ch.doublewhammy-第64章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Catherine said； 〃It's too cold。〃
Curl got a thin woolen blanket from the closet and threw it at her。 〃Now；〃 he said。
Catherine fingered the blanket。 〃Awfully scratchy；〃 she plained。
Thomas Curl cocked the pistol。 He didn't aim it directly at her； but pointed it up； drawn back over his left shoulder； gunslinger…style。 〃Strip；〃 he said。
Reluctantly she did as she was told。 The fact that Thomas Curl's minimal brain was racked by infection weighed heavily in Catherine's decision。 Anyone else she would have tried to talk out of it； but this was not a well person； he had bee febrile； rambling； alternately manic and torpid。 He had given up all attempts to prize the dead dog head from his arm。 It was his friend now。
Thomas Curl watched intently as Catherine wrapped herself twice around in the blanket and sat down at the head of her bed。
〃You got the nicest tits；〃 he said。
〃Bet you say that to all your kidnap victims。〃
〃I think I might like to poke you。〃
〃Some other night；〃 said Catherine。
Slowly； like a sleepy chameleon； Thomas Curl closed his puffy eyes by degrees。 His head drooped to one side； and would have drooped even more except that his temple came to rest on the muzzle of the pistol。 For a moment Catherine was sure she'd be rinsing brains out of her hair； but abruptly Thomas Curl woke up。 He uncocked the gun and slid it into his belt。 With his dog arm he motioned to the telephone on the nightstand。 〃Call your doctor husband；〃 he said。 〃Tell him everything's peachy。〃
Catherine dialed the number of the hotel in Montreal； but James was not in his room。 She hung up。
〃I'll try later；〃 she said。
Unsteadily Thomas Curl made his way to the bed。 The stench from the dead dog head was overpowering。
〃Can we open a window？〃 Catherine asked。
〃Lie down。〃
〃What for？〃
With his good arm he flattened her on the bed。 Using torn strips of bed linen； he tied her to the mattress。 Catherine was impressed by the strength of the knots； considering his limited dexterity。
Thomas Curl unplugged the phone and tucked it under his right arm。 〃Don't try nuthin' funny；〃 he said to Catherine。
〃Are you leaving？〃
〃Lucas has to go for a walk。〃
Catherine nodded。
〃I'm taking the phone；〃 said Curl。
〃Could you pick up some food？〃 she asked。 〃I'm starving。〃
Thomas Curl threw R。 J。 Decker's coat over his shoulders。 〃Burger King'll have to do；〃 he said。
〃Wendy's has a salad bar；〃 Catherine suggested。
〃All right；〃 Curl said； 〃Wendy's。〃
He wasn't very hungry。 He picked at some french fries while Catherine ate her salad and sipped a Diet Coke。 Curl had had so much trouble untying her that he'd just cut the linen with a pocket…knife。
〃Did Lucas enjoy his walk？〃 she said。
〃He was a good boy；〃 Curl said； patting the dog head。 〃A good boy for daddy。〃
He put the phone back in the wall and told Catherine to try Montreal again。 This time James answered。
〃How's the convention？〃 Catherine said。 〃Lots of laughs？〃
Thomas Curl moved close to her on the bed and took out the gun； as a reminder。
Catherine said to James： 〃Just so you won't worry； I'm going up to my sister's in Boca for a few days。 In case you called home and I wasn't there。〃 They talked for a few minutes about the weather and the encouraging advance orders for the electric vibrating chiropractic couch； and then Catherine said good…bye。
〃That was good；〃 Thomas Curl said； munching a cold french fry。 〃You like him as much as Decker？〃
〃James is a sweetheart；〃 Catherine said。 〃If it's money you're after； he'd pay anything to get me back。〃
〃It's not money I'm after。〃
〃I know；〃 she said。
〃So now he won't be worried； your doctor won't？ When you're not home？〃
〃No； he's having a ball；〃 Catherine said。 〃He got interviewed for Vertebrae Today。〃
Curl burped。
〃A chiropractic magazine；〃 Catherine explained。 She herself was not overwhelmed with excitement。
The phone rang。 Catherine started to reach for it； but Curl thwacked her arm with the butt of the gun。 When he answered； a man's voice said： 〃It's me。 Decker。〃
〃You here yet？〃
〃On the way；〃 Decker said。 He was at a service plaza in Fort Pierce； gassing up Al Garcia's car。
〃You ready to trade？〃
〃Absolutely；〃 Decker said。 〃How's Mrs。 Gomez？〃
Curl put the receiver to Catherine's cheek。 〃Tell him you're fine；〃 he said。
〃R。J。； I'm fine。〃
〃Catherine； I'm sorry about this。〃
〃It's okay…〃
Curl snatched the phone back and said： 〃This is the way we're going to do it： a straight…up trade。〃
〃Fair enough； but I choose the place。〃
〃Fuck you； bubba。〃
〃It's the only way； Tom。 It's the only way I can make sure the lady walks free。〃
Curl rubbed his brow。 He wanted to stand firm； but his mind could not assemble an argument。 Every thought that entered his head seemed to sizzle and burn up in the fever。 As Decker instructed him when and where to go； Thomas Curl repeated everything aloud in a thick； disconnected voice。 Luckily Catherine jotted the directions on a Holiday Inn notepad； because Curl forgot everything the instant he hung up。
〃Hungry； Lucas？〃 He opened the brown grocery bag。 He had stopped at the store and bought the dog a little treat。
Catherine eyed the package。 〃Gaines Burgers？〃
〃His favorite；〃 Curl said。 He unwrapped one of the patties and mashed it between the dog's jaws； still fixed obdurately to his own arm。 The red meat stuck to the animal's dried yellow fangs。 〃You like that； dontcha； boy？〃
Catherine said； 〃He's not hungry； Tom。 I can tell。〃
〃Guess you're right；〃 Curl said。 〃Must be all the traveling。〃
Deacon Johnson tapped lightly on the door。 For once； Reverend Weeb was alone。
〃Charles； you'd better e see。〃
〃What now？〃 the preacher said irritably。
He followed Deacon Johnson out of the townhouse office； through the courtyard； down a sloping walk to a boat ramp on the newly sodded shore of Lunker Lake Number One。 Many of the anglers had begun to arrive； so the ramp was crowded with needle…shaped bass boats； each attached to a big candy…colored Blazer； Jeep； or Bronco。 In the midst of the gleaming congregation was an immense army…green garbage truck with a warped old skiff hitched to its bumper。
Two men leaned impassively against the truck； one was tall and muscular and black； the other roundish and Latin…looking。 The rest of the bass fishermen studied the unusual newers from a distance； and chuckled in low tones。
Charlie Weeb approached the men and said； 〃If you're looking for the dump； it's out Road 84。〃 He pointed west； toward the dike。 〃That way。〃
Jim Tile said； 〃We're here for the bass tournament。〃
〃Is that right？〃 Weeb eyed the rowboat disdainfully。 〃Sorry； son； but this event's not open to the general public。〃
Al Garcia said； 〃We're not the general public； son。 We're the Tile Brothers。〃 Coolly he handed Charlie Weeb the receipt for the registration fee。 Without a glance； Weeb passed it to Deacon Johnson。
〃It's them； all right；〃 Deacon Johnson reported。 〃Boat number fifty； all paid up。〃
〃You don't look like brothers；〃 Reverend Weeb said accusingly。
〃Si； es verdad；〃 Jim Tile said。
〃Fo sho；〃 added Al Garcia。 〃We true be bros。〃
They had practiced the routine on the long ride down。 Jim Tile had done much better learning Spanish than Al Garcia had done learning jive。 Still； it achieved the desired effect。
Charlie Weeb puckered his cheeks and anxiously ran a manicured hand through his perfect blond hair。 〃Gentlemen； excuse me for a sec；〃 he said； and took Deacon Johnson aside。
〃This is some fucking joke。〃
〃It's no joke； Charles。〃
〃Spic and spade brothers？ I'd call that a joke。〃 Weeb was spitting； he was so exasperated。 〃Izzy； tonight we're flying in one thousand loyal Christian prospective homesite buyers。 I promised them to do a healing； I promised them to have some world…class bass fishing； and I promised to get their shining faces on national cable TV。 All this； Izzy； in order to sell some fucking lots。〃
〃Keep your voice down； Charles。〃 Even at a whisper； Reverend Weeb could rattle the china。
Deacon Johnson took him by the arm and edged away from the newers。 Standing in the rank shadow of the garbage truck； Deacon Johnson said； 〃We've taken their mo
