dw.jimmythekid-第14节

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　〃And　be　sure　to　leave　it　on；〃　Ruth　said。　She　sounded　colder；　more　stern　than　Angie。
　〃I　will；〃　Bobby　said。　Angie　had　been　continuing　to　hold　his　hand；　and　now　Bobby　squeezed　her　fingers；　holding　on。
　
　13
　
　WHEN　DORTMUNDER　got　to　the　intersection　he　made　a　U…turn　and　stopped；　facing　back　the　way　he　had　e。　He　and　May　waited　in　the　Caprice　while　Kelp　got　out　and　went　around　to　the　back　of　the　car。　Then　he　came　around　to　the　side　again；　rapped　on　Dortmunder's　window；　and　when　Dortmunder　rolled　the　window　down　Kelp　said；　〃I　need　the　key。〃
　〃The　what？〃
　〃The　key。　For　the　trunk。〃
　〃Oh。〃　The　keys　were　all　together　on　a　key　ring。　Dortmunder　switched　off　the　engine　and　gave　the　keys　to　Kelp；　who　went　and　unlocked　the　trunk；　then　gave　the　keys　to　Dortmunder；　then　went　back　and　got　his　sign。　He　stood　there　holding　it；　looking　around　but　not　doing　anything；　until　Dortmunder　leaned　his　head　out　and　yelled；　〃What　are　you　doing？〃
　〃I　forgot　which　one　to　block。〃
　Dortmunder　pointed。　〃That　one。　The　one　on　the　kid's　route。〃
　〃Oh；　yeah。　Right。〃
　Kelp　went　over　and　set　up　the　sign。　It　was　a　three…by。　four　piece　of　thin　metal　that　had　once　advertised　7…Up；　and　the　shape　of　the　bottle　could　still　be　seen　vaguely　through　the　yellow　paint。　Kelp　had　also　thought　to　bring　a　triangular　arrangement　of　sticks　to　lean　the　sign　against；　a　detail　not　mentioned　in　Child　Heist。　He　put　the　sign　in　place；　then　trotted　back　over　to　the　Caprice　and　said；　〃How's　that？〃
　Dortmunder　looked　at　it。　It　said　ROAD　CLOSED…DETORE。　He　said；　〃Jesus　H。　Goddam　Christ。〃
　〃What's　the　matter？〃　Kelp　looked　all　around　the　intersection；　worried。　〃Did　I　put　it　in　the　wrong　place？〃
　〃Do　you　have　that　goddam　book　on　you？〃
　〃Sure；〃　Kelp　said。
　〃Take　it　out；〃　Dortmunder　said；　〃and　find　the　page　where　they　set　up　the　sign。〃　Turning　to　May；　he　said；　〃I'm　following　a　book　he　read；　and　he　doesn't　even　know　how　to　read。〃
　Kelp　said；　〃I　got　it。〃
　〃Look　at　it。　Now　look　at　the　sign。〃
　Kelp　looked　at　the　book。　He　looked　at　the　sign。　He　said；　〃Son　of　a　gun。　Detour。　I　thought　sure　you…〃
　〃You　can't　even　read！〃
　May　said；　〃It's　okay；　John；　it　really　is。　They'll　just　think　some　local　highway　department　people　didn't　know　how　to　spell。〃
　Dortmunder　considered　that。　〃You　think　so？〃
　Kelp　hopped　into　the　back　seat。　〃Sure；〃　he　said。　〃It　makes　it　more　realistic；　like。　Who'd　expect　a　kidnap　gang　to　put　up　a　sign　that's　spelled　wrong？〃
　〃I　would；〃　Dortmunder　said。　〃In　fact；　I'm　surprised　I　didn't　think　to　check。〃
　〃Listen；　I　don't　want　to　push　you；〃　Kelp　said；　〃but　we　ought　to　get　down　there　to　that　dirt　road。〃
　〃I　wonder　what　next；〃　Dortmunder　said。　He　started　the　engine；　drove　a　quarter　mile　back　toward　the　city；　then　backed　off　into　the　dead…end　dirt　road　Murch　had　been　astonished　to　find　last　week。
　〃Now　there's　nothing　to　do　but　wait；〃　Kelp　said。
　〃I'll　lay　five　to　two；〃　Dortmunder　said；　〃some　farmer　es　along　in　a　pickup　truck；　drives　in；　wants　to　know　what　we're　doing　here；　and　pulls　out　a　shotgun。〃
　〃You're　on；〃　Kelp　said。
　Four　miles　away；　the　silver…gray　Cadillac　limousine　took　the　curving　ramp　down　from　Interstate　80　to　the　county　road　and　turned　south。　The　chauffeur；　Maurice　K。　Van　Golden；　drove　at　varying　speeds　above　fifty…five；　peting　with　the　occasional　other　car　he　met。　In　the　backseat；　Jimmy　Harrington　read　the　〃Letter　from　Washington〃　in　the　current　New　Yorker　and　wished　he　had　the　self…confidence　to　tell　Maurice　to　quit　racing　the　other　drivers。　Maurice　behaved　himself　when　Jimmy's　father　was　in　the　car；　but　when　it　was　just　Jimmy　back　there　he　obviously　thought　he　could　get　away　with　being　a　cowboy。　And　the　annoying　part　of　it　was；　he　could；　Jimmy　wouldn't　plain　to　his　father；　since　that　would　be　the　act　of　a　baby；　but　on　the　other　hand　he　hadn't　yet　felt　quite　secure　enough　to　plain　to　Maurice　directly。
　Pretty　soon　I　will；　Jimmy　thought；　and　read　about　the　administration's　hopes　for　a　settlement　in　the　Middle　East。
　Five　minutes　later；　May　and　Kelp　both　simultaneously　said；　〃Here　they　e。〃
　〃I　see　them；〃　Dortmunder　said；　and　put　the　Caprice　in　gear　as　the　Cadillac　rocketed　by　them。　The　Caprice　moved　out　from　the　dirt　road　and　accelerated　in　the　Cadillac's　wake。
　〃That's　five　dollars　you　owe　me；〃　Kelp　said。
　Dortmunder　didn't　answer。
　Van　Gelden；　at　the　wheel　of　the　Cadillac；　suddenly　slammed　on　the　brakes　and　swerved　all　over　the　road　when　he　saw　the　sign　blocking　the　road　ahead。　Jimmy；　flung　off　the　seat；　came　sputtering　up；　crying；　〃Maurice！　What　in　the　name　of　God　is　going　on？〃
　〃Goddam　denture！〃　Van　Celden　cried。　He　thought　the　word　was　spelled　that　way。
　Jimmy　got　one　quick　flashing　glimpse　of　the　sign　as　the　Cadillac　slewed　around；　tires　squealing；　and　roared　off　down　the　secondary　road。　〃Detour？〃　He　frowned　out　the　back　window；　there'd　been　something　about　that　sign；　he　wasn't　sure　what。　It　had　gone　by　so　fast。　As　a　soft　drink　mercial's　jingle　started　up　in　his　brain；　distracting　him；　he　said　to　himself；　〃The　detour　wasn't　there　before。〃
　This　secondary　road　was　narrower；　bumpier；　and　curvier　than　the　county　road。　Van　Gelden；　taking　out　his　rage　at　the　fact　of　the　denture　by　flinging　the　car　forward　as　rapidly　as　possible；　was　tossing　Jimmy　around　the　back　seat　like　a　sneaker　in　a　dryer。　Jimmy；　holding　on　for　dear　life；　found　at　last　the　maturity　to　shout　out；　〃Damn　it；　Maurice；　slow　down！〃
　Van　Celden　didn't　touch　the　brake；　but　he　did　lift　his　foot　from　the　accelerator。　〃I'm　just　trying　to　get　you　home；〃　he　snarled；　glaring　in　the　rearview　mirror　at　the　boy；　and　as　he　did　so　he　came　around　a　curve　in　the　road　and　saw　vehicles　stopped　ahead。　A　school　bus；　facing　this　way；　its　red　lights　flashing；　meaning　it　was　unloading　passengers　and　traffic　wasn't　permitted　to　pass　it　in　either　direction。　And　a　truck；　a　big　tractor…trailer　rig；　facing　the　same　direction　as　the　Cadillac　and　obediently　standing　still。　The　two　vehicles　between　them　blocked　the　road　pletely。
　〃Goddammit；〃　Van　Gelden　said；　and　tromped　on　the　brake　again。　He　had　to　brake　hard　to　stop　in　time；　but　it　was　less　violent　than　if　his　foot　had　still　been　pressed　on　the　accelerator　when　he'd　rounded　the　bend。　Jimmy；　since　he'd　been　clutching　the　armrest　and　a　strap　anyway；　managed　to　stay　on　the　seat　as　the　Cadillac　nosed　down　to　a　shuddering　stop　directly　behind　the　tractor…trailer。
　〃One　thing　after　another；〃　Van　Golden　said。
　〃Maurice；〃　Jimmy　said；　〃you　drive　too　fast。〃
　〃It's　not　my　fault　there's　all　this　stuff　in　the　way。〃　Van　Golden　gestured　angrily　toward　the　truck　and　the　bus。
　〃You　drive　too　fast　all　the　time；〃　Jimmy　insisted。　〃Except　when　my　father　is　in　the　car。　From　now　on；　I　want　you　to　drive　me　the　way　you　drive　my　father。〃
　Van　Golden；　being　sullen；　jammed　his　uniform　cap　farther　down　on　his　forehead；　folded　his　arms；　and　said　nothing。
　Jimmy　said；　〃Did　you　hear　me；　Maurice？〃
　〃I　hear　you。〃
　〃I　hear　you！〃
　〃Thank　you；　Maurice；〃　Jimmy　said；　and　sat　back　to　savor　his　triumph。　After　a　moment　he　picked　up　the　New　Yorker　again。
　Back　at　the　intersection；　Dortmunder　stopped　the　Caprice　and　Kelp　jumped　out　to　move　the　sign。　He　picked　it　up；　moved　it　to　another　side；　and　started　back；　when　Dortmunder　leaned　out　the　window　and　shouted；　〃Not　there！　Where　we　follow　the　Cadillac！〃
　〃Huh？〃　Kelp　looked　around；　pointing　at　various　places；　reorienting　himself。　Then；　with　a　sudden　sunny　smile　of　recognition；　he　waved　to　Dortmunder　and　shouted；　〃Gotcha！〃　He　ran　back　to　the　sign；　picked　it　up；　and　put　it　back　where　it　had　been。
　〃Not　there！〃　Dortmunder　yelled。　He　was　leaning　his　whole　upper　torso　out　of　the　car；　pounding　the　door　panel　with　his　arm　and　the　flat　of　his　hand。　Waving　that　hand　violently　around；　he　yelled；　〃Over　there！〃
　〃Right！〃　Kelp　yelled。　〃Right！　Right！　I　got　it　now！〃　And　he　picked　up　the　sign　and　started　trotting　toward　the　last　possible　wrong　choice。
　Dortmunder　came　boiling　out　of　the　Caprice。　〃I'm　going　to　wrap　that　sign　around　your　head！〃
　〃Now　what？〃　Kelp　stood　there；　bewildered；　while　Dortmunder　came　over　and　wrenched　the　sign　and　sticks　away　from　him　and　put　them　where　they　belonged。　Kelp　watched；　and　when　Dortmunder　was　finished　the　two　men　met　again　at　the　car；　where　Kelp　said；　〃I　would　have　got　it；　I　really　would　have。〃
　〃Get　in　the　car；〃　Dortmunder　said。　He　got　behind　the　wheel　and　slammed　the　door。
　Kelp　got　in　the　back　seat　again。　May　shook　her　head　at　him；　not　pleased；　and　he　lifted　his　shoulders　helplessly。　Dortmunder　punched　the　accelerator；　and　the　Caprice　bounced　forward。
　Van　Gelden；　his　sullenness　boiling　over　all　at　once　into　rage；　pushed　the　button　that　rolled　his　window　down；　stuck　his　head　out；　and　yelled　toward　the　school　bus；　〃Get　with　it；　will　ya！　We　don't　have　all　day！〃
　Jimmy　looked　up　from　his　magazine。　〃What's　the　matter；　Maurice？〃
　〃Bus　just　sitting　there；〃　Van　Golden　said。　〃Tying　up　traffic。〃　Looking　in　the　rearview　mirror；　he　said；　〃And　here　es　somebody　else。〃
　Jimmy　looked　back；　and　saw　the　blue　car　approaching　around　the　curve。　The　road　here　was　hemmed　in　by　trees　and　shrubbery　on　both　sides。　Scrub　pine　gave　some　swaths　of　green；　but　the　rest　of　the　trees　had　lost　about　half　their　foliage；　making　black　trunks　and　branches　form　jagged　lines　against　the　orange　a