cyclops-第13章
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〃No； just a leisurely cruise around the bay。〃 Sweat ducked into the forward cabin of his gleaming white fishing boat and turned over the engine。 The single 260…horsepower turbocharged diesel knocked into life。 Exhaust rumbled from the stern and the deck throbbed beneath their feet。 Then Sweat cast off the lines and eased the boat away from the dock； threading through a maze of moored yachts to Biscayne Bay。
By the time the bow skipped past the channel buoys； Rooney was looking for a second drink。 〃Where do you keep the courage？〃
〃Down in the forward cabin。 Help yourself。 There's ice in the brass diver's helmet。〃
When Rooney resurfaced he asked； 〃What's this all about； Tyler？ This is Sunday。 You didn't drag me away from my season box in the middle of a good football game to show me Miami Beach from the water。〃
〃Truth is； I heard you finished your report on the bodies from the blimp last night。〃
〃Three o'clock this morning； to be exact。〃
〃I thought you might want to tell me something。〃
〃For God's sake； Tyler； what's so damned earthshaking that you couldn't have waited until tomorrow morning？〃
〃About an hour ago； I got a call from some Fed in Washington。〃 Sweat paused to ease the throttle up a notch。 〃Said he was with a domestic intelligence agency I'd never heard of。 I won't bore you with his downright belligerent talk。 Never can understand why everybody up North thinks they can blindside a Southern boy。 The upshot was he demanded we turn over the dead from the blimp to federal authorities。〃
〃Which federal authorities？〃
〃Refused to name them。 Got vague as hell when I pushed。〃
Rooney was suddenly intensely interested。 〃He give any hint why they wanted the bodies？〃
〃Claimed it was a security matter。〃
〃You told him no； of course。〃
〃I told him I'd think about it。〃
The turn of events and the gin bined to make Rooney forget his fear of water。 He began to notice the trim lines of the fiberglass craft。 It was Sheriff Sweat's second office； occasionally pressed into service as a backup police cruiser； but more often used to entertain county and state officials on weekend fishing trips。
〃What do you call her？〃 Rooney asked。
〃Call who？〃
〃The boat。〃
〃Oh； the Southern fort。 She's a thirty…five…footer； cruises at fifteen knots。 Built in Australia by an outfit called Stebercraft。〃
〃To get back to the LeBaron case；〃 Rooney said； sipping at his martini； 〃are you going to give in？〃
〃I'm tempted；〃 said Sweat； smiling。 〃Homicide has yet to turn up lead one。 The news media are making a circus out of it。 Everybody from the governor on down is pressuring my ass。 And to top； it off； there's every likelihood the crime wasn't mitted in my jurisdiction。 Hell； yes； I'm tempted to pass the buck to Washington。 Only I'm just stubborn enough to think we might pull a solution out of this mess。〃
〃All right； what do you want from me？〃
The sheriff turned from the helm and looked at him steadily。 〃I want you to tell me what's in your report。〃
〃My findings made the puzzle worse。〃
A small sailboat with four teenagers slipped across their bow and Sweat slowed down and gave way。 〃Tell me about it。〃
〃Let's start at the end and work backwards。 Okay with you？〃
〃Go ahead。〃
〃Threw the hell out of me at first。 Mostly because I wasn't looking for it。 I had a similar case fifteen years ago。 A female body was discovered sitting in a patio chair in her backyard。 Her husband claimed they'd been drinking the night before and he'd gone to bed alone； thinking she would follow。 When he awoke in the morning and looked around； he found her right where he left her； sitting on the patio； only now she was dead。 She had all the appearances of a natural death； no marks of violence； no sign of poison； just a generous amount of alcohol。 The organs seemed healthy enough。 There were no indications of previous disease or disorder。 For a woman of forty she had the body of a twenty…five…year…old。 It bugged the hell out of me。 Then the pieces began to e together。 The postmortem lividity that's the discoloration of the skin caused by the sinking of blood due to gravity is usually purplish。 Her lividity was cherry pink； which pointed to death from either cyanide or carbon monoxide poisoning or hypothermia。 I also discovered hemorrhaging of the pancreas。 Through a process of elimination the first two were discarded。 The final nail in the coffin was the husband's occupation。 The evidence wasn't exactly hard core； but it was enough for the judge to put him away for fifty years。〃
〃What was the husband's line of work？〃 asked Sweat。
〃He drove a truck for a frozen…food pany。 A neat plan。 He pumped booze in her until she passed out。 Set her inside his truck； which he always took home nights and weekends； turned up the refrigeration unit； and waited for her to harden。 After the poor woman expired； he put her back in the patio chair and went to bed。〃
Sweat stared blankly。 〃You're not saying the corpses found in the blimp froze to death。〃
〃I'm saying exactly that。〃
〃No mistake？〃
〃On a certainty scale from one to ten； I can promise an eight。〃
〃Do you realize how that sounds？〃
〃Crazy； I would imagine。〃
〃Three men disappear over the Caribbean in ninety…degree weather and freeze to death？〃 Sweat asked no one in particular。 〃We'll never make this one stick； Doe。 Not without a handy frozen…food truck。〃
〃You've got nothing to stick it to anyway。〃
〃Meaning？〃
〃The FBI report came in。 Jessie LeBaron's ID was on the money。 That isn't her husband in the morgue。 The other two aren't Buck Caesar or Joseph Cavilla either。〃
〃God； what next；〃 Sweat moaned。 〃Who are they？〃
〃There's no record of them in the FBI's fingerprint files。 Best guess is they were foreign nationals。〃
〃Did you find anything at all that might give a clue to their identity？〃
〃I can give you their height and weight。 I can show you X rays of their teeth and previous bone fractures。 Their livers suggested all three favored generous amounts of hard liquor。 The lungs gave away their heavy smoking； teeth and fingertips the fact they smoked unfiltered cigarettes。 They were also big eaters。 Their last meal consisted of dark bread and various fruits and beets。 Two were in their early thirties。 One was forty or over。 They were in above…average physical condition。 Beyond that I can tell you very little that might pin an ID on them。〃
〃It's a start。〃
〃But it still leaves us with LeBaron； Caesar； and Cavilla among the missing。〃
Before Sweat could reply a female voice rasped out his boat's call sign over the radio speaker。 He answered and turned to another channel frequency as instructed。
〃Sorry for the interruption；〃 he said to Rooney。 〃I've got an emergency call over the ship…to…shore phone。〃
Rooney nodded； went into the forward cabin； and poured himself another drink。 A delicious glow coursed through his body。 He took a few moments to go to the head。 When he returned topside to the wheelhouse； Sweat was hanging up the phone； his face red with anger。
〃The rotten bastards！〃 he hissed。
〃What's the problem？〃 Rooney asked。
〃They seized them；〃 Sweat said； pounding the helm with his fist。 〃The damned Feds walked into the morgue and seized the bodies from the blimp。〃
〃But there are legal procedures to follow；〃 Rooney protested。
〃Six men in plainclothes and two federal marshals showed up with the necessary paperwork； stuffed the corpses into three aluminum canisters filled with ice； and took off in a U。S。 Navy helicopter。〃
〃When did this happen？〃
〃Not ten minutes ago。 Harry Victor； the lead investigator on the case； says they also rifled his desk in the homicide office when he was in the john and ripped off his files。〃
〃What about my autopsy report？〃
〃They lifted that too。〃
The gin had put Rooney in a euphoric mood。 〃Oh； well； look at it this way。 They took you and the department off the hook。〃
Sweat's anger slowly subsided。 〃I can't deny they did me a favor； but it's their method that pisses me off。〃
〃There's one small consolation；〃 mumbled Rooney。 He was beginning to have trouble
