chiaasen.stormyweather-第60章

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　〃You　can　double　it　if　you　give　up　the　name　of　the　motel。〃
　
　〃Why　do　you　think　we　called？　Aren't　you　proud　of　me？〃
　
　Avila　said；　〃You're　the　best。〃
　
　〃But　listen；　honey；　we　need　to　know…〃
　
　〃Let　me　talk　to　Bridget。〃
　
　〃Nope；　we　want　to　know　what　you　got　in　mind。　Because　both　of　us　are　on　probation；　as　usual…〃
　
　〃Don't　worry；〃　Avila　said。
　
　〃…and　we　don't　need　no　more　trouble；　legally　speaking。〃
　
　〃Relax；　I　said。〃
　
　〃You　ain't　gonna　kill　this　guy？〃
　
　〃Which　guy…Snapper？　Hell；　no；　he　owes　me　money　is　all。　What　time　are　you　meeting　him？〃
　
　Jasmine　said；　〃Around　eight。〃
　
　Avila　checked　his　wristwatch。　〃You　girls　ain't　gonna　make　Key　West　by　eight　o'clock　unless　you　got　a　rocket　car。〃
　
　〃Not　Key　West；　honey。　Islamorada。〃
　
　It　was　seventy…five　miles　closer；　but　Avila　still　wasn't　certain　he　could　get　there　in　time。　First　he　had　to　make　an　offering；　such　a　momentous　trip　was　unthinkable　without　an　offering。
　
　He　said；　〃Jasmine；　what's　the　name　of　the　motel？〃
　
　〃Not　till　you　promise　me　and　Bridget　won't　get　in　trouble。〃
　
　〃Jesus；　I　already　told　you。〃
　
　She　said；　〃Here's　the　deal；　so　listen。　You　gotta　wait　till　we　get　our　money　from　your　friend　Snapper。　Then　you　gotta　promise　not　to　shoot　anybody　in　front　of　us；　OK？〃
　
　Avila　said；　〃On　my　wife's　future　grave。〃
　
　〃Also；　you　gotta　promise　to　pay　us　what　you　said…　five　hundred　each。〃
　
　〃Yep。〃
　
　〃Plus　two　stone　crab　dinners。　That's　Bridget's　idea。〃
　
　〃No　problem；〃　Avila　said。　Informing　the　prostitutes　that　stone　crabs　were　out　of　season　would　only　have　muddled　the　negotiation。
　
　〃The　name；〃　Avila　pressed。
　
　〃Paradise　Palms。　I've　never　been　there　before。　Bridget；　neither；　but　Snapper　promised　it's　really　nice。〃
　
　〃pared　to　prison；　I'm　sure　it's　the　fucking　Ritz。　What's　the　room　number？〃
　
　Jasmine　asked　Bridget。　Bridget　didn't　know。
　
　〃Doesn't　matter；〃　Avila　said。　〃I'll　track　you　down。〃
　
　〃Remember　what　you　promised！〃
　
　〃Yeah；　I'll　try。　It's　already　been　at　least　seven　seconds。〃
　
　〃Well；　sweetheart；　we　better　cruise。〃
　
　Avila　was　about　to　set　the　receiver　on　the　cradle　when　he　remembered　something。　〃Hey！　Jasmine；　wait！〃
　
　〃Yeah；　what。〃
　
　〃Did　you　tell　her　about　me？〃
　
　〃Bridget？　I　didn't　tell　her　nuthin'。〃　Jasmine　sounded　puzzled。　〃What's　to　tell？〃
　
　〃Nuthin'。〃
　
　〃Oh　。。。　you　mean　about…〃
　
　〃Don't　say　it！〃
　
　Jasmine　said；　〃Honey；　I　would　never。　That　was　between　you　and　me。　Honest　to　God。〃
　
　〃'Cause　the　other　night　you　said　I　was　better。〃　How　valiantly　Avila　had　labored　to　stifle　his　vocalizing　during　the　lovemaking！　What　few　sounds　he'd　made　were　not；　by　any　stretch　of　the　imagination；　squeaks。
　
　〃The　other　night　you　were　just　great；〃　said　Jasmine。　〃Fantastic；　even。　Better　than　I　remembered。〃　Avila　said；　〃Same　goes　for　you；　too。〃　Later；　driving　to　Sweetwater　for　the　chickens；　he　couldn't　stop　thinking　about　the　call　girl's　sultry　pliment。　Whether　she　meant　a　word　of　it　or　not　wasn't　worth　speculating　on；　the　concept　of　sincerity　was　so　foreign　to　Avila's　own　life　that　he　felt　unqualified　to　pass　judgment　on　Jasmine。　He　was　just　glad　she'd　quit　calling　herself　Morganna…what　a　clunker　of　a　name　to　remember　in　the　heat　of　passion！
　
　The　bined　effect　of　marijuana　and　methaqualone　on　Dr　Charles　Gabler's　judgment　was　not　salutary。　Never　was　it　more　evident　than　late　on　the　night　of　September　1；　at　a　roadside　motel　off　Interstate　10　near　Bonifay；　Florida。　Overtaken　with　desire；　the　professor　slipped　out　of　the　twin　bed　he　shared　with　the　sleeping　Neria　Torres；　and　slipped　into　the　twin　bed　occupied　by　the　wakeful　young　graduate　student；　Celeste。　As　he　ardently　attached　himself　to　one　of　Celeste's　creamy　breasts；　Dr　Gabler　was　becalmed　by　a　warm；　harmonious　confluence　of　physical　and　metaphysical　currents。　His　timing　couldn't　have　been　worse。
　
　Neria　Torres　had　been　reevaluating　the　parameters　of　her　relationship　with　the　professor　ever　since　they'd　pulled　off　a　highway　outside　Jackson；　Mississippi；　so　he　could　take　a　leak。　Sitting　in　the　driver's　seat；　watching　Dr　Gabler　try　to　tinkle　in　some　azaleas；　Neria　had　thought：　I　don't　find　this　cute　anymore。
　
　As　the　professor　had　tottered　back　toward　the　van；　the　beams　of　the　headlights　dramatically　illuminated　the　ruby…colored　crystals　dangling　from　the　lanyard　around　his　neck。
　
　〃Oh　wow；〃　young　Celeste　had　exclaimed；　suffused　with　mystic　awe　and　Humboldt　County's　finest。
　
　That　was　the　moment　when　Neria　Torres　had　looked　into　her　future　and　decided　that　the　professor　should　share　no　large　part　of　it；　specifically；　the　insurance　settlement　from　the　hurricane。　Neria　envisioned　a　scenario　in　which　Dr　Gabler　might　endeavor　to　sweet…talk　her　out　of　a　portion　of　the　money…he　would　probably　call　it　a　friendly　loan…and　then　flee　in　the　dead　of　night　with　his　nubile　protegee。　After　all；　that's　pretty　much　what　he'd　done　to　his　previous　lover；　a　vendor　of　fine　macrames；　when　Neria　Torres　entered　his　life。
　
　Even　if　the　professor　harbored　no　selfish　designs　on　the　hurricane　booty；　Neria　had　a　pragmatic　reason　to　dump　him：　His　appearance　in　Miami　would　plicate　the　duel　with　her　estranged　husband　over　the　insurance　settlement。　Considering　the　tainted　circumstance　of　her　departure　from　the　household；　Neria　doubted　that　Tony　would　be　in　a　mood　to　forgive　and　forget。　Her　inability　to　make　contact　in　the　days　following　the　storm　was　foreboding…the　vindictive　bastard　obviously　intended　to　pocket　her　half　of　the　windfall。　If　the　battle　went　to　court；　Dr　Gabler's　bleary　presence　during　the　proceedings　would　not；　Neria　Torres　knew；　work　in　her　favor。
　
　These　were　the　thoughts　she　carried　into　sleep　at　the　motel　in　Bonifay。　Had　it　been　a　deeper　sleep；　or　had　the　room's　Eisenhower…vintage　cooling　unit　been　a　few　decibels　louder；　Neria　Torres　might　not　have　been　awakened　by　the　muffled　suckling　and　amorous　hmmm…hmmms　from　the　nearby　bed。　But　awakened　she　was。
　
　Except　for　cracking　her　eyelids；　Neria　didn't　move　a　muscle　at　first。　Instead　she　lay　listening　in　disgusted　fascination；　struggling　to　arrange　her　emotions。　On　the　one　hand；　she　was　vastly　relieved　to　have　found　a　solid　excuse　for　jettisoning　the　professor。　On　the　other　hand；　she　was　furious　that　the　sneaky　little　shit　would　be　so　crude　and　thoughtless。　Over　the　years；　Tony　Torres　undoubtedly　had　cheated　on　her　now　and　again…but　never　while　she　was　sleeping　in　the　same　room！
　
　Eventually；　it　was　the　immodest　giggling　of　young　Celeste　that　galvanized　Neria　Torres。　She　sprang　from　the　bed；　turned　on　all　the　lights；　snatched　up　the　velvet　satchel　containing　Dr　Gabler's　special　healing　crystals　and　began　whaling　deliriously　on　the　writhing　mound　of　bedsheets。　The　satchel　was　heavy　and　the　stones　were　sharp；　taking　a　toll　on　the　professor's　unfirm　flesh。　With　an　effeminate　cry；　he　scuttled　to　the　bathroom　and　chained　the　door。　Meanwhile　the　graduate　student　cowered　nude　and　tearful　on　the　mattress。　The　stubble　on　Dr　Gabler's　chin　had　left　a　telltale　path　of　abraded；　roseate　blotches　from　her　neck　to　her　quivering　belly。　Neria　Torres　noticed；　with　fierce　satisfaction；　a　faint　ma　of　a　scar　beneath　each　of　young　Celeste's　perfect　breasts；　an　Earth　Mother　with　implants！
　
　Repeatedly　she　gasped；　〃I'm　sorry；　Neria；　please　don't　kill　me！　Please　don't。。。〃
　
　Neria　threw　the　satchel　of　crystals　to　the　floor。　〃Celeste；　you　know　what　I　hope　for　you？　I　hope　that　asshole　hiding　in　the　John　is　the　highlight　of　your　entire　goddamn　life。　Now　where's　the　keys　to　the　van？〃
　
　Hours　later；　at　a　busy　truck　stop　in　Gainesville；　Neria　tried　another　call　to　Mr。　Varga；　her　former　neighbor　in　Miami。　This　time　his　phone　was　working；　Varga　answered　on　the　third　ring。　He　insisted　he　knew　nothing　about　Neria's　husband　and　a　young　blond　hussy　loading　up　a　rental　truck。
　
　〃Fact；　I　haven't　seen　Tony　since　maybe　two　days　after　the　hurricane。〃
　
　〃Are　there　still　strangers　at　the　house？〃　Neria　asked。
　
　〃All　the　time；　people　e　and　go。　But　no　blondes。〃
　
　〃Who　are　they；　Leon？〃
　
　〃I　don't　know。　Friends　and　cousins　of　Tony；　I　heard。　They　got　two　dogs　bark　half　the　night。　I　figured　Tony