ch.nakedcamethemanatee-第12节

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　Lilia　Sands　evaluated　the　young　woman　before　her；　especially　the　tawny　skin　that　hinted　of　the　Caribbean。　She　remembered　that　the　crime　reporter　had　gone　to　bat　for　a　former　player　for　the　L。A。　Raiders　by　the　name　of　D。　Wayne　Hudson；　a　friend　of　Lilia's　son。
　〃I　might　have　what　you're　looking　for。　Somewhere　back　here。〃
　Britt　followed　Lilia　behind　a　tinkling　beaded　curtain　to　a　bedroom　with　a　chest　of　drawers。　In　the　second　drawer　was　a　cigar　box　that　smelled　of　patchouli。　Lilia　opened　the　box。　Nestled　in　tissue　paper　were　locks　of　hair　of　varying　lengths　and　colors。
　Lilia　smiled。　〃I　got　around；〃　she　said。　She　raked　the　locks　with　long；　well…manicured　fingernails　and　fished　out　a　strand　bound　in　a　red　and　gold　Montecristo　wrapper。
　There　was　a　knock　at　the　front　door。
　Lilia　called　through　the　beaded　curtain；　〃Somebody　see　who　it　is。〃
　Jake　and　Fay　exchanged　glances。　Could　Hector　or　whoever　he　worked　for　have　followed　them？　The　rap　was　sharp　and　insistent。
　〃I'll　get　it。〃　Tensing　his　body　for　a　straight　buck　up　the　middle；　Jake　threw　open　the　door。
　The　boy　in　the　Marlins　baseball　cap　and　high…top　Air　Jordans　stood　on　the　threshold。　〃Where's　Miss　Lilia　at？〃
　Lilia　swished　her　way　past　Jake。　〃What's　happening？〃
　The　boy　handed　her　a　crumpled　slip　of　paper。　〃Old　man　in　cutoffs　and　sandals　say　to　call　this　number。〃
　Lilia　turned　from　the　boy　and　slipped　the　paper　in　the　folds　of　her　kimono。　〃It's　a　message；〃　she　said。
　〃Who　from？〃　asked　Jake。
　〃Garcia；〃　she　replied。
　
　8。　STRANGE　FISH…Tananarive　Due
　Lilia　Sands　worked　her　overpainted　face　into　a　frown。　〃Garcia？　Which　Gar…cia？　Do　you　know　how　many　Garcias　there　are　in　the　Dade　County　phone　book？〃　She　studied　the　young　messenger；　who　was　orbiting　her　as　though　he　expected　a　tip。　I'll　give　you　a　tip；　all　right；　kid；　Jake　Lassiter　thought。　You'd　better　earn　that　ten　bucks　I　just　gave　you　and　go　back　outside　to　keep　an　eye　on　Fay's　pickup。
　〃What's　his　first　name？〃　she　asked　the　boy。
　He　shrugged。　〃He　said　you'd　know。〃
　Lilia　smiled；　then　delicately　raised　her　fingertips　to　her　temple　as　if　to　brush　away　imaginary　perspiration。
　〃Ah　。　。　。〃　she　said；　with　a　long；　rapturous　sigh。　〃That　Garcia。〃
　Jake　shifted　his　weight　from　one　sore　leg　to　the　other。　Time　out；　he　thought。　He；　Britt；　and　Fay　had　e　to　Lilia's　for　a　lock　of　Castro's　hair…the　real　Castro's　hair。　So；　they　had　what　they'd　e　for。　No　need　to　tango　here　all　day。　Even　a　pit　bull　reporter　like　Britt　had　to　know　when　it　was　time　to　move　on。
　〃Look；　Miss　Sands；〃　he　said；　surprised　at　his　own　politeness；　〃we　can　bail　out　of　here　if　you　need　to　catch　up　on　your　phone　calls。〃
　〃This　will　interest　you；〃　Lilia　said；　holding　up　her　index　finger　to　silence　Jake。　（Watching；　Fay　and　Britt　both　took　mental　note　of　this　tactic　in　case　it　might　e　in　handy　someday。）　Lilia　cradled　the　receiver　of　her　black　novelty　telephone；　which　was　shaped　like　a　baby　grand　piano。　Each　time　she　pressed　a　key；　a　tone　sounded；　she　was　dialing　a　laborious　version　of　〃When　the　Saints　Go　Marching　In。〃
　Long…distance；　Britt　noticed。
　Off　key；　Fay　decided。
　Damn　annoying；　Jake　thought。
　〃It's　me。　Put　him　on；〃　Lilia　said　abruptly；　in　Spanish；　and　then　she　smiled　and　nodded；　her　green…flecked　brown　eyes　wide　with　pleasure　as　she　listened　to　an　indiscernible　voice。　Hanging　up；　she　surveyed　her　waiting　audience　as　though　she　were　reliving　a　finale　number　onstage　at　the　Nacional。
　〃I　shouldn't　tell　you　this　。。。　〃　Lilia　began。
　But　you　will；　Britt　thought；　perking　up。　Sentences　that　began　with　〃I　shouldn't　tell　you　this〃　were　verbal　foreplay；　and　satisfaction　was　never　far　behind。
　〃You　didn't　hear　this　from　me；　and　don't　ask　who　told　me…but　Miami　is　about　to　have　an　important　visitor　from　Cuba。　Believe　me；　when　he　es；　the　people's　reaction　will　make　Nelson　Mandela's　reception　in　Miami　look　like　the　papal　visit。　He's　ing　soon；　within　days。　He　didn't　say　exactly　when。〃
　〃Give　me　a　break；〃　Jake　said；　not　buying　it。
　〃It　can't　be；〃　Fay　said。
　〃It　is；〃　Lilia　said；　beaming。
　Britt's　brain　was　turning　somersaults。　Not　one　head；　but　two；　and　Fidel　was　still　alive？　And；　apparently；　intending　to　set　foot　in　a　city　that　nourished　itself　on　fantasies　about　the　day　he　would　drop　dead？　Home　to　weekend　mandos　who　would　love　to　help　him　do　just　that；　with　a　million…dollar　price　tag　on　his　head？
　Castro　is　ing！　Britt　was　already　thinking　in　headlines。　This　was　top…strip；　front…page；　WW　II　type。　She'd　need　to　get　on　the　phone　and　pull　some　favors　with　her　sister…in…law's　bureaucrat　uncle　in　Havana　to　get　confirmation。
　Britt's　delight　at　the　whiff　of　a　huge　story　warred　with　her　disappointment　that　the　man　who　killed　her　father　was　still　breathing。　〃I　can't　believe　he's　alive；〃　she　said。
　〃Si；　o　no；〃　Lilia　said。　〃Of　course　he's　alive。　But　if　he's　planning　to　e　to　Miami；　he's　obviously　lost　his　head。〃
　Silence。　The　three　of　them　started。
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　Britt　asked　first。
　Lilia　circled　her　finger　around　her　ear。　〃You　know　。。。　loco。〃
　The　proportions　of　this　story　were　growing　in　light…years；　Britt　realized。　They'd　been　fearing　riots　if　people　thought　Fidel　was　dead？　What　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