cwilleford.miamiblues- 第24部分

　　
　　BEET　SUGAR　INSTITUTE
　　　SEMINAR　AT　11　A。M。
　　CASH　BAR　IN　ZANZI　BAR　AT　10
　　
　　The　Zanzi　Bar　wasn't　open　yet；　and　no　one　was　in　the　small　conference　room；　although　there　was　a　lectern；　a　movie　screen；　and　thirty　or　more　folding　chairs　set　up　for　the　seminar。　Freddy　went　to　a　house　phone；　asked　for　the　bell　captain；　and　waited　for　him　to　get　on　the　line。
　　〃Tell　Pablo　Lhosa；〃　he　said　to　the　captain；　〃to　e　to　the　small　conference　room　next　to　the　Zanzi　Bar。〃
　　〃Is　anything　wrong；　sir？〃
　　〃Of　course　not。　I'm　running　the　seminar　for　the　beet　sugar　people；　and　if　anything　was　wrong　I'd　call　the　manager…not　Pablo。〃
　　〃Right　away；　sir。〃
　　The　240…pound　Pablo　arrived　in　three　minutes；　huffing　slightly；　the　two　bottom　buttons　of　his　monkey　jacket　unbuttoned　because　of　his　belly。　Freddy　closed　the　door　to　the　conference　room　and　hit　Pablo　in　the　stomach。　Pablo　gasped　and　staggered　slightly；　but　he　didn't　fall。　A　knife　appeared　in　his　right　hand。　Freddy　showed　Pablo　his　badge。
　　〃Put　the　knife　away；　Pablo。〃
　　Pablo　closed　the　knife　and　returned　it　to　his　pocket。
　　〃My　name　isn't　Gotlieb；　Pablo。　My　name's　Sergeant　Moseley；　Miami　Police　Department。　And　that　little　girl　you　sent　to　my　room；　Susan　Waggoner；　is　only　fourteen　years　old。　Your　fat　ass　is　in　trouble。〃
　　〃Her　brother　told　me…〃
　　〃Her　brother's　dead；　and　he　lied　to　you。　He　was　killed　at　the　airport；　and　it　was　on　the　news。　You're　one　of　the　suspects。　Did　you　have　Martin　Waggoner　hit；　Pablo？〃
　　〃Hell；　no！　I　didn't…I　don't　know　nothing　about　it！〃
　　〃I've　got　a　signed　deposition　from　Susan　that　you're　her　pimp；　so　your　greasy　ass　is　on　the　fire。〃
　　〃Susie's　lying　to　you；　sergeant。　She's　nineteen；　not　fourteen。　I　checked　on　that。　Sergeant　Wilson　knows　I　run　a　few　girls　here。　There's　no　problem。　Why　don't　you　call　Sergeant　Wilson？　I　pay　him　every　week。　You　guys　ought　to　get　together。〃
　　〃Wilson　doesn't　know　you're　hustling　kids。　Susie　told　me　about　the　pointers　you　gave　her。〃
　　〃Honest　to　God；　sergeant！〃　Pablo　raised　his　right　arm。　〃Her　brother　showed　me　her　driver's　license。〃
　　〃Her　brother's　dead；　and　licenses　can　be　forged。　Your　Cuban　ass　has　had　it。〃
　　〃I'm　not　a　Cuban；　I'm　a　Nicaraguan。　I　was　a　major　in　the　National　Guard。　Sergeant　Wilson　told　me…you　know　Sergeant　Wilson；　don't　you？〃
　　〃Fuck　Wilson；　and　fuck　you；　Pablo。　How　much're　you　paying　Wilson？〃
　　〃Who　said　I　was　paying　him　anything？〃
　　Freddy　took　out　his　blackjack　and　started　toward　Pablo。　Pablo　held　up　his　hands　and　backed　away。
　　〃Don't。　Please。　I　give　him　five　hundred　a　week。〃
　　〃All　right。〃　Freddy　put　the　blackjack　away。　〃I'll　let　you　off　the　hook；　Pablo。　From　now　on；　you　give　Wilson　two…fifty　a　week；　and　you　can　send　the　other　two…fifty　to　me。　Just　put　it　in　an　envelope　and　send　it　to　me；　Sergeant　Hoke　Moseley；　at　the　Eldorado　Hotel。　By　messenger…not　by　mail。〃
　　Pablo　shook　his　head。　〃I'll　have　to　talk　to　Sergeant　Wilson　first。〃
　　〃Don't　worry　about　Wilson。　I'm　the　man　with　Susie's　signed　deposition；　not　Wilson。〃
　　〃I　guess　you　don't　know　Sergeant　Wilson；　then。　He　won't　stand　for　any　split　like　that。〃
　　〃In　that　case；　it'll　cost　you　seven…fifty　a　week　instead　of　five　hundred；　won't　it？〃
　　〃Give　me　a　break；　for　Christ's　sake！〃
　　〃I　have。　But　I'd　rather　take　you　in　and　book　you。　There're　plenty　of　girls　in　Miami　over　eighteen　without　putting　young　kids　into　the　life。〃
　　〃I　didn't　know。　That　holy　sonofabitch！　I　asked　Marty　first　thing　because　she　looked　so　fucking　young；　but　he　swore　that…〃
　　〃Martin　Waggoner's　dead；　Pablo；　and　there's　no　one　to　back　you　up。　You　can　start　paying　today。　Tonight；　by　ten　P。M。　An　envelope　to　the　Eldorado　Hotel。〃
　　〃That's　in　South　Beach？〃
　　〃That's　right；　on　the　bay　side；　three　blocks　from　Joe's　Stone　Crabs。　Just　give　it　to　the　man　on　the　desk　tonight；　and　tell　him　to　put　it　in　the　safe　for　me。〃
　　〃All　right；　but　I'm　going　to　talk　to　Wilson；　and　he'll　have　something　to　say　to　you　about　this。〃
　　〃I'm　sure　he　will。　Tell　him　if　he　wants　to　talk　to　me；　we　can　meet　in　the　Internal　Affairs　Office。　Tell　him　that。〃
　　〃You　didn't　have　to　hit　me；　either。〃
　　〃I　wanted　to　get　your　attention；　and　I　thought　you　might　have　a　knife。　Good…bye；　Pablo。〃
　　Pablo　looked　as　if　he　might　have　something　more　to　say；　but　he　turned　and　left　the　conference　room。　He　didn't　close　the　door　behind　him。
　　He'll　send　the　250　tonight；　Freddy　thought；　but　after　his　talk　with　Wilson；　whoever　that　is；　he'll　probably　discontinue　the　next　payment。　But　maybe　not。　Sergeant　Wilson　would　worry　about　those　two　magic　words　〃Internal　Affairs〃。　Even　straight　cops　were　frightened　by　the　investigators　in　Internal　Affairs。　At　any　rate；　a　confused　Pablo　Lhosa　wouldn't　e　looking　for　Susan。　As　time　passed；　old　Pablo　would　try　to　forget　that　he　had　ever　known　her。
　　The　old　lady；　smoking　an　aromatic　Tijuana　Small；　was　still　waiting　for　Freddy　when　he　came　out　of　the　hotel。　The　meter　was　ticking　away。
　　〃Turn　off　the　meter　now；〃　Freddy　said；　as　he　got　into　the　back　seat。　〃It　reminds　me　of　the　passage　of　time。　I'll　give　you　another　hundred　bucks；　and　you　can　give　me　a　tourist's　grand　tour　of　Miami　Beach。　And　then；　when　you　get　to　Bal　Harbour；　you　can　drop　me　at　a　real　estate　office。〃
　　〃I've　got　nothing　better　to　do；〃　the　old　lady　said。
　　When　Freddy　handed　her　the　money　she　lifted　her　Mercury　Morris　T…shirt；　with　the　number　22　on　the　back；　and　stuffed　the　bills　into　her　brassiere。
　　
　　
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　　The　work　on　Hoke's　mouth；　as　planned　by　Doctors　Rubin　and　Goldstein；　did　not　pan　out　as　well　as　they　had　hoped。　Hoke's　new　teeth　were　almost　fragile　pared　with　his　old　Dolphin　choppers；　his　jaw　wouldn't　hold　a　set　of　heavier　teeth。　After　the　jaw　healed；　and　it　healed　remarkably　fast；　the　restraints　were　removed　and　a　pan　holding　evil…tasting　pink　plaster　was　jammed　into　Hoke's　mouth。　Impressions　were　made；　and　twenty…three　days　after　the　assault；　Hoke　had　a　full　set　of　slightly　yellow　upper　and　lower　dentures。　Hoke　had　wanted　whiter　teeth；　but　Dr。　Rubin　had　told　him　that　whiter　teeth　would　look　false；　and　that　the　yellow　ones　were　more　natural　for　his　age。
　　Nevertheless；　when　Hoke　forced　himself　to　take　a　long　look　at　his　new　visage；　the　teeth　looked　phony；　and　he　was　alarmed　by　his　overall　appearance。
　　Hoke　had　lost　weight　on　the　liquid　diet　and　was　down　to　158　pounds。　The　last　time　he　had　weighed　158　pounds　he　had　been　a　junior　in　high　school。　He　was　only　forty…two；　but　with　his　sunken　cheeks　and　gray　beard　he　thought　he　looked　closer　to　sixty。　The　crinkly　sun…wrinkles　around　his　eyes　were　deeper；　and　the　lines　from　the　corners　of　his　nose　to　the　edge　of　his　lips　looked　as　if　they　had　been　etched　there　with　a　power　tool。　His　habitually　dour　expression　underwent　a　startling　transformation　when　he　smiled：　the　yellow　teeth　gave　him　a　sinister　appearance。
　　But　Hoke　had　no　reason　to　smile。
　　The　departmental　insurance　had　covered　80　percent　of　his　hospitalization　and　a　good　portion　of　his　dental　and　surgical　fees；　but　Hoke　still　owed　the　hospital　and　the　two　doctors　more　than　10；000。　Except　for　the　one　night　when　he　had　shared　the　four…bed　ward　with　the　teenager；　he　had　had　the　ward　to　himself。　As　a　consequence；　the　hospital　had　charged　him　for　a　private　room；　except　for　that　one　night。　On　that　night；　it　was　charged　as　a　semiprivate　room。　Hoke's　insurance　didn't　cover　a　private　room；　so　the　〃private〃　room　meant　an　extra　10　a　day　on　his　bill。　Hoke　protested　the　charge　to　no　avail。　When　he　left　the　hospital；　the　nurses　packed　his　bedpan　and　enema　equipment；　telling　him　that　he　had　paid　for　them　and　was　entitled　to　take　them　along。
　　Before　leaving　the　hospital　with　Bill　Henderson；　who　had　driven　over　to　pick　him　up；　Hoke　had　a　talk　with　the　priestcounselor　who　wanted　to　work　out　some　kind　of　a　reasonable　monthly　payment　plan。　The　talk　had　ended　with　both　of　them　angry　because　Hoke　insisted　that　he　couldn't　possibly　pay　more　than　25　a　month　on　the　enormous　bill。
　　Henderson　drove　Hoke　straight　to　the　Eldorado　so　he　could　get　his　car。　The　police　radio　was　missing；　and　so　was　the　battery。
　　〃The　department'll　put　in　a　new　radio；　Hoke；〃　Henderson　said；　〃on　the　strength　of　a　Lost　and　Damaged　Report；　but　they　sure　as　hell　won't　get　you　a　new　battery。〃
　　〃There　goes　another　fifty　bucks。〃
　　〃What　the　hell？　You've　got　the　hundred　and　eighteen　bucks　the　guy　didn't　find；　or　didn't　want；　on　top　of　your　dresser；　and　two　paychecks　waiting　for　you　in　Captain　Brownley's　office。〃
　　〃One　of　those　checks　goes　to　my　ex…wife；〃　Hoke　reminded　him。　〃But　what　I　can't　figure　out　is　that　money　you　found　in　my　room。　I'll　swear　that　I　had　less　than　twenty　bucks　when　I　got　home。　Otherwise　I'd've　given　part　of　the　hundred　to　Irish　Mike　to　bring　down　my　tab。〃
　　〃Maybe　the　guy　felt　sorry　for　you。　He　took　your　wallet；　so　he　had　to　take　the　money　out　to　leave　it　on　your　dresser。〃
　　〃Guys　like　that　don't　feel　sorry　for　anyone。　Let's　go　in　and　talk　to　Mr。　Bennett。　And　Bill；　I　really　don't　want　to　go　home　with　you。　I　appreciate　your　offer；　but　I'm　too　much　of　a　loner　to　put　up　with　Marie　and　your　kids。　I　want　to　be　alone　for　the　next　couple　of　weeks。〃
　　〃I　thought　you　might　feel　that　way；　so　I　talked　to　M