ch.nakedcamethemanatee-第24部分

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　〃I'll　fix　it　in　a　minute。〃
　Marlis　had　on　rubber　gloves　that　came　up　her　arms。　She　said　to　Joe　Sereno；　〃See　these　little　specks　here　in　the　wall？　They　from　the　man's　skull；　little　tiny　fragments　of　bone。　Sometime　I　have　to　use　pliers　to　pull　them　out。　This　dark　stuff　is　the　dude's　hair。　See　these　other　holes？　They　from　the　shotgun。〃　She　funked　around；　doing　steps　to　the　music　as　she　said　to　Franklin；　〃Coolio；　for　your　pleasure。〃
　Franklin　listened　and　said；　〃Ain't　Coolio。〃　Listened　some　more；　said；　〃You　got　your　Cools　confused。　It's　LL　Cool　J；　no　other；　'cause　that's　'Hey　Lover。'　〃　He　paused；　looking　past　Marlis　to　a　framed　print　on　the　wall。　〃Girl；　is　that　like　modern　art　on　there　or　something　else？〃
　Marlis　went　up　to　the　picture　for　a　close　look　and　said；　〃It's　something　else。〃
　Joe　looked　at　it　and　said；　〃Oh；　my　God。〃
　He　watched　Marlis　remove　the　print　and　drop　it　into　a　red　bag。　〃Ain't　worth　cleaning。　Anything　has　body　fluids；　tissue；　poo…poo；　you　know；　anything　biohazardous；　goes　in　these　bags。　We　give　them　to　a　pany　takes　care　of　medical　waste　to　get　rid　of。〃
　〃You　missed　a　speck　there；〃　Franklin　said；　pointing　at　the　wall。
　〃I'm　still　working　on　it；　baby。〃　Lowering　her　voice；　she　said　to　Joe；　〃He　don't　like　to　see　me　talking　to　other　men。〃
　〃Are　you　and　him　married？〃
　〃You'd　think　so　to　hear　him。〃
　〃I　was　wondering；　is　there　any　money　in　cleanup　work？　You　don't　mind　my　asking。〃
　〃We　quoted　this　job　at　fifteen　hundred。　Hey；　how　many　people　can　you　find　to　do　it？　Another　reason　it's　a　good　business；　recessions　don't　bother　it　none。　This　one　here　looks　worse'n　it　is。　Doesn't　smell　too　bad。　You　work　where　a　body's　been　deposing　awhile；　now　you　talking　about　smell。　Like　old　roadkill　up　close？　You　go　home　and　take　a　shower；　you　have　to　wash　out　your　nostrils　good。　The　smell　like　sticks　to　the　hairs　in　your　nose。〃
　〃What's　the　worst　one　you　ever　had　to　clean　up？〃
　〃The　worst　one。　Hmmmm。〃　She　said；　〃You　mean　the　very　worst　one？　Like　an　advanced　state　of　dep　has　set　in？　The　body's　in　a　dark；　damp　place　and　dung　beetles　have　found　it？〃
　Franklin　said；　〃Girl？〃
　〃I'm　ing；〃　Marlis　said。　She　got　a　scraper；　like　a　big　putty　knife；　from　a　box　of　tools　and　went　back　to　work。　She　said　to　Joe；　〃It　dries　on　here　it's　hard　to　get　off。〃
　〃What　is　that？〃
　She　was　scraping　at　something　crusted　on　there。　〃Little　piece　of　what　the　dude　used　to　use　to　think　with。　His　brain；　honey。　He　maybe　should've　thought　better　about　ing　here；　huh？　Two　dudes　die　and　nobody　even　knows　who　they　are。　Least　it's　what　I　heard。〃　She　looked　over　at　Joe　Sereno　standing　by　the　closet　door；　staring　at　the　knob。　〃Don't　touch　that；　baby。〃
　〃It　looks　like　candle　wax；〃　Joe　said；　〃but　I　don't　see　any　candles　in　the　room。〃
　〃It　ain't　wax；〃　Marlis　said；　〃it's　some　more　the　dude's　gray　matter。　Gets　waxy　like　that　outside　the　head。　See　how　the　wood's　splintered　right　above　it？　That's　from　skull　fragments　shot　in　there。　This　one　dude；　I　swear；　is　all　over　the　room。〃
　〃You　just　do　murders？〃
　〃Homicides；　suicides；　and　depositions。〃
　〃How　about　animals？〃
　〃Once　in　a　while。　We　cleaned　up　after　a　woman　poisoned　her　dogs；　fifteen　of　'em　she　couldn't　feed　no　more。　It　smelled　worse'n　a　dead　manatee　laying　in　the　sun　too　long。〃
　Joe　perked　up。　〃There's　a　manatee　over　on　the　bay　was　shot。　You　hear　about　it？〃
　Joe　thought　he　saw　a　look　pass　between　Marlis　and　Franklin　on　the　ladder　as　she　said　no；　she　didn't　think　so。　〃A　pretty　friendly　creature；〃　Joe　said；　〃used　to　play　with　that　old　woman　who　was　killed。　Marion　something？〃
　〃McAlister　Williams；〃　Marlis　said。　〃Yeah；　I've　heard　of　her。　Hundred　and　two　years　old　and　still　swimmin'　in　the　bay。〃
　Joe；　said；　〃And　there　was　that　guy　tried　to　jump　the　drawbridge　and　didn't　make　it。〃
　〃Name　was　Victor；〃　Franklin　said；　down　from　the　ladder；　heading　for　the　John　with　his　pail。　〃Actually　was　a　scuba　tank　I　understand　flew　out　of　a　truck；　hit　the　man's　car　and　blew　him　up。　Totaled　'em　both。　Yeah；　we　heard　about　that。　'Cool　like　dat。'　〃　He　said；　〃So…Lo　Jam；〃　and　right　away　said；　〃I　take　that　back。〃
　〃You　better；〃　Marlis　said。
　〃That's　from　Cold　Chillin'；　so　it　has　to　be　Kool　G。　Rap。　Yeah。〃
　Joe　had　to　wait；　not　having　any　idea　what　they　were　talking　about；　before　saying；　〃How　about　that　disaster　at　Club　Hell？　I　was　working　there　that　night。　It　was　horrible。〃
　〃Nobody　had　to　clean　that　one　up；〃　Franklin　said；　ing　out　of　the　John；　〃the　sharks　took　care　of　it。〃
　〃e　here　for　a　minute；　will　you？〃　Joe　motioned　them　over　to　the　sliding　glass　door　that　led　to　the　patio。
　〃See　that　guy　sitting　by　the　pool？　Over　on　the　other　side。　Who　does　he　look　like？〃
　〃I　can't　see　him　good；〃　Franklin　said。
　〃Take　your　goggles　off。〃
　Franklin　squinted　now；　eyes　uncovered。　He　said；　〃I　don't　know。　Who？〃
　Marlis　came　over　and　right　away　said；　〃The　dude　with　the　cigar？　He　looks　like　Castro。　Either　Castro　or　that　dude　goes　around　thinking　he　looks　like　Castro。　You　know　what　I'm　saying？　Mickey　Something…or…other's　his　name。　Yeah；　Mickey　Schwartz。〃
　〃Wait　a　minute；〃　Franklin　said；　still　squinting。　〃What　Castro　you　talking　about？〃
　〃Castro；　the　one　from　Cuba。〃
　〃They　all　from　Cuba。〃
　〃What's　his　name…Fidel；〃　Marlis　said。　〃Fidel　Castro；　Shaved　off　his　beard。〃　She　paused　and　hunched　in　a　little　closer　to　Joe　and　Franklin。　〃Shaved　his　beard　and　must've　shaved　his　head；　too；　'cause　the　man's　wearing　a　rug。〃
　〃That's　what　I　thought　too；〃　Joe　said。　〃But　whose　hair　does　the　rug　look　like？〃
　Now　Marlis　squinted　till　she　had　it　and　said；　〃Yeah；　that　high…waisted　cat　kung…fus　everybody　he　don't　shoot。〃
　Franklin　said；　〃I　know　who　you　mean。　That　kung…fu　cat　with　the　big　butt。　Doesn't　take　shuck　and　jive　from　nobody。　But　listen　to　me　now。　If　that's　the　Fidel　we　talking　about　here；　there's　a　man　will　pay　a　million　dollars　to　see　him　dead。　Man　name　of　Reyes。　It　would　be　easy　as　pie　to　cap　him　sitting　there；　wouldn't　it？〃　He　looked　at　Joe　Sereno。　〃I　mean　if　it　was　your　trade。〃
　〃Tempting；〃　Marlis　said；　〃but　safer　to　clean　up　after。　Celebrity；　be　nothing　wrong　with　doubling　the　fee。〃
　Joe　was　thinking。　He　said；　〃You　suppose　a　hit　man　killed　these　two　in　here？〃
　〃Hit　men　as　a　rule；〃　Franklin　said；　〃don't　make　this　kind　of　mess。　One　on　the　back　of　the　head；　use　a　twenty…two　High　Standard　Field　King　with　a　suppressor　on　it。　We've　followed　up　after　hit　men；　haven't　we；　precious？〃
　〃We　sure　have；〃　Marlis　said。　〃Lot　of　that　kind　of　work　around　here。〃
　Joe　Sereno　said；　〃You　don't　suppose　。。。　〃　and　stopped；　narrowing　his　eyes　then　to　make　what　he　wanted　to　say　e　out　right。　〃In　the　past　few　days　I've　run　into　three　homicides；　counting　these　two；　and　a　fourth　one　they're　calling　an　accident　looks　more　like　a　homicide　to　me。　I　have　a　hunch　they're　related。　Don't　pin　me　down　for　the　motive；　'cause　I　don't　see　a　nexus。　At　least　not　yet　I　don't。　But　I　got　a　creepy　feeling　that　once　these　two　are　identified；　it　will　explain　the　others。　I'm　talking　about　the　old　woman；　and　a　guy　named　Phil。　And；　unless　I　miss　my　guess；　it　all　has　something　to　do　with　that　man　sitting　over　there　smoking　a　cigar。〃
　〃Unless；〃　Marlis　said；　〃the　dude　over　there　is　the　Fidel　impersonator；　Mickey　Schwartz。〃
　〃Either　way；〃　Joe　Sereno　said；　〃ID　these　two　and　this　whole　mess　will　bee　clear。〃
　A　look　passed　between　Franklin　and　Marlis。
　Joe　caught　it　and　thought；　Hmmmm。
　
　13。　THE　LAW　OF　THE　JUNGLE…Carl　Hiaasen
　Mickey　Schwartz　had　never　been　to　Bimini；　as　there　was　not　among　Bahamians　a　huge　demand　for　Fidel　Castro　impersonators。
　Nor　had　Mickey　Schwartz　ever　been　in　a　Cigarette　boat　crossing　the　Gulf　Stream　with　an　Uzi…toting　goon；　an　obese　fugitive　politician；　two　crabby　female　hostages；　and　an　older　woman　who　elegantly　claimed　to　have　slept　with　the　real　Fidel。
　In　that　respect；　it　was　the　most　interesting　gig　of　Mickey　Schwartz's　show　business　career。　And；　except　for　the　threat　of　gunplay；　it　was　also　the　most　gratifying；　professionally。
　Being　a　Castro　impersonator　in　Miami　was　no　picnic…a　vast　impassioned　segment　of　the　population　regarded　the　Cuban　leader　more　as　a　murderous　butcher　than　as　cheap　ic　relief。　As　Mickey　Schwartz　could　attest；　there　was　no　fortune　to　be　made　milking　Castro　for　laughs；　at　least　not　in　South　F