emb.seethemdie-第28章

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　〃I　don't　have　to　watch　nothing；〃　Cooch　said。　He　did　not　know　whether　or　not　he　was　afraid。　Actually；　he　did　not　feel　afraid。　Not　with　four　guns　rucked　into　the　waistband　of　his　trousers。　But　at　the　same　time；　he　knew　that　something　was　pushing　him　into　sounding　two　members　of　the　toughest　gang　in　the　neighborhood。　He　could　only　assume　the　force　propelling　him　was　fear。　And　yet；　he　did　not　feel　afraid。
　Tommy　climbed　down　off　the　packing　crate。　〃You　got　a　real　loose　mouth；　boy；〃　he　said。　〃You　ought　to　watch　the　way　it　spills　over。〃
　〃You　take　care　of　your　own　mouth；〃　Cooch　said。
　〃You're　really　looking　for　it；　ain't　you；　boy？　Your　day　ain't　gonna　be　plete　until　we　break　your　arm；　is　it？〃
　〃You　finished　making　big　noises？〃　Cooch　asked。　〃I'm　in　a　hurry。〃
　Tommy　stepped　into　his　path。　〃Stay　put；　boy。〃
　〃Tommy；〃　Phil　warned；　〃there's　a　million　bulls　all　over　the。。。〃
　〃Shut　up！〃　Tommy　said　tightly；　without　turning　his　attention　from　Cooch。　〃I　give　you　a　chance　to　take　off　that　jacket　nice　and　polite；　now　didn't　I；　Cooch？　For　your　own　good；　I　asked　you。　Okay。　Now　you're　gonna　take　it　off　because　I'm　telling　you　to　take　it　off。　Now　how　about　that？〃
　〃How　about　it？〃　Cooch　answered。
　〃You　take　it　off；　or　I　cut　if　off　your　back！〃
　〃Sure。　Try　it。〃
　〃You're　the　kind　I　like；〃　Tommy　said；　taking　a　step　forward；　his　hand　reaching　into　his　pocket。　〃You're　the　kind　of　spunky　little　bastard　I。。。〃
　〃Hold　it！〃　Cooch　whispered。　〃Hold　it　right　there；　man！　I　got　four　pieces　under　this　jacket；　and　I　swear　to　God　I'll　use　every　friggin'　one　of　them！〃
　Tommy　stopped　suddenly；　eyeing　Cooch；　wondering　if　this　were　just　a　bluff。　It　did　not　seem　to　be。　Cooch's　eyes　were　steady；　his　mouth　tight。
　〃So　e　on；　hero；〃　he　said　confidently。
　〃Let　it　go；　Tommy；〃　Phil　said　worriedly；　his　eyes　flicking　to　the　cops　swarming　over　the　street。
　Tommy　studied　Cooch　an　instant　longer；　and　then　backed　away。　〃We　got　a　big　man　with　a　piece　here；　Phil；〃　he　said。　〃You're　real　big　with　them　pieces；　huh；　Cooch？　Well；　I　got　some　more　advice　for　you。　Friendly　advice。　Don't　never　go　walking　about　without　a　piece　from　now　on；　you　hear？　Because；　buddy；　you　are　going　to　need　one。　You　are　really　going　to　need　one。〃
　〃Thanks；　you　yellow　bastard；〃　Cooch　said；　grinning；　and　then　he　turned　on　his　heel　and　ran　off　toward　the　corner。
　〃Cooch；　huh？〃　Tommy　said；　smoldering。　He　nodded。　〃Okay；　Cooch。　We're　gonna　see　about　you；　Cooch。〃
　〃A　nut！〃　Phil　said；　shaking　his　head。　〃We　try　to　help　him；　and　he　turns　on　us。〃　He　shook　his　head　again。　〃It　just　don't　pay　to　be　nice　to　nobody。〃　He　looked　up　at　the　girls。　〃You　chicks　gonna　stand　on　that　box　all　day　long？〃
　〃What　else　is　there　to　do？〃　Elena　asked。
　〃Let's　go　up　to　my　pad；〃　Phil　said。　〃My　people　are　out。　We　roll　back　the　rug　in　the　parlor；　and　we　have　a　little　jump；　what　do　you　say？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Elena　said。　〃Juana？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　What　do　you　think？〃
　〃It's　too　hot　to　dance；〃　Elena　said。
　〃Okay；　so　let's　go　get　a　beer；〃　Phil　said。　〃What　the　hell's　the　sense　in　hanging　around　here？　Don't　you　know　what's　gonna　happen？〃
　〃No。　What's　gonna　happen？〃
　〃Eventually；　they're　gonna　shoot　Pepe；〃　Phil　said　simply。　〃What　do　you　think？　He's　gonna　get　away？〃
　〃He　might；〃　Elena　said。
　〃Impossible。〃
　〃Why　is　it　so　impossible？〃
　〃Because　there's　got　to　be　a　moral；〃　Phil　said。　〃The　Bad　Guy　never　wins。　Crime　don't　pay。　Otherwise　the　Breen　Office　don't　let　it　through。〃　He　burst　out　laughing。　〃Hey；　Tommy；　you　dig　that？　The　Breen　Office。。。〃
　〃Yeah；　I　caught　it；〃　Tommy　said。　〃The　son　of　a　bitch！　I　was　trying　to　help　him；　can　you　imagine　that？〃
　〃e　on；　girls；〃　Phil　said。　〃Let's　cut　out；　huh？〃
　〃Juana？〃　Elena　said。
　〃Okay；〃　Juana　said。
　〃Great；〃　Phil　said；　helping　them　off　the　crate。　〃Believe　me；　you'd　be　wasting　your　time　hanging　around　here。　Ain't　nothing　gonna　happen　to　Pepe　but　he's　gonna　get　killed。
　If　the　police　had　been　as　confidently　sure　of　the　oute　as　was　Phil；　they　would　not　have　bothered　to　arm　themselves　with　tear…gas　pellets　this　time　at　the　bat。　For　whatever　Phil　might　have　thought　about　the　inevitability　of　Hollywood…type　gangland　movies；　Pepe　Miranda　had　broken　out　of　an　apartment　the　day　before；　and　today　he　had　shot　a　patrolman　and　a　detective；　and　the　possibility　existed　that　he　might　shoot　a　few　more　detectives　…　or　even　another　lowly　patrolman　or　two　…　before　the　festivites　were　over。　And；　granting　this　possibility；　there　was　the　further　possibility　that　he　could　and　might　break　out　of　this　apartment　today；　foiling　the　police；　the　Breen　Office；　the　brothers　Warner；　and　even　Anthony　Boucher。　In　any　case；　this　time　the　cops　were　playing　it　safe。　One　of　their　patrolmen　had　been　carted　away　in　an　ambulance；　and　one　of　their　detectives　lay　spilling　his　blood；　drop　by　drop；　to　the　sidewalk　below；　and　those　seemed　like　enough　casualties　for　one　day。
　So　they　lined　up　across　the　street　like　Hessians　on　a　Massachusetts　field　in　1777；　and　they　put　their　tear…gas　guns　to　their　shoulders；　and　they　awaited　the　order　which　would　release　a　new　volley　of　bullets　against　the　windows　across　the　street；　driving　Miranda　back　so　that　they　could　plop　their　triple　tracer　shells　into　the　apartment。　There　was　nothing　as　sad　as　a　crying　thief；　and　all　those　valiant　men　in　blue　would　watch　Miranda　with　aching　hearts　as　he　burst　into　tears；　but　that　was　the　way　the　little　tear…gas　pellet　bounced。
　Lieutenant　Byrnes　waved　his　arm　at　the　rooftops；　and　the　volley　began。　There　was　no　glass　left　to　shatter；　and　even　the　window　frames　were　so　badly　splintered　that　the　new　cascade　of　bullets　seemed　to　seek　out　instinctively　the　relatively　untouched　brick　surrounding　the　windows。　Big　chunks　of　red　brick　showered　onto　the　fire　escape　and　the　pavement　below。　Hernandez；　lying　as　still　as　a　stone；　was　covered　with　red　dust。
　〃Okay；〃　Byrnes　said　to　the　men　in　the　street；　〃get　it　going。　Aim　for　the　windows　and　get　as　many　in　there　as　you　can！〃
　The　men　started　firing。　The　triple　tracer　shells　arced　in　lazy　spirals　toward　the　window。　From　inside　the　apartment；　Miranda　let　out　a　roar　like　a　wounded　animal。　There　was　a　hiss；　and　then　a　cloud　of　smoke；　and　then　more　hisslike　explosions　and　suddenly　tear　gas　was　pouring　from　the　open　windows。　The　pellets　raced　about　the　apartment　like　decapitated　rats；　designed　to　wriggle　and　squirm　so　that　they　could　not　be　picked　up　and　returned　to　the　street。　The　scent　of　apple　blossoms　drifted　into　the　street；　a　mild　scent　wafted　over　the　heads　of　the　crowd。　Miranda　was　cursing　a　blue　streak　now；　shouting　and　roaring。　He　appeared　at　the　windows　once；　and　was　driven　back　by　a　Thompson　gun　which　all　but　ripped　away　half　the　side　of　the　building。
　And　then；　suddenly；　in　the　street；　there　was　a　pop　and　a　hiss；　and　the　scent　of　apple　blossoms　was　unimaginably　strong；　and　Andy　Parker　reeled　backward　from　one　of　the　patrolmen　and　shouted；　〃You　stupid　idiot！　You　goddamn　stupid　idiot！〃
　
　
　14
　
　Well；　you　can't　blame　people　for　accidents。　People　have　accidents　all　the　time；　and　cops　are　only　people；　and　if　a　gun　misfires；　it　misfires；　and　that's　that。　And　if　a　tear…gas　pellet　which　is　supposed　to　go　zooming　up　through　the　air　suddenly　plops　onto　the　asphalt　and　explodes　there；　those　are　just　the　breaks。　Maybe　Parker　shouldn't　have　been　standing　so　close　to　the　patrolman　firing　the　pellet。　But　accidents　will　happen；　and　Parker　was　standing　close　to　the　gun　when　it　misfired；　and　close　to　the　pellet　when　it　exploded；　so　that　he　got　the　first　mushrooming　whiff　of　tear　gas　before　the　pellet　went　dizzily　skipping　into　the　crowd。　Tear　gas　ain't　Chanel　Number　5。　Especially　when　it　goes　off　practically　in　your　face。　His　eyes　began　to　burn　instantly。　Blindly；　he　reached　for　his　handkerchief；　cursing　the　patrolman；　and　pounding　the　felony　by　rubbing　the　chemical　deeper　into　his　smarting　eyes。
　Bawling　like　a　baby；　he　staggered　toward　the　luncheonette；　the　handkerchief　to　his　face。　Behind　him　he　could　hear　the　shrieking　of　the　crowd　as　the　pellet　traced　a　crazy　path　among　them。　People　began　coughing　and　shouting。　Byrnes　was　yelling　orders　at　patrolmen。　All　Parker　knew　was　that　his　face　and　his　eyes　were　burning。
　〃Luis！〃　he　shouted。　〃Luis！〃
　He　groped　his　way　to　the　counter；　the　ha