ch.nakedcamethemanatee-第1节

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　Saturday　night；　Coconut　Grove。
　It　was　the　usual　scene：　thousands　of　people；　not　one　of　whom　a　normal　person　would　call　normal。
　There　were　the　European　tourists；　getting　off　their　big　fume…belching　buses；　wearing　their　new　jeans　and　their　Hard　Rock　Cafe　T…shirts；　which　they　bought　when　their　charter　bus　stopped　in　Orlando。　They　moved　in　chattering　clots；　following　their　flag…waving　tour　directors；　lining　up　outside　Planet　Hollywood；　checking　out　the　wall　where　famous　movie　stars　had　made　impressions　of　their　hands　in　the　cement　squares；　taking　videos　of　each　other　putting　their　palms　in　the　exact　same　spot　where　Bruce　Willis　once　put　his　palm。
　Eventually　they'd　be　admitted；　past　the　velvet　ropes；　get　an　actual　table；　order　an　actual　cheeseburger。　This；　truly；　was　America：　eating　cheeseburgers　with　other　European　tourists。
　Outside；　the　pulsating　mutant　throng　was　gearing　up　for　the　all…night　street　party；　fashion　bazaar；　and　freak　show　that　the　Grove　bees　on　weekend　nights。　Squadrons　of　young　singles…bodies　taut；　hair　perfect；　clothes　fashionable；　minds　empty…relentlessly　roamed　the　CocoWalk　Multi…Level　Shopping　and　Pickup　plex；　checking　each　other　out；　admiring　themselves。　Everywhere　for　blocks　around；　there　were　peddlers　peddling；　posers　posing；　gawkers　gawking；　drunks　drinking；　bums　bumming；　and　hustlers　hustling。　Traffic　had　already　congealed　into　a　dense；　noisy；　confused　mass　of　cruising　tourist…bearing　rickshaws；　blatting　Harleys；　megawatt…booming　cruise　cars；　and　the　pathetic；　plaintively　honking　fools　who　actually　thought　they　could　drive　through　the　Grove　on　a　Saturday　night。　It　was　just　getting　started。　It　would　go　on　until　dawn；　and　beyond。
　Sitting　on　the　porch　of　her　snug；　hurricane…weathered　cottage　nestled　beneath　a　pair　of　massive　ficus　trees　not　three　hundred　yards　away；　Marion　McAlister　Williams　listened　to　the　distant　din　wafting　toward　her　on　the　South　Florida　night。　She　could　still　hear　pretty　well；　and　she　could　think　as　well　as　anybody…better　than　most；　in　fact。　Not　bad；　when　you　considered　that　she　was　102　years　old；　had　e　to　Miami　on　a　sailboat　when　Coconut　Grove　was　a　two…family；　no…road　hamlet；　and　Seminoles　fished　the　bay。
　Not　much　fish　to　catch　in　there　now；　she　thought　bitterly；　not　much　life　at　all　in　that　poor　overused；　over…dredged　public　sewer。　Oh；　she'd　done　what　she　could。　She'd　written　that　book；　back　in　the　forties；　way　ahead　of　her　time；　she'd　told　the　world　what　the　movers　and　shakers　of　South　Florida　were　doing　to　the　bay。　The　book　got　a　lot　of　attention；　won　her　a　couple　of　big　awards。　After　a　while　even　the　movers　and　shakers　noticed；　started　inviting　her　to　dinners；　giving　her　plaques；　calling　her　a　South　Florida　Treasure；　like　she　was　some　kind　of　endangered　turtle。　Then　they'd　pat　her　on　her　frail；　stooped　shoulders；　send　her　off　home；　and　go　right　back　to　screwing　up　the　bay。
　From　her　porch；　she　could　smell　the　water；　close　by　to　the　southeast。　She　wondered；　as　she　often　did；　what　was　going　on　out　there；　away　from　the　lunacy　of　the　Grove；　in　the　dark。
　
　A　mile　or　so　down　the　coast；　where　rich　people　live　in　huge；　expensive；　fashionable；　professionally　decorated；　truly　unfortable　homes；　Booger　flippered　his　massive　blob　of　a　body　slowly　through　the　murky　water　just　offshore。　Of　course；　he　didn't　know　he　was　called　Booger　by　the　boat…dwellers　in　the　Grove；　where　he　spent　most　of　his　time。　Being　a　manatee；　he　wasn't　big　on　abstract　concepts　such　as　names。　He　also　hadn't　figured　out；　despite　several　collisions　and　one　painful　propeller…inflicted　wound；　that　he　should　try　to　avoid　motorboats。
　And　thus；　although　he　could　sense　it　ing；　he　made　no　effort　whatsoever　to　avoid　the　beat…up　old　outboard…powered　skiff　racing　directly　toward　him　in　the　dark。　And　since　the　two　men　in　the　skiff　were　（a）　running　without　lights　and　（b）　arguing；　they　did　not　notice　Booger's　bulk　dead　ahead；　almost　all　of　it　just　below　the　surface；　just　like　the　iceberg　that　caused　all　that　trouble　for　the　Titanic。
　
　〃This　ain't　no　damn　puter；　I　can　tell　you　that　for　damn　sure；〃　Hector　was　saying；　from　the　front　of　the　skiff。　He　was　frowning　at　the　wooden　crate　sitting　on　a　seat　cushion　and　strapped　to　the　seat　with　a　pair　of　bungee　cords。　He　kicked　aside　the　scummy　towrope　at　his　feet　and　leaned　down　to　poke　around　in　the　straw　between　the　slats　of　the　crate　for　a　clearer　glimpse　at　the　plastic…wrapped；　roundish　object；　hard　and　smooth　like　some　kind　of　metal；　pressing　up　against　the　wood。
　〃How　the　hell　do　you　know？〃　asked　Phil；　from　the　stern；　where　he　had　his　hand　on　the　outboard　tiller。
　〃Because　it　ain't　even　got　a　power　plug；〃　said　Hector。　〃puters　got　power　plugs。〃
　〃What　the　hell　do　you　care　what　it　is？〃　said　Phil。　〃We　take　it　to　the　rich　man's　dock；　we　give　it　to　the　rich　man；　he　gives　us　the　other　five　thou；　we're　gone。　Ten　thou；　total；　five　each；　minus　my　boat　expenses；　easy　money。　You　got　a　better　plan？　You　maybe　wanna　rob　another　UPS　truck？〃
　This　was　a　reference　to　Hector's　last　major　moneymaking　idea；　which　was　to　snatch　a　box　at　random　from　the　back　of　a　UPS　van　parked　on　Kendall　Drive。　Unfortunately；　Hector；　who　was　also　the　getaway…car　driver；　had　tried　to　get　away　a　little　too　fast；　he'd　driven　directly　into　a　Lexus　making　a　left　turn　across　traffic；　causing　it　to　smash　into　a　Jaguar。　As　it　happened…this　was；　after　all；　South　Florida…both　the　Lexus　and　the　Jaguar　were　being　driven　by　well…known；　highly　successful；　politically　connected　narcotics　traffickers；　so　Hector　and　Phil　had　gotten　into　big　trouble　with　the　law。　They'd　wound　up　doing　eighteen　months　in　jail。
　The　box　they　had　stolen　from　the　UPS　truck…Phil　would　never　let　Hector　forget　this…turned　out　to　contain　dirty　undershorts　that　a　University　of　Miami　prelaw　student　was　sending　home　to　his　mom　for　laundering。
　〃Very　funny；〃　said　Hector。　〃Ha　ha。　But　you　tell　me；　why'd　the　Cuban　tell　us　it's　a　puter　if　it　ain't？　And　that　wasn't　no　local　Cuban　neither。　That　was　a　Cuban　Cuban；　from　Cuba。　That　was　a　Cuban　navy　boat　following　his　boat。　It　was　running　with　no　lights；　trying　to　stay　outta　sight；　but　I　saw　it。〃
　〃Hector；　you　told　me　that　fifty…three　times；　and　I　still　don't　care。　I　don't　care　if　he　was　from　Mars；　OK？　Ten　thou　is　ten　thou。〃
　〃I　think　it's　nuclear；〃　said　Hector　quietly。　He　pronounced　it　〃nuke…u…lar；〃　like　Walter　Cronkite。
　〃It's　what？〃　asked　Phil。
　〃Nuclear。　Like　a　bomb。　The　way　the　Cuban　handled　it；　you　know？　The　way　he　was；　so；　like；　scared　of　it。　And　did　you　see　him　open　that　little　door　in　it；　just　before　he　put　it　in　the　crate？　There　was　some　kind　of　numbers　in　there；　man。〃
　〃puters　got　numbers；〃　noted　Phil。
　〃These　ain't　puter　numbers；〃　said　Hector。　〃These　are　little　lights；　like　glowing　numbers。〃
　〃Only　number　I　care　about；〃　said　Phil；　〃is　ten　thousand　dollars。　You　can　buy　a　lot　of　underwear　for　that。〃
　Hector　said　a　very　bad　thing　to　Phil。
　
　Back　in　the　heart　of　the　Grove；　city　of　Miami　rookie　police　officer　Joe　Sereno　was　trying　to　explain　to　an　extremely　large；　extremely　drunk　male　tourist　that；　no　matter　what　the　system　was　back　in　his　hometown；　the　system　here　in　Miami　was；　if　you　had　to　urinate；　you　did　it　in　some　kind　of　enclosed　toilet　facility。　You　did　not　do　it　out　in　public。　You　especially　did　not　do　it　off　the　second…floor　balcony　of　the　CocoWalk　plex。
　〃Sir；〃　Sereno　was　saying；　〃why　don't　you…〃
　〃I　got　the　right　to　remain　silent！〃　the　tourist　announced。　He　virtually　never　missed　The　People's　Court。
　〃Sir；〃　said　Sereno；　〃I'm　not　arresting　you。　I'm　just　asking　you　to　zip　up　your…''
　〃ANYTHING　I　SAY　CAN　AND　WILL　BE　USED　AGAINST　ME！〃　bellowed　the　large　man。　The　fast…growing　crowd　of　onlookers　cheered。　Many　were　aiming　video　cameras。　This　was　excellent　entertainment；　even　better　than　the　Hare　Krishnas。
　Joe　Sereno　sighed。　This　was　not　what　he　had　in　mind　when　he　joined　the　police　department。　He　wanted　to　make　a　difference；　to　do　something　useful；　to　fight　crime；　for　God's　sake；　not　to　spend　his　nights　chaperoning　the　block　party　from　hell；　baby…sitting　a　bunch　of　morons　who…
　〃I　HAVE　THE　RIGHT　TO　AN　ATTORNEY！！！〃　the　large　man　screamed。　〃SOMEBODY　GET　ME　。。。　what's　his　name。〃
　〃Perry　Mason？〃　suggested　a　voice　from　the　crowd。
　〃NO；　DAMMIT！　THE　OTHER　ONE！〃
　〃Johnnie　Cochran？〃
　〃YES！　HIM！　SOMEBODY　GET　ME　JOHNNIE　COCH　。。。　COCH　。。。　Cocchhuurrrrgggghhh　。。。　〃
　Although　he　was　a　rookie；　Sereno　had　worked　the　Grove　long　enough　to　see　what　was　ing；　and　thus　stepped　back　quickly　enough　to　avoid　the　sudden　eruption。　Not　everyone　on　the　sidewalk　below　was　so　lucky。　Bedlam　erupted　as　the　crowd；　screaming；　surged　away　from　the　area　directly　underneath　the　puking　giant。　A　rickshaw；　ing　around　the　corner；　was　knocked　over　by　the　fleeing　mob；　sending　an　older　couple　sprawling　into　the　street；　directly　into　the　path　of　a　Harley…Davidson；　whose　driver　turned　right　sharply　in　an　effort　to　avoid　them；　hit　the　curb；　and　was　launched　across　the　sidewalk　into　the　fountain。
　Sereno　sprinted　for　the　stairs；　glancing　at　his　watch。　Nine　o'clock；　straight　up。
　The　night　was　young。
　
　Another　boring　night；　Fay　Leonard　thought；　as　she　locked　up　her　dive　shop　on　South　Dixie　Highway。　She　was　beginning　to　wonder　about　the　shop。　It　had　seemed　like　such　a　good　idea…a　chance