ch.doublewhammy-第39节

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　〃I'm　worried　about　Momma's　truck　out　there。　Maybe　we　should　go…〃
　〃The　truck'll　be　fine；〃　Culver　said。
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Jim　Tile　said；　parting　the　Venetian　blinds。　〃It's　a　pretty　rough　neighborhood。〃
　Ozzie　looked　stricken。
　〃Oh；　settle　down；〃　Culver　said　angrily。　Then；　to　Jim　Tile：　〃You；　why　won't　you　help　us？　I　lost　a　twenty…thousand…dollar　rig　because　of　that　bastard！〃
　Jim　Tile　was　still　looking　out　the　window。　〃So　that's　your　mother's　pickup？〃
　〃Ours　is　in　the　impound；　up　New　Orleans；〃　Ozzie　said。
　〃The　red　one；〃　Jim　Tile　said。
　〃Yeah；〃　Culver　grunted；　secretly　impressed　that　the　trooper　would　remember　the　color。
　Then　Jim　Tile　said　to　Ozzie：　〃What　about　the　green　one？〃
　The　color　washed　out　of　Ozzie's　cheeks。　His　eyelids　fluttered；　as　if　he　were　about　to　faint。
　〃What　green　one？〃　Culver　said；　slow　to　put　it　together。
　〃The　one　your　brother　was　driving　week　before　last；〃　Jim　Tile　said；　〃out　on　the　Gilchrist。　About　dawn；　one　morning。〃
　〃When？〃　Ozzie　hiccuped。　〃Wasn't　me。　Our　truck　is　red。〃
　〃You　and　two　other　guys；〃　Jim　Tile　said；　〃and　the　truck　was　green。　Out…of…state　tags。〃
　Finally　Culver　was　picking　up　on　the　train　of　conversation。　He　tried　to　help　Ozzie　as　best　he　could；　even　though　he　felt　like　strangling　him。
　〃I　remember　that　day；〃　Culver　improvised；　watching　his　brother's　eyes　grow　big。　〃You　and　some　boys　went　fishing　up　at　the　slough。　I　remember　'cause　you　took　a　couple　Shakespeare　plug　rods　out　of　the　shop；　along　with　some　Johnson　spoons　and　purple　skirts。〃
　Ozzie's　lips　were　like　chalk。　His　bottom　jaw　went　up　and　down　until　finally　he　said；　〃Oh；　yeah。〃
　Culver　said；　〃I　remember　'cause　you　didn't　want　to　try　live　shiners；　even　though　I　told　you　to。　You　said　there　was　too　much　heavy　cover；　so　you'd　prefer　dragging　those　damn　weedless　spoons。〃
　Jim　Tile　was　buttoning　his　shirt。　〃So；　Ozzie；〃　he　said；　〃You　guys　catch　anything？〃
　〃Sure；〃　Ozzie　said；　glancing　at　the　door；　as　if　he　were　about　to　run。
　〃What'd　you　catch？〃
　〃Our　truck　is　red；〃　Ozzie　Rundell　said；　licking　his　lips。　His　shoulders　twitched　and　his　eyes　rolled　up　and　fixed　on　the　ceiling。　His　cheeks　puffed　out；　like　he　was　trying　to　fart。
　〃Pardon　me？〃　Jim　Tile　said；　bending　over　to　tie　his　shoes。
　〃That's　Momma's　pickup　outside；〃　Ozzie　said　in　a　very　high　voice。　He　was　gone；　unglued；　lost　in　a　pathetic　blubbering　panic。　Culver　shook　his　head　disgustedly。
　〃I　asked　what　you　caught；〃　Jim　Tile　said；　〃out　at　Morgan　Slough。〃
　Ozzie　smiled　and　smacked　his　lips。　〃One　time　Dickie　gave　me　a　tacklebox；〃　he　said。
　〃All　right；　that's　enough；〃　Culver　broke　in。
　〃Ozzie？〃　said　Jim　Tile。
　〃The　day　in　the　truck？〃
　〃The　green　truck；　yes。〃
　〃I　was　driving；　that's　all。　I　didn't　drown　nobody。〃
　〃Of　course　not；〃　Jim　Tile　said。
　〃That's　it；〃　said　Culver　Rundell。　〃Shut　the　fuck　up；　Oz。〃
　Culver　had　the　gun　out。　He　was　holding　it　with　two　hands；　pointing　it　at　Jim　Tile's　heart。　Jim　Tile　glanced　down　once；　but　seemed　to　pay　no　more　attention　to　the　gun　than　if　it　were　just　Culver's　fly　unzipped。
　〃Let's　go；〃　Culver　said　in　a　husky　whisper。
　But　Jim　Tile　merely　walked　into　the　bedroom；　stood　at　the　dresser；　and　adjusted　his　trooper's　Stetson。
　〃Now！〃　Culver　shouted。　Ozzie　stared　at　the　handgun　and　covered　his　ears。
　Jim　Tile　reached　for　a　bottle　of　cologne。
　Culver　exploded。　〃Nigger；　I'm　talking　to　you！〃
　Only　then　did　Jim　Tile　turn　to　give　Ozzie　Rundell's　brother　his　plete　and　undivided　attention。
　
　The　boat　was　an　eighteen…foot　Aquasport　with　a　two…hundred…horse　Evinrude　outboard；　smooth　trim；　dry　ride；　very　fast。　Skink　liked　it　quite　a　bit。　He　liked　it　so　much　he　decided　not　to　ditch　it　at　Haulover　docks　after　all；　but　to　drive　it　up　the　Intracoastal　Waterway　all　the　way　to　Pier　66；　in　Fort　Lauderdale。　The　morning　was　biting　cold；　and　R。　J。　Decker　would　have　preferred　to　travel　by　car；　but　there　was　no　point　to　raising　the　issue。　Skink　was　having　a　ball；　his　silvery　ponytail　strung　out　behind　him　like　a　rope　in　the　breeze。　At　the　Dania　Beach　bridge　he　cut　the　throttle　down　to　idle　speed　and　the　Aquasport　coasted　into　a　slow　crawl。
　〃What's　up？〃　Decker　asked。
　Skink　said；　〃Manatee　zone。〃
　In　the　wintertime　giant　manatees　migrate　with　their　young　to　congregate　sluggishly　in　the　warm　sheltered　waters　of　the　Intracoastal。　During　manatee　season　boaters　are　required　by　law　to　go　slow；　but　each　year　dozens　of　the　gentle　mammals　are　run　down　and　sliced　to　ribbons　by　reckless　tourists　and　teenagers。　The　fine　for　such　a　crime　costs　the　offending　boater　no　more　than　a　new　pair　of　Top…Siders；　and　is　not　much　of　a　deterrent。　During　the　last　days　of　his　governorship；　Clinton　Tyree　had　lobbied　for　a　somewhat　tougher　law。　His　version　would　have　required　anyone　who　killed　a　manatee　to　immediately　forfeit　his　boat　（no　matter　how　luxurious）　and　pay　a　ten…thousand…dollar　fine　or　go　to　jail　for　forty…five　days。　The　Tyree　amendment　would　have　also　required　the　manatee　killer　to　personally　bury　the　dead　animal　himself；　at　a　public　ceremony。
　Not　surprisingly；　the　governor's　proposal　was　quietly　rejected。
　R。　J。　Decker　knew　none　of　this；　so　he　was　somewhat　perplexed　when　Skink　took　a　hawklike　interest　in　another　boat；　speeding　south　down　the　waterway　in　the　predawn　twilight。　It　was　a　gaily　colored　ski　boat　full　of　young　men　and　women　returning　from　a　night　of　serious　dockside　partying。　Skink　waved　furiously　and　shouted　for　them　to　slow　down；　watch　out　for　the　sea　cows；　but　the　kids　just　stared　back　with　radish…colored　eyes…except　for　the　driver；　who　made　the　awful　mistake　of　flipping　Skink　the　magic　digit。　Later　the　girls　from　the　ski　boat　would　tell　the　marine　patrol　that　their　boyfriends　had　gravely　underestimated　the　size　and　temperament　of　the　old　hippie；　just　as　they　had　underestimated　the　speed　of　the　Aquasport。　Were　it　not　for　the　other　stranger　dragging　the　old　hippie　off　them；　the　girls　said；　their　boyfriends　might　have　been　seriously　killed。　（At　this　point　the　girls　were　doing　all　the　talking　because　the　young　men　were　still　being　X…rayed　at　Broward　General　Hospital　for　broken　bones。　The　doctors　marveled　that　they　had　been　able　to　swim　so　far　in　such　a　traumatized　condition。）
　To　convince　Skink　to　quit　pummeling　the　speeders；　Decker　had　had　to　agree　to　let　him　sink　their　ski　boat；　which　he　did　by　shooting　three　holes　in　the　hull。　Then　he　scrupulously　idled　the　Aquasport　all　the　way　to　the　Port　Everglades　inlet；　and　from　there　it　was　full　throttle　again　to　Pier　66。　By　now　Decker　was　cold　and　wet　and　eternally　grateful　to　be　off　the　water。　They　caught　a　cab　to　the　Harbor　Beach　Marriott；　got　a　room；　and　fell　asleep…Decker　splayed　on　the　king…size　bed；　Skink　in　a　ball　on　the　floor。　At　noon　they　woke　up　and　started　working　the　phones。
　
　Jim　Tile　got　off　the　road　at　nine　in　the　morning。　When　he　got　back　to　the　apartment；　he　fixed　himself　four　poached　eggs；　three　hunks　of　Canadian　bacon；　and　a　tumbler　of　fresh…squeezed　orange　juice。　Then　he　took　off　his　trousers；　went　to　the　bathroom；　and　changed　the　dressing　on　the　bullet　wound　in　his　right　thigh。　Afterward　he　put　on　a　gray　sweatsuit；　fixed　himself　some　hot　tea；　and　sat　down　with　the　newspaper。　He　did　all　this　without　saying　a　word　to　the　Rundell　brothers；　who　were　still　bound　and　gagged　on　the　floor。　In　truth　Culver　didn't　feel　slighted　（he　had　passed　out　from　pain　many　hours　before）；　but　Ozzie　was　dying　to　talk。　Ozzie　was　scared　out　of　his　mind。
　〃Thur？〃　he　said。
　Jim　Tile　lowered　the　newspaper；　reached　down；　and　yanked　the　towel　from　Ozzie's　mouth。
　〃Sir；　is　my　brother　dead？　Thank　you。　For　taking　the　towel；　I　mean；　thanks。〃
　Jim　Tile　said；　〃Your　brother's　not　dead。〃
　〃What's　wrong　with　him？　His　face　don't　look　right。〃
　〃His　jaw's　broken；〃　Jim　Tile　said。　〃And　all　his　fingers　too。〃　It　had　happened　when　Jim　Tile　had　wrenched　the　pistol　away；　after　Culver　had　shot　him　and　ruined　a　perfectly　good　uniform。
　〃He　needs　a　doctor；　bad；〃　Ozzie　said　plaintively。
　〃Yes；　he　does。〃　Jim　Tile　hadn't　meant　to　break　Culver's　jaw　in　so　many　places；　and　he　was　annoyed　at　himself　for　punching　the　man　too　hard。　Culver　wouldn't　be　doing　any　chatting　for　a　long　time；　so　now　the　information　would　have　to　e　from　Ozzie；　one　of　the　most　witless　and　jumble…headed　crackers　that　Jim　Tile　had　ever　met。
　Culver　moaned　and　strained　against　the　ropes。　Ozzie　said；　〃Oh　Jesus；　he's　hurt　bad。〃
　〃Yes；　he　is；〃　Jim　Tile　said。　〃You　can　take　him　to　the　doctor　after　we　have　our　talk。〃
　〃Promise？〃
　〃You've　got　my　word。〃
　〃Is　Culver　going　to　jail？〃
　〃Well；　I　don't　know。　Attempted　murder　of　a　police　officer；　that's　a　life　term　here　in　Florida。　Agg　assault；　use　of　a　firearm　in　the　mission　of　a　felony；　and　so　on。　I　just　don't　know。〃
　Ozzie　said；　〃What　about　me？〃
　〃Oh；　same　goes　for　you。　You're　his　partner；　right？〃
　Ozzie's　eyes　got　wet。　〃Momma　'spects　the　truck　back　long　time　ago。〃
　〃She'll　be　worried；〃　Jim　Tile　said。
　〃Can　we　go　soon？〃
　Jim　Tile　folded　up　the　newspaper　and　leaned　forward。　〃First　you　answer　some　questions。〃
　〃Okay；　but　go　slow。〃
　〃Did　Dickie　Lockhart　get　you　boys　to　kill　Bobby　Clinch？〃
　〃No；　Jesus！　Honest　we　didn't。〃　Ozzie's　nose　was　running。　〃I　liked　Bobby；　so'd　Culver…〃
　〃Then　who　killed　him？〃　Jim　Tile　asked。
　〃I　don't　know。〃　Ozzie　sniffed