ch.doublewhammy-第14章

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　This　girl；　Decker　thought；　has　a　wondrous　imagination。
　〃Bobby　wasn't　one　of　these　full…time　tournament　freaks；〃　Lanie　said。　〃He　had　a　good　job　laying　cable　for　the　phone　pany。　He　fished　four；　maybe　five　pro　events　a　year；　so　he　wasn't　a　serious　threat　to　anybody。　He　had　no　enemies；　Decker。　All　the　guys　liked　Bobby。〃
　〃So　what　made　him　different？〃　Decker　asked。
　〃He　enjoyed　himself　more；〃　Lanie　said。　〃He　seemed　so　happy　just　to　be　out　there　。。。　and　those　were　the　best　nights　for　us；　after　he'd　spent　a　day　on　the　lake。　Even　if　he　hadn't　caught　a　thing；　he'd　be　happy。　Laughing；　oh　brother；　he'd　laugh　at　the　whole　damn　ritual。　Bobby　loved　fishing；　that's　for　sure；　but　at　least　he　saw　how　crazy　it　looked　from　the　outside。　And　that's　more　than　I　can　say　for　my　brother。〃
　R。　J。　Decker　got　up　and　switched　off　the　TV。　This　was　the　part　he'd　been　waiting　for。
　〃Did　Dennis　tell　you　exactly　why　he　hired　me？〃
　〃No；〃　Lanie　said；　〃but　it　can　only　be　one　thing。　The　cheating。〃
　As　if　it　were　no　secret。
　〃Dennis　knows　Dickie　Lockhart's　been　rigging　the　tournaments；〃　she　said。　〃It's　all　he　talks　about。　At　first　he　actually　tried　to　hire　some　killers。　He　said　that's　what　Hemingway　would　have　done。〃
　〃No；　Hemingway　would　have　done　it　himself。〃
　〃About　six　months　ago　Dennis　flew　down　two　mob　guys　from　Queens。　Offered　them　eighty…five　grand　to　bump　off　Dickie　and　grind　the　body　into　puppy　chow。　My　brother　didn't　know　one　of　the　creeps　was　working　for　the　feds…Sal　something…or…other。　He　blabbed　the　whole　crazy　story。　Luckily　no　one　at　the　FBI　believed　it；　but　for　a　while　Dennis　was　scared　out　of　his　pants。　At　least　it　cured　him　of　the　urge　to　kill　Dickie　Lockhart。　Now　he　says　he'll　settle　for　an　indictment。〃
　〃So　your　brother's　next　move；〃　R。　J。　Decker　said；　〃was　to　hire　me。〃
　Lanie　shook　her　head。　〃Bobby。〃
　Decker　had　been　hoping　she　wouldn't　say　that。
　〃Dennis　met　Bobby　on　the　pro　circuit　and　they　hit　it　off　right　away。　They　even　fished　together　in　a　few　of　the　buddy　tournaments；　and　always　finished　in　the　loot。　Dennis　told　Bobby　his　suspicions　about　Lockhart　and　offered　him　a　ton　of　money　to　get　the　proof。〃
　〃What　could　Bobby　do　that　your　brother　couldn't　do　himself？〃
　〃Snoop；〃　Lanie　said；　〃inconspicuously。　Everybody　knows　Dennis　has　a　hard…on　for　Dickie　Lockhart。　Dickie　knows　it　too；　and　he's　damn　careful　with　Dennis　around。　So　my　brother's　plan　was　to　pull　out　of　the　next　few　tournaments…claim　the　family　business　as　an　excuse…and　hope　that　Dickie　got　careless。〃
　〃With　Bobby　Clinch　watching　every　move。〃
　〃Exactly。〃
　Decker　asked；　〃How　much　money　did　Dennis　offer　him？〃
　〃Plenty。　Bobby　wasn't　greedy；　but　he　wanted　enough　to　be　able　to　get　out　of　his　marriage。　See；　he　wanted　Clarisse　to　have　the　house；　free　and　clear。　He'd　never　just　walk　out　on　her　and　the　kids。〃
　R。　J。　Decker　wasn't　exactly　moved　to　tears。　Lanie's　story　was　murky；　and　Decker　was　ready　to　say　goodnight。
　〃Did　your　brother　know　about　you　and　Bobby？〃　he　asked。
　〃Sure　he　did。　Dennis　never　said　a　word；　but　I'm　sure　he　knew。〃　Lanie　Gault　put　her　hands　under　her　chin。　〃I　thought　he　might　bring　it　up；　after　Bobby　was　killed。　Just　a　note　or　a　phone　call…something　to　let　on　that　he　knew　I　was　hurting。　Not　Dennis。　The　sonofabitch　has　Freon　in　his　veins；　I'm　warning　you。　My　brother　wants　to　nail　Dickie　Lockhart　and　if　you　happen　to　die　in　the　chase　he　won't　be　sending　a　wreath　to　the　funeral。　Just　another　replacement。　Like　you。〃
　The　possibility　of　being　murdered　over　a　dead　fish　did　not　appeal　to　R。　J。　Decker's　sense　of　adventure。　He　had　photographed　men　who　had　died　for　less；　and　many　who　had　died　for　more。　Over　the　years　he　had　adopted　a　carrion　fly's　unglamorous　view　of　death：　it　didn't　really　matter　how　you　got　that　way；　it　stunk　just　the　same。
　〃You　think　Lockhart　killed　your　boyfriend？〃　Decker　asked　Lanie。
　〃Who　else　would　do　it？〃
　〃You're　sure　it　was　no　accident？〃
　〃Positive；〃　Lanie　said。　〃Bobby　knew　every　log　in　that　lake。　He　could've　run　it　blindfolded。〃
　Decker　was　inclined　to　believe　her。　〃Who　owns　Dickie's　TV　show？〃　he　asked。
　〃The　Outdoor　Christian　Network。　You　heard　of　it？〃
　〃TV　Bible　geysers；〃　Decker　said。
　Lanie　straightened；　as　if　working　out　a　crick　in　her　spine。　〃More　than　old…time　religion；〃　she　said。　〃OCN　is　quite　the　modern　conglomerate。　They're　into　health　insurance；　unit　trusts；　oil　futures；　real…estate　development　。。。　〃
　〃I'll　check　into　it；〃　Decker　promised。　〃I'm　tired；　Lanie。　I've　got　a　rotten　drive　tomorrow。〃
　She　nodded；　got　up；　and　slipped　into　her　sandals。　She　stood　in　front　of　the　mirror　and　brushed　through　her　hair　in　brisk；　sure　strokes。
　〃One　more　thing；〃　Decker　said。　〃Out　at　the　cemetery；　how　did　you　know　which　one　was　me？　Sanibel　was　a　long　time　ago。〃
　Lanie　laughed。　〃You　kidding？〃
　〃Don't　tell　me　I　stood　out。〃
　〃Yeah；　you　did；〃　she　said；　〃but　Dennis　wired　me　a　picture；　in　case　I　wasn't　sure。〃
　〃A　picture。〃
　Lanie　reached　in　her　purse。　〃Courtesy　of　the　booking　desk　at　the　Dade　County　Jail。〃
　Decker　recognized　the　old　mug　shots。　Cute　move；　Dennis。　Just　a　touch　of　the　hot　needle。
　〃I've　seen　friendlier　smiles；〃　Lanie　said；　studying　the　police　photos。　〃You　still　taking　pictures；　Decker？〃
　〃Once　in　a　while。〃
　〃Maybe　you　could　do　me　sometime。　I'm　thinking　of　going　back　into　modeling。〃　Lanie　put　the　purse　under　her　arm　and　opened　the　door。　〃It's　been　so　long　I've　probably　forgotten　how　to　pose。〃
　You're　doing　just　fine；　Decker　thought。　〃Good　night；〃　he　said。
　
　Decker　had　to　go　back　to　Miami　to　soup　some　film　for　an　insurance…fraud　trial；　set　for　the　ing　week。　He　figured　he'd　use　the　long　drive　to　decide　what　to　do　about　Dennis　Gault　and　the　fishing　scam。　His　instincts　about　the　cast　of　characters　told　him　to　drop　the　case…but　what　about　the　death　of　Bobby　Clinch？
　As　he　packed　his　suitcase　Decker　heard　himself　say：　So　what？　He　hated　the　way　he　sounded　because　he　sounded　like　every　lazy　asshole　cop　or　P。I。　he'd　ever　met。　Big　cases；　big　problems。　Go　for　the　easy　bucks；　that　would　be　the　advice。
　Yet　Decker　knew　he　couldn't　drop　it　now。　Bobby　Clinch　got　killed　because　he　went　snooping　for　a　secret　fish；　such　a　remarkable　crime　couldn't　easily　be　ignored。　The　idea　that　somebody　had　bee　homicidal　over　a　largemouth　bass　was　perversely　appealing　to　Decker；　and　it　made　him　want　very　much　to　get　a　picture　of　the　guys　who　did　it。
　First　he　needed　to　meet　with　Gault　again；　a　distasteful　prospect。　He　could　do　it　this　evening；　back　in　Miami；　it　wouldn't　take　long。　From　the　motel　room　Decker　called　and　made　reservations　for　the　following　night　on　a　seven…P。M。　United　flight　to　New　Orleans。　The　Cajun　Invitational　Bass　Classic　was　this　week's　stop　on　the　professional　fishing　tour；　and　a　good　place　for　Decker　to　get　his　first　glimpse　of　Dickie　Lockhart　in　action。　He　had　seen　the　famous　TV　angler's　face　on　a　billboard　across　from　a　bait　shop　on　Route　222：　〃Dickie　Lockhart　Loves　Happy　Gland　Fish　Scent！　So　Do　Lunker　Bass！〃　Decker　had　been　so　intrigued　by　the　billboard　that　he'd　asked　a　man　at　the　bait　shop　if　the　Happy　Gland　pany　made　a　formula　for　humans。　The　man　at　the　bait　shop　dutifully　checked　behind　the　counter　and　said　no。
　Before　leaving　Harney；　Decker　tried　to　call　Ott　Pickney　at　the　newspaper。　Sandy　Kilpatrick；　the　birdlike　editor；　said　Ott　had　gone　out　early　to　do　some　interviews。　The　note　of　concern　in　Kilpatrick's　voice　suggested　that　pre…lunchtime　enterprise　was　uncharacteristic　behavior　for　Ott。　Decker　left　a　message　to　have　Ott　call　him　that　night　in　Miami。
　
　At　that　moment　Ott　Pickney　was　slurping　down　black　coffee　at　Culver　Rundell's　bait　shop　on　the　southern　shore　of　Lake　Jesup。　Culver　Rundell　was　behind　the　counter　and　his　brother　Ozzie　was　out　back　dipping　shiners。　Ott　was　trying　to　strike　up　a　conversation　about　Bobby　Clinch。　Ott　had　set　his　reporter's　notebook　on　the　counter　twenty　minutes　earlier；　and　the　pages　were　still　blank。
　〃Sorry　I'm　not　much　help；〃　Culver　Rundell　said。　〃Bobby　was　a　nice　guy；　a　pretty　good　basser。　That's　about　all　I　can　tell　you。　Also；　he　favored　spinnerbaits。〃
　〃Spinnerbaits。〃
　〃Over　plastic　worms；〃　Culver　Rundell　explained。
　Ott　Pickney　could　not　bring　himself　to　transcribe　this　detail。
　〃I　understand　you　were　here　when　t