pbien.jaws-第8章

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r　the　people。　I　don't　think　it　would　be　in　the　public　interest　to　spread　this　around。　I'm　not　thinking　about　the　townspeople。　They'll　know　about　it　soon　enough；　the　ones　that　don't　know　already。　But　what　about　the　people　who　read　the　Leader　in　New　York　or　Philadelphia　or　Cleveland？〃
　　　　　　　〃You　flatter　yourself。〃
　　　　　　　〃Balls。　You　know　what　I　mean。　And　you　know　what　the　real　estate　situation　is　like　around　here　this　summer。　We're　right　on　the　edge；　and　other　places　are；　too；　like　Nantucket　and　the　Vineyard　and　East　Hampton。　There　are　people　who　still　haven't　made　their　summer　plans。　They　know　they've　got　their　pick　of　places　this　year。　There's　no　shortage　of　houses　for　rent。。。　anywhere。　If　I　run　a　story　saying　that　a　young　woman　was　bitten　in　two　by　a　monster　shark　off　Amity；　there　won't　be　another　house　rented　in　this　town。　Sharks　are　like　ax…murderers；　Martin。　People　react　to　them　with　their　guts。　There's　something　crazy　and　evil　and　uncontrollable　about　them。　If　we　tell　people　there's　a　killer　shark　around　here；　we　can　kiss　the　summer　good…by。〃
　　　　　　　Brody　nodded。　〃I　can't　argue　with　that；　Harry；　and　I　don't　want　to　tell　the　people　that　there　is　a　killer　shark　around　here。　Look　at　it　from　my　point　of　view；　just　for　a　second。　I　won't　dispute　your　odds　or　anything。　You're　probably　right。　That　shark　has　probably　gone　a　hundred　miles　from　here　and　won't　ever　show　up　again。　The　most　dangerous　thing　out　there　in　the　water　is　probably　the　undertow。　But；　Harry；　there's　a　chance　you're　wrong；　and　I　don't　think　we　can　take　that　chance。　Suppose　…　just　suppose　…　we　don't　say　a　word；　and　somebody　else　gets　hit　by　that　fish。　What　then？　My　ass　is　in　a　sling。　I'm　supposed　to　protect　people　around　here；　and　if　I　can't　protect　them　from　something；　the　least　I　can　do　is　warn　them　that　there　is　a　danger。　Your　ass　is　in　a　sling；　too。　You're　supposed　to　report　the　news；　and　there's　just　no　question　but　that　someone　killed　by　a　shark　is　news。　I　want　you　to　run　the　story；　Harry。　I　want　to　close　the　beaches；　just　for　a　couple　of　days；　and　just　for　insurance　sake。　It　won't　be　a　great　inconvenience　to　anybody。　There　aren't　that　many　people　here　yet；　and　the　water's　cold。　If　we　tell　it　straight；　tell　people　what　happened　and　why　we're　doing　what　we're　doing；　I　think　we'll　be　way　ahead。〃
　　　　　　　Meadows　sat　back　in　his　chair　and　thought　for　a　moment。　〃I　can't　speak　for　your　job；　Martin；　but　as　far　as　mine　is　concerned；　the　decision　has　already　been　made。〃
　　　　　　　〃What　does　that　mean？〃
　　　　　　　〃There　won't　be　any　story　about　the　attack　in　the　Leader。〃
　　　　　　　〃Just　like　that。〃
　　　　　　　〃Well；　not　exactly。　It　wasn't　entirely　my　decision；　though　I　think　that　generally　I　agree　with　it。　I'm　the　editor　of　this　paper；　Martin；　and　I　own　a　piece　of　it；　but　not　a　big　enough　piece　to　buck　certain　pressures。〃
　　　　　　　〃Such　as？〃
　　　　　　　〃I've　gotten　six　phone　calls　already　this　morning。　Five　were　from　advertisers　…　one　restaurant；　one　hotel；　two　real　estate　firms；　and　an　ice　cream　shop。　They　were　most　anxious　to　know　whether　or　not　I　planned　to　run　a　story　on　the　Watkins　thing；　and　most　anxious　to　let　me　know　they　felt　Amity　would　best　be　served　by　letting　the　whole　thing　fade　quietly　away。　The　sixth　call　was　from　Mr。　Coleman　in　New　York。　Mr。　Coleman　who　owns　fifty…five　per　cent　of　the　Leader。　It　seems　Mr。　Coleman　had　received　a　few　phone　calls　himself。　He　told　me　there　would　be　no　story　in　the　Leader。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　don't　suppose　he　said　whether　the　fact　that　his　wife　is　a　real　estate　broker　had　anything　to　do　with　his　decision。〃
　　　　　　　〃No；〃　said　Meadows。　〃The　subject　never　came　up。〃
　　　　　　　〃Figures。　Well；　Harry；　where　does　that　leave　us？　You're　not　going　to　run　a　story；　so　as　far　as　the　good　readers　of　the　Leader　are　concerned；　nothing　ever　happened。　I'm　going　to　close　the　beaches　and　put　up　a　few　signs　saying　why。〃
　　　　　　　〃Okay；　Martin。　That's　your　decision。　But　let　me　remind　you　of　something。　You're　an　elected　official；　right？〃
　　　　　　　〃Just　like　the　President。　For　four　thrill…filled　years。〃
　　　　　　　〃Elected　officials　can　be　impeached。〃
　　　　　　　〃Is　that　a　threat；　Harry？〃
　　　　　　　Meadows　smiled。　〃You　know　better　than　that。　Besides；　who　am　I　to　be　making　threats？　I　just　want　you　to　be　aware　of　what　you're　doing　before　you　tinker　with　the　lifeblood　of　all　those　sage　and　discriminating　souls　who　elected　you。〃
　　　　　　　Brody　rose　to　go。　〃Thanks；　Harry。　I've　always　heard　it's　lonely　here　at　the　top。
　　　　　　　What　do　I　owe　you　for　lunch？〃
　　　　　　　〃Forget　it。　I　couldn't　take　money　from　a　man　whose　family　will　soon　be　begging　for　food　stamps。〃
　　　　　　　Brody　laughed。　〃No　way。　Haven't　you　heard？　The　great　thing　about　police　work　is　the　security。〃　Ten　minutes　after　Brody　returned　to　his　office；　the　inter　buzzer　sounded　and　a　voice　announced；　〃The　mayor's　here　to　see　you；　Chief。〃
　　　　　　　Brody　smiled。　The　mayor。　Not　Larry　Vaughan；　just　calling　to　check　in。　Not　Lawrence　Vaughan　of　Vaughan　&　Penrose　Real　Estate；　stopping　by　to　plain　about　some　noisy　tenants。　But　Mayor　Lawrence　P。　Vaughan；　the　people's　choice　…　by　seventyone　votes　in　the　last　election。　〃Send　his　honor　in；〃　Brody　said。
　　　　　　　Larry　Vaughan　was　a　handsome　man；　in　his　early　fifties；　with　a　full　head　of　saltand…　pepper　hair　and　a　body　kept　trim　by　exercise。　Though　he　was　a　native　of　Amity；　over　the　years　he　had　developed　an　air　of　understated　chic。　He　had　made　a　great　deal　of　money　in　postwar　real　estate　speculation　in　Amity；　and　he　was　the　senior　partner　（some　thought　the　only　partner；　since　no　one　had　ever　met　or　spoken　to　anyone　named　Penrose　in　Vaughan's　office）　in　the　most　successful　agency　in　town。　He　dressed　with　elegant　simplicity；　in　timeless　British　jackets；　button…down　shirts；　and　Weejun　loafers。　Unlike　Ellen　Brody；　who　had　descended　from　summer　folk　to　winter　folk　and　was　unable　to　make　the　adjustment；　Vaughan　had　ascended　smoothly　from　winter　folk　to　summer　folk；　adjusting　each　step　of　the　way　with　grace。　He　was　not　one　of　them；　for　he　was　technically　a　local　merchant；　so　he　was　never　asked　to　visit　them　in　New　York　or　Palm　Beach。　But　in　Amity　he　moved　freely　among　all　but　the　most　aloof　members　of　the　summer　munity；　which；　of　course；　did　an　immense　amount　of　good　for　his　business。　He　was　asked　to　most　of　the　important　summer　parties；　and　he　always　arrived　alone。　Very　few　of　his　friends　knew　that　he　had　a　wife　at　home；　a　simple；　adoring　woman　who　spent　much　of　her　time　doing　needlepoint　in　front　of　her　television　set。
　　　　　　　Brody　liked　Vaughan。　He　didn't　see　much　of　him　during　the　summer；　but　after　Labor　Day；　when　things　calmed　down；　Vaughan　felt　free　to　shed　some　of　his　social　scales；　and　every　few　weeks　he　and　his　wife　would　ask　Brody　and　Ellen　out　to　dinner　at　one　of　the　better　restaurants　in　the　Hamptons。　The　evenings　were　special　treats　for　Ellen；　and　that　in　itself　was　enough　to　make　Brody　happy。　Vaughan　seemed　to　understand　Ellen。
　　　　　　　He　always　acted　most　graciously；　treating　Ellen　as　a　clubmate　and　rade。
　　　　　　　Vaughn　walked　into　Brody's　office　and　sat　down。　〃I　just　talked　to　Harry　Meadows；〃　he　said。
　　　　　　　Vaughan　was　obviously　upset；　which　interested　Brody。　He　hadn't　expected　this　reaction。
　　　　　　　〃I　see；〃　he　said。　〃Harry　doesn't　waste　any　time。〃
　　　　　　　〃Where　are　you　going　to　get　the　authority　to　close　the　beaches？〃
　　　　　　　〃Are　you　asking　me　as　the　mayor　or　as　a　real　estate　broker　or　out　of　friendly　interest　or　what；　Larry？〃
　　　　　　　Vaughan　pressed；　and　Brody　could　see　he　was　having　trouble　controlling　his　temper。　〃I　want　to　know　where　you're　going　to　get　the　authority。　I　want　to　know　now。〃
　　　　　　　〃Officially；　I'm　not　sure　I　have　it；〃　Brody　said。　〃There's　something　in　the　code　that　says　I　can　take　whatever　actions　I　deem　necessary　in　the　event　of　an　emergency；　but　I　think　the　selectmen　have　to　declare　a　state　of　emergency。　I　don't　imagine　you　want　to　go　through　all　that　rigmarole。〃
　　　　　　　〃Not　a　chance。〃
　　　　　　　〃Well；　then；　unofficially　I　figure　it's　my　responsibility　to　keep　the　people　who　live　here　as　safe　as　I　can；　and　at　the　moment　it's　my　judgment　that　that　means　closing　the　beaches　for　a　couple　of　days。　If　it　ever　came　down　to　cases；　I'm　not　sure　I　could　arrest　anyone　for　going　swimming。　Unless；〃　Brody　smiled；　〃I　could　make　a　case　of　criminal　stupidity。〃
　　　　　　　Vaughan　ign