ch.nativetongue-第67章

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　The　trailer　fire　had　left　Carrie　Lanier　with　only　three　possessions：　her　Buick　Electra；　the　gun　she　had　taken　from　Joe　Winder　and　the　newly　retired　raccoon　suit。　The　costume　and　the　gun　had　been　stowed　in　the　trunk　of　the　car。　Everything　else　had　been　destroyed　in　the　blaze。
　Molly　McNamara　offered　her　a　bedroom　on　the　second　floor　of　the　old　house。　〃I'd　loan　you　the　condo　but　the　cleaners　are　in　this　week；〃　Molly　said。　〃It's　hard　to　rent　out　a　place　with　bloodstains　in　the　carpet。〃
　〃What　about　Joe？〃　Carrie　said；　〃I'd　like　him　to　stay　with　me。〃
　Molly　clucked。　〃Young　lady；　I　really　can't　approve。　Two　unmarried　people…〃
　〃But　under　the　circumstances；〃　Carrie　persisted；　〃with　all　that's　happened。〃
　〃Oh。。。I　suppose　it's　all　right。〃　Molly　had　a　sparkle　in　her　eyes。　〃I　was　teasing；　darling。　Besides；　you　act　as　if　you're　in　love。〃
　Carrie　said　it　was　a　long　shot。　〃We're　both　very　goal…oriented；　and　very　stubborn。　I'm　not　sure　we're　heading　in　the　same　direction。〃　She　paused　and　looked　away。　〃He　doesn't　seem　to　fit　anywhere。〃
　〃You　wouldn't　want　him　if　he　did；〃　Molly　said。　〃The　world　is　full　of　nice　boring　young　men。　The　crazy　ones　are　hard　to　find　and　harder　to　keep；　but　it's　worth　it。〃
　〃Your　husband　was　like　that？〃
　〃Yes。　My　lovers；　too。〃
　〃But　crazy　isn't　the　word　for　it；　is　it？〃
　Molly　smiled　pensively。　〃You're　a　smart　cookie。〃
　〃Did　you　know　that　Joe's　father　built　Seashell　Estates？〃
　〃Oh　dear；〃　Molly　said。　A　dreadful　project：　six　thousand　units　on　eight　hundred　acres；　plus　a　golf　course。　Wiped　out　an　egret　rookery。　A　mangrove　estuary。　And　too　late　it　was　discovered　〃that　the　fairways　were　leaching　fertilizer　and　pesticides　directly　into　the　waters　of　Biscayne　Bay。
　Molly　McNamara　said；　〃Those　were　the　bad　old　days。〃
　〃Joe's　still　upset。〃
　〃But　it　certainly　wasn't　his　fault。　He　must've　been　barely　a　teenager　when　Seashell　was　developed。〃
　〃He's　got　a　thing　about　his　father；〃　Carrie　said。
　〃Is　that　what　this　is　all　about？〃
　〃He　hears　bulldozers　in　his　sleep。〃
　Molly　said；　〃It's　not　as　strange　as　you　might　imagine。　The　question　is；　can　you　take　it？　Is　this　the　kind　of　fellow　you　want？〃
　〃That's　a　tough　one；〃　Carrie　said。　〃He　could　easily　get　himself　killed　this　week。〃
　〃Take　the　blue　bedroom　at　the　end　of　the　hall。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Miss　McNamara。〃
　〃Just　one　favor；〃　Molly　said。　〃The　headboard…it's　an　antique。　I　found　it　at　a　shop　in　Williamsburg。〃
　〃We'll　be　careful；〃　Carrie　promised。
　That　night　they　made　love　on　the　bare　pine　floor。　Drenched　in　sweat；　they　slid　like　ice　cubes　across　the　slick　varnished　planks。　Eventually　they　wound　up　wedged　headfirst　in　a　corner；　where　Carrie　fell　asleep　with　Joe　Winder's　earlobe　clenched　tenderly　in　her　teeth。　He　was　starting　to　doze　himself　when　he　heard　Molly's　voice　in　the　adjoining　bedroom。　She　was　talking　sternly　to　a　man　who　didn't　sound　like　either　Skink　or　the　two　redneck　burglars。
　When　Winder　heard　the　other　door　close；　he　delicately　extricated　himself　from　Carrie's　bite　and　lifted　her　to　the　bed。　Then　he　wrapped　himself　in　an　old　quilt　and　crept　into　the　hall　to　see　who　was　in　the　next　room。
　The　last　person　he　expected　to　find　was　Agent　Billy　Hawkins　of　the　Federal　Bureau　of　Investigation。　Trussed　to　a　straight…backed　chair；　Hawkins　wore　someone　else's　boxer　shorts　and　black　nylon　socks。　A　bandage　was　wadded　around　one　bare　thigh；　and　two　strips　of　hurricane　tape　crisscrossed　his　mouth。　He　reeked　of　antiseptic。
　Joe　Winder　slipped　into　the　room　and　twisted　the　lock　behind　him。　Gingerly　he　peeled　the　heavy　tape　from　the　agent's　face。
　〃Fancy　meeting　you　here。〃
　〃Nice　getup；〃　Billy　Hawkins　remarked。　〃Would　you　please　untie　me？〃
　〃First　tell　me　what　happened。〃
　〃What　does　it　look　like？　The　old　bird　shot　me。〃
　〃Any　particular　reason？〃
　〃Just　get　me　loose；　goddammit。〃
　Winder　said；　〃Not　until　I　hear　the　story。〃
　Reluctantly；　Hawkins　told　him　about　Bud　Schwartz　and　the　long…distance　phone　call　to　Queens　and　the　possible　exposure　of　a　federally　protected　witness。
　〃Who's　the　flip？〃
　〃I　can't　tell　you　that。〃
　Joe　Winder　pressed　the　hurricane　tape　over　Hawkins's　lips…then　fiercely　yanked　it　away。　Hawkins　yelped。　Tears　of　pain　sprang　to　his　eyes。　In　colorful　expletives　he　offered　the　opinion　that　Winder　had　gone　insane。
　The　excruciating　procedure　was　repeated　on　one　of　Billy　Hawkins's　bare　nipples　and　nearly　uprooted　a　cluster　of　curly　black　hairs。　〃I　can　do　this　all　night；〃　Winder　said。　〃I'm　way　past　the　point　of　caring。〃
　The　agent　took　a　long　bitter　moment　to　pose　himself。　〃You　could　go　to　prison；〃　he　mumbled。
　〃For　assaulting　you　with　adhesive　tape？　I　don't　think　so。〃　Winder　placed　one　gummy　strip　along　the　line　of　soft　hair　that　trailed　southward　from　Billy　Hawkins's　navel。　The　agent　gaped　helplessly　as　Winder　jerked　hard；　the　tape　came　off　with　a　sibilant　rip。
　〃You…you're　a　goddamn　lunatic！〃
　〃But　I'm　your　only　hope。　Who's　going　to　believe　you　were　shot　and　abducted　by　an　elderly　widow？　And　if　they　should　believe　it；　what　would　that　do　to　your　career？〃　Joe　Winder　spread　the　quilt　on　the　floor　and　sat　cross…legged　in　front　of　the　hog…tied　agent。
　〃Blaine；　Washington；〃　Winder　said。　〃Isn't　that　the　FBI's　equivalent　of　Siberia？〃
　Hawkins　conceded　the　point　silently。　The　political　cost　of　prosecuting　a　grandmother　and　a　pair　of　candyass　burglars　would　be　high。　The　Bureau　was　hypersensitive　to　incidents　incongruous　with　the　lantern…jawed　crime…buster　image　promoted　by　J。　Edgar　Hoover；　for　an　FBI　agent　to　be　overpowered　by　a　doddering　senior　citizen　was　a　disgrace。　An　immediate　transfer　to　some　godforsaken　cowtown　would　be　a　certainty。
　〃So　what　can　you　do？〃　Hawkins　asked　Winder　sourly。
　〃Maybe　nothing。　Maybe　save　your　skin。　Did　Molly　make　you　call　the　office？〃
　The　agent　nodded。　〃At　gunpoint。　I　told　them　I　was　taking　a　couple　of　sick　days。〃
　〃They　ask　about　this　Mafia　thing？〃
　〃I　told　them　it　wasn't　panning　out。　Looked　like　a　bullshit　shakedown。〃　Hawkins　sounded　embarrassed。　〃That's　what　she　made　me　say。　Threatened　to　shoot　me　again　if　I　didn't　go　along　with　the　routine…and　it　didn't　sound　like　a　bluff。〃
　〃You　did　the　right　thing；〃　Joe　Winder　said。　〃No　sense　chancing　it。〃　He　stood　up　and　rewrapped　himself　in　the　quilt。　〃You'll　have　to　stay　like　this　a　while；〃　he　told　the　agent。　〃It's　the　only　way。〃
　〃I　don't　get　it。　What's　your　connection　to　these　crackpots？〃
　〃Long　story。〃
　〃Winder；　don't　be　a　jackass。　This　isn't　a　game。〃　Hawkins　spoke　sternly　for　a　man　in　his　ridiculous　predicament。　〃Somebody　could　get　killed。　That's　not　what　you　want；　is　it？〃
　〃Depends。　Tell　me　the　name　of　this　precious　witness。〃
　〃Frankie　King。〃
　Joe　Winder　shrugged。　〃Never　heard　of　him。〃
　〃Moved　down　from　New　York　after　he　snitched　on　some　of　Gotti's　crowd。　This　was　a　few　years　back。〃
　〃Swift　move。　What's　he　calling　himself　these　days？〃
　〃That　I　can't　possibly　tell　you。〃
　〃Then　you're　on　your　own；　Billy。　Think　about　it。　Your　word　against　Grandma　Moses。　Picture　the　headlines：　'Sharpshooter　Widow　Gunned　Me　Down；　Nude　G…Man　Claims。'　〃
　Hawkins　sagged　dispiritedly。　He　said；　The　flip's　name　is　Francis　Kingsbury。　You　happy　now？〃
　〃Kingsbury？〃　Joe　Winder　raised　his　eyes　to　the　heavens　and　cackled　raucously。　〃The　Mafia　is　ing　down　here　to　whack　Mr。　X！〃
　〃Hey；〃　Billy　Hawkins　said；　〃it's　not　funny。〃
　But　it　was　very　funny　to　Joe　Winder。　〃Francis　X。　Kingsbury。　Millionaire　theme…park　developer　and　real…estate　mogul；　darling　of　the　Chamber　of　merce；　1988　Rotarian　Citizen　of　the　Year。　And　you're　telling　me　he's　really　a　two…bit　jizzbag　on　the　run　from　the　mob？〃
　Ecstatically；　Joe　Winder　hopped　from　foot　to　foot；　spinning　in　a　circle　and　twirling　Molly's　quilt　like　a　calico　cape。
　〃Oh；　Billy　boy；〃　he　sang；　〃isn't　this　a　great　country！〃
　
　They　were　thirty　minutes　late　to　the　airport　because　Danny　Pogue　insisted　on　watching　the　end　of　a　National　Geographic　television　documentary　about　rhinoceros　poachers　in　Africa。
　In　the　car　he　couldn't　stop　talking　about　the　program。　〃The　only　reason　they　kill　'em；　see；　what　they're　after　is　the　horns。　Just　the　horns！〃　He　put　his　fist　on　his　nose　to　simulate　a　rhinoceros　snout。　〃In　some　places　they　use　'em　for　sex　potions。〃
　〃Get　off　it；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz。