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Joe Winder chuckled politely。 He could tell Chelsea was worried about pitching it to Kingsbury。
In a hopeful voice； Chelsea said； 〃You think the guy was really just a nut？ This guy who called the AP？〃
〃Who knows；〃 Winder said。 〃We've certainly got our share。〃
Charles Chelsea nodded hopefully。 A simple nut would be fine with him； PR…wise； it's the zealots you had to worry about。
〃The only thing to do is wait；〃 said Joe Winder。 Already he could feel his sinuses drying up。 He felt suddenly clearheaded； chipper； even optimistic。 Maybe it was the medicine flushing his head； or maybe it was something else。
Like having a real honest…to…God story； for a change。 A story getting good and hot。
Just like the old days。
FIVE
Chelsea had a stark； irrational fear of Francis X。 Kingsbury。 It was not Kingsbury's physical appearance （for he was gnomish and flabby） but his volcanically profane temper that caused Chelsea so much anxiety。 Kingsbury long ago had practically ceased speaking in plete sentences； but his broken exclamations could be daunting and acerbic。 The words struck venomously at Charles Chelsea's insecurities； and made him tremble。
On the afternoon of July 17； Chelsea finished his lunch； threw up； flossed his teeth and walked briskly to Kingsbury's office。 Kingsbury was leaning over the desk； the great man's sleeves were rolled up to reveal the famous lewd tattoo on his doughy left forearm。 The other arm sparkled with a gold Robbie Raccoon wristwatch； with emerald insets。 Today's surfer…blond hairpiece was longish and curly。
Kingsbury grunted at Charles Chelsea and said： 〃Wildlife Rescue Corps？〃 He raised his hands。 〃Well？〃
Chelsea said； 〃The group exists； but the phone call could be a crank。 We're checking it out。〃
〃What's this exploitation…shit； we're talking about； what； some kind of rodent or such goddamn thing。〃
Not even close to a quotable sentence； Chelsea thought。 It was astounding…the man spoke in over…torqued； expletive…laden fragments that somehow made perfect sense。 At all times； Charles Chelsea knew exactly what Francis X。 Kingsbury was talking about。
The publicity man said； 〃Don't worry； sir； the situation is being contained。 We're ready for any contingency。〃
Kingsbury made a small fist。 〃Damage control；〃 he said。
〃Our top gun；〃 Chelsea said。 〃His name is Joe Winder； and he's a real pro。 Offering the reward money was his idea； sir。 The AP led with it this morning； too。〃
Kingsbury sat down。 He fingered the florid tip of his bulbous nose。 〃These animals； there's still a chance maybe？〃
Chelsea could feel a chilly dampness spreading in deadly crescents from his armpits。 〃It's unlikely； sir。 One of them is dead for sure。 Shot by the highway patrol。 Some tourists apparently mistook it for a rat。〃
〃Terrific；〃 said Kingsbury。
〃The other one； likewise。 The bandits threw it in the window of a Winnebago camper。〃
Kingsbury peered from beneath dromedary lids。 〃Don't；〃 he said； exhaling noisily。 〃This is like。。。no； don't bother。〃
〃You might as well know；〃 said Chelsea。 〃It was a church group from Boca Raton in the Winnebago。 They beat the poor thing to death with a golf umbrella。 Then they threw it off the Card Sound Bridge。〃
There； Chelsea thought。 He had done it。 Stood up and delivered the bad news。 Stood up like a man。
Francis X。 Kingsbury entwined his hands and said： 〃Who knows about this？ Knows that we know？ Anybody？〃
〃You mean anybody on the outside？ No。〃 Charles
Chelsea paused。 〃Well； except the highway patrol。 And I took care of them with some free passes to the Kingdom。〃
〃But civilians？〃
〃No； sir。 Nobody knows that we know the voles are dead。〃
〃Fine；〃 said Francis X。 Kingsbury。 〃Good time to up the reward。〃
〃Sir？〃
〃Make it a million bucks。 Six zeros； if I'm not mistaken。〃
Chelsea took out a notebook and a Cross pen； and began to write。 〃That's one million dollars for the safe return of the missing voles。〃
〃Which are dead。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Simple； hell。 Very simple。〃
〃It's a most generous offer；〃 said Charles Chelsea。 〃Bullshit；〃 Kingsbury said。 〃It's PR； whatever。 Stuff for the fucking AP。〃
〃But your heart's in the right place。〃 Impatiently Kingsbury pointed toward the door。 〃Fast；〃 he said。 〃Before I get sick。〃
Chelsea was startled。 Backing away from Kingsbury's desk； he said； 〃I'm sorry； sir。 Is it something I said？〃
〃No； something you are。〃 Kingsbury spoke flatly； with just a trace of disgust。
On the way back to his office； Charles Chelsea stopped in the executive washroom and threw up again。
Like many wildly successful Floridians； Francis X。 Kingsbury was a transplant。 He had moved to the Sunshine State in balding middle age； alone and uprooted； never expecting that he would bee a multimillionaire。
And； like so many new Floridians； Kingsbury was a felon on the run。 Before arriving in Miami； he was known by his real name of Frankie King。 Not Frank； but Frankie； his mother had named him after the singer Frankie Laine。 All his life Frankie King had yearned to change his name to something more distinguished； something with weight and social bearing。 A racketeering indictment （twenty…seven counts） out of Brooklyn was as good an excuse as any。
Once he was arrested； Frankie King exuberantly began ratting on his co…conspirators； which included numerous high…ranking members of the John Gotti crime organization。 Frankie's testimony conveniently glossed the fact that it was he； not the surly Zuboni brothers； who had personally flown to San Juan and picked up the twenty…seven crate…loads of bootleg 〃educational〃 videotapes that were eventually sold to the New York City school system for 119。95 apiece。 Under oath； Frankie King indignantly blamed the Zubonis and； indirectly； John Gotti himself for failing to inspect the shipment once it had arrived at JFK。 On the witness stand； Frankie expressed tearful remorse that； in TV classrooms from Queens to Staten Island； students expecting to see 〃Kermit's Wild West Adventure〃 were instead exposed to a mattress…level montage of Latin porn star Pina Kolada deepthroating a semi…pro soccer team。
The Zuboni brothers and a cluster of dull…eyed knee…cappers were swiftly convicted by a horrified jury。 The reward for Frankie King's cooperation was a suspended sentence； ten years' probation and a new identity of his choosing： Francis X。 Kingsbury。 Frankie felt the 〃X〃 was a classy touch； he decided it should stand for Xavier。
When the man from the Witness Relocation Program told him that Miami would be his new home； Frankie King thought he had died and gone to heaven。 Miami！ Frankie couldn't believe his good fortune； he had no idea the U。S。 government could be so generous。 What Frankie did not know was that Miami was the prime relocation site for scores of scuzzy federal snitches （on the theory that South Florida was a place where just about any dirtbag would blend in smoothly with the existing riffraff）。 Frankie King continued to entertain the false notion that he was somebody special in the witness program； a regular Joe Valachi； until he saw the acmodations provided by his government benefactors： a one…bedroom apartment near the railroad tracks in beautiful downtown Naranja。
When Frankie plained about the place； FBI agents reminded him that the alternative was to return to New York and take his chances that John Gotti was a passionate and forgiving fellow。 With this on his mind； Francis X。 Kingsbury began a new life。
Like all Floridians with time on their hands； he went to night school and got his real…estate license。 It was an entirely new racket； and Frankie worked at it tirelessly； first he specialized in small mercial properties； then citrus groves and farmlands。 Doggedly he worked his way east toward the good stuff…oceanfront； the Big O。 He went from condos to prime residential estates in no time flat。
Francis X。 Kingsbury had found a new niche。 He was； undeniably； a whiz at selling Florida real estate。 In five short years he had accumulated more money than in an entire lifetime of mob bunko； jukebox skimming and mail fraud。 He had a home down on Old Cutler； a beautiful young wife and a closetful of mustard blazers。 But he wanted more。
One day he walked into the boardroom of Kingsbury Realty and announced that he was selling the business。 〃I'm ready to move up in the world；〃 he told his startled partners。 〃I'm ready to bee a developer。〃
Six months later； Kingsbury stood before a luncheon meeting of the Greater Miami Chamber of merce and unveiled his model of the Amazing Kingdom of Thrills。 It was the first time in his life that Frankie had gotten a standing ovation。 He blushed and said： 〃Florida is truly the land of opportunity。〃
His probation officer； standing near the salad bar； had to bite back tears。
〃This is a very bad idea； Charlie。〃 Joe Winder was talking about the phony million…dollar reward。 〃A very bad idea。 And cynical； I might add。〃
Over the phone； Chelsea said： 〃Don't give me any lectures。 I need five hundred words by tomorrow morning。〃
〃This is nuts。〃
〃And don't overdo it。〃
〃This is not just dumb；〃 continued Joe Winder； 〃it's dishonest。 The blue…tongued mango voles are dead； Charlie。 Everybody at the park is