按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Jesus Christ。 How long've you been working for Pablo？〃
〃Since the beginning of the semester。 I go to Miami…Dade munity College； Downtown。 I need the money for school。〃
〃Well； one of the first things you should learn is not to ask clients personal questions。〃
〃I'm sorry。 I didn't mean to pry。〃 She started to cry。
〃Why're you crying； for Christ's sake？〃
〃I don't know。 I just do sometimes。 I'm not doing very good at this； not even nooners； and when I go back to Pablo without any money； he'll…〃
〃There's a plastic laundry bag in the closet。 Put the clothes in it； and give Pablo the empty suitcase。 He can get the locks fixed； and he'll have a two…hundred…dollar suitcase。 I'll square you with Pablo later。 Okay？〃
Pepper stopped crying； wiped her eyes； and got back into her own clothes。 She packed the clothing neatly into the plastic laundry bag。
〃What do you do when you get off duty at five？〃
〃I usually walk downtown； have some dinner； and then go to class。 Tonight's my English class at six…fifteen； and it runs until seven…forty； unless Mr。 Turner lets us out early。 Sometimes； when we've got a paper to write； he lets us go home to write it。〃
Why； Freddy wondered； is she lying to me？ No college would ever accept this incredibly stupid young woman as a student。 On the other hand； he had known a few college men in San Quentin。 Although they usually got the best jobs there； they didn't appear to be any smarter than the majority of the cons。 Maybe the girl wasn't lying。 He didn't know anything about college requirements； but maybe they would be much lower for women than for men。 It would be a good idea to have a woman with a car show him the city。 So far it was all white buildings and a blur of greenery。
〃I'll tell you what； Pepper。 I'll buy you dinner and then wait for you to get out of class。 Then you can drive me around some。 You've got a license； so I suppose you've got a car？〃
〃My brother's car。 I get to keep it all the time； but I've got to meet him at the airport at eight…thirty tonight to collect some money from him。 He works out there； and gives me his pay every day to deposit in the bank。 Where he works； he isn't allowed to have a car。〃
〃You don't live together？〃
〃Not anymore。 We did at first； when we first came down to Miami from Okeechobee； but now I've got the apartment to myself。〃
〃That's all right。 I don't mind riding out to the airport again。 I just want to get familiar with the city。 I'll give you a decent tip； or buy you a drink； or maybe take you to a movie。 What do you say？〃
She smiled。 〃I'd like that。 I haven't had a date date since I came down here； Mr。 Gotlieb…〃
〃You can call me Junior。〃
〃Junior？ All right； and you can call me Susie。 Pablo told me to call myself Pepper so that customers would think I was hot。 Pablo's my manager； like； and he knows all about these things。 Most men； I've noticed； just laugh when I tell them my name is Pepper。 You didn't…Junior…and I think you're awfully nice。〃
〃I am nice； Susie； and I like you a lot。 I'll tell you what。 Just leave the bag of clothes with me and take the suitcase down to Pablo。 That way he won't know you got the stuff； and I can take it with me when we meet。〃
〃I usually eat dinner at Granny's。 It's a health food restaurant right near the campus； about eight blocks from here。 I walk because I leave the car in the parking garage near the school； but you can take a cab there。 The cabbies all know where it is； even the ones who don't speak English。〃
She handed him the bag of clothing。
〃I'll see you at Granny's at five； then。〃
〃It'll be closer to five…fifteen； but I'll get there as soon as I can。〃
〃Good。 And have a prosperous afternoon。〃
〃Thank you。 But whatever you do； don't tell Pablo。 We aren't supposed to go out with the johns…that's why I want you to meet me at Granny's。〃
〃Pablo； in my opinion； is an asshole。 I'll just tell him I had jet lag and that kept me from performing。 I'll slip him ten bucks and he'll be so happy he won't say a word to you。 But I won't tell him about our date。 Don't worry。〃
Susan blushed； and looked shyly at the floor。 〃You can kiss me on the cheek and sorta seal our date。 That way I know you'll really e to Granny's。 I know you men don't like to kiss us on the mouth 。 。 。 〃
〃I don't mind kissing you on the mouth。〃
〃You don't？〃
Freddy kissed her chastely； almost tenderly； on the lips； and then led her to the door。 She waggled her fingers and smiled； then he closed the door after her and chain…locked it。 She had forgotten the empty suitcase； and he still had the bag of clothes。 He would give the suitcase to Pablo instead of the ten bucks he had intended to give him。 As long as he had the clothes； he knew she would e to Granny's。
He still had plenty of time to do some shopping。
4
Bill Henderson and Hoke Moseley worked on their reports for the rest of the afternoon at the double desk they shared in a glass…walled cubbyhole at the new Miami Police Station。 As sergeants they were entitled to the tiny office； which had a door that could be closed and locked； but it was much more crowded and unfortable than the space the other plainclothes detectives had in the large； outer bullpen。 The room was undecorated； except for a twenty…two by thirty…inch poster on the one unglassed wall。 A hand holding a pistol； with the pistol pointed at the viewer； was in the center of the wall。 The message； in bold black letters beneath the pointing pistol； read MIAMI…SEE IT LIKE A NATIVE。
When they took the depositions of the brothers Peeples； only one man at a time could be acmodated in the tiny room。 Irritated by the Georgians' uncooperative attitudes； they let the two men find their own way back to the airport by taxi instead of returning them to the PR man in a police car。
Hoke flipped a quarter。 Henderson lost； which meant that Henderson had to call Martin Waggoner's father in Okeechobee and break the sad news。 While Henderson called； Hoke went downstairs to the station cafeteria and got two cups of coffee in Styrofoam cups。 He drank his in the cafeteria and brought the other cup； now barely warm； back upstairs to Henderson。 Henderson took one sip of the lukewarm coffee； replaced the lid； and dropped the cup into the wastebasket。
〃Mr。 Waggoner said his son had a sister living with him here in Miami； and he wouldn't accept the truth of his son's death until she identified the body。 His son was a deeply religious boy； he claimed； and was not the kind to fight anyone。 I told him there wasn't any fight； and about how it happened and all； and he said that there had to be more to it than that。 I know how he feels； the poor bastard。 When I told him his son died from a broken finger I felt like I was lying myself。〃
〃He didn't die from a broken finger。 He died from shock。〃
Henderson shrugged。 〃I know。 And I told him what Doc Evans said about shock。 Anyway； I made the call to Mr。 Waggoner； so you can take the sister down to identify the body。〃
〃You lost the coin toss…〃
〃And I called Mr。 Waggoner。 The sister's a new development； and my wife expects me home for dinner。 We're having pany over。 You're single…〃
〃Divorced。〃
〃But single； with no responsibilities or obligations。〃
〃I pay alimony and child support for two teenage daughters。〃
〃Sometimes you break my heart。 Your evenings are bleak and empty。 You have no friends…〃
〃I thought you and I were friends？〃
〃We are。 That's why you can get a hold of the sister while I go home to my assertive wife； my gawky teenager son； and my daughter with acne。 I can then entertain for drinks and dinner a couple my wife likes and I can't stand。〃
〃Okay； since you point out the joys I'm missing； I'll go。 Got her address？〃
〃I wrote it all down； and I've made some calls。 She lives in Kendall Pines Terrace out on One…fifty…seventh Avenue。 Building Six…East apartment four…one…eight。〃
〃Kendall？ That's a helluva ways out。〃 Hoke transferred the information from the yellow pad to his notebook。
〃Luckily for you she isn't home。 Susan Waggoner goes to Miami…Dade； to the New World Campus downtown。 She'll be in class at six…fifteen。 I already called the registrar； so if you stop by the office； they'll send a student assistant up to the classroom with you and get the girl out of class。 You've even got time to get a drink first。 Two drinks。〃
〃And so everything works out for the best； doesn't it？ You can go home to dinner； and I can escort a hysterical young girl to the morgue to see her dead brother。 I can； then； in all probability； drive her to hell and gone out to Kendall and get her calmed down。 Then I have to drive all the way back to Miami Beach。 Maybe； if I'm lucky； I'll be home in time to watch the eleven o'clock news。〃
〃What the hell； Hoke； it's all overtime pay。〃
〃pensatory time。 I've used up my overtime pay this month。〃
〃What's the difference？〃
〃Twenty…five bucks。 Haven't we had this conversation before？〃
〃Last month。 Only last month it was me who had to sit in the hardware store until four A。M。 while you went home to bed。〃
〃But you were on overtime pay。〃
〃pen