ch.nativetongue-第58章
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〃No； they're not。 We're going to kill this project。〃 A worried murmuring swept through the Mothers。 〃How？〃 one asked。 〃How can we stop it now？〃
〃Sabotage；〃 Molly McNamara answered。 〃Don't you people have any imagination？〃
Immediately Spacci began waving his arms and whining about the ramifications of criminal misconduct。 Molly said： 〃If it makes you feel better； Mr。 Spacci； get yourself a plate of the chicken Stroganoff and go out on the patio。 And take your precious ethics with you。〃
Once the lawyer was gone； Molly asked if anyone else was having doubts about the Falcon Trace campaign。 One board member； a devout Quaker； fluttered his hand and said yes； he was afraid of more bloodshed。 Then he made a motion （quickly seconded） that the Mothers telephone the police to report the two men who had attacked Molly。
〃We don't need the police；〃 she said。 〃In fact； I've already retained the services of two experienced security men。〃 With both hands she motioned to the back of the room； where Bud Schwartz and Danny Pogue stood near an open door。 Danny Pogue flushed at the introduction and puffed his chest； trying to look like a tough customer。 Bud Schwartz focused sullenly on an invisible tarantula； dangling directly over Molly McNamara's hair。
Eventually the Mothers of Wilderness quit staring at the burglars…turned…bodyguards； and Molly resumed her pep talk。 Danny Pogue picked up a spoon and sidled over to the cheese ball。 Bud Schwartz slipped out the door。
In a butcher shop near Howard Beach； Queens； a man known as The Salamander picked up the telephone and said： 〃Talk。〃
〃Jimmy gave me the number。 Jimmy Noodles。〃
〃I'm listening；〃 said The Salamander； whose real name was Salvatore Delicato。
〃I got Jimmy's number from Gino Ricci's brother。〃
The Salamander said； 〃Fine。 Didn't I already say I was listening？ So talk。〃
〃In case you wanna check it out…I'm calling from Florida。 I did time with Gino's brother。〃
〃How thrilling for you。 Now I'm hangin' up； asshole。〃
〃Wait；〃 said the voice。 〃You been lookin' for a certain rat。 I know where he is。 The man who did the Zubonis。〃
The Salamander slammed down his cleaver。 〃Gimme a number I can call you back；〃 he said。 〃Don't say another word； just tell me a number。〃
The caller from Florida repeated it twice。 Sal Delicato used a finger to write the numerals in pig blood on a butcher block。 Then he untied his apron； washed his hands； bed his hair； snatched a roll of quarters from the cash register and walked three blocks to a pay phone。
〃All right； smart guy；〃 he said when the man answered in Florida。 〃First off； I don't know any Zuboni brothers。〃
〃I never said they was brothers。〃
〃You didn't？〃 Shit； thought The Salamander； I gotta pay closer attention。 〃Look； never mind。 Just hurry up and tell me what's so important。〃
〃There's this creep in the Witness Relocation Program； you know who I'm talking about。 He testified against the Zuboni brothers； the ones you never heard of。 Anyway； they gave this creep a new name； new Social Security； the whole nine yards。 He's doing real nice for himself。 In fact； he's worth a couple million bucks is what I hear。〃
Sal Delicato said； 〃You're a dreamer。〃
〃Well； maybe I got the wrong man。 Maybe I got some bad information。 I was under the impression you people were looking for Frankie King； am I wrong？〃
〃I don't know no Frankie King。〃
〃Fine。 Nice talkin〃 with you…〃
〃Hold on；〃 said The Salamander。 〃I probably know somebody who might be interested。 What'd you say your name was？〃
〃Schwartz。 Buddy Schwartz。 I was with Gino's brother at Lake Butler； Florida。 You can check it out。〃
〃I will。〃
〃In the meantime； you oughta talk to Mr。 Gotti。〃
〃I don't know no Gotti；〃 said The Salamander。 〃I definitely don't know no fucking Gotti。〃
〃Whatever。〃
Over the phone Bud Schwartz heard the din of automobile horns and hydraulic bus brakes and jackhammers and police sirens。 He felt glad he was in Miami instead of on a street corner in Queens。 At the other end； Sal Delicato cleared his throat with a series of porcine grunts。 〃You said they gave him a new name； right？ This Frankie King。〃
〃Yep；〃 said Bud Schwartz。
〃Well； what name does he got at the moment？〃
〃See； this is what I wanna talk about。〃
〃Sounds like you're playin' games； huh？〃
Bud Schwartz said； 〃No； sir。 This ain't no game。〃
〃All right； all right。 Tell you what to do： First off； you might already got some problems。 The phone lines to my shop aren't so clean； understand？〃
Bud Schwartz said； 〃I'll be gone from here in a few days。〃
〃Be that as it may；〃 said The Salamander； 〃next time you call me at the shop； do it from a pay booth…they got pay booths in Florida； right？ And don't say shit； either。 Just say you want five dozen lamb chops； all right？ That's how I know it's you…five dozen lamb chops。〃
〃No problem；〃 said Bud Schwartz。
〃Thirdly； it don't matter what phones we're on； don't ever mention that fucking name。〃
〃Frankie King？〃
〃No； the other one。 The one starts with 'G。' 〃
〃The one you never heard of？〃
〃Right；〃 said Salvatore （The Salamander） Delicato。 〃That's the one。〃
Later； drinking a beer on the porch； Danny Pogue said； 〃I can't believe you done that。〃
〃Why not？〃 said Bud Schwartz。 The asshole double…crossed us。 Tried to rip us off。〃
〃Plus what he done to Molly。〃
〃Yeah； there's that。〃
Danny Pogue said； 〃Do you think they'll kill him？〃
〃Something like that。 Maybe worse。〃
〃Jesus； Bud； I wouldn't know how to call up the Mafia； my life depended on it。 The Mafia！〃
〃It wasn't easy finding the right people。 They're not in the Yellow Pages； that's for sure。〃
Danny Pogue laughed uproariously； exposing cheese…spackled teeth。 〃You're a piece a work；〃 he said。
〃Yeah； well。〃 Bud Schwartz had surprised himself with the phone call。 He had remained cool and posed even with a surly mob heavyweight on the other end of the line。 Bud Schwartz felt he had braved a higher and more serious realm of criminality； what's more； he had single…handedly set in motion a major event。
Danny Pogue said； 〃How much'll they give us for turning the bastard in？〃
〃Don't know；〃 said Bud Schwartz。 〃The man's checking it out。〃
Danny Pogue drained his beer and stared at his dirty tennis shoes。 In a small voice he said； 〃Bud； I'm really sorry I ran away at the monkey place。〃
〃Yeah； what a surprise。 You taking off and leaving me alone to get my brains knocked out。 Imagine that。〃
〃I got scared is all。〃
〃Obviously。〃 What the hell could he expect？ Like all thieves； Danny Pogue was low on valor and high on self…preservation。
He said； 〃It's okay if you killed that guy。 I mean； it was definitely self…defense。 No jury in the world would send you up on that one。〃
Great； Bud Schwartz thought； now he's Perry Mason。 〃Danny； I'm gonna tell you one more time： it wasn't me； it was a damn baboon。〃
Here was something Danny Pogue admired about his partner； most dirtbags would have lied about what happened so they could take credit for the shooting。 Not Bud…even if a monkey was involved。 That was Danny Pogue's idea of class。
〃I got a feeling they meant to kill us；〃 Bud Schwartz said。 He had replayed the scene a hundred times in his head； and it always added up to a murderous rip…off。 It made him furious to think that Francis Kingsbury would try it。。。so furious that he'd tracked down his old cellmate Mario； who steered him to Jimmy Noodles； who gave him the number of the butcher shop in Queens。
Nothing but revenge was on Bud Schwartz's mind。 〃I want them to know；〃 he said to Danny Pogue； 〃that they can't screw with us just 'cause we're burglars。〃
The screen door squeaked open and Molly McNamara joined the men on the porch。 Her eyes looked puffy and tired。 She asked Danny Pogue to fix her a glass of lemonade； and he dashed to the kitchen。 She adjusted her new dentures and said； 〃The meeting went poorly。 There's not much support for my ideas。〃
One hand moved to her chest； and she took a raspy； labored breath。
Bud Schwartz said； 〃You ain't feeling so good； huh？〃
〃Not tonight； no。〃 She placed a tiny pill under her tongue and closed her eyes。 A flash of distant lightning announced a
