ch.nativetongue-第21章

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　〃The　poor　bastard　has　no　pants；〃　the　agent　observed。　〃What　do　you　make　of　that？〃
　〃Sunburned　testicles　is　what　I　make　of　that。　If　we　don't　haul　him　down　soon。〃
　Agent　Hawkins　nodded　seriously。　He　gave　the　coroner　a　card。　The　feds；　they　loved　to　hand　out　cards。
　The　man　from　the　medical　examiner's　played　along。　〃I'll　call　if　anything　turns　up；〃　he　lied。　The　FBI　man　said　thanks　and　headed　back　toward　his　car；　he　was　easy　to　track…a　blocky　gray　suit　moving　through　a　bright　sea　of　Hawaiian　prints　and　Day…Glo　surfer　shorts。　A　dog　in　a　flower　bed。
　The　amused　coroner　soon　was　joined　by　an　equally　amused　trooper　from　the　Florida　Highway　Patrol。
　〃Nice　day　for　a　hangin〃；〃　drawled　the　trooper。　His　name　was　Jim　Tile。　He　wore　the　standard　mirrored　sunglasses　with　gold　wire　frames。
　〃I　don't　see　a　rope；〃　said　the　coroner；　gesturing　at　the　dead　man　high　above　them。　〃What　the　hell's　he　hanging　with？〃
　〃That　would　be　fishing　line；〃　Jim　Tile　said。
　The　coroner　thought　about　it　for　several　moments。　Then　he　said；　〃All　right；　Jim；　what　do　you　think？〃
　〃I　think　it's　a　pretty　poor　excuse　for　a　suicide；〃　said　the　trooper。
　A　tanned　young　man　in　a　crisp　blue　shirt　and　a　red　necktie　worked　his　way　out　of　the　crowd。　The　man　walked　up　to　the　coroner　and　somberly　extended　his　right　hand。　He　wore　some　kind　of　plastic　ID　badge　clipped　to　his　belt。　The　coroner　knew　that　the　tanned　young　man　wasn't　a　cop；　because　his　ID　badge　was　in　the　shape　of　an　animal　head；　possibly　a　raccoon　or　a　small　bear。
　Charles　Chelsea　gestured　toward　the　dead　man　without　looking。　In　a　voice　dripping　with　disgust；　he　said；　〃Can't　you　guys　do　something　about　that？〃
　〃We're　working　on　it；〃　replied　the　coroner。
　〃Well；　work　a　little　faster。〃
　The　man　from　the　medical　examiner's　looked　down　at　Charles　Chelsea's　animal…head　ID　and　smiled。　〃These　things　can't　be　hurried；〃　he　said。
　A　jurisdictional　dispute　had　delayed　the　removal　of　the　offending　body　for　most　of　the　morning。　It　was　a　tricky　geographic　dilemma。　The　middle　of　the　Card　Sound　Bridge　marked　the　boundary　line　between　Dade　and　Monroe　counties。　The　Monroe　County　medical　examiner's　man　had　arrived　first　on　the　scene；　and　decided　that　the　dead　man　was　hanging　in　Dade　County　airspace　and　therefore　was　not　his　responsibility。　The　Dade　County　medical　examiner's　man　had　argued　vigorously　that　the　victim　had　most　certainly　plummeted　from　the　Monroe　County　side　of　the　bridge。　Besides　which　the　Dade　County　morgue　was　already　packed　to　the　rafters　with　homicides；　and　it　wouldn't　kill　Monroe　County　to　take　just　one。　Neither　coroner　would　budge；　so　the　dead　body　just　hung　there　for　four　hours　until　the　Monroe　County　medical　examiner　announced　that　he　was　needed　at　a　fatal　traffic　accident　in　Marathon；　and　scurried　away；　leaving　his　colleague　stuck　with　the　corpse…and　now　some　whiny　pain…in…the…ass　PR　man。
　The　coroner　said　to　Charles　Chelsea：　〃We've　got　to　get　some　pictures。　Take　some　measurements。　Preserve　the　scene；　just　in　case。〃
　〃In　case　of　what？　The　poor　jerk　killed　himself。〃　Chelsea　sounded　annoyed。　Preserving　the　scene　was　the　opposite　of　what　he　wanted。
　Trooper　Jim　Tile　removed　his　sunglasses　and　folded　them　into　a　breast　pocket。　〃I　guess　I　can　go　home。　Now　that　we　got　an　expert　on　the　case。〃
　Charles　Chelsea　started　to　rebuke　this　impertinent　flatfoot；　but　changed　his　mind　when　he　took　a　good　look。　The　trooper　was　very　tall　and　very　muscular　and　very　black；　all　of　which　made　Chelsea　edgy。　He　sensed　that　Jim　Tile　was　not　the　sort　to　be　impressed　by　titles；　but　nonetheless　he　introduced　himself　as　a　vice　president　at　the　Amazing　Kingdom　of　Thrills。
　〃How　nifty；〃　said　the　trooper。
　〃Yes；　it　is；〃　Chelsea　said　pleasantly。　Then；　lowering　his　voice：　〃But；　to　be　frank；　we　could　do　without　this　kind　of　spectacle。〃　His　golden　chin　pointed　up　at　the　hapless　corpse。　Then　he　jerked　a　thumb　over　his　shoulder　at　the　chattering　throng　of　onlookers。
　〃All　these　people；〃　Chelsea　said　urgently；　〃were　on　their　way　to　our　theme　park。〃
　〃How　do　you　know？〃　asked　Jim　Tile。
　〃Look　around　here…where　else　would　they　be　going？　What　else　is　there　to　see？〃
　〃In　other　words；　you　would　like　us　to　remove　the　deceased　as　quickly　as　possible。〃
　〃Yes；　exactly；〃　said　Charles　Chelsea。
　〃Because　it's　petition。〃
　The　publicity　man's　eyes　narrowed。　Frostily　he　said；　〃That's　not　at　all　what　I　meant。〃　Giving　up　on　the　black　policeman；　he　appealed　to　the　coroner's　sense　of　propriety：　〃All　the　young　children　hanging　around…they　shouldn't　be　witness　to　something　like　this。　Vacations　are　for　fun　and　fantasy；　not　for　looking　at　dead　bodies。〃
　Jim　Tile　said；　〃They　seem　to　be　enjoying　it。〃
　〃We　didn't　ask　for　an　audience；〃　the　coroner　added。　He　was　accustomed　to　gawkers　in　Miami。　Shopping　malls　were　the　worst；　drug　dealers　were　always　leaving　murdered　rivals　in　the　trunks　of　luxury　automobiles　at　shopping　malls。　The　crowds　were　unbelievable；　pushing　and　shoving；　everybody　wanting　a　peek　at　the　stiff。
　The　coroner　told　Charles　Chelsea：　〃This　always　happens。　It's　just　a　sick　fact　of　human　nature。〃
　〃Well；　can't　you　hurry　up　and　get　him…it…down？　The　longer　it　stays　up　there；　the　more　people　will　stop。〃　Chelsea　paused　to　survey　the　size　of　the　crowd。　〃This　is　horrible；〃　he　said；　〃right　in　the　middle　of　Summerfest。　It's　giving　all　these　folks　the　wrong　idea。〃
　Jim　Tile　couldn't　wait　to　hear　more。　〃The　wrong　idea　about　what？〃
　〃About　Florida；〃　said　Charles　Chelsea。　The　indignation　in　his　tone　was　authentic。　〃This　is　not　the　image　we're　trying　to　promote。　Surely　you　can　understand。〃
　Grimly　he　turned　and　disappeared　into　the　gallery　of　onlookers。
　The　coroner　once　again　fixed　his　attention　on　what　was　hanging　from　the　Card　Sound　Bridge。　He　asked　Jim　Tile；　〃So　what　do　you　think　about　getting　him　down　from　there？〃
　〃Easy；〃　said　the　trooper。　〃I'll　go　up　and　cut　the　line。〃
　〃You　really　think　that's　safe？〃
　Jim　Tile　looked　at　him　curiously。
　〃With　all　these　people　milling　around；〃　said　the　coroner。　〃What　if　he　hits　somebody？　Look　at　all　these　damn　boats。〃　He　frowned　and　shook　his　head。　〃I　think　we've　got　a　serious　liability　risk　here。　Somebody　could　be　injured　or　killed。〃
　〃By　a　falling　corpse；〃　said　Jim　Tile　thoughtfully。
　〃You　betcha。　Look　at　all　these　damn　tourists。〃
　Jim　Tile　took　out　a　bullhorn　and　ordered　the　boats　to　weigh　anchor。　He　also　instructed　the　bystanders　to　get　off　the　jetty　under　threat　of　arrest。　Then　he　went　to　the　top　of　the　bridge　and　quickly　found　what　he　was　looking　for：　a　nest　of　heavy　monofilament　fishing　line　tangled　around　the　base　of　a　concrete　column。　One　end　of　the　monofilament　was　attached　to　the　type　of　flat　plastic　spool　used　by　Cuban　handline　fishermen。　The　other　end　of　the　line　led　over　the　side　of　the　bridge；　and　was　attached　to　the　dead　man's　neck。
　The　trooper　got　a　35…millimeter　camera　out　of　the　patrol　car　and　took　pictures　of　the　column　and　the　knot。　Then　he　got　down　on　his　belly　and　extended　his　head　over　the　side　of　the　bridge　and　snapped　several　aerial…type　photographs　of　the　hanging　corpse。
　After　Jim　Tile　put　the　camera　away；　he　waved　twice　at　the　coroner；　still　standing　on　the　rocks　below。　Then；　when　the　coroner　gave　the　signal；　the　trooper　unfolded　his　pocketknife　and　cut　through　the　monofilament　fishing　line。
　He　heard　the　crowd　go　ooooohhhh　before　he　heard　the　splash。　A　marine　patrol　boat　idled　up　to　the　dead　man　and　fished　him　out　of　the　water　with　a　short…handled　gaff。
　They　were　loading　the　body　into　the　van　when　the　coroner　told　his　theory　to　Jim　Tile。　〃I　don't　think　it's　a　suicide；〃　he　said。
　〃What；　somebody　was　using　him　for　bait？〃
　〃No；　this　is　what　I　think　happened；〃　said　the　coroner；　demonstrating　with　his　arms。　〃You　know　how　these　Cuban　guys　twirl　the　fishlines　over　their　heads　real　fast　to　make　a　long　cast？　It　looks　to　me　like　he　messed　up　and　wrapped　the　damn　thing　tight　around　his　neck；　like　a　bolo。　That's　what　I　think。〃　He　picked　up　a　clipboard　and　began　to　write。　〃What　was　the　color　of　his　eyes？　Brown；　I　think。〃
　〃I　didn't　look；〃　said　Jim　Tile。　He　wasn't　crazy　about　dead　bodies。
　The　man　from　the　medical　examiner's　reached　into　the　van　and　tugged　at　the　woolen　blanket；　revealing　the　dead　man's　features。
　〃I　was　right；〃　said　th