pbien.jaws-第6章

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teriorate；　and　people　would　begin　to　move　away。
　　　　　　　So　there　was　a　mon；　though　tacit；　understanding　in　Amity；　born　of　the　need　to　survive。　Everyone　was　expected　to　do　his　bit　to　make　sure　that　Amity　remained　a　desirable　summer　munity。　A　few　years　ago；　Brody　remembered；　a　young　man　and　his　brother　had　moved　into　town　and　set　themselves　up　as　carpenters。　They　came　in　the　spring；　when　there　was　enough　work　preparing　houses　for　summer　residents　to　keep　everyone　busy；　so　they　were　weled。　They　seemed　petent　enough；　and　several　established　carpenters　began　to　refer　work　to　them。
　　　　　　　But　by　midsummer；　there　were　disquieting　reports　about　the　Felix　Brothers。
　　　　　　　Albert　Morris；　the　owner　of　Amity　Hardware；　let　it　be　known　that　they　were　buying　cheap　steel　nails　instead　of　galvanized　nails　and　were　charging　their　customers　for　galvanized。　In　a　seaside　climate；　steel　nails　begin　to　rust　in　a　few　months。　Dick　Spitzer；　who　ran　the　lumberyard；　told　somebody　that　the　Felixes　had　ordered　a　load　of　low…grade；　green　wood　to　use　in　some　cabinets　in　a　house　on　Scotch　Road。　The　cabinet　doors　began　to　warp　soon　after　they　were　installed。　In　a　bar　one　night；　the　elder　Felix；　Armando；　boasted　to　a　drinking　buddy　that　on　his　current　job　he　was　being　paid　to　set　supporting　studs　every　sixteen　inches　but　was　actually　placing　them　twenty…four　inches　apart。　And　the　younger　Felix；　a　twenty…one…year…old　named　Danny　with　a　stubborn　case　of　acne；　liked　to　show　his　friends　erotic　books　which　he　bragged　he　had　stolen　from　the　houses　he　worked　in。
　　　　　　　Other　carpenters　stopped　referring　work　to　the　Felixes；　but　by　then　they　had　built　enough　of　a　business　to　keep　them　going　through　the　winter。　Very　quietly；　the　Amity　understanding　began　to　work。　At　first；　there　were　just　a　few　hints　to　the　Felixes　that　they　had　outworn　their　wele。　Armando　reacted　arrogantly。　Soon；　annoying　little　mishaps　began　to　bother　him。　All　the　tires　on　his　truck　would　mysteriously　empty　themselves　of　air；　and　when　he　called　for　help　from　the　Amity　Gulf　station；　he　was　told　that　the　air　pump　was　broken。　When　he　ran　out　of　propane　gas　in　his　kitchen；　the　local　gas　pany　took　eight　days　to　deliver　a　new　tank。　His　orders　for　lumber　and　other　supplies　were　inexplicably　mislaid　or　delayed。　In　stores　where　once　he　had　been　able　to　obtain　credit　he　was　now　forced　to　pay　cash。　By　the　end　of　October；　the　Felix　Brothers　were　unable　to　function　as　a　business；　and　they　moved　away。
　　　　　　　Generally；　Brody's　contribution　to　the　Amity　understanding　…　in　addition　to　maintaining　the　rule　of　law　and　sound　judgment　in　the　town　…　consisted　of　suppressing　rumors　and；　in　consultation　with　Harry　Meadows；　the　editor　of　the　Amity　Leader；　keeping　a　certain　perspective　on　the　rare　unfortunate　occurrences　that　qualified　as　news。
　　　　　　　The　previous　summer's　rapes　had　been　reported　in　the　Leader；　but　just　barely　（as　molestations）；　because　Brody　and　Meadows　agreed　that　the　specter　of　a　black　rapist　stalking　every　female　in　Amity　wouldn't　do　much　for　the　tourist　trade。　In　that　case；　there　was　the　added　problem　that　none　of　the　women　who　had　told　the　police　they　had　been　raped　would　repeat　their　stories　to　anyone　else。
　　　　　　　If　one　of　the　wealthier　summer　residents　of　Amity　was　arrested　for　drunken　driving；　Brody　was　willing；　on　a　first　offense；　to　book　him　for　driving　without　a　license；　and　that　charge　would　be　duly　reported　in　the　Leader。　But　Brody　made　sure　to　warn　the　driver　that　the　second　time　he　was　caught　driving　under　the　influence　he　would　be　charged；　booked；　and　prosecuted　for　drunk　driving。
　　　　　　　Brody's　relationship　with　Meadows　was　based　on　a　delicate　balance。　When　groups　of　youngsters　came　to　town　from　the　Hamptons　and　caused　trouble；　Meadows　was　handed　every　fact　…　names；　ages；　and　charges　lodged。　When　Amity's　own　youth　made　too　much　noise　at　a　party；　the　Leader　usually　ran　a　one…paragraph　story　without　names　or　addresses；　informing　the　public　that　the　police　had　been　called　to　quell　a　minor　disturbance　on；　say；　Old　Mill　Road。
　　　　　　　Because　several　summer　residents　found　it　fun　to　subscribe　to　the　Leader　year…round；　the　matter　of　wintertime　vandalism　of　summer　houses　was　particularly　sensitive。　For　years；　Meadows　had　ignored　it　…　leaving　it　to　Brody　to　make　sure　that　the　homeowner　was　notified；　the　offenders　punished；　and　the　appropriate　repairmen　dispatched　to　the　house。　But　in　the　winter　of　1968　sixteen　houses　were　vandalized　within　a　few　weeks。
　　　　　　　Brody　and　Meadows　agreed　that　the　time　had　e　for　a　full　campaign　in　the　Leader　against　wintertime　vandals。　The　result　was　the　wiring　of　the　forty…eight　homes　to　the　police　station；　which　…　since　the　public　didn't　know　which　houses　were　wired　and　which　weren't　…　all　but　eliminated　vandalism；　made　Brody's　job　much　easier；　and　gave　Meadows　the　image　of　a　crusading　editor。
　　　　　　　Once　in　a　while；　Brody　and　Meadows　collided。　Meadows　was　a　zealot　against　the　use　of　narcotics。　He　was　also　a　man　with　unusually　keen　reportorial　antennae；　and　when　he　sensed　a　story　…　one　not　susceptible　to　〃other　considerations〃　…　he　would　go　after　it　like　a　pig　after　truffles。　In　the　summer　of　1971　the　daughter　of　one　of　Amity's　richest　families　had　died　off　the　Scotch　Road　beach。　To　Brody；　there　was　no　evidence　of　foul　play；　and　since　the　family　opposed　an　autopsy；　the　death　was　officially　listed　as　drowning。
　　　　　　　But　Meadows　had　reason　to　believe　that　the　girl　was　on　drugs　and　that　she　was　being　supplied　by　the　son　of　a　Polish　potato　farmer。　It　took　Meadows　almost　two　months　to　get　the　story；　but　in　the　end　he　forced　an　autopsy　which　proved　that　at　the　time　she　drowned　the　girl　had　been　unconscious　from　an　overdose　of　heroin。　He　also　tracked　down　the　pusher　and　exposed　a　fairly　large　drug　ring　operating　in　the　Amity　area。　The　story　reflected　badly　on　Amity　and　worse　on　Brody；　who；　because　several　federal　violations　were　involved　in　the　case；　wasn't　even　able　to　redeem　his　earlier　insouciance　by　making　an　arrest　or　two。　And　it　won　Meadows　two　regional　journalism　prizes。
　　　　　　　Now　it　was　Brody's　turn　to　press　for　full　disclosure。　He　intended　to　close　the　beaches　for　a　couple　of　days；　to　give　the　shark　time　to　travel　far　from　the　Amity　shoreline。　He　didn't　know　whether　or　not　sharks　could　acquire　a　taste　for　human　flesh　（as　he　had　heard　tigers　do）；　but　he　was　determined　to　deprive　the　fish　of　any　more　people。
　　　　　　　This　time　he　wanted　publicity；　to　make　people　fear　the　water　and　stay　away　from　it。
　　　　　　　Brody　knew　there　would　be　a　strong　argument　against　publicizing　the　attack。　Like　the　rest　of　the　country；　Amity　was　still　feeling　the　effects　of　the　recession。　So　far；　the　summer　was　shaping　up　as　a　mediocre　one。　Rentals　were　up　from　last　year；　but　they　were　not　〃good〃　rentals。　Many　were　〃groupers；〃　bands　of　ten　or　fifteen　young　people　who　came　from　the　city　and　split　the　rent　on　a　big　house。　At　least　a　dozen　of　the　7；000　…　10；000…a…season　shore…front　houses　had　not　yet　been　rented；　and　many　more　in　the　5；000　class　were　still　without　leases。　Sensational　reports　of　a　shark　attack　might　turn　mediocrity　into　disaster。
　　　　　　　Still；　Brody　thought；　one　death　in　mid…June；　before　the　crowds　e；　would　probably　be　quickly　forgotten。　Certainly　it　would　have　less　effect　than　two　or　three　more　deaths　would。　The　fish　might　well　have　disappeared　already；　but　Brody　wasn't　willing　to　gamble　lives　on　the　possibility：　the　odds　might　be　good；　but　the　stakes　were　prohibitively　high。
　　　　　　　He　dialed　Meadows'　number。　〃Hey；　Harry；〃　he　said。　〃Free　for　lunch？〃
　　　　　　　〃I've　been　wondering　when　you'd　call；〃　said　Meadows。　〃Sure。　My　place　or　yours？〃
　　　　　　　Suddenly　Brody　wished　he　hadn't　called　at　mealtime。　His　stomach　was　still　groaning；　and　the　thought　of　food　nauseated　him。　He　glanced　up　at　the　wall　calendar。　It　was　a　Thursday。　Like　all　their　friends　on　fixed；　tight　ines；　the　Brodys　shopped　according　to　the　supermarket　specials。　Monday's　special　was　chicken；　Tuesday's　lamb；　and　so　forth　through　the　week。　As　each　item　was　consumed；　Ellen　would　note　it　on　her　list　and　replace　it　the　next　week。　The　only　variables　were　bluefish　and　bass；　which　were　inserted　in　the　menu　when　a　friendly　fisherman　dropped　his　overage　by　the　house。
　　　　　　　Thursday's　special　was　hamburger；　and　Brody　had