pbien.jaws-第19章
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if you like。〃
〃Why not?〃 said Brody。 〃He sounds like a possible。〃
Hooper said; 〃Look; Chief; you can't go off half…cocked looking for vengeance against a fish。 That shark isn't evil。 It's not a murderer。 It's just obeying its own instincts。
Trying to get retribution against a fish is crazy。〃
〃Listen you。。。〃 Brody was growing angry … an anger horn of frustration and humiliation。 He knew Hooper was right; but he felt that right and wrong were irrelevant to the situation。 The fish was an enemy。 It had e upon the munity and killed two men; a woman; and a child。 The people of Amity would demand the death of the fish。
They would need to see it dead before they could feel secure enough to resume their normal lives。 Most of all; Brody needed it dead; for the death of the fish would be a catharsis for him。 Hooper had touched that nerve; and that infuriated Brody further。 But he swallowed his rage and said; 〃Forget it。〃
The phone rang。 〃It's for you; Chief;〃 said Clements。 〃Mr。 Vaughan。〃
〃Oh swell。 That's just what I need。〃 He punched the flashing button on the phone and picked up the receiver。 〃Yeah; Larry。〃
〃Hello; Martin。 How are you?〃 Vaughan's voice was friendly; almost effusively so。 Brody thought; he's probably had a couple of belts。
〃As well as could be expected; Larry。〃
〃You're working pretty late。 I tried to get you at home。〃
〃Yeah。 Well; when you're the chief of police and your constituents are getting themselves killed every twenty minutes; that kind of keeps you busy。〃
〃I heard about Ben Gardner。〃
〃What did you hear?〃
〃That he was missing。〃
〃News travels pretty fast。〃
〃Are you sure it was the shark again?〃
〃Sure? Yeah; I guess so。 Nothing else seems to make any sense。〃
〃Martin; what are you going to do?〃 There was a pathetic urgency in Vaughan's voice。
〃That's a good question; Larry。 We're doing every… thing we can fight now。 We've got the beaches dosed down。 We've …〃
〃I'm aware of that; to say the very least。〃
〃What's that supposed to mean?〃
〃Have you ever tried to sell healthy people real estate in a leper colony?〃
〃No; Larry;〃 Brody said wearily。
〃I'm getting cancellations every day。 People are walking out on leases。 I haven't had a new customer in here since Sunday。〃
〃So what do you want me to do?〃
〃Well; I thought。。。 I mean; what I'm wondering is; maybe we're overreacting to this whole thing。〃
〃You're kidding。 Tell me you're kidding。〃
〃Hardly; Martin。 Now calm down。 Let's discuss this rationally。〃
〃I'm rational。 I'm not sure about you; though。〃 There was a moment of silence; and then Vaughan said; 〃What would you say to opening the beaches; just for the Fourth of July weekend?〃
〃Not a chance。 Not a fucking chance。〃
〃Now listen。。。〃
〃No; you listen; Larry。 The last time I listened to you; we had two people killed。 If we catch that fish; if we kill the sonofabitch; then we'll open the beaches。 Until then; forget it。〃
〃What about nets?〃
〃What about them?〃
〃Why couldn't we put steel nets out to protect the beaches? Someone told me that's what they do in Australia。〃
He must be drunk; Brody thought。 〃Larry; this is a straight coastline。 Are you going to put nets out along two and a half miles of beaches? Fine。 You get the money。 I'd say about a million dollars; for openers。〃
〃What about patrols? We could hire people to patrol up and down the beaches in boats。〃
〃That's not good enough; Larry。 What is it with you; anyway? Are your partners on your ass again?〃
〃That's none of your damn business; Martin。 For God's sake; man; this town is dying!〃
〃I know it; Larry;〃 Brody said softly。 〃And as far as I know; there's not a damn thing we can do about it。 Good night。〃 He hung up the phone。
Meadows and Hooper rose to leave。 Brody walked them to the front door of the station house; As they started out the door; Brody said to Meadows; 〃Hey; Harry; you left your lighter inside。〃 Meadows started to say something; but Brody stepped on his words。
〃e on back inside and I'll give it to you。 If you leave it around here overnight; it's likely to disappear。〃 He waved to Hooper。 〃See you。〃
When they were back in Brody's office; Meadows took his lighter from his pocket and said; 〃I trust you had something to say to me。〃
Brody shut the door to his office。 〃You think you can find out something about Larry's partners?〃
〃I guess so。 Why?〃
〃Ever since this thing began; Larry has been on my ass to keep the beaches open。
And now; after all that's just happened; he says he wants them open for the Fourth。 The other day he said he was under pressure from his partners。 I told you about it。〃
〃And?〃
〃I think we should know who it is who has enough clout to drive Larry bullshit。 I wouldn't care if he wasn't the mayor of this town。 But if there are people telling him what to do; I think we ought to know who they are。〃
Meadows sighed。 〃Okay; Martin。 I'll do what I can。 But digging around in Larry Vaughan's affairs isn't my idea of fun。〃
〃There's not a whole hell of a lot that is fun these days; is there?〃
Brody walked Meadows to the door; then went back to his desk and sat down。
Vaughan had been right about one thing; he thought: Amity was showing all the signs of imminent death。 It wasn't just the real estate market; though its sickness was as contagious as smallpox。 Evelyn Bixby; the wife of one of Brody's officers; had lost her job as a real estate agent and was working as a waitress in a hash house on Route 27。
Two new boutiques that were scheduled to open the next day had put off their debuts until July 3; and the proprietors of both made a point of calling on Brody to tell him that if the beaches weren't open by then; they wouldn't open their stores at all。 One of them was already looking at a site for rent in East Hampton。 The sporting goods store had posted signs announcing a clearance sale … a sale that normally took place over the Labor Day weekend。 The only good thing about the Amity economy; as far as Brody was concerned; was that Saxon's was doing so badly that it laid off Henry Kimble。 Now that he didn't have his bartending job; he slept during the day and could occasionally survive through a shift of police work without a nap。
Beginning on Monday morning … the first day the beaches were closed … Brody had posted two officers on the beaches。 Together; they had had seventeen confrontations with people who insisted on swimming。 One was with a man named Robert Dexter; who claimed a constitutional right to swim off his own beach and who allowed his dog to terrorize the officer on duty; until the cop pulled his pistol and threatened to shoot the dog。 Another dustup took place on the public beach; when a New York lawyer started reading the United States Constitution to a policeman and a multitude of cheering youths。
Still; Brody was convinced that … so far; at least … no one had gone swimming。
On Wednesday; two kids had rented a skiff and rowed about three hundred yards offshore; where they spent an hour ladling blood; chicken guts; and duck heads overboard。 A passing fishing boat spotted them and called Brody via the marine operator。
Brody called Hooper; and together they went in Flicka and towed the boys to shore。 In the skiff the boys had a flying gaff attached to two hundred yards of clothesline; secured to the prow by a square knot。 They said they planned to hook the shark with the gaff and go for a 〃Nantucket sleigh ride。〃 Brody told them that if they ever tried the stunt again; he'd arrest them for attempted suicide。
There had been four reports of shark sightings。 One had turned out to be a floating log。 Two; according to the fisherman who followed up the reports; were schools of jumping bait fish。 And one; as far as anyone could tell; was a flat nothing。
On Tuesday evening; just at dusk; Brody had received an anonymous phone call telling him that a man was dumping shark bait into the water of