ch.doublewhammy-第47章

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　〃Too　much　money；〃　Garcia　said。　〃That's　the　most　obvious　one。〃
　〃Forget　the　money。　It　would　have　been　wrong。〃
　〃Wrong？〃
　〃Don't　look　at　me　like　that；〃　Gault　said。　〃You're　looking　at　me　like　I　was　a　mon　criminal。〃
　Maybe　worse；　Garcia　thought。　He　had　already　decided　that　Dennis　Gault　was　a　liar。　The　question　was；　how　far　did　it　go？
　〃The　note；〃　the　detective　said。　〃Asking　for　a　hundred　grand…〃
　〃I　gave　it　to　the　cops　in　New　Orleans。〃
　〃Yes；　I　know。　But　I　was　wondering　what　Decker　meant…remember　he　used　the　word　'fee'。　Like　it　was　a　real　case。　He　said；　'The　fee　is　now　a　hundred　grand；'　something　like　that。〃
　Gault　said；　〃Hell；　I　knew　exactly　what　he　meant。〃
　〃Sure；　but　I　was　thinking…why　he　didn't　use　the　word　'price'？　I　mean；　he　was　talking　about　the　price　of　the　photographs；　wasn't　he？　It　just　seemed　like　a　funny　choice　of　words。〃
　〃Not　to　me；〃　Gault　said。
　〃When　did　he　give　you　the　note？〃
　〃Same　day　he　showed　me　the　pictures。　January　7；　I　guess　it　was。〃　Gault　got　up　and　went　to　the　bathroom。　When　he　came　back　he　was　wearing　a　monogrammed　terrycloth　robe　over　the　skimpy　red　thong。　It　had　gotten　chillier　in　the　apartment。
　〃After　I　told　Decker　to　get　lost；　he　went　right　to　Lockhart　for　all　the　marbles。　It　was　pure　blackmail：　Pay　me　or　I　give　the　pictures　to　my　pals　at　the　newspaper。　Naturally　Dickie　paid…the　poor　schmuck　had　no　choice。〃
　Garcia　said；　〃How　do　you　know　all　this？〃
　Gault　laughed　caustically　and　slapped　his　hands　on　his　knees。　〃From　R。　J。　Decker！〃　he　said。　〃Decker　told　my　sister　Elaine。　Turns　out　he　was　banging　her…I'm　sure　New　Orleans　must've　filled　you　in。　Anyway；　Decker　told　Elaine　he　squeezed　thirty　grand　out　of　Dickie　before　Dickie　cut　him　off。　At　the　tournament　Decker　went　to　see　him　about　it；　and　you　know　the　rest。〃
　〃Decker　doesn't　sound　too　bright。〃
　〃Then　why　haven't　you　caught　him？〃
　〃What　I　meant；〃　Garcia　said　evenly；　〃is　that　it　wasn't　too　bright　for　him　to　blab　all　this　shit　to　your　sister。〃
　Dennis　Gault　shrugged　and　stood　up。　〃You　know　how　it　is…in　the　sack　you'll　say　anything。　Besides；　you　never　met　Elaine。　Talking　is　her　second…favorite　thing。〃　Gault　flashed　Garcia　a　sly；　frat…house　sort　of　look。　Garcia　thought　this　showed　real　class；　a　millionaire　pimping　his　own　sister。　With　each　passing　minute　the　homicide　detective　was　growing　to　doubt　Mr。　Gault's　character。
　He　said；　〃Maybe　Decker　was　just　bragging。〃
　〃Bragging；　passing　the　time；　waiting　for　his　dick　to　get　hard　again；　I　don't　know。　Whatever　the　reason；　he　told　Elaine。〃　Gault　took　Garcia's　coffee　cup。　〃What　about　Decker's　partner；　this　Skink　maniac？〃
　〃We　don't　even　know　his　real　name；〃　Garcia　said。
　〃He's　a　nut　case；　I've　met　him。　Tell　your　boys　to　be　damn　careful。〃
　〃You　bet；〃　Garcia　said；　rising。　〃Thanks　for　the　coffee。　You've　been　most　helpful。〃
　Gault　twirled　the　sash　of　his　robe　as　he　walked　the　detective　to　the　door。　〃As　you　can　tell；　I　had　no　love　for　Dickie　Lockhart。　If　anything　else　had　happened　to　him…a　plane　crash；　prostate　cancer；　AIDS…you　wouldn't　have　heard　a　peep　out　of　me。　Hell；　I　would've　thrown　a　party。　But　murder…not　even　a　cheating　motherfucker　like　Dickie　deserved　to　be　murdered　in　cold　blood。　That's　why　I　went　to　the　police。〃
　〃Sort　of　a　civic　duty；〃　Garcia　said。
　〃Exactly。〃　Before　Gault　said　good…bye；　something　occurred　to　him：　It　would　be　best　to　end　the　interview　on　a　light　and　friendly　note。　He　said　to　Garcia；　〃You're　from　Cuba；　right？〃
　〃A　long　time　ago。〃
　〃There's　some　hellacious　fishing　down　there；　south　of　Havana。　Castro　himself　is　a　nut　for　largemouth　bass；　did　you　know　that？〃
　〃I　read　something　about　it。〃
　Gault　said；　〃For　years　I've　been　trying　to　pull　some　strings　and　wrangle　an　invitation；　but　it's　damn　tough　in　my　position。　I'm　in　the　sugar　business；　as　you　know。　The　Bearded　One　doesn't　send　us　many　valentines。〃
　〃Well；　you're　the　petition；〃　Garcia　said。
　〃Still；　I'm　dying　to　try　for　a　Cuban　bass。　I've　heard　stories　of　sixteen…；　eighteen…pound　hawgs。　What's　the　name　of　that　famous　lake？〃
　Garcia　said；　〃I　forget。〃
　〃Did　you　do　much　fishing；〃　Gault　asked；　〃when　you　lived　there？〃
　〃I　was　just　a　small　boy；〃　Garcia　said。　〃My　great…uncle　did　some　fishing；　though。〃
　〃Is　that　right？〃
　〃He　was　a　mullet　man。〃
　〃Oh。〃
　〃He　sold　marlin　baits　to　Hemingway。〃
　〃No　shit！〃　Dennis　Gault　said。　Now　he　was　impressed。　〃I　saw　a　movie　about　Hemingway　once；〃　he　said。　〃Starred　that　Patton　guy。〃
　
　Back　at　police　headquarters；　Al　Garcia　sat　down　at　his　desk　and　slipped　a　cassette　into　a　portable　tape　recorder。　The　date　of　January　7　had　been　written　in　pencil　on　the　label　of　the　cassette。　It　was　one　of　three　used　in　R。　J。　Decker's　answering　machine。　Garcia　had　picked　them　up　at　the　trailer　after　he　got　the　search　warrant。
　He　closed　the　door　to　his　office；　and　turned　the　volume　on　the　tape　machine　up　to　number　ten　on　the　dial。　Then　he　lit　a　cigarette　and　pressed　the　Play　button。
　There　were　a　few　seconds　of　scratchy　blank　tape；　followed　by　the　sound　of　a　phone　ringing。　The　fourth　ring　was　interrupted　by　a　metallic　click　and　the　sound　of　R。　J。　Decker's　voice：　〃I'm　not　home　now。　Please　leave　a　message　at　the　tone。〃
　The　first　caller　was　a　woman：　〃Rage；　it's　me。　James　is　on　another　trip　and　I'm　in　the　mood　for　pasta。　How　about　Rita's　at　nine？〃
　In　his　notebook　Garcia　wrote：　Ex…wife。
　The　second　caller　was　also　a　woman：　〃R。J。；　it's　Barbara。　I'm　sorry　about　canceling　the　other　night。　How　about　a　drink　later　to　make　up　for　it？〃
　Garcia　wrote：　Some　girl。
　The　third　caller　was　a　man：　〃Mr。　Decker；　you　probably　don't　know　me　but　I　know　of　you。　I　need　a　private　investigator；　and　you　e　highly　remended。　Call　me　as　soon　as　possible…I　guarantee　it'll　be　worth　your　time。　The　number　is　555…3400。　The　name　is　Dennis　Gault。〃
　In　his　notebook　Al　Garcia　wrote：　Bad　guy。
　
　For　several　days　Decker　and　Skink　stayed　inside　the　hotel　room；　waiting　for　things　to　cool　off。　Decker　had　done　what　he　could　over　the　phone；　and　was　eager　to　get　on　the　road。　For　his　part；　Skink　had　shrunk　into　a　silent　and　lethargic　melancholy；　and　exhibited　no　desire　to　do　anything　or　go　anywhere。
　Finally；　the　afternoon　Catherine　arrived；　Skink　briefly　came　to　life。　He　went　outside　and　stood　on　the　beach　and　started　shooting　at　jetliners　on　final　approach　to　the　Fort　Lauderdale…Hollywood　airport。
　Catherine　had　shown　up　with　a　recent　stock　prospectus　from　the　Outdoor　Christian　Network；　which　was　listed　on　the　New　York　exchange　as　Outdoor　ChristNet。　Decker　was　no　whiz　when　it　came　to　stocks；　so　he　had　telephoned　a　reporter　friend　on　the　business　desk　of　the　Miami　Sun。　The　reporter　had　done　a　search　on　OCN　in　the　newsroom　puter　and　e　up　with　some　interesting　clips；　which　Catherine　had　picked　up　before　she　left　Miami。　From　the　file　it　was　obvious　that　OCN's　rapid　growth　in　the　Sun　Belt　cable　market　had　flooded　the　pany　with　fluid　capital；　capital　which　the　Reverend　Charles　Weeb　and　his　advisers　were　plowing　pell…mell　into　Florida　real　estate。　The　prospectus　made　several　tantalizing　references　to　an　〃exciting　new　waterfront　development　targeted　for　middle…ine　family　home　buyers〃　but　neglected　to　mention　the　protracted　and　somewhat　shady　process　by　which　Lunker　Lakes　had　escaped　all　zoning　regulations　known　to　man。　The　word　〃kickback；〃　for　example；　appeared　nowhere　in　the　stock　brochure。　The　newspaper　articles　dwelt　on　this　aspect　of　the　controversial　project；　and　indeed　it　was　the　only　angle　that　seemed　to　interest　Skink　in　the　slightest。　He　asked　where　exactly　Lunker　Lakes　would　be　located；　then　took　the　prospectus　and　newspaper　clippings　from　Decker's　hands　and　read　them　closely。
　Then　he　pulled　the　flowered　shower　cap　down　tight　on　his　hair；　excused　himself　with　a　mumble；　walked　outside；　and　waited　on　the　beach。　The　first　ining　jet　was　an　Eastern　727　from　La　Guardia；　the　second　was　a　United　DC…10　from　Chicago　via　St。　Louis；　the　third　was　a　Bahamas　Air　shuttle　carrying　day　gamblers　back　from　Freeport。　None　of　the　airliners　went　down　or　even　smoked；　though　Skink　was　sure　he　dinged　the　bellies　a　couple　of　times。　The　noise　of　the　gunfire　was　virtually　smothered　by　the　roar　of　the　jets　and　the　heavy…metal　wail　of　Bon　Jovi　from　some　teenybopper's　boom　box。　In　all　Skink　got　off　eleven　roun