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！
〃
Decker said； 〃Did you confront him about the ringer？〃
〃Hell； no。 That's a damn serious thing； and I had no solid proof。〃
〃Nobody else was suspicious？〃
〃Shit； everybody else …was suspicious； but no one had the balls to say boo。 Over beers； sure； they said they knew it was a stiff。 But not to Dickie's face。〃
〃This Lockhart； he must be a real tough guy；〃 Decker said； needling。
〃Not tough； just powerful。 Most bass pros don't want to piss him off。 If you want to get asked to the invitationals； you'd better be pals with Dickie。 If you want product endorsements； you better kiss Dickie's ass。 Same goes if you want your new outboard wholesale。 It adds up。 Some guys don't like Dickie Lockhart worth a shit； but they sure like to be on TV。〃
Decker said； 〃He's the only one who cheats？〃
Gault hooted。
〃Then what's the big deal？〃 Decker asked。
〃The big deal〃…Gault sneered…〃is that Lockhart cheats in the big ones。 The big deal is that he cheats against me。 It's the difference between a Kiwanis softball game and the fucking World Series； you understand？〃
〃Absolutely；〃 Decker said。 He had heard enough。 〃Mr。 Gault； I really don't think I can help you。〃
〃Sit down。〃
〃Look； this is not my strong suit 。。。 〃
〃What is your strong suit？ Divorces？ Car repos？ Workmen's p？ If you're doing so hot； maybe you wouldn't mind telling me why you're moonlighting at that shyster insurance agency where I tracked you down。〃
Decker headed for the door。
〃The fee is fifty thousand dollars。〃
Decker wheeled and stared。 Finally he said； 〃You don't need a P。I。； you need a doctor。〃
〃The money is yours if you can catch this cocksucker cheating； and prove it。〃
〃Prove it？〃
Gault said； 〃You were an ace photographer once。 Couple big awards…I know about you； Decker。 I know about your crummy temper and your run…in with the law。 I also know you'd rather sleep in a tent than a Hilton； and that's fine。 They say you're a little crazy； but crazy is exactly what I need。〃
〃You want pictures？〃 Decker said。 〃Of fish。〃
〃What better proof？〃 Gault glowed at the idea。 〃You get me a photograph of Dickie Lockhart cheating； and I'll get you published in every blessed outdoors magazine in the free world。 That's a bonus； too； on top of the fee。〃
The cover of Field and Stream； Decker thought； a dream e true。 〃I told you；〃 he said； 〃I don't know anything about tournament fishing。〃
〃If it makes you feel any better； you weren't my first choice。〃
It didn't make Decker feel any better。
〃The first guy I picked knew plenty about fishing；〃 Dennis Gault said； 〃a real pro。〃
〃And？〃
〃It didn't work out。 Now I need a new guy。〃
Dennis Gault looked unfortable。 〃Distracted〃 was the word for it。 He set down his drink and reached inside the desk。 Out came a fake…lizardskin checkbook。 Or maybe it was real。
〃Twenty…five up front；〃 Gault said； reaching for a pen。
R。 J。 Decker thought of the alternative and shrugged。 〃Make it thirty；〃 he said。
To Dr。 Michael Pembroke fell the task of dissecting the body of Robert Clinch。
The weight of this doleful assignment was almost unbearable because Dr。 Pembroke by training was not a coroner； but a clinical pathologist。 He addressed warts； cysts； tumors； and polyps with ease and certitude； but corpses terrified him； as did forensics in general。
Most Florida counties employ a full…time medical examiner； or coroner； to handle the flow of human dead。 Rural Harney County could not justify such a luxury to its taxpayers； so each year the county mission voted to retain the part…time services of a pathologist to serve as coroner when needed。 For the grand sum of five thousand dollars Dr。 Michael Pembroke was taking his turn。 The job was not unduly time…consuming； as there were only four thousand citizens in the county and they did not die often。 Most who did die had the courtesy to do so at the hospital； or under routine circumstances that required neither an autopsy nor an investigation。 The few Harney Countians who expired unnaturally could usually be classified as victims of （a） domestic turmoil； （b） automobile accidents； （c） hunting accidents； （d） boating accidents； or （e） lightning。 Harney County had more fatal lightning strikes than any other place in Florida； though no one knew why。 The local fundamentalist church had a field day with this statistic。
When news of Robert Clinch's death arrived at the laboratory； Dr。 Pembroke was staring at a mon wart （verruca vulgaris） that had e from the thumb of a watermelon farmer。 The scaly brown lump was not a pleasant sight； but it was infinitely preferable to the swollen visage of a dead bass fisherman。 The doctor tried to stall and pretend he was deeply occupied at the microscope； but the sheriffs deputy waited patiently； leafing through some dermatology pamphlets。 Dr。 Pembroke finally gave up and got in the back of the squad car for the short ride to the morgue。
〃Can you tell me what happened？〃 Dr。 Pembroke asked； leaning forward。
〃It's Bobby Clinch；〃 the deputy said over his shoulder。 〃Musta flipped his boat in the lake。〃
Dr。 Pembroke was relieved。 Now he had a theory； soon he'd have a cause…of…death。 In no time he could return to the wart。 Maybe this wouldn't be so bad。
The police car pulled up to a low red…brick building that served as the county morgue。 The building had once been leased out as a Burger King restaurant； and had not been refurbished since the county bought it。 While the Burger King sign had been removed （and sold to a college fraternity house）； the counters； booths； and drive…up window remained exactly as they had been in the days of the Whopper。 Dr。 Pembroke once wrote a letter to the county mission suggesting that a fast…food joint was hardly the proper site for a morgue； but the missioners tersely pointed out that it was the only place in Harney with a walk…in freezer。
Peering through the plate…glass window； Dr。 Pembroke saw a pudgy man with a ruddy； squashed…looking face。 It was Culver Rundell； whose shoulders （the doctor remembered） had been covered with brown junctional moles。 These had been expertly biopsied and found to be nonmalignant。
〃Hey； doc！〃 Culver Rundell said as Dr。 Pembroke came through the door。
〃Hello；〃 the pathologist said。 〃How are those moles？〃 Pathologists seldom have to deal with whole patients so they are notoriously weak at making small talk。
〃The moles are ing back；〃 Culver Rundell reported； 〃by the hundreds。 My wife takes a Flair pen and plays connect…the…dots from my neck to my butthole。〃
〃Why don't you e by the office and I'll take a look。〃
〃Naw； doc； you done your best。 I'm used to the damn things； and so's Jeannie。 We make the best of the situation； if you know what I mean。〃
Culver Rundell ran a fish camp on Lake Jesup。 He was not much of a fisherman but he loved the live…bait business； worms and wild shiners mainly。 He also served as official weighmaster for some of America's most prestigious bass tournaments； and this honor Culver Rundell owed to his lifelong friendship with Dickie Lockhart； champion basser。
〃Are you the one who found the deceased？〃 Dr。 Pembroke asked。
〃Nope； that was the Davidson boys。〃
〃Which ones？〃 Dr。 Pembroke asked。 There were three sets of Davidson boys in Harney County。
〃Daniel and Desi。 They found Bobby floating at the bog and hauled him back to the fish camp。 The boys wanted to go back out so I told 'em I'd take care of the body。 We didn't have no hearse so I used my four…by…four。〃
Dr。 Pembroke climbed over the counter into what once had been the kitchen area of the Burger King。 With some effort； Culver Rundell followed。
The body of Robert Clinch lay on a long stainless…steel table。 The stench was dreadful； a mixture of wet death and petrified french fries。
〃Holy Jesus；〃 said Dr。 Pembroke。
〃I know it；〃 said Rundell。
〃How long was he in the water？〃 the doctor asked。
〃We were kind of hoping you'd tell us。〃 It was the deputy； standing at the counter as if waiting for a vanilla shake。
Dr。 Pembroke hated floaters and this was a beaut。 Bobby Clinch's eyes were popping out of his face； milkballs on springs。 An engorged tongue poked from the dead man's mouth like a fat coppery eel。
〃What happened to his head？〃 Dr。 Pembroke asked。 It appeared that numerous patches of Robert Clinch's hair had been yanked raw from his scalp； leaving the checker…skulled impression of an under…dressed punk rocker。
〃Ducks；〃 said Culver Rundell。 〃A whole flock。〃
〃They thought it was food；〃 the deputy explained。
〃It looks like pickerel weeds； hair does。 Especially hair like Bobby's；〃 Rundell went on。 〃In the water it looks like weeds。〃
〃This time of year ducks'll eat anything；〃 the deputy added。
Dr。 Pembroke felt queasy。 Sometimes he wished he'd gone into radiology like his dumb cousin。 With heavy stainless surgical shears he began to cut Robert Clinch's clothes off； a task made more arduous by the swollen condition of the limbs and torso。 As soon as Clinch's waterlogged dungarees were cut away and more purple flesh was revealed； both Culver Rundell and the sheriffs deputy decided to wait on the other side of the counter； where they took a booth and chatted about the latest scandal with the University of Florida football team。
Fifteen minutes later； Dr。 Pembroke came out with a chart on a clipboard。 He was scribbling as he talked。
〃The body was in the water at least twenty…four hours；〃 he said。 〃Cause of death was drowning。〃
〃Was he drunk？〃 Rundell asked。
〃I doubt it； but I won't get the blood tests back for about a week。〃
〃Should I tell the sheriff it was an accident？〃 the deputy said。
〃It looks that way； yes；〃 Dr。 Pembroke said。 〃There was a head wound consistent with impact in a high…speed crash。〃
A bad bruise is what it was； consistent with any number of things； but Dr。 Pembroke preferred to be definitive。 Much of what he knew about forensic medicine came from watching reruns of the television show Quincy； M。E。 Quincy the TV coroner could always glance at an injury and announce what exactly it was consistent with； so Dr。 Pembroke tried to do the same。 The truth was that after the other two men had left the autopsy table； Dr。 Pembroke had worked as hastily as possible。 He had drawn blood； made note of a golf…ball…size bruise on Bobby Clinch's skull and； with something less than surgical acuity； hacked a Y…shaped incision from the neck to the belly。 He had reached in； grabbed a handful of lung； and quickly ascertained that it was full of brackish lake water； which is exactly what Dr。 Pembroke wanted to see。 It meant that Bobby Clinch had drowned； as suspected。 Further proof was the presence of a shiny dead minnow in the right bronchus； indicating that on the way down Bobby Clinch had inhaled violently； but to no avail。 Having determined this； Dr。 Pembroke had wasted not another moment with the rancid body； had not even turned it over for a quick look…see before dragging it into the hamburger cooler。
The pathologist signed the death certificate and handed it to the deputy。 Culver Rundell read it over the lawman's shoulder and nodded。 〃I'll call Clarisse；〃 he said； 〃then I gotta hose out the truck。〃
The largemouth bass is the most popular gamefish in North America； as it can be found in the warmest waters of almost every state。 Its appeal has grown so astronomically in the last ten years that thousands of bass…fishing clubs have sprung up； and are swamped with new members。 According to the sporting…goods industry； more millions of dollars are spent to catch largemouth bass than are spent on any other outdoor activity in the United States。 Bass magazines promote the species as the workingman's fish； available to anyone within strolling distance of a lake； river； culvert； reservoir； rockpit； or drainage ditch。 The bass is not picky； it is hardy； prolific； and on a given day will eat just about any God…awful lure dragged in front of its maw。 As a fighter it is bullish； but tires easily； as a jumper its skills are admirable； though no match for a graceful rainbow trout or tarpon； as table fare it is blandly acceptable； even tasty when properly seasoned。 Its astonishing popularity es from a modest bination of these traits； plus the simple fact that there are so many largemouth bass swimming around that