chiaasen.stormyweather-第39章

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　Avila　feigned　passion。　〃Ninety　years　old？　Bless　her　heart。〃　He　stepped　outside　and　closed　the　door　behind　him。　〃Problem　is；　I've　got　a　dozen　other　jobs　waiting。〃
　
　〃Fifteen　thousand；〃　Ira　Jackson　said；　〃if　you　move　me　to　the　top　of　the　list。〃
　
　Avila　rubbed　his　stubbled　chin　and　eyed　the　visitor。　How　often；　he　thought；　does　fifteen　grand　e　knocking　at　the　door？　A　rip…off　was　out　of　the　question；　but　another　option　loomed。　Radical；　to　be　sure；　but　do…able：　Avila　could　build　the　man　a　legitimate；　plete　roof。　Use　the　cash　to　settle　up　with　Gar　Whitmark。　Naturally　the　crew　would　piss　and　moan；　spoiled　bastards。　Properly　installing　a　roof　was　a　hard；　hot；　exhausting　job。　Perhaps　desperate　times　called　for　honest　work。
　
　〃I　see；〃　remarked　Ira　Jackson；　〃your　place　came　through　the　hurricane　pretty　good。〃
　
　〃We　were　a　long　way　from　the　eye；　thank　God。〃
　
　〃Thank　God　is　right。〃
　
　〃Where　exactly　do　you　live；　Mister　Reynolds？　Maybe　I　can　squeeze　you　on　the　schedule。〃
　
　〃Fantastic。〃
　
　〃I'll　send　a　man　out　for　an　estimate；〃　Avila　said。　Then　he　remembered　there　was　no　man　to　send；　the　thieving　Snapper　had　skipped。
　
　Ira　Jackson　said；　〃I'd　prefer　it　was　you　personally。〃
　
　〃Sure；　Mister　Reynolds。　How　about　tomorrow　first　thing？〃
　
　〃How　about　right　now？　We　can　ride　in　my　car。〃
　
　Avila　couldn't　think　of　a　single　reason　not　to　go；　and　fifteen　thousand　reasons　why　he　should。
　
　When　Max　Lamb　put　down　the　phone；　his　face　was　gray　and　his　mouth　was　slack。　He　looked　as　if　he'd　been　diagnosed　with　a　terminal　illness。　The　reality　was　no　less　grave；　as　far　as　the　Rodale　8c　Burns　agency　was　concerned。　On　the　other　end　of　the　line；　easygoing　Pete　Archibald　had　sounded　funereal　and　defeated。　The　news　from　New　York　was　bad　indeed。
　
　The　National　Institutes　of　Health　had　scheduled　a　press　conference　to　further　enumerate　the　health　hazards　of　cigaret　smoking。　Ordinarily　the　advertising　world　would　scarcely　take　notice；　so　routine　and　predictable　were　these　dire　outcries。　No　matter　how　harrowing　the　medical　revelations；　the　impact　on　retail　cigaret　sales　seldom　lasted　more　than　a　few　weeks。　This　time；　though；　the　government　had　used　sophisticated　technology　to　test　specific　brands　for　concentrations　of　tars；　nicotine　and　other　assorted　carcinogens。　Broncos　rated　first；　Bronco　Menthols　rated　second；　Lady　Broncos　third。　Epidemiologically；　they　were　the　most　lethal　products　in　the　history　of　tobacco　cultivation。　Smoking　a　Bronco；　in　the　lamentably　quotable　words　of　one　wiseass　NIH　scientist；　was　〃only　slightly　safer　than　sucking　on　the　tailpipe　of　a　Chevrolet　Suburban。〃
　
　Details　of　the　NIH　bombshell　had　quickly　leaked　to　Durham　Gas　Meat　&c　Tobacco；　manufacturer　of　Broncos　and　other　fine　products。　The　pany's　knee…jerk　response　was　a　heated　threat　to　cancel　its　advertising　in　all　newspapers　and　magazines　that　intended　to　report　the　government's　findings。　That　bombastically　idiotic　maneuver；　Max　Lamb　knew；　would　itself　bee　frontpage　headlines　if　sane　heads　didn't　prevail。　Max　had　to　get　back　to　New　York　as　soon　as　possible。
　
　When　he　told　his　wife；　she　said：　〃Right　now？〃
　
　As　if　she　didn't　understand　the　gravity　of　the　crisis。
　
　〃In　my　business；〃　Max　explained　impatiently；　〃this　is　a　flaming　747　full　of　orphans；　plowing　into　a　mountainside。〃
　
　〃Is　it　true　about　Broncos？〃
　
　〃Probably。　That's　not　the　problem。　They　can't　start　yanking　their　ads；　there's　serious　money　at　stake。　Double…digit　millions。〃
　
　〃Max。〃
　
　〃What？〃
　
　〃Please　put　out　that　damn　cigaret。〃
　
　〃Jesus；　Bonnie；　listen　to　yourself。〃
　
　They　were　sitting　in　wicker　chairs　on　Augustine's　patio。　It　was　three　or　four　in　the　morning。　Inside　the　house；　Neil　Young　played　on　the　stereo。　Through　the　French　doors　Bonnie　Lamb　saw　Augustine　in　the　kitchen。　He　noticed　she　was　watching；　and　shot　her　a　quick　shy　smile。　The　black　trooper　and　the　one…eyed　governor　were　standing　over　the　stove；　it　smelled　like　they　were　frying　bacon　and　ham。
　
　Max　Lamb　said；　〃We'll　catch　the　first　plane。〃　He　stubbed　out　his　Bronco　and　flipped　the　butt　into　a　birdbath。
　
　〃What　about　him'）〃　Bonnie　cut　her　eyes　toward　the　kitchen　window；　where　Skink　could　be　seen　breaking　eggs　at　the　sink。　She　said　to　Max；　〃You　wanted　to　file　charges；　didn't　you？　Put　him　in　jail　where　he　belongs。〃
　
　〃Honey；　there's　no　time。　After　the　NIH　mess　blows　over；　we'll　fly　back　and　take　care　of　that　maniac。　Don't　worry。〃
　
　Bonnie　Lamb　said；　〃If　they　let　him　go　now　。。。〃　She　finished　the　sentence　in　her　head。
　
　If　they　let　him　go　now；　they'll　never　find　him　again。　He'll　vanish　like　a　ghost　in　the　swamp。　And　wouldn't　that　be　a　darn　shame。
　
　Bonnie　bewildered　herself　with　such　sentiment。　What's　wrong　with　me？　The　man　abducted　and　abused　my　husband。　Why　don't　I　want　to　see　him　punished？
　
　〃You're'　right；〃；　she…said　to　Maxr　〃You　should　'go　back　to　New　York　as　soon　as　you　can。〃
　
　With　a　frown；　he　reached　over　and　lightly　smacked　a　mosquito　on　her　arm。　〃What　does　that　mean…you're　not　ing？〃
　
　〃Max；　I'm　not　up　for　a　plane　trip　this　morning。　My　stomach's　in　knots。〃
　
　〃Take　some　Mylanta。〃
　
　〃I　did；〃　Bonnie　lied。　〃Maybe　it　was　the　boat　ride。〃
　
　〃You'll　feel　better　later。〃
　
　〃I'm　sure　I　will。〃
　
　He　said　he'd　get　her　a　room　near　the　airport。　〃Take　a　long　nap；〃　he　suggested；　〃and　catch　an　evening　flight。〃
　
　〃Sounds　good。〃
　
　Poor　Max；　she　thought。　He　hasn't　got　a　clue。
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　FIFTEEN
　
　
　Bonnie　Brooks's　father　worked　in　the　circulation　department　of　the　Chicago　Tribune；　and　her　mother　was　a　buyer　for　Sears。　They　had　an　apartment　in　the　city　and　a　summer　cabin　on　the　boundary　waters　in　Minnesota。　Bonnie；　an　only　child；　had　mixed　memories　of　family　vacations。　Her　father　was　an　unadventurous　fellow　for　whom　the　northern　wilderness　held　no　allure。　Because　he　couldn't　swim　and　was　allergic　to　deerflies；　he　avoided　the　lakes。　Instead　he　stayed　in　the　cabin　and　assembled　model　airplanes；　classic　German　Fokkers　were　his　passion。　The　tedious　hobby　was　made　more　so　by　her　father's　chronic　ham…fistedness；　which　turned　the　simplest　glue　job　into　high　drama。　Bonnie　and　her　mother　stayed　out　of　the　way；　to　avoid　being　blamed　for　disturbing　his　concentration。
　
　While　her　father　toiled　over　the　model　planes；　Bonnie's　mother　paddled　her　across　the　wooded　lakes　in　an　old　birch　canoe。　Bonnie　remembered　those　happy　mornings…trailing　her　fingertips　in　the　chilly　water；　feeling　the　sunlight　warm　the　back　of　her　neck。　Her　mother　was　not　the　stealthiest　of　paddlers；　but　they　saw　their　share　of　wildlife…deer；　squirrels；　beavers；　the　occasional　moose。　Bonnie　recalled　asking；　more　than　once；　why　her　folks　had　bought　the　cabin　if　her　father　was　so　averse　to　the　outdoors。　Her　mother　always　explained：　〃It　was　either　here　or　Wisconsin。〃
　
　Bonnie　Brooks　attended　Northwestern　University　and；　to　her　father's　puzzlement；　majored　in　journalism。　Soon　she　embarked　on　her　first　serious　romance；　with　a　divorced　adjunct　professor　who　claimed　to　have　won　prizes　for　his　reportage　of　the　Vietnam　War。　The　absence　of　plaques　in　the　professor's　office　Bonnie　naively　attributed　to　modesty。　For　Christmas　she　decided　to　surprise　him　with　a　framed；　laminated　copy　of　his　front…page　scoop　about　the　mining　of　Haiphong　harbor。　Yet　when　Bonnie　searched　the　college's　microfilm　of　the　San　Francisco　Chronicle；　for　whom　her　lover　had　supposedly　worked；　she　found　not　a　single　bylined　story　bearing　his　name。　Demonstrating　the　blood　instincts　of　a　seasoned　reporter；　she　contacted　the　newspaper's　personnel　department　and　（using　harmless　subterfuge）　was　able　to　determine　that　the　closest　her　heroic　seducer　had　ever　e　to　Southeast　Asia　was　the　copy　desk　of　the　Chronicle's　Seattle　bureau。
　
　Bonnie　Brooks　acted　decisively。　First　she　dumped　the　jerk；　then　she　got　him　fired　from　the　university。　Subsequent　boyfriends　were　more　loyal　and　forthing；　but　what　they　lacked　in　dishonesty　they　made　up　for　with　indolence。　Bonnie's　mother　grew　tired　of　cooking　them　meals　and　deflecting　their　halfhearted　offers　to　help　dry　the　dishes。　She　couldn't　wait　for　her　daughter　to　graduate　from　school　and　find　herself　a　grown…up　man。