ch.doublewhammy-第15节

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ker　bucked　him　over　and　jumped　on　top。
　Dennis　Gault　had　figured　R。　J。　Decker　to　be　strong；　but　he　was　unprepared　for　the　force　now　planted　on　his　sternum。　As　his　own　foolish　rage　subsided；　he　fearfully　began　to　wonder　if　Decker　was　just　getting　warmed　up。
　Gault　felt　but　never　saw　the　two　sharp　punches　that　flattened　his　nose；　shattered　his　designer　frames；　and　closed　one　eye。　Later；　when　he　awoke　and　dragged　himself　to　the　bathroom；　he　would　marvel　in　the　mirror　that　only　two　punches　could　have　done　so　much　damage。　He　found　a　pail　of　ice　cubes　waiting　on　the　nightstand；　next　to　a　bottle　of　aspirin。
　And　a　handwritten　note　from　R。　J。　Decker：　〃The　fee　is　now　one　hundred；　asshole。〃
　
　Harney　was　such　a　small　county　that　it　was　difficult　to　mount　a　serious　high…school　athletic　program。　There　was；　after　all；　only　one　high　school。　The　enrollment　fluctuated　from　about　one　hundred　and　seventy…five　to　two　hundred　and　ten；　so　the　pool　of　sports　talent　was　relatively　limited。　In　those　rare　and　precious　years　when　Harney　High　fielded　a　winning　team；　the　star　athletes　were　encouraged　to　flunk　a　year　or　two　in　order　to　delay　graduation　and　prolong　the　school's　victory　streak。　A　few　idealistic　teachers　spoke　out　against　this　unorthodox　display　of　school　spirit；　but　the　truth　was　that　many　of　the　top　jocks　were　D　students　anyway　and　had　fully　intended　to　spend　six　or　seven　years　in　high　school。
　Football　was　the　sport　that　Harney　loved　most；　unfortunately；　the　football　team　of　Harney　High　had　never　piled　a　winning　record。　One　season；　in　desperation；　they　even　scheduled　three　games　against　the　wimpiest　parochial　schools　in　Duval　County。　Harney　lost　every　game。　The　coach　was　fired；　and　moved　out　of　town。
　Consequently　the　Harney　High　athletic　department　decided　to　concentrate　on　another　sport；　basketball。　The　first　order　of　business　was　to　build　a　gymnasium　with　a　basketball　court　and　some　portable　bleachers。　The　second　move　was　to　send　a　cautious　delegation　of　coaches　and　teachers　into　the　black　neighborhood　to　recruit　some　good　basketball　players。　A　few　old　crackers　in　Harney　huffed　and　swore　about　having　to　watch　a　bunch　of　skinny　spooks　tear　up　and　down　the　court；　and　about　how　it　wasn't　fair　to　the　good　Christian　white　kids；　but　then　it　was　pointed　out　that　the　good　Christian　white　kids　were　mostly　slow　and　fat　and　couldn't　make　a　lay…up　from　a　trampoline。
　Once　the　basketball　program　was　established；　the　team　performed　better　than　anyone　had　expected。　The　first　year　it　made　it　to　the　regionals；　the　next　to　the　state　playoffs　in　the　Class　Four…A　division。　True；　the　star　center　of　the　Harney　team　was　twenty…seven　years　old；　but　he　looked　much　younger。　No　one　raised　a　peep。　As　the　team　kept　winning；　basketball　eventually　captured　Harney　County's　heart。
　The　Harney　High　basketball　team　was　called　the　Armadillos。　It　was　not　the　first　choice　of　names。　Originally　the　school　had　wanted　its　team　to　be　the　Rattlers；　but　a　Class　AA　team　in　Orlando　already　claimed　that　nickname。　Second　choice　was　the　Bobcats；　except　that　a　Bible　college　in　Leesburg　had　dibs　on　that　one。　It　went　on　like　this　for　several　months…the　Tigers；　the　Hawks；　the　Panthers；　all　taken；　the　good　names…until　finally　it　came　down　to　either　the　Owls　or　the　Armadillos。　The　school　board　voted　to　name　the　team　the　Owls　since　it　had　six　fewer　letters　and　the　uniforms　would　be　much　less　expensive；　but　the　student　body　rebelled　and　gathered　hundreds　of　signatures　on　a　typed　petition　declaring　that　the　Harney　Owls　was　〃a　pussy　name　and　nobody'll　ever　go　to　any　of　the　damn　games。〃　Without　ment　the　school　board　reversed　its　vote。
　Once　the　Harney　Armadillos　started　kicking　ass　on　the　basketball　court；　the　local　alumnae　decided　that　the　school　needed　an　actual　mascot；　something　on　the　order　of　the　famous　San　Diego　Chicken；　only　cheaper。　Ideas　were　submitted　in　a　local　contest　sponsored　by　the　Sentinel；　and　a　winner　was　chosen　from　sixteen　entries。　Working　on　mission；　one　of　the　matrons　from　the　Sewing　Club　stitched　together　an　incredible　costume　out　of　old　automobile　seat　covers　and　floormats。
　It　was　a　six…foot　armadillo；　plete　with　glossy　armored　haunches；　a　long　anteater　nose　（salvaged　from　a　Hoover　canister　vacuum）；　and　a　scaly　tail。
　The　mascot　was　to　be　known　as　Davey　Dillo；　and　he　would　perform　at　each　of　the　home　games。　By　custom　he　would　appear　before　the　opening　tipoff；　breakdancing　to　a　tape　of　Michael　Jackson's　〃Billie　Jean。〃　Then　at　halftime　Davey　Dillo　would　stage　a　series　of　clumsy　stunts　on　a　skateboard；　to　whatever　music　the　band　had　learned　that　week。
　Davey　Dillo's　was　not　a　polished　act；　but　the　youngsters　（at　least　those　under　four）　thought　it　was　the　funniest　thing　ever　to　hit　the　Harney　gymnasium。　The　grown…ups　thought　the　man　inside　the　armadillo　costume　had　a　lot　of　guts。
　
　On　the　evening　of　January　12　the　Harney　Armadillos　were　all　set　to　play　the　Valencia　Cropdusters　in　a　battle　for　first　place　in　the　mid…state　Four…A　division。　Inside　the　gymnasium　sat　two　hundred　fans；　more　than　the　coaches　and　cheerleaders　had　ever　seen；　so　many　fans　that；　when　the　national　anthem　was　sung；　it　actually　sounded　on　key。
　The　last　words…〃home　of　the　brave！〃…were　Davey　Dillo's　regular　cue　to　prance　onto　the　basketball　court　and　wave　a　single　sequined　glove　on　one　of　his　armadillo　paws。　Then　he　would　start　the　dance。
　But　on　this　night　the　popular　mascot　did　not　appear。
　After　a　few　awkward　moments　somebody　cut　off　the　Michael　Jackson　tape　and　put　on　Ricky　Scaggs；　while　the　coaches　ordered　the　players　to　search　the　gym。　In　all　two　years　of　his　existence；　Davey　Dillo　had　never　missed　a　sporting　event　at　Harney　High　（even　the　track　and　field）；　so　nobody　knew　what　to　think。　Soon　the　crowd；　even　the　Valencia　High　fans；　began　to　chant；　〃We　want　the　Dillo！　We　want　the　Dillo！〃
　But　Davey　Dillo　was　not　in　the　locker　room　suiting　up。　He　wasn't　oiling　the　wheels　on　his　skateboard。　He　wasn't　mending　the　pink…washcloth　tongue　of　his　armadillo　costume。
　Davey　Dillo…rather；　the　man　who　created　and　portrayed　Davey　Dillo…was　missing。
　His　identity　was　the　worst…kept　secret　in　Harney　County。　It　was　Ott　Pickney；　of　course。
　
　R。　J。　Decker　lived　in　a　trailer　court　about　a　mile　off　the　Palmetto　Expressway。　The　trailer　was　forty　feet　long　and　ten　feet　wide；　and　made　of　the　finest　sheet　aluminum。　Inside　the　walls　were　covered　with　cheap　paneling　that　had　warped　in　the　tropical　humidity；　the　threadbare　carpet　was　the　color　of　liver。　For　amenities　the　trailer　featured　a　badly　wired　kitchenette；　a　drip　of　a　shower；　and　a　decrepit　air　conditioner　that　leaked　gray　fluid　all　over　the　place。　Decker　had　converted　the　master　closet　to　a　darkroom；　and　it　was　all　the　space　he　needed；　it　was　a　busy　week　if　he　used　it　more　than　once　or　twice。
　He　didn't　want　to　live　in　a　trailer　park；　hated　the　very　idea；　but　it　was　all　he　could　afford　after　the　divorce。　Not　that　his　wife　had　cleaned　him　out；　she　hadn't；　she　had　merely　taken　what　was　hers；　which　amounted　to　practically　everything　of　value　in　the　marriage。　Except　for　the　cameras。　In　aggregate；　R。　J。　Decker's　camera　equipment　was　worth　twice　as　much　as　the　trailer　where　he　lived。　He　took　no　special　steps　to　protect　or　conceal　the　cameras　because　virtually　all　his　trailer…park　neighbors　owned　free…running　pit　bulldogs；　canine　psychopaths　that　no　burglar　dared　to　challenge。
　For　some　reason　the　neighbors'　dogs　never　bothered　Catherine。　Decker　was　printing　film　when　she　dropped　by。　As　soon　as　he　let　her　in　the　door；　she　wrinkled　her　nose。　〃Yuk！　Hypo。〃　She　knew　the　smell　of　the　fixer。
　〃I'll　be　done　in　a　second；〃　he　said；　and　slipped　back　into　the　darkroom。　He　wondered　what　was　up。　He　wondered　where　James　was。　James　was　the　chiropractor　she　had　married　less　than　two　weeks　after　the　divorce。
　The　day　Catherine　had　married　Dr。　James　was　also　the　day　Decker　had　clobbered　the　burglar。　Catherine　had　always　felt　guilty；　as　if　she'd　lighted　the　fuse。　She'd　written　him　two　or　three　times　a　month　when　he　was　at　Apalachee；　once　she'd　even　mailed　a　Polaroid　of　herself　in　a　black　bra　and　panties。　Somehow　it　got　by　the　prison　censor。　〃For　old　times；〃　she'd　printed　on　the　back　of　the　snapshot；　as　a　joke。　Decker　was　sure　Dr。　James　had　no　idea。　Years　after　the　marriage　Catherine　still　called　or　stopped　by；　but　only　at　night　and　never　on　weekends。　Decker　always　felt　good　for　a　little　while　afterward。
　He　washed　a　couple　of　eight…by…tens　and　hung　the　prints　from　a　clothesline　strung　across　the　darkroom。　He　could　have　turned　on　the　overheads　without　harm　to　the　photographs；　but　he　preferred　to　work　in　the　red　glow　of　the　safelight。　Catherine　tapped　twice　and　came　in；　shutting　the　door　quickly。　She　knew　the　routine。
　〃Where's　the　mister？〃　Decker　asked。
　〃Tampa；〃　Catherine　said。　〃Big　convention。　Every　other　weekend　is　a　big　convention。　What've　we　got　here？〃　She　stood　on　her　toes　and　studied　the　prints。　〃Who's　the　weight…lifter？〃
　〃Fireman　out　on　ninety…percent　disability。〃
　〃So　what's　he　doing　hulking　out　at　Vie　Tanny？〃
　〃That's　what　the　insurance　pany　wants　to　know；〃　Decker　said。
　〃Pretty　dull　stuff；　Rage。〃　Sometimes　she　called　him　Rage　instead　of　R。　J。　It　was　a　pet　name　that　had　something　to　do　with　his　temper。　Decker　didn't　mind　it；　ing