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〃Not real cripples？〃
〃No；〃 said the deacon。 〃With some of the vets； it es and goes。 They stub their toe； they get a wheelchair…it's all in their head。 I think we can find one to play along。〃
〃Be careful；〃 Reverend Weeb said。 〃All we need is some fruitcake Rambo flashing back to Nam on live TV。〃
〃Don't worry；〃 Deacon Johnson said。 〃Charles； I thought you'd like to hear some good news。〃
〃Absolutely。〃
Deacon Johnson said； 〃The tournament's full。 Today we got our fiftieth boat。〃
〃Thank God。〃 The hundred…fifty grand in entry fees would almost cover costs。 〃Anybody famous？〃 Weeb asked。
〃No； couple of brothers；〃 Deacon Johnson said。 〃In fact； Eddie said he never even heard of them。 Tile is the name。 James and Chico。〃
The preacher chuckled and rolled over on his back。 〃Long as the check cleared；〃 he said。
Catherine was astonished when they went through the Golden Glades interchange and the toll…booth lady hardly looked twice at Lucas。
〃I can't believe it；〃 Catherine said as they drove away。
Behind the wheel； Thomas Curl scowled。 〃What the hell would she say？〃
When they had pulled up to the booth； Curl had reached out with his dog…headed arm to get the ticket。 The toll…booth lady glanced benignly at the pit bull； which was deposing rather noticeably。
〃Have a nice day；〃 the toll…booth lady said。 〃I'm all out of Milk…bones。〃
〃Thanks just the same；〃 said Thomas Curl； driving on。
He had named the dead dog head Lucas。
〃Why not Luke？〃 Catherine asked。
〃What a dumb name for a dog。〃
Thomas Curl held the pistol tightly with his left hand； that's why he'd had to reach for the toll ticket with his right arm； the dog arm。 That's the one he steered with。 Catherine could see that it was grossly swollen with infection。 The pus…lathered flesh had turned gray； with lightning streaks of crimson。
〃You should see a doctor。〃
〃After I see Dennis；〃 Thomas Curl said。 〃And after I see your goddamn husband。〃 Curl was sweating like a pig。
Catherine said； 〃He's not my husband anymore。〃
〃I still plan to kill him； on account of Lemus。〃
〃See if I care；〃 said Catherine； staring out the window； seemingly enjoying the ride。
Thomas Curl didn't know what to make of her。 The girl should have been frightened to death。
〃Wait'll he finds out where you are。〃
〃Decker？ What makes you think he still cares？〃 she bluffed。
Thomas Curl laughed coarsely。 〃He's only got about a million fucking pitchers。〃
〃Of me？〃
〃Fucking A。 Under the bed； in the closet； probably in his underpants drawer too。 Didn't you know that？〃
Catherine didn't know about the pictures。 She wondered which ones R。J。 had kept； which ones he liked best。
〃My husband's a doctor。 He could take a look at that arm when he gets back tonight。〃 Another bluff。 James would have passed out at the sight。
〃No way；〃 Thomas said。 〃We're headed for Lauderdale。〃 He looked down at the dog head and smiled。 〃Ain't that right； Lucas boy？〃
Catherine was not surprised when Lucas made no reply； but Thomas Curl frowned unhappily。 〃Lucas； you hear me？ Goddammit； puppy； speak！〃
The festering dog head clung mutely to his arm。
Thomas Curl shoved the barrel of the pistol into one of the animal's piebald ears。
〃Please don't；〃 Catherine cried； raising her arms。
No longer paying even cursory attention to the highway； Thomas glared down at Lucas and bared his own teeth。 〃My daddy said you got to show 'em who's boss。 Dogs is like wives； he said； you can't let 'em have their way once else they run wild。 Ain't that right； Lucas boy？〃
Again nothing。
Thomas Curl cocked the pistol。 〃Bad dog； Lucas！〃
Catherine covered her mouth and let out a muffled little bark。
Curl grinned and leaned closer。 〃Hear that？〃
Catherine barked again。 It was better than having him fire a gun inside the car； doing seventy。
〃That's my puppy；〃 Curl said； oblivious。 He laid the pistol in his lap and patted the crown of the dead dog's head。 〃You good boy； Lucas； I knew all along。〃
〃Ruff！〃 said Catherine。
Skink netted more shiners and made Al Garcia practice with the fish until nearly dawn。 Finally they let the monster…beastie rest； and Skink rowed back across Lake Jesup。 As they dragged the skiff ashore； Garcia noticed two cars parked behind Skink's truck at the shack。 One belonged to Trooper Jim Tile。 The other was a tangerine Corvette。
〃pany；〃 Skink said； removing his raincap。
The four of them were sitting around the campfire： Decker； Tile； Lanie Gault； and a woman whom Skink did not recognize。 Decker introduced her as Ellen O'Leary。
〃How's the eye？〃 Jim Tile asked。
Skink grinned and took off his sunglasses。 〃Good as new；〃 he said。 Everyone felt obliged to say something nice about the owl eye。
〃You hungry？〃 Skink said。 〃I'll take the truck and find some breakfast。〃
〃We hit the Mister Donut on the way in；〃 Decker said。
〃Thank you anyway；〃 Lanie added。
Skink nodded。 〃I am； sort of；〃 he said。 〃Hungry； I mean。 You please move the cars？〃
〃Take mine；〃 Lanie said； fishing the keys out of her jeans。 〃Better yet； I'll go with you。〃
〃Like hell；〃 Decker said。
〃I don't mind；〃 said Skink； 〃if you don't。〃
〃No more rope tricks；〃 Lanie said。 It was her cockteasing voice； Decker recognized it。 She got in the passenger side of the Corvette。 Skink squeezed himself behind the wheel。
〃Hope she likes possum omelets；〃 Decker said。
Skink and Lanie were gone a long time。
Al Garcia told Decker the plan； beginning with： 〃The man's totally crazy。〃
〃Thanks for the bulletin。〃
Jim Tile said； 〃He knows about things。 You can trust him。〃
Skink's plan was to crash the big bass tournament and ruin it。 His plan was to sabotage the Lunker Lakes resort on national television。
Garcia said to Jim Tile： 〃You and me are fishing together。〃
〃In the tournament？〃
〃He's already paid our entry fee；〃 Garcia said。 〃The best part is； we're supposed to be hermanos。 Brothers。〃
Jim Tile shook his head。 He was smiling。 〃I like it。 I don't know why； but I do。〃
In a faint voice Ellen O'Leary said； 〃You don't look that much alike。〃
〃In the eyes we do；〃 Garcia said； straight…faced。 〃This is going to be fun。〃
〃Fun〃 is not the word R。 J。 Pecker would have chosen。 Things had gotten dangerously out of hand； suddenly a one…eyed roadside carnivore with possible brain damage was running the whole program。 Even more astounding； Garcia was going along with it。 Decker couldn't imagine what could have happened while he and Jim Tile were up at Crescent Beach。
〃This is all fascinating；〃 Decker said； 〃and I wish both of you the best of luck in the tournament； but my immediate problem is Dennis Gault。 Murder…one； remember？〃
By way of interagency updating； Jim Tile said to Garcia： 〃The sister is taken care of。 As a state's witness； forget it。〃 He held up the tape cassette。
〃Good work；〃 Garcia said。 He turned to Ellen O'Leary。 〃What about you； miss？〃
Ellen looked worriedly at Jim Tile。 The trooper said； 〃She can put Tom Curl with Dickie Lockhart right before the murder。〃
〃Not bad；〃 Garcia said。 〃R。J。； I can't figure what you're so worked up about。 Sounds to me like an easy nolle prosse。〃
〃If you don't mind；〃 Decker said。 〃Gault set me up on a murder charge。 He also arranged to kill my friend Ott。 At this very moment he's got some halfwit redneck hitman out looking for me。 I would prefer not to wait three or four months for the New Orleans district attorney to settle the issue。〃
Garcia raised a fleshy brown hand。 〃Yeah； I hear you； chico。 Why don't I just pop big Mr。 Gault at the fish tournament？ Irritate the hell out of him； wouldn't it？〃
〃Good TV； too；〃 Jim Tile remarked。
〃Pop him for what？〃 Decker asked。
Garcia paused to light a cigarette。 〃Filing false information； for starters。 He lied to me…I don't like that。 Obstruction； that's another good one。 I haven't used it in years； so why not。〃
Decker said； 〃It's chickenshit； Al。〃
〃Better than nothing；〃 Jim Tile said。
Garcia watched a blue smoke ring float into the oaks。 〃Best I can do 〃 he said； 〃until we find Tom Curl and have a serious chat with the boy。〃
〃You think he'll flip？〃 Decker said。
〃Sure。〃 Al Garcia smiled。 〃If I ask real nice。〃
Skink jacked the Corvette up to ninety on the Gilchrist。 He felt obliged to do it； seeing as how he'd probably never get another chance。 It truly was quite a car。 He loved the way its snout sucked up the road。
In the passenger seat Lanie tucked her long legs beneath her bottom and turned sideways to watch him drive。 Skink didn't like being watched； but he said nothing。 It had been a long time since he had shared a moment with a beautiful woman； that was one price of hermitage。 He remembered how good judgment went out the window in such times； so he warned himself to be careful； there was work to do。 His head was killing him； too； the pain had returned as soon as he'd gotten off the lake。 A specialist was out of the question。 There was no time。
Lanie popped a Whitney Houston tape in the cassette player and started keeping time with her bare feet。 Without looking away from the road； Skink reached over and jerked the tape out of the dash。 Then he threw it out the window。
〃Got any Creedence？〃 he said。
In the