches　were　rarely　wrong…fixed　a　probing　gaze　on　Lilia。
　〃Listen；〃　Britt　said；　〃on　a　scale　from　one　to　one　hundred；　if　I　ask　how　confident　you　are　of　that　tip…how　close　your　source　is　to　Castro　himself…where　would　it　rank？　Tell　me　that　and　we'll　be　out　of　your　life。〃
　Lilia　smiled　a　wide　smile。　She　was　reliving　memories　that　had　wiped　thirty　years　from　her　face；　there　was　no　mistaking　that　despite　politics；　she　was　in　love。
　〃One　hundred　and　ten。〃
　Right　again；　Britt　thought。　Fidel　had　been　on　the　phone。
　Guess　who's　ing　to　dinner；　Britt　told　herself；　already　writing　her　story's　lead　in　her　head。
　〃Doesn't　make　sense；〃　Jake　said；　holding　the　door　open　for　Fay　and　Britt　as　they　walked　outside　into　the　liquid　afternoon　heat。　His　hulking　form　stood　high　above　the　two　women。　〃If　Castro　es　here；　Miami's　weling　mittee　is　going　to　grind　him　into　hamburger。　Or　picadillo　anyway。　He　won't　last　two　hours。〃
　〃Maybe　that's　what　he　wants；〃　Britt　said。　〃Think　about　it。　Phony　heads。　A　staged　assassination。　A　reward　for　proof　of　his　death。　And　where　better　than　Miami？　Everyone　expects　people　to　get　killed　in　Miami。〃
　Fay；　following　them　to　the　curb；　was　silent。　She　noticed　that　her　pickup　was　now　tagged　KING　in　bright　orange　paint　across　the　cab；　and　the　kid　had　vanished。　Jake　cursed　loudly；　but　Fay　wasn't　worried　about　her　truck。　She　had　other　things　on　her　mind。
　There　was　no　mistaking　that　Pulitzer　lust　glazing　Britt's　eyes；　so　Fay　figured　her　friend　would　head　straight　for　the　newspaper；　where　she'd　be　no　help…and　Jake　was　content；　saying　something　about　getting　a　beer。　Him　and　his　damned　Grolsch。　It　figured。　He'd　always　been　too　eager　to　punt　on　fourth　down　instead　of　going　for　it；　she　recalled　from　their　brief　courtship。
　To　her；　something　just　didn't　add　up。　Even　if　those　creepy　Castro　heads　were　part　of　some　fake　assassination　scheme；　how　had　one　of　them　found　its　way　into　her　grandmother's　hands　by　way　of　Booger；　the　manatee？　And　they　still　weren't　any　closer　to　figuring　out　what　had　happened　to　Phil；　her　ex…husband；　who'd　been　mixed　up　in　bringing　the　heads　in　the　first　place。
　It　would　be　funny　if　it　weren't　so　pathetic；　Fay　thought。　She　could　have　told　whoever　had　hired　Phil　that　the　guy　couldn't　be　trusted　to　bring　back　the　change　from　the　grocery　store；　or　even　the　groceries；　much　less　deliver　valuable　cargo。
　The　poor　jerk　had　already　tried　to　kidnap　her　to　get　the　heads　back　once　he　lost　them；　and　now　they'd　somehow　led　to　his　disappearance。　He　was　a　loser；　but　he　was　her　loser；　and　it　had　touched　her　to　see　him　so　shaken。　Her　stupid　mothering　instinct　had　drawn　her　to　Phil　in　the　first　place；　like　a　moth　to　a　burning　stick　of　dynamite。　She　should　have　listened　to　her　grandmother　and　gotten　a　puppy　instead；　and　she　wouldn't　be　in　this　mess　now。
　Granny。
　A　thought　made　Fay　shiver　slightly；　despite　the　hostile　midafternoon　sun：　If　Castro's　heads　had　put　Phil　in　danger；　wasn't　her　grandmother　in　danger　too？
　Granny　had　tucked　the　lone　metal　canister　with　Castro's　head　on　the　bottom　shelf　of　her　refrigerator…〃Just　in　case　it　starts　to　thaw；〃　she'd　said；　patting　it　like　a　leftover　pot　roast。　〃I'm　not　too　fond　of　dead　flesh　at　room　temperature；　Fay。　Even　a　head　of　state。〃
　Fay　wasn't　crazy　about　dead　flesh　at　any　temperature；　especially　disembodied　flesh。　As　soon　as　she　got　to　a　phone；　Fay　decided；　she　would　give　her　grandmother　a　call；　just　to　hear　her　voice。　That　way；　maybe　she　could　shake　off　the　feeling；　which　had　snaked　its　way　around　her　middle；　that　something　was　terribly　wrong。
　
　It　was　a　body。
　Fishing　off　the　bay　at　Peacock　Park　in　Coconut　Grove　on　Sundays；　all　day　on　Sunday；　standing　on　the　same　spot　of　fine　white　sand　beside　his　favorite　clump　of　sea　grape　trees；　Vernon　Sawyer　had　seen　enough　floaters　over　the　years　to　know　one　from　a　distance。　And　this　one　was　bobbing　only　fifteen　yards　out；　just　beyond　his　plastic　red　and　white　cork；　a　patch　of　unexpected　shade　for　a　school　of　minnows　that　had　just　vanished　underneath　it。
　That　was　the　thing　about　this　park；　which　seemed　to　Vernon　like　a　tiny　strip　of　paradise　for　the　mon　man。　There　was　more　to　it　than　the　neatly　planted　rows　of　coconut　palms；　or　the　view　of　the　legion　of　rich　folks'　sailboats　docked　across　the　way。　You　never　knew　what　you　would　find　here；　whether　it　was　a　squatters'　campsite　built　from　plastic　wrapped　around　a　trio　of　palm　trees　or　an　unforgettable　conversation　with　a　vagrant　who'd　seen　the　world　and　who　understood　its　workings；　inside　his　unkempt　head；　better　than　any　coiffed；　overfed　politician　he　might　ever　meet。
　That　was　why　Vernon　came　here；　for　the　surprises。　It　sure　wasn't　for　the　fish。
　Today's　surprise；　the　body；　was　fairly　fresh；　hardly　any　swelling；　not　puffed　the　way　bodies　get　when　they've　been　in　the　water　for　days。　Once；　Vernon　had　seen　a　brother　who'd　ballooned　so　big　that　his　skin　had　peeled　off　white；　except　in　spots。
　Not　this　one。　Not　her。
　It　was　a　woman；　a　white　lady；　he　could　see　that。　She　looked　almost　serene；　bobbing　facedown　in　the　rust…colored　water　as　though　she　were　embracing　it。　Her　white　hair　fanned　around　her　head　like　a　lace　wedding　veil。　Her　lifeless　body　was　clothed　in　a　pair　of　soaked　khakis　and　a　dark　shirt；　maybe　plaid。
　Shame；　Vernon　thought。　She'd　preserved　a　quiet　dignity　like　this；　floating　undisturbed；　never　mind　the　empty　water　jug　and　plastic　bag　drifting　beside　her。　Soon；　with　all　of　the　flashing　sirens　and　strangers'　hands　pulling　on　her；　probing　her；　she'd　be　just　another　corpse。　Her　spirit　might　be　at　rest；　but　her　body's　work　for　the　day　had　just　begun。
　The　current　was　lulling　her　and　her　entourage　of　trash　toward　him；　so　Vernon　decided　to　fish　her　out　himself。　He　was　a　fisherman；　after　all；　even　if　all　he　used　was　a　cane　pole　baited　with　bread；　and　even　if　he　couldn't　remember　the　last　time　he'd　caught　anything　living。　He　wasn't　afraid　to　touch　bodies；　they　were　just　vessels；　more　or　less；　like　the　empty　Coke　bottles　and　crushed　cigarette　packages　strewn　across　the　water's　edge。
　Vernon　yanked　his　line　out　of　the　water；　and　his　suspicion　was　confirmed。　The　bait　was　long　gone。　Some　crafty　little　bugger　had　taken　it　without　so　much　as　a　ripple。　Anyone　who　doesn't　think　fish　are　as　smart　as　people　don't　know　many　fish；　Vernon　thought。
　He　cast　the　line　out　as　far　as　he　could；　aiming　for　the　back　of　the　dead　woman's　shirt　collar；　then　gently　pulled　on　it　to　see　if　something　would　catch。
　Something　did。　He　must　have　snagged　her　skin　or　clothing；　because　the　line　went　pletely　taut　when　Vernon　pulled。　He'd　have　to　stand　up　for　this　one；　he　decided。　Even　an　old　woman's　body；　waterlogged；　weighed　much　more　than　he'd　counted　on。
　By　the　time　the　cane　pole　snapped　in　half；　the　body　was　close　enough　for　Vernon　to　wade　out　and　grab　the　pudgy；　lifeless　fingers。　〃Thatta　girl；〃　Vernon　mumbled；　gripping　her　tight　to　guide　her　from　her　floating　grave。
　Rolling　the　corpse　over；　breathing　just　a　bit　hard　from　the　ordeal；　Vernon　almost　didn't　recognize　her　at　first。
　She　was　more　bloated　than　he'd　thought；　her　face　roundish　and　smoothed　nearly　free　of　the　most　familiar　wrinkles。　And　the　eyes　he'd　known　had　always　flickered　and　danced；　he'd　never　seen　these　cloud…gray　dead　eyes　on　this　particular　face　before。
　Strange　as　it　was；　the　first　thing　he　recognized　was　the　smile。　It　was　the　same　one　he'd　seen　nearly　every　Sunday　for　ten　years；　the　ready；　thin…lipped　smile　that　had　brought　them　from　being　strangers　to　damn　near　being　friends　who　shared　only　a　love　for　the　park。　Friends　enough　that　he'd　warned　her　time　and　again　about　swimming　out　here　by　herself；　a　woman　her　age；　old　enough　to　be　his　mother。　And　friends　enough　that　he　had　to　swallow　back　hard　and　clamp　his　teeth　shut　when　he　realized　that　even　though　the　smile　was　still　th