ch.nativetongue-第69章

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　Chelsea　cautioned　Kingsbury　to　keep　his　voice　down。　The　sportswriters　were　picking　up　on　the　fact　that　Jake　Harp　was　seriously　under　the　weather。
　〃Coffee's　on　the　way；〃　Chelsea　chirped　lightly。
　〃You　want　me　to　hit　it　in　the　ocean？〃　Jake　Harp　said。　〃This　is　nuts。〃
　One　of　the　news　photographers　shouted　for　the　security　officers　to　get　out　of　the　way；　they　were　blocking　the　picture。　Kingsbury　manded　the　troops　of　Pedro　Luz　to　move　to　one　side；　Pedro　Luz　himself　was　not　present；　having　refused　with　vague　mutterings　to　exit　the　storage　room　and　join　the　phony　golf　clinic　at　Falcon　Trace。　His　men；　however；　embraced　with　gusto　and　amusement　the　task　of　guarding　Francis　X。　Kingsbury　from　assailants　unknown。
　Having　cleared　the　security　force　to　make　an　opening　for　Jake　Harp；　Kingsbury　ordered　the　golfer　to　swing　away。
　〃I　can't；　Frank。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃I'm　hung　over。　I　can't　lift　the　bloody　club。〃
　〃Assume　the　position；　Jake。　You're　starting　to　piss　me　off。〃
　Tottering　slightly；　Jake　Harp　slowly　arranged　himself　in　the　familiar　stance　that　Golf　Digest　once　hailed　as　〃part　Hogan；　part　Nicklaus；　part　Baryshnikov〃…chin　down；　feet　apart；　shoulders　square；　left　arm　straight；　hands　interlocked　loosely　on　the　shaft　of　the　club。　
　〃There；〃　Jake　Harp　said　gamely。　
　Charles　Chelsea　cleared　his　throat。　Francis　Kingsbury　said；　〃A　golf　ball　would　help；　Jake。〃　
　〃Oh　Jesus；　you're　right。〃　
　〃You　got　everything　but　a　goddamn　ball。〃　
　Under　his　breath；　Jake　Harp　said；　〃Frank；　would　you　do　me　a　favor？　Tee　it　up？〃　〃What？〃
　〃I　can't　bend　down。　I'm　too　hung　over；　Frank。　If　I　try　to　bend；　I'll　fall　on　my　face。　I　swear　to　God。〃
　Francis　Kingsbury　dug　in　his　pocket　and　pulled　out　a　scuffed　Maxfli　and　a　plastic　tee　that　was　shaped　like　a　naked　woman。　〃You're　quite　an　athlete；　Jake。　A　regular　Jim　Fucking　Thorpe。〃
　Gratefully　Jake　Harp　watched　Kingsbury　drop　to　one　knee　and　plant　the　tee。　Then　suddenly　the　sun　exploded；　and　a　molten　splinter　tore　a　hole　in　the　golfer's　belly；　spinning　him　like　a　tenpin　and　knocking　him　flat。　A　darkening　puddle　formed　as　he　lay　there　and　floundered；　gulping　for　breath　through　a　mouthful　of　fresh　Bermuda　sod。　Jake　Harp　was　not　too　hung　over　to　realize　he　could　be　dying；　and　it　bitterly　occurred　to　him　that　he　would　rather　leave　his　mortal　guts　on　the　fairways　of　Augusta　or　Muirfield　or　Pebble　Beach。　Anywhere　but　here。
　
　Bud　Schwartz　and　Danny　Pogue　had　driven　up　to　Kendall　to　break　into　a　house。　The　house　belonged　to　FBI　Agent　Billy　Hawkins；　who　was　still　tied　up　as　Molly　McNamara's　prisoner。
　〃Think　he's　got　a　dog？〃　said　Danny　Pogue。
　Bud　Schwartz　said　probably　not。　〃Guys　like　that；　they　think　dogs　are　for　pussies。　It's　a　cop　mentality。〃
　But　Bud　Schwartz　was　wrong。　Bill　Hawkins　owned　a　German　shepherd。　The　burglars　could　see　the　animal　prowling　the　fence　in　the　backyard。
　〃Guess　we　gotta　do　the　front…door　routine；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz。　What　a　way　to　end　a　career：　breaking　into　an　FBI　man's　house　in　broad　daylight。　〃I　thought　we　retired；〃　Bud　Schwartz　plained。　〃All　that　dough　we　got；　tell　me　what's　the　point　if　we're　still　pullin〃　these　jobs。〃
　Danny　Pogue　said；　〃Just　this　one　more。　And　besides；　what　if　Lou　takes　the　money　back？〃
　〃No　way。〃
　〃If　he　can't　get　to　the　guy；　yeah；　he　might。　Already　he　thinks　we　tipped　Kingsbury　off；　on　account　of　all　those　rent…a…cops。〃
　Bud　Schwartz　said　he　wasn't　worried　about　Lou　going　back　on　the　deal。　〃These　people　are　pros；　Danny。
　Now　gimme　the　scroogie。〃　They　were　poised　at　Billy　Hawkins's　front　door。　Danny　Pogue　checked　the　street　for　cars　or　pedestrians；　then　he　handed　Bud　Schwartz　a　nine…inch　screwdriver。
　Skeptically　Danny　Pogue　said；　〃Guy's　gotta　have　a　deadbolt。　Anybody　works　for　the　FBI；　probably　he's　got　an　alarm；　too。　Maybe　even　lasers。〃
　But　there　was　no　alarm　system。　Bud　Schwartz　pried　the　door　jamb　easily。　He　put　his　shoulder　to　the　wood　and　pushed　it　open。　〃You　believe　that？〃　he　said　to　his　partner。　〃See　what　I　mean　about　cop　mentality。　They　think　they're　immune。〃
　〃Yeah；〃　said　Danny　Pogue。　〃Immune。〃　Later　he'd　ask　Molly　McNamara　what　it　meant。
　They　closed　the　door　and　entered　the　empty　house。　Bud　Schwartz　would　never　have　guessed　that　a　federal　agent　lived　there。　It　was　a　typical　suburban　Miami　home：　three　bedrooms；　two　baths；　nothing　special。　Once　they　got　used　to　the　idea；　the　burglars　moved　through　the　rooms　with　casual　confidence…wife　at　work；　kids　at　school；　no　sweat。
　〃Too　bad　we're　not　stealin〃　anything；〃　Bud　Schwartz　mused。
　〃Want　to？〃　said　his　partner。　〃Just　for　old　times〃　sake。〃
　〃What's　the　point？〃
　〃I　saw　one　of　the　kids　has　a　CD　player。〃
　〃Wow；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz　acidly。　〃What's　that；　like；　thirty　bucks。　Maybe　forty？〃
　〃No；　man；　it's　a　Sony。〃
　〃Forget　it。　Now　gimme　the　papers。〃
　In　captivity　Billy　Hawkins　had　agreed　to　notify　his　family　that　he　was　out　of　town　on　a　top…secret　assignment。　However；　the　agent　had　displayed　a　growing　reluctance　to　call　the　FBI　office　and　lie　about　being　sick。　To　motivate　him；　Molly　McNamara　had　posed　a　series　of　cryptic　notes　and　murky　correspondence　suggesting　that　Hawkins　was　not　the　most　loyal　of　government　servants。　Prominently　included　in　the　odd　jottings　were　the　telephone　numbers　of　the　Soviet　Embassy　and　the　Cuban　Special　Interest　Section　in　Washington；　D。C。　For　good　measure；　Molly　had　included　a　bank　slip　showing　a　suspicious　25；000　deposit　to　Agent　Billy　Hawkins's　personal　savings　account…a　deposit　that　Molly　herself　had　made　at　the　South　Miami　branch　of　Unity　National　Savings　&　Loan。　The　purpose　of　these　maneuvers　was　to　create　a　shady　portfolio　that；　despite　its　sloppiness；　Billy　Hawkins　would　not　wish　to　try　to　explain　to　his　colleagues　at　the　FBI。
　Who　would　definitely　e　to　the　house　in　search　of　clues；　if　Agent　Hawkins　failed　to　check　in。
　Molly　McNamara　had　entrusted　the　bank　receipt；　phone　numbers　and　other　manufactured　evidence　to　Bud　Schwartz　and　Danny　Pogue；　whose　mission　was　to　conceal　the　material　in　a　semi…obvious　location　in　Billy　Hawkins's　bedroom。
　Bud　Schwartz　chose　the　second　drawer　of　the　night…stand。　He　placed　the　envelope　under　two　unopened　boxes　of　condoms。　〃Raspberry…colored；〃　he　marveled。　〃FBI　man　uses　raspberry　rubbers！〃　Another　stereotype　shattered。
　Danny　Pogue　was　admiring　a　twelve…inch　portable　television　as　if　it　were　a　rare　artifact。　〃Jesus；　Bud；　you　won't　believe　this。〃
　〃Don't　tell　me　it's　a　black…and…white。〃
　〃Yep。　You　know　the　last　time　I　saw　one？〃
　〃Little　Havana；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz；　〃that　duplex　off　Twelfth　Avenue。　I　remember。〃
　〃Remember　what　we　got　for　it。〃
　〃Yeah。　Thirteen　goddamn　dollars。〃　The　fence　was　a　man　named　Fat　Jack　on　Seventy…ninth　Street；　near　the　Boulevard。　Bud　Schwartz　couldn't　stand　Fat　Jack　not　only　because　he　was　cheap　but　because　he　smelled　like　dirty　socks。　One　day　Bud　Schwartz　had　boosted　a　case　of　Ban　Extra　Dry　Roll…on　Deodorant　sticks　from　the　back　of　a　Publix　truck；　and　given　it　to　Fat　Jack　as　a　hint。　Fat　Jack　had　handed　him　eight　bucks　and　said　that　nobody　should　ever　use　roll…ons　because　they　cause　cancer　of　the　armpits。
　〃I　don't　get　it；〃　said　Danny　Pogue。　〃I　thought　the　FBI　paid　big　bucks…what's　a　baby　Magnavox　go　for；　two　hundred　retail？　You'd　think　he　could　spring　for　color。〃
　〃Who　knows；　maybe　he　spends　it　all　on　clothes。　e　on；　let's　take　off。〃　Bud　Schwartz　wanted　to　be　long　gone　before　the　mailman　arrived　and　noticed　what　had　happened　to　the　front　door。
　Danny　Pogue　turned　on　the　portable　TV　and　said；　〃That's　not　a　bad　picture。〃　The　noon　news　was　just　starting。
　〃I　said　let's　go；　Danny。〃
　〃Wait；　look　at　this！〃
　A　video　clip　showed　a　heavyset　man　in　golf　shoes　being　hoisted　on　a　stretcher。　The　man's　shirt　was　drenched　in　blood；　but　his　eyelids　were　half　open。　A　plastic　oxygen　mask　covered　the　man's　face　and　nose；　but　the　jaw　moved　as　if　he　were　trying　to　speak。　The　newscaster　reported　that　the　shooting　had　taken　place　at　a　new　resort　development　called　Falcon　Trace；　near　Key　Largo。
　〃Lou！　He　did　it！〃　exclaimed　Danny　Pogue。　〃You　were　right。〃
　〃Only　trouble　is；　that　ain't　Mr。　Kingsbury。〃
　〃You　sure？〃
　Bud　Schwartz　sat　down　in　front　of　the　television。　The　anchorman　had　tossed　the　sniper　story　to　a　sportscaster；　who　was　somberly　recounting　the　stellar　ca