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〃Bobby？ I saw him the night before he died。 We had a drink at a shrimp place over in Wabasso。〃
〃Did he tell you he was going to the lake？〃
〃Of course he did…he was so excited。 He'd gotten a tip that Dickie was hiding his fish cages in the Coon Bog。 Bobby was thrilled as anything。 He couldn't wait to find the bass and call Dennis。〃
Decker said； 〃Where did the tip e from？〃
〃Some guy who called up Bobby； wouldn't give his name。〃
〃It was a setup；〃 Jim Tile said； 〃the phone call。〃
〃Now； wait；〃 Lanie said。 She kept looking down at the tape player。
Time's up； Decker thought。 He sat next to Lanie and said； 〃Call me nosy； but I'd like to know why you framed me。〃
Lanie didn't answer。 Decker took one of her hands and held it very gently； as if it were a baby animal he was afraid of squeezing。 Lanie looked frightened。
〃It was your brother's idea； wasn't it？〃
〃At first he talked about blackmail；〃 she said。 〃He asked if I knew any good photographers who could follow Dickie and get the pictures without him knowing。 I thought of you； and Dennis said fine。 He said to keep you interested and I said okay； anything to get back at Dickie for what he did。〃
〃What you thought he did；〃 Decker interjected。
〃Dennis said it was Dickie who killed Bobby。 I believed him； why shouldn't I？ It made sense。〃
Jim Tile said； 〃So Dickie's murdered； then what？〃
〃Dennis calls me in New Orleans。〃
Decker said； 〃Just what the hell were you doing there anyway？〃
〃He sent me；〃 Lanie said。 〃To make sure you weren't goofing off； he said。 He was pissed off because you weren't telling him much on the phone。〃
〃So you drag me into bed； then steal my film？〃
〃Who dragged who？〃 Lanie said sharply。 〃About the film； I'm sorry。 It was a shitty thing to do。 Dennis said he was dying to see what you'd got。 Said the stuff belonged to him anyway。〃
Decker held her hand just a little tighter。 〃And you actually believed all this？〃 he asked agitatedly。 〃These errands didn't strike you as a little odd？ No light bulb flashed on in your beautiful size…four brain？〃
〃No；〃 Lanie snapped； 〃no light bulbs。〃
Jim Tile said； 〃Getting back to Dickie's murder 。。。 〃
〃Yeah；〃 Lanie said； shifting her eyes to the trooper。 〃That morning Dennis called me in New Orleans； all upset。 He said Decker had gone and killed Lockhart。 Dennis was afraid。〃
Jim Tile said； 〃He told you he might be a suspect。〃
〃Right。 He said Decker was trying to frame him； and he asked me to go to the police。〃
〃And lie？〃
〃He's my brother； for God's sake。 I didn't want him to go to jail over a crazy goddamn fish murder。 Bobby's death was bad enough； I didn't want to lose Dennis too。 So I went down and gave a very brief statement。〃 She looked at Decker again。 〃I said you dropped me off on your way to see Dickie Lockhart。 That's all。〃
〃It was plenty；〃 Decker said。 〃Thanks a heap。〃
〃Dennis sounded desperate。〃
〃And with good reason。〃
〃I still don't believe you；〃 Lanie said。
〃Yes； you do；〃 said Jim Tile。
It was all Decker could do to hold his temper。 〃Any other little Dennis favors we should know about？〃
Lanie said； 〃Can you turn that thing off？〃
Jim Tile stopped the tape machine。
Lanie got up and led them through the apartment to the second bedroom。 She opened the door as quietly as she could。 The room was totally dark； the shades were not only drawn； but the cracks were sealed with hurricane tape。 Lanie turned on the ceiling light。
A young long…haired woman lay in bed； a pink cotton blanket pulled up to her chin。 Her bluish eyelids were half…closed and she breathed heavily； with her mouth open。 Some pills and a half…empty bottle of Dewar's sat on the nightstand。
Jim Tile looked at R。 J。 Decker； who said； 〃I've seen her before。 At the tournament in New Orleans。〃
〃Name's Ellen O'Leary；〃 Lanie said in a dull voice。 〃She's not feeling well。〃
In a fury Decker pushed Lanie Gault to the wall； pinned her arms。
〃No more games；〃 he said。 〃Who's this girl？〃
〃I don't know；〃 Lanie cried。
〃You just came home one night and there she was； passed out in bed？〃
〃No； a man brought her。 Dennis asked me to look after her。〃
Decker said； 〃You're a very sick lady； Elaine。〃
〃Easy； man；〃 said Jim Tile。 He sat down on the bed next to Ellen O'Leary and studied the labels on the pill bottles。 〃Nembutals；〃 he said to Decker。
〃Swell； a Norma Jean cocktail。〃
〃Just to make her sleepy；〃 Lanie insisted。 〃She'll be all right； R。J。 Every night I give her soup。 Would you get off me； please？〃
Decker grabbed Lanie's arm and led her out of the bedroom。 Jim Tile flushed the pills down the toilet and went to the kitchen to fix coffee for the woman named Ellen。 He was wondering how much stranger things would get。
Decker himself was frazzled。 Lanie was impossible。
〃What did your brother say about this woman？〃 he asked her。
〃He said to keep an eye on her； that's all。 Keep her sleepy and out of trouble。 He said she was a danger to herself and others；〃
〃I'll bet。〃
Lanie asked if she could get dressed。 Decker said yes； but he wouldn't let her out of his sight。 Lanie didn't object。 Casually she stripped off her nightgown and stood naked in front of the mirror； brushing out her hair while Decker watched impassively。 Finally she put on jeans and a University of Miami sweatshirt。
Decker said； 〃You know a man named Thomas Curl？〃
〃Sure； that's the guy who brought Ellen；〃 Lanie answered。 〃He works for Dennis。〃
By the way she said it； Decker could tell she really didn't know。 Even Lanie wasn't that good。
〃Thomas Curl killed Bobby；〃 he said。
〃Stop it；〃 Lanie said； 〃right now。〃 But it was obvious by her expression that she was putting it all together。
In the other room Jim Tile carried Ellen to the shower。 He propped her under a cold drizzle for ten minutes until she spluttered and bent over to vomit。 Then he toweled her off and put her back in bed。 Once her stomach settled； she sat up and sipped some coffee。
Jim Tile closed the door and said； 〃You want to talk？〃
〃Where am I？〃 Ellen asked thickly。
〃Florida。〃
〃I musfve got sick…did I miss it？〃
〃Miss what？〃 Jim Tile asked。
〃Dickie's funeral。〃
〃Yes； it's over。〃
〃Oh。〃 Ellen's eyes filled up。
Jim Tile said； 〃Dickie was a friend of yours？〃
〃Yes； officer； he was。〃
〃How long did you know him？〃
〃Not long；〃 answered Ellen O'Leary； 〃just a few days。 But he cared for me。〃
〃When's the last time you saw him？〃
Ellen said； 〃Right before it happened。〃
〃The murder？〃
〃Yes； officer。 I was up in the hotel with him； celebrating after the bass tournament； when Thomas Curl came to the door and said he needed to see Dickie right away。〃
〃Then what happened； Ellen？〃
〃They went off together and Dickie didn't e back。 I fell asleep…we'd had an awful lot of champagne。 The next morning I heard on the radio what happened。〃
Jim Tile refilled her coffee cup。 〃What did you do then？〃 he asked。
〃I was so upset； I called Reverend Weeb；〃 she said； 〃and I asked him to say a prayer for Dickie's soul。 And Reverend Weeb said only if I came over and knelt down with him。〃
〃I bet you weren't in the mood for that。〃
〃Right；〃 Ellen said。 She didn't understand how the black trooper could know about Reverend Weeb's strange ways； but she was grateful for the passion。
Jim Tile opened the bedroom door and asked Decker and Lanie to e in。
〃Ellen；〃 he said； 〃tell Miss Gault who came and got Dickie Lockhart the night he was killed。〃
〃Thomas Curl；〃 said Ellen O'Leary。
Lanie looked stricken。 〃Are you sure？〃
〃I've known him since high school。〃
〃God；〃 Lanie said dejectedly。
Ellen tucked an extra pillow under her head。 〃I'm feeling lots better；〃 she said。
〃Well； I feel like hell；〃 said Lanie。
The phone rang。 Jim Tile told her to answer it； and motioned Decker to pick up the kitchen extension。
The caller was Dennis Gault。
〃Hi；〃 Lanie said； with the trooper standing very close behind her。
〃How's it going； sis？〃 Gault asked。
〃Fine；〃 Lanie said。 〃Ellen's still sleeping。〃
〃Excellent。〃
〃Dennis； I'd like to go out； catch some sun； do some shopping。 How much longer with the babysitting？〃
〃Look； Elaine； I don't know。 The cops still haven't caught Decker。〃
〃Oh； great。〃 Perfect sarcasm。 Decker listened admiringly…she really could have been a star of stage and screen。
〃What if they don't catch him？〃 she said。
〃Don't be ridiculous。〃
〃Dennis； I want Tom to e get this girl。〃
〃Soon；〃 Gault promised。 〃I sent him down to Miami on some business。 He'll pick up Ellen when he gets back。 Relax； wouldya； sweet thing？〃
〃Miami；〃 Lanie repeated。
〃Yeah；〃 her brother said； 〃we're getting ready for the big tournament。〃
〃Oh boy；〃 said Lanie； thinking： I hope you drown； you murdering bastard。
The fire died slowly； and as it did Al Garcia poked and speared the embers in a feeble attempt to revive the flames。 Soon a gray curling mist cloaked the lake and settled over the detective's shoulders like a damp shroud。 Small creatures scuttled unseen through the woods； and each crackling twig reminded Garcia that he was desperately removed from his element； the city。 Even from the lake there were noises…what； he couldn't imagine…splashes and gurgles o