made； the curtains were drawn back； and the room was delightfully cool。
〃Why aren't you watching TV？〃 Freddy said。
〃I was。 I did the exercises with Richard Simmons； switched over to cable； and then did aerobics for five minutes。 And that was enough TV for me。 I sent your pants with the little tennis rackets and your blue guayabera to the cleaners。 They'll be back by three； the boy said。〃
〃Good。 I like that。 I've been out getting oriented and thinking about what to do； so I rented us a little house up in Dania。〃
〃By the fronton？〃
〃No； but it's only about eight blocks away。 Maybe we can go some night。 I've never seen any jai alai。 They don't have it in California。 Not that I know of； anyway。〃
〃The first game you see is exciting。 But after the first game it's almost as boring as watching greyhounds。〃
〃We'll go anyway。 But I don't want to talk about that right now。 Let me have the rest of that Tab。 It's hotter than a sonofabitch outside。 What I wanted to ask you was this…〃 Freddy finished the Tab。 〃You said your girl friends up in Okeechobee got married； right？〃
〃Most did； those who didn't leave for someplace else； or just stay home and mope around。 There isn't much choice up in Okeechobee。〃
〃What do they do then； after they're married； I mean？〃
〃Take care of the house； shop； fix dinner。 Sue Ellen； who was in the eleventh grade with me； has three babies already。〃
〃Is that what you want？ Babies？〃
〃Not anymore。 Once I did； but not since the abortion。 I'm on the pill； and I use foam besides…unless the john says he wants to go down on me。 But now that we're married； I guess I can go off the pill and quit using the foam； too。〃
〃No； stay on the pill。 I don't want any babies either； but if you did； I thought I might try it that way some time。 Right now； I like the way we're doing it。〃
Susan blushed happily。 〃Would you like the other half of this tuna sandwich？〃
〃No。 I had a western omelet for a late breakfast。 What else do the married girls do up in Okeechobee？〃
〃Not a lot； the girls I ran around with。 They don't work because there isn't much work there to speak of； and their husbands wouldn't want them to； anyway。 It makes a guy look bad if his wife has to work； unless they're in business together or something and she has to help him out； sort of。 They visit their mothers； shop at the K…Mart； or go roller…skating at the rink sometimes over at Clewiston。 On weekends there're barbecues and fish fries。 I guess the married girls my age do the same things they did in high school； except they just go with one guy； and that's usually the same guy they were fucking all the way through high school anyway。 The best thing； though； they get away from home and their parents。 They can stay up late and sleep late； too。 If it hadn't been for Marty； I probably would've been married now。〃
〃Okay； so let's say we're married； which we are； even though it's a platonic marriage。 Is that what you'd like to do？ Keep house； fix regular meals； go shopping？ I know you're a good cook。 I liked those stuffed pork chops a lot。〃
Susan smiled and looked at her wriggling toes。 〃I did all the cooking at home。 You just wait till you taste my chuck roast； with sherry in the gravy！ I make it in the Crockpot with little pearl onions； new potatoes； and chopped celery and parsley。 I use just a tiny pinch of curry powder…that's the secret to Crockpot chuck roast。〃
〃It sounds okay。〃
〃It is good； too； let me tell you。〃
〃I've never been married before。〃 Freddy took off his jacket and kicked off his Ballys。 〃I lived with a woman for about two months once。 She never cooked anything or kept house or did much of anything a wife's supposed to do。 But when I came home； you see； she was someone to be there。 I came back one night and found that she'd left； taking the five hundred bucks I had stashed under the carpet with her。 I was going to look for her； and then I realized that I was damned lucky to get rid of her so easily。 She was a junkie； so I didn't try to find her。
〃I had a Filipino boy living with me once； too； in Oakland。 But he was a jealous little bastard； and he questioned me all the time。 I don't like to be questioned； you know。〃
〃I know。〃
〃What I'm getting at； Susie； or what I want； is a regular life。 I want to go to work in the morning； or maybe at night； and e home to a clean house； a decent dinner； and a loving wife like you。 I don't want any babies。 The world's too mean to bring another little kid into it； and I'm not that irresponsible。 The niggers and the Catholics don't care； but somebody's got to… d'you know what I mean？ Do you think you could handle it？〃
Susan began to cry and nod her head。 〃Yes； oh； yes； that's what I've always wanted； too； Junior。 And I'll be a good wife to you； too。 You just wait and see！〃
〃All right； then。 I'm going to take a shower。 You can stop crying and pack up everything； and then we can get moving。 If you think you're happy now； wait'll you see the little house I've got for you in Dania。〃
Susan wiped her eyes。 〃But what about your shirt and pants I sent to the cleaners？〃
〃The bellboy'll hang 'em up in the closet。 I'm not giving up this nice room。 It'll be like an office for me； because most of my work'll be in the Omni shopping mall。〃
But it wasn't that simple。 The widow in Dania； as it turned out； couldn't leave for two more days。 They spent those two days shopping for things they needed for the house； including a new microwave oven for Susan。 Then； when they did get into the house； the water and electricity had been turned off； and it took Susan an entire morning to find the water pany and Florida Power to put down deposits。 There was also the gas pany to contact； and they had to have a man e out to fill the propane tank outside the kitchen window。
Freddy also sent Susan to the bank to exchange the ten thousand pesos he had lifted from the Mexican pickpocket； but she brought the money back。
〃The man at the bank told me they weren't changing pesos anymore；〃 Susan said。 〃He said my best bet would be to go out to the airport and find someone who was going to Mexico and to make a deal with him。 Should I？〃
〃I think not。 The airport's too dangerous to be bothering the tourists out there。 Remember what happened to your brother？ Just put the pesos back in the Ritz cracker box with the rest of the money。〃
When they got into the house； Freddy streamlined the house by moving everything he didn't like into the garage。 Susan wanted a telephone； but Freddy didn't。
〃If we had one；〃 he said； 〃who would we call？〃
〃The repairman for the washer。 The washer works okay； but there's a leak in it or something because there's always a big pool of water after every load。 And you might get in trouble sometime and want to call me from jail or something。〃
〃Don't put a damned jinx on me。〃
〃I'm not； but a house isn't like an apartment where you can always call the manager to fix something。 We've got a septic tank out front。 Did you see the bright green grass in the big square patch under the mango tree outside the living room？ That's where it is； and I'll bet you those roots are breaking through the tiles。 If you treat 'em right； septic tanks work like magic； but if you don't； they'll back shit up through the john and fill the whole house。〃
〃Get a phone； then。 But put it in your name； not mine。〃
Susan wanted the car； so did Freddy。 They promised and Susan drove Freddy to the Omni every morning at nine。 She picked him up at four P。M。 and brought him back to Dania。
In the mornings； Freddy would go directly to his hotel room and change into slacks； running shoes； and a sports shirt with long square tails。 The tails covered the holstered pistol he wore at his back； and the handcuffs on his belt were also hidden。 He carried the sap in his right hip pocket； and his badge and ID in his right front pocket。
He got to know each shopping level well； and he had escape routes mentally mapped out for quick getaways from each floor。 He was soon able to tell vacationing South Americans from permanent Miami Latin residents。 He could spot the South American men by their dark suits； and the women did not； for the most part； have that little shelf above their buttocks that Cuban and Puerto Rican women had。 If he was unsure； he could listen to them talk： the South Americans spoke Spanish softer and slower than the Cubans。
He came to realize how lucky he had been on that first day when he had mugged the Mexico City pickpocket。
There were a good many security people working the mall； some in uniform； and others in plain clothes。 He could almost set his watch by the security officer in Penney's。 The man wore a billed fisherman's cap； a flowered sports shirt； and jeans。 He spent an average of fifteen minutes on each floor and took fifteen…minute breaks at 10：30 A。M。 and 3：30 P。M。 in the employees' lounge。 Every day at lunchtime he ordered the special； whatever it happened to be； in the deli on Level Three。
There were others； Freddy was sure； who were not that regular and much harder to spot。 If they didn't have uniforms； they could be damned near anybody。 But Freddy felt protected