ch.nakedcamethemanatee-第11节

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　He　remembered　that　The　New　York　Times　had　called　him　a　Cold　War　apparition；　and　he　sulked　while　the　limo　snaked　its　way　through　gridlock。　Then　he　said；　〃I'm　going　to　Miami。〃
　The　man　next　to　him　turned　in　surprise。　〃Fidel；　andante　en　jefe；　with　all　due　respect；　are　you　crazy？　To　Miami？　How　would　you　go？〃
　〃The　way　I　went　before。　Incognito。〃
　〃You　mean　the　Lubavitch　rabbi　suit？〃
　〃Don't　be　stupid。　You　expect　me　to　wear　that　long　black　coat　in　the　tropics？　And　you　can　forget　about　the　fur　hat。〃
　〃That's　precisely　my　point。　So　what　does　that　leave？〃
　Fidel's　eyes　shone。　〃It　leaves　the　people。　We'll　do　as　we　just　did　in　the　Big　Manzana。　By　day；　we'll　stay　in　Overtown；　or　in　Liberty　City。　Whatever。　I'll　shave　my　beard。　By　night；　we'll　blend。　Find　out　the　name　of　that　Chinese　restaurant　I　heard　about　in　South　Beach；　the　one　with　the　transvestite　waiters。　I　particularly　want　to　see　the　one　they　call　Shelley　Novak。　I　always　admired　Kim　Novak。　For　a　gringa；　she　was　very　Cuban。　You　couldn't　see　the　mustache；　but　you　knew　it　was　there。〃
　Fidel　Castro　waved　his　hand。　〃But　the　most　important　thing　is；　what　shall　I　tell　El　Maniz　about　the　missing　cargo？　Save　me　from　these　gringos　with　their　missions。　If　Senor　Peanut　wants　to　get　away　from　his　wife；　tell　him　to　get　a　divorce。　Involving　himself　in　plicated　matters　of　state　。。。　〃　He　reached　for　a　cigar。　〃If　we　could　somehow　put　him　together　with　the　one　who　won't　leave　me　in　peace；　what　a　pair；　no？〃
　
　Jake　Lassiter　entered　the　windowless；　brightly　lit　morgue。　His　swollen　knee　hurt。　He　tried　not　to　limp。　Overhead；　a　buzzing　fluorescent　was　starting　to　go。　Jake　didn't　know　how　Britt　did　it。　He　could　never　get　used　to　the　smell　of　formaldehyde　or　the　partially　masked　odor　of　rotting　flesh。
　In　the　center　of　the　room；　Britt　and　Fay　stood　beside　a　metal　table　where　a　waxen　cadaver　lay　over　a　trough。　The　women　were　talking　to　a　medical　examiner　wearing　steel　mesh　gloves；　who　was　weighing　a　liver　on　a　scale。
　Jake　brightened；　the　pain　in　his　knee　subsided。　Attractive　women　and　the　pursuit　of　truth　were　not　mutually　exclusive　and　it　was　good　to　hone　one's　skills。
　Fay　heard　him　first。　〃Jake　is　ing；〃　she　said。　〃He's　like　the　crocodile　in　Peter　Pan。　〃
　〃I　never　saw　the　movie；〃　said　Britt。　〃I　was　too　busy　hating　my　mother。〃
　Jake　strode　toward　the　women；　then　stopped　abruptly；　legs　spread　apart　like　the　Colossus　of　Rhodes。　He　averted　his　eyes　from　the　fluids　running　down　the　trough　of　the　metal　table；　looked　up　instead　at　the　buzzing　neon　light。　〃That's　the　second　time　you　stood　me　up；　Britt。〃　Getting　no　response；　he　dropped　his　voice。　It　was　low　and　husky。　Women　liked　its　sound。　〃You　here　to　find　a　match　for　the　head？〃
　Fay　turned　away　from　the　medical　examiner；　spoke　into　her　chest。　〃Heads；〃　she　mumbled。　〃At　least　there　appear　to　be　two。〃
　Jake　turned　on　his　high…voltage　Jake　Lassiter　laser　beam　stare。　〃No　kidding？〃
　〃But　that's　not　why　we're　here。　There's　more。〃
　〃More　heads？〃
　Fay's　eyes　glistened。　〃This　is　no　time　to　kid　around。　Phil　is　missing。〃
　〃I　hope　you'd　worry　about　me　if　I　was　missing。〃
　〃It's　a　human　rights　thing；　Jake。　It　isn't　a　contest。　As　far　as　I'm　concerned；　you　and　Phil　are　both　ancient　history；　so　don't　ask　me　the　question　you　always　ask；　the　one…to…ten　scale。　The　answer　is；　as　I've　told　you　before；　even　when　it's　bad　it's　good。〃
　They　left　the　morgue　after　they　had　been　assured　by　the　medical　examiner　that　although　there　were　hip　joints　and　quarter　rounds　washing　up　daily　on　the　shores　of　Baker　Haulover；　so　far　there　were　no　bodies　without　heads。
　Jake　decided　on　a　positive　approach。　〃We　don't　need　the　bodies。　Let's　work　with　what　we　have。　And　what　we　have　is　a　couple　of　heads　that　look　like　Castro。　Are　they　really　Castro？　Who　knows？　We　need　an　ID　on　at　least　one　of　the　heads。　You　can　do　it　with　photographs　or　dental　records　if　you　can　get　them；　but　a　positive　nail　takes　DNA。〃
　Fay　nodded　her　head。　〃We　need　to　get　an　expert。　Does　anyone　know　Barry　Scheck？〃
　〃I　met　him　once；〃　said　Jake。　〃At　a　Bar　convention。　It　was　at　a　plenary　session　on　prokaryotes　and　nucleopeptides。　But　I　doubt　he'd　remember　me。〃
　Britt　fished　something　out　of　her　memory。　〃You　know　Pupi　Alvarez；　the　TV　anchor？　Pupi　has　a　cousin　by　marriage；　her　name　is　Lilia　something。　According　to　Pupi；　Lilia　had　a　thing　with　Castro　when　she　was　young。　She　was　a　singer；　played　the　Nacional　Hotel　before　the　Revolution。　She　met　up　with　some　of　Castro's　people；　they　took　her　into　the　mountains。　Lilia　didn't　e　down　for　two　years。　And　get　this；　they　said　she　kept　a　lock　of　Castro's　hair。〃
　Fay　wrinkled　her　nose。　〃I　thought　only　santeros　did　that。　Why　would　she　keep　his　hair？〃
　〃It's　a　trophy　thing。〃
　Jake　hooked　his　thumb　into　his　belt。　〃You　think　she　still　has　it？〃
　〃Only　way　to　find　out；〃　said　Britt。　〃I'll　put　in　a　call　to　Pupi。　Find　out　where　she　lives。〃
　Surrounded　by　sea　cucumber　and　spider　crabs；　Booger　fed　among　the　swaying；　strap…bladed　turtle　grass。　Earlier；　a　marine　biologist　had　tried　to　entice　the　manatee　with　lettuce　in　order　to　attach　a　radio　transmitter　and　a　yellow　float　to　the　creature's　tail。　Weary　of　impediments；　and　translating　the　event　as　danger；　Booger　rolled　out　of　her　grasp。　Now；　having　forgone　the　lettuce；　he　was　hungry。
　Booger　ate　his　fill；　including　the　narrow…bladed　shoal　grass；　then　swam　toward　shore　to　wait　for　the　one　in　the　diving　mask　to　swim　beside　him　and　stroke　his　neck。　He　lay　in　the　mud　flats　listening　for　outboard　motors。　A　human　with　a　familiar　scent　drifted　toward　him。　Booger　raised　his　snout；　then　wallowed　toward　the　floating　figure；　discovering　with　a　few　playful　taps　that　it　was　all　wrong。　The　scent　he'd　known　had　turned；　been　tainted　with　death。
　After　a　while；　he　began　to　toy　idly　with　the　floating　thing；　a　bloating　body　whose　blood　had　settled　in　the　extremities　and　whose　limbs　flopped　lifelessly。　Weary　of　having　to　push　the　corpse　into　the　currents；　Booger　nudged　it　away　and　continued　his　vigil。
　The　crumbling　neighborhood；　long　since　severed　from　its　purpose　by　a　cloverleaf　expressway；　lay　baking　in　the　sun。　A　gray　mockingbird　darted　after　a　spill　of　corn　flakes　from　a　thicket　of　hubcaps　and　vines。　Even　in　the　late　afternoon；　heat　shimmered　from　the　asphalt　like　a　mirage；　while　an　empty　Metrorail　car　glided　silently　above。　Over　the　boarded…up　storefronts　and　empty　lots　strewn　with　torn　mattresses　and　rusted；　red…tagged　chassis；　hung　the　smell　of　car　fumes　and　jasmine。
　They　pulled　up　in　Fay's　pickup　truck　in　front　of　a　sun…silvered　frame　bungalow。　A　boy　in　a　Marlins　baseball　cap　and　high…top　Air　Jordans　stood　on　a　cinder　block　spray…painting　a　wall　with　a　2。99　can　of　orange　Krylon。
　Watching　the　tagger　were　a　knot　of　children　of　varying　sizes。　All　movement　ceased　as　Britt；　Fay；　and　Jake　stepped　down　from　the　cab　of　the　truck。
　〃Something　must　be　gonna　happen；〃　said　one　child。
　〃Jump…outs！〃　yelled　another。
　The　boy　in　the　Marlins　cap　looked　down　in　disdain　from　his　surreal　abstraction　of　hypodermics　and　coffins。　〃They　look　like　undercover　to　you？　Since　when　do　undercover　swivel　they　heads？　More　like　they　came　to　get　a　bump　to　keep　them　awake。〃
　〃Watch　the　truck；〃　said　Jake；　pitching　a　five…dollar　bill。
　〃Five　is　for　the　cab；〃　said　the　boy　in　the　baseball　cap。　〃The　flatbed　and　the　aerial　is　gonna　cost　you　ten。〃
　
　Lilia　Sands's　skin　was　the　color　of　vanilla。　Tight　black；　gray…streaked　ringlets　molded　the　curve　of　her　well…shaped　skull。　Wrapped　in　a　flowered　silk　kimono；　she　had　clearly　once　been　beautiful。　Now　she　was　ely；　or　handsome；　or　whatever　euphemism　people　assign　to　women　who　are　over　the　hill。
　Lilia　Sands　regarded　Jake　in　frank　assessment。　〃Didn't　you　used　to　play　ball？〃
　〃Linebacker。〃
　〃You　look　more　like　a　tight　end　to　me；〃　she　said。
　Britt　smiled；　glad　that　Jake　was　getting　his　euppance；　then　decided　to　cut　to　the　chase。　〃Pupi　Alvarez　told　us　that　you　once　knew　Castro。〃
　〃Yes；　I　knew　him。　It　was　a　long　time　ago。　I　was　with　him　in　the　Sierra　Maestra　Mountains。　Hiding　out　from　Batista's　planes　in　ferns　higher　than　your　head；　with　the　smell　of　coffee　blossom　ing　from　somewhere　below。〃
　Fay　jumped　in　the　way　she　dove。　〃Forgive　the　question；　but　we　heard　。。。　someone　said　that　you　and　Castro　were　intimate。〃
　Lilia　laughed。　〃Did　you　ever　sleep　with　a　man　on　a　cot？　For　two　years？　You；　him；　and　his　hobnailed　bat　boots？　That's　more　than　intimate。　You　have　to　be　into　revolution　to　do　that。〃
　Fay　imagined　the　permutations　of　bedding　on　an　army　cot。　Jake　was　doing　the　same；　while　Britt　maintained　the　ferret's　focus　that　was　her　stock…in…trade。
　〃We　heard　you　saved　a　lock　of　hair；〃　said　Britt。　〃If　you　have　it；　it's　very　important。〃
　Jake　intercepted　the　ball。　〃We　need　it；〃　he　said。　〃It　could　be　evidence。〃
　〃What　kind　of　evidence　are　you　talking　about？〃
　The　throb　of　a　pumping　bass　rumbled　from　a　cruising　car。　Britt　glanced　outside；　then　stepped　away　from　the　window。　〃We　can't　tell　you。　We're　asking　you　to　trust　us。〃
　Lilia　continued　to　regard　her　visitors　with　a　jaundiced　eye。
　Britt　played　the　Latin　connection　card。　〃Trust　me。〃
　Lilia　Sands　evaluated　the　young　woman　before　her；　especially　the　tawny　skin　that　hinted　of　the　Caribbean。　She　remembered　that　the　crime　reporter　had　gon