ch.nativetongue-第39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！


　Kingsbury　eyed　the　men　suspiciously。　〃Fifty；　you　said？　As　in　five…oh？〃
　〃Right。〃　Bud　Schwartz　gave　half　a　grin。　〃That's　fifty　to　give　back　the　Gotti　file。。。〃
　〃And？〃
　〃Two　hundred　more　to　forget　what　was　in　it。〃
　Kingsbury　chuckled　bitterly。　〃So　I　was　wrong；〃　he　said。　〃You're　not　such　a　putz。〃
　
　Danny　Pogue　was　so　overjoyed　that　he　could　barely　control　himself　on　the　ride　back　to　Molly's　condominium。　〃We're　gonna　be　rich；〃　he　said；　pounding　both　hands　on　the　upholstery。　〃You're　a　genius；　man；　that's　what　you　are。〃
　〃It　went　good；〃　Bud　Schwartz　agreed。　Better　than　he　had　ever　imagined。　As　he　drove；　he　did　the　arithmetic　in　his　head。　Five　thousand　for　the　American　Express　file；　fifty　for　the　Gotti　stuff；　another　two　hundred　in　hush　money。。。rich　was　the　word　for　it。　〃Early　retirement；〃　he　said　to　Danny　Pogue。　〃No　more　damn　b…and…e's。〃
　〃You　don't　think　he'll　call　the　cops？〃
　〃That's　the　last　place　he'd　call。　Guy's　a　scammer；　Danny。〃
　They　stopped　at　a　U…Tote…Em　and　bought　two　six…packs　of　Coors　and　a　box　of　jelly　doughnuts。　In　the　parking　lot　they　rolled　down　the　windows　and　turned　up　the　radio　and　stuffed　themselves　in　jubilation。　It　was　an　hour　until　curfew；　if　they　weren't　back　by　midnight；　Molly　had　said；　she　would　call　the　FBI　and　say　her　memory　had　returned。
　〃I　bet　she'll　cut　us　some　slack；〃　said　Danny　Pogue；　〃if　we're　a　little　late。〃
　〃Maybe。〃　Bud　Schwartz　opened　the　door　and　rolled　an　empty　beer　can　under　the　car。　He　said；　〃I'm　sure　getting'　tired　of　being　her　pet　burglar。〃
　〃Well；　then；　let's　go　to　a　tittie　bar　and　celebrate。〃　Danny　Pogue　said　he　knew　of　a　place　where　the　girls　danced　naked　on　the　tables；　and　let　you　grab　their　ankles　for　five　bucks。
　Bud　Schwartz　said　not　tonight。　There　would　be　no　celebration　until　they　broke　free　from　the　old　lady。　Tonight　he　would　make　a　pitch　for　the　rest　of　the　ten　grand　that　she'd　promised。　Surely　they　were　square　by　now；　Molly　had　been　so　thrilled　by　the　contents　of　the　Ramex　file　that　she'd　given　him　a　hug。　Then　she'd　gone　out　and　had　eight　copies　made。　What　more　could　she　want　of　them？
　Back　on　the　road；　Bud　Schwartz　said：　〃Remember；　don't　say　a　damn　thing　about　what　we　done　tonight。〃
　〃You　told　me　a　hundred　times。〃
　〃Well；　it'll　screw　up　everything。　I　mean　it；　don't　tell　her　where　we　been。〃
　〃No　reason；〃　said　Danny　Pogue。　〃It's　got　nothin'　to　do　with　the　butterflies；　right？〃
　〃No；　it　sure　does　not。〃
　Danny　Pogue　said　he　was　hungry　again；　so　they　stopped　to　pick　up　some　chicken　nuggets。　Again　they　ate　in　the　parking　lot；　listening　to　a　country　station。　Bud　Schwartz　had　never　before　driven　an　automobile　with　a　working　clock；　so　he　was　surprised　to　glance　at　the　dashboard　of　the　Cutlass　and　find　that　it　was　half　past　twelve；　and　counting。
　〃Better　roll；〃　Danny　Pogue　said；　〃just　in　case。〃
　〃I　got　a　better　idea…gimme　a　quarter。〃　Bud　Schwartz　got　out　and　walked　to　a　pay　telephone　under　a　streetlight。　He　dialed　the　number　of　Molly　McNamara's　condominium　and　let　it　ring　five　minutes。　He　hung　up；　retrieved　the　quarter　and　dialed　again。　This　time　he　let　it　ring　twice　as　long。
　In　the　car；　speeding　down　U。S。　1；　Danny　Pogue　said；　〃I　can't　believe　she'd　do　it…maybe　she　went　someplace　else。　Maybe　she　left　us　a　note。〃
　Bud　Schwartz　gripped　the　wheel　with　both　hands；　the　bullet　wound　was　numb　because　he　had　forgotten　about　it。　Escape　was　on　his　mind…what　if　the　old　bitch　had　run　to　the　feds？　Worse；　what　if　she'd　found　the　Gotti　file？　What　if　she'd　gone　snooping　through　the　bedroom　and　found　it　hidden　between　the　mattress　and　the　box　spring；　which　in　retrospect　was　probably　not　the　cleverest　place　of　concealment。
　〃Shit；〃　he　said；　thinking　of　the　bleak　possibilities。
　〃Don't　jump　the　gun；〃　said　Danny　Pogue；　for　once　the　optimist。
　They　made　it　back　to　the　condo　in　twenty…two　minutes；　parked　the　rental　car　and　went　upstairs。　The　door　to　Molly's　apartment　was　unlocked。　Bud　Schwartz　knocked　twice　anyway。　〃It's　just　us；〃　he　announced　lightly；　〃Butch　and　Sundance。〃
　When　he　went　in；　he　saw　that　the　place　had　been　torn　apart。　〃Oh　Jesus；〃　he　said。
　Danny　Pogue　pushed　him　with　the　crutch。　〃I　can't　fucking　believe　it；〃　he　said。　〃Somebody　hit　the　place。〃
　〃No；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz；　〃it's　more　than　that。〃
　The　sofas　had　been　slit；　chairs　broken；　mirrors　shattered。　A　ceramic　Siamese　cat　had　been　smashed　face…first　through　the　big…screen　television。　While　Danny　Pogue　hopscotched　through　the　rubble；　Bud　Schwartz　went　directly　to　the　bedroom；　which　also　had　been　ransacked　and　vandalized。　He　reached　under　the　mattress　and　found　the　Kingsbury　files　exactly　where　he　had　left　them。　Whoever　did　the　place　hadn't　been　looking　very　hard；　if　it　all。
　A　hoarse　shout　came　from　the　kitchen。
　Bud　Schwartz　found　Danny　Pogue　on　his　knees　next　to　Molly　McNamara。　She　lay　on　her　back；　with　one　leg　folded　crookedly　under　the　other。　Her　housecoat；　torn　and　stained　with　something　dark；　was　bunched　around　her　hips。　Her　face　had　been　beaten　to　pulp；　beads　of　blood　glistened　like　holly　berries　in　her　snowy　hair。　Her　eyes　were　closed　and　her　lips　were　gray；　but　she　was　breathing…raspy；　irregular　gulps。
　Danny　Pogue　took　Molly's　wrist。　〃God　Almighty；〃　he　said；　voice　quavering。　〃What…who　do　we　call？〃
　〃Nobody。〃　Bud　Schwartz　shook　his　head　ruefully。　〃Don't　you　understand；　we　can't　call　nobody。〃　He　bent　down　and　put　his　bandaged　hand　on　Molly's　forehead。　〃Who　the　hell　would　do　this　to　an　old　lady？〃
　〃I　hope　she　don't　die。〃
　〃Me；　too；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz。　〃Honest　to　God；　this　ain't　right。〃
　
　SEVENTEEN
　Joe　Winder's　trousers　were　soaked　from　the　thighs　down。　Nina　took　a　long　look　and　said：　〃You've　been　fishing。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃In　the　middle　of　the　day。〃
　〃The　fish　are　all　gone；〃　Winder　said　dismally。　〃Ever　since　they　bulldozed　the　place。〃
　Nina　sat　cross…legged　on　the　floor。　She　wore　blue…jean　shorts　and　a　pink　cotton　halter；　the　same　outfit　she'd　been　wearing　the　day　he'd　met　her；　calling　out　numbers　at　the　Seminole　bingo　hall。　Joe　Winder　had　gone　there　to　meet　an　Indian　named　Sammy　Deer；　who　purportedly　was　selling　an　airboat；　but　Sammy　Deer　had　hopped　over　to　Freeport　for　the　weekend；　leaving　Joe　Winder　stuck　with　three　hundred　chain…smoking　white　women　in　the　bingo　hall。　Halfway　out　the　door；　he'd　heard　Nina's　voice　（〃Q　34；　Q；　as　in　〃quicksilver；〃　34！〃）；　spun　around　and　went　back　to　see　if　she　looked　as　lovely　as　she　sounded；　and　she　had。　Nina　informed　him　that　she　was　part…timing　as　a　bingo　caller　until　the　telephone　gig　came　through；　and　he　confided　to　her　that　he　was　buying　an　airboat　so　he　could　disappear　into　the　Everglades　at　will。　He　changed　his　plans　after　their　first　date。
　Now；　analyzing　her　body　language；　Joe　Winder　knew　that　he　was　in　danger　of　losing　Nina's　affections。　A　yellow　legal　pad　was　propped　on　her　lap。　She　tapped　on　a　bare　knee　with　her　felt…tipped　pen；　which　she　held　as　a　drummer　would。
　〃What　happened　to　your　big　meeting？〃　she　said。　〃Why　aren't　you　at　the　Kingdom？〃
　He　pretended　not　to　hear。　He　said；　〃They　dumped　a　ton　of　fill　in　the　cove。　The　bottom's　mucky　and　full　of　cut　trees。〃　He　removed　his　trousers　and　arranged　them　crookedly　on　a　wire　hanger。　〃All　against　the　law；　of　course。　Dumping　in　a　marine　sanctuary。〃
　Nina　said；　〃You　got　canned；　is　that　it？〃
　〃A　mutual　parting　of　the　ways；　and　not　a　particularly　amicable　one。〃　Joe　Winder　sat　down　beside　her。　He　sensed　a　lecture　ing　on。
　〃Put　on　some　pants；〃　she　said。
　〃What's　the　point？〃
　Nina　asked　why　his　tongue　was　blue；　and　he　told　her　the　story　of　the　bogus　mango　voles。　She　said　she　didn't　believe　a　word。
　〃Charlie　practically　admitted　everything。〃
　〃I　don't　really　care；〃　Nina　said。　She　stopped　drumming　on　her　kneecap　and　turned　away。
　〃What　is　it？〃
　〃Look；　I　can't　afford　to　support　you。〃　When　she　looked　back　at　him；　her　eyes　were　moist　and　angry。　〃Things　were　going　so　well；〃　she　said。
　Winder　was　stunned。　Was　she　seriously　worried　about　the　money？　〃Nina；　there's　a　man　dead。　Don't　you　understand？　I　can't　work　for　a　murderer。〃
　〃Stop　it！〃　She　shook　the　legal　pad　in　front　of　his　nose。　〃You　know　what　I've　been　working　on？　Extra　scripts。　The　other　girls　like　my　stuff　so　much　they　offered　to　buy；　like；　two　or　three　a　week。　Twenty…five　bucks　each；　it　could　reall