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In the tub Thomas reached over and turned on the hot water。 He was careful not to get the telephone wet； in case it might electrocute him。
Gault said； 〃I need you to find Decker。 Before the cops。〃
〃What about that crazy gorilla？〃
〃They probably split up by now。〃
〃I don't want to fuck with him。 Culver said he's mean as a moccasin。〃
Gault said； 〃Culver's afraid of a tit in the dark。 Besides； from what Elaine says； Skink isn't the type to stick with Decker。 They probably split up； like I said。〃
Thomas Curl was not convinced。 He remembered the neatly centered bullet hole in his brother's forehead。
〃What's the pay？〃
〃Same as before；〃 Gault said。
〃Double if I got to deal with the gorilla。〃
〃Hell； you ought to do it for free；〃 Gault said。 Greed was truly a despicable vice； he thought。 〃For Christ's sake； Thomas； these are the guys who killed Lemus。 One or both； it's up to you。 Decker's the one that worries me most。 He's the one that could hurt us in court。 We're talking hard time； too。〃
Thomas Curl did not like the idea of being sent to the state penitentiary even for a day。 There was also something powerfully attractive； even romantic； about avenging his brothers death。
〃Where do I start？〃 he asked。
〃Way behind； unfortunately；〃 Gault said。 〃Decker's already running。 The trick is to find out where； because he sure as hell won't be ing your way。〃
〃Not unless I got somethin' he wants；〃 said Thomas Curl。
Catherine said： 〃This won't work； not with him in the bathroom。〃 She got out of bed and began to dress。
From behind the bathroom door； a voice grumped： 〃Pay no attention to me。〃
Decker dolefully watched Catherine button her blouse。 This is what I get； he thought； exactly what I deserve。 He said to her； 〃This man's a distraction； you're right。〃
〃I don't know what I was thinking；〃 Catherine said； stepping into a pink slip。 〃James is furious as it is； and now I'm an hour late。〃
〃Sorry；〃 Decker said。
〃Here； give me a hand with this zipper。〃
〃Nice skirt；〃 Decker said。 〃It's silk； isn't it？〃
〃I can't stand these damn zippers on the side。〃
Decker peeked at the label。 〃Jesus； Catherine； a Gucci。〃
She frowned。 〃Stop it； R。J。 I know what you're up to。〃
As always。
Decker rolled out of bed and groped around the floor for his jeans。 It was dark outside； time to go。 Muffled scraping noises emanated from the bathroom。 Decker couldn't imagine what Skink was doing in there。
Catherine brushed out her hair； put on some pale pink lipstick。
〃You look positively beatific；〃 Decker said。 〃Pure as the driven snow。〃
〃No thanks to you。〃 She turned from the mirror and took his hands。 〃I'd give anything to forget about you； you bastard。〃
Decker said； 〃Could try hypnosis。 Or hallucinogens。〃
Catherine put her arms around him。 〃Cut the bullshit； pal； it's all right to be scared。 This is the most trouble you've ever been in。〃
〃I believe so；〃 Decker said。
Catherine kissed him on the neck。 〃Watch out for yourself； Rage。 And him too。〃
〃We'll be fine。〃 He handed Catherine her Louis Vuitton purse and her one…hundred…percent…cashmere sweater。
Before she walked out the door she said； 〃I just want you to know； it wouldn't have been a mercy fuck。 It would have been the real thing。〃
Decker said； 〃I got that impression； yeah。〃
He couldn't believe how much he still loved her。
Somehow Skink had wedged himself between the bathroom sink and the toilet； pressed his bulk into a massive； musty cube on the tile floor。 At first Decker couldn't even pinpoint the location of his head； the wheezing seemed to e from under the toilet tank。 Decker knelt down and saw Skink's scaly face staring out from behind the water pipes。 He looked like a bearded iguana。
〃Why'd you turn on the light？〃 he asked。
〃So I wouldn't step on your vital organs。〃
〃Worse things could happen；〃 Skink said。
Freud would have a picnic； Decker thought。 〃Look； captain； we've got to get going。〃
〃I'm safe right here；〃 Skink observed。
〃Not really；〃 Decker said。 〃You're hiding under a toilet in a hundred…dollar beachfront hotel room。 Someone's bound to plain。〃
〃You think？〃
Decker nodded patiently。 〃It's much safer back in Harney；〃 he said。 〃If we leave now； we'll be back at the lake by midnight。〃
〃You mean it？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃I'll kill you； Miami； if this is a trap。 I'll fucking cut out your bladder and wring it in your hair。〃
〃It's no trap；〃 Decker said。 〃Let's go。〃
It took forty…five minutes to disengage Skink from the plumbing。 In the process the sink snapped clean off its legs； Decker left it lying on the bed。
In the lobby of the hotel he rented a Ford Escort。 He got it out of the underground parking and pulled around back to the hotel's service entrance； where Skink was waiting by the dumpsters。 As Skink got in the car； Decker noticed something white tucked under one arm。
〃Whatcha got there？〃 he said。
〃Seagull。〃 Skink held up the limp bird by its curled orange feet。 〃Hasn't been dead more than ten minutes。 I scarfed it off the grille of that seafood truck。〃
〃Lucky us；〃 Decker said thinly。
〃You hungry？ We can stop and make a fire once we get out of this traffic。〃
〃Let's wait； okay？〃
〃Sure；〃 Skink said。 〃It'll keep for a couple hours。〃
Decker headed west from the beach on the Seventeenth Street Causeway； past Port Everglades and the Ocean World aquarium。 It was typical January beach traffic； bumper…to…bumper nitwits as far as the eye could see。 Every other car had New York plates。
Skink fit the dead bird into the glove partment and covered it with a copy of the rental agreement。 He seemed in a much better mood already。 He put on his sunglasses and flowered shower cap； and turned around to get his fluorescent rainsuit from the back seat。 Through the rear window he noticed a dark blue Chrysler sedan following two car…lengths behind。 He spotted a plastic bubble on the dashboard； not flashing； but a bubble just the same。 The driver's face was obscured by the tinted windshield； but a red dot bobbed at mouth…level。
〃Your buddy Garcia smoke？〃
Decker checked the rearview。 〃Oh； shit；〃 he said。
Skink struggled into the rainsuit； adjusted his sunglasses； and said； 〃Well； Miami； what's it going to be？〃
The blue light on the Chrysler's dashboard was flashing now。 Hopelessly Decker scanned the traffic on the causeway； it was jammed all the way to the next traffic signal； and beyond。 There was nowhere to go。 Al Garcia was up on his bumper and flashing his brights。 Decker figured he had a better chance one…on…one； with no Fort Lauderdale cops。 He decided to stop before it turned into a convoy。
He pulled into the parking lot of a liquor store。 With the big Chrysler Garcia easily blocked off the little Escort； parked； kept the blue light turning。 A bad sign； Decker thought。
He turned to Skink： 〃I don't want to see your gun。〃
〃Relax；〃 Skink said。 〃Mr。 Browning sleeps with the fishes。〃
Al Garcia approached the car in a bemused and almost casual manner。 At the driver's window he bent down and said； 〃R。J。； you are the king of all fuckups。〃
〃Sorry I stood you up the other day；〃 Decker said。
〃Everyone but the National Guard is looking for you。〃
〃Now that you mention it； Al； aren't you slightly out of your jurisdiction？ I believe this is Broward County。〃
〃And you're a fleeing felon； asshole； so I can chase you wherever I want。 That's the law。〃 He spit out his cigarette and ground it into the asphalt with his shoe。
Decker said； 〃So what'd you do； follow Catherine up from Miami？〃
〃She's a slick little driver； she gave it her best。〃
Decker said； 〃I didn't kill anybody； Al。〃
〃How about Little Stevie Wonder there？〃
Skink blinked lizardlike behind his sunglasses。
〃e on； R。J。； let's all of us go for a ride。〃 Garcia was so smooth he didn't even unholster his gun。 Decker was impressed； you had to be。 Now if only Skink behaved。
Skink retrieved his dead seagull from the glove box and Decker locked up the rental car。 Garcia was waiting in the Chrysler。 〃Who wants to ride shotgun？〃 he asked affably。
Decker said； 〃I thought you'd want both us ruthless murderers to sit back in the cage。〃
〃Nah；〃 Al Garcia said； unplugging the blue light。 He got back into traffic； turned off Seventeenth Street on Federal Highway； then cut back west on Road 84； an impossible truck route。 Decker was surprised when he didn't turn south at the Interstate 95 exchange。
〃Where are you going？〃
〃The Turnpike's a cleaner shot； isn't it？〃 the detective said。
〃Not really；〃 Decker said。
〃He means north；〃 Skink said from the back seat。 〃To Harney。〃
〃Right；〃 Al Garcia said。 〃On the way； I want you guys to tell me all about bass fishing。〃
The news from Lunker Lakes was not good。
〃They died；〃 reported Charlie Weeb's hydrologist； some pinhead hired fresh out of the University of Florida。
〃Died？〃 said the Reverend Weeb。 〃What the fuck are you talking about？〃
He was talking about the bass…two thousand yearling large…mouths imported at enormous cost from a private hatchery in Alabama。
〃They croaked；〃 said the hydrologist。 〃What can I say？ The water's very bad； Reverend Weeb。 Tannic acid they can tolerate； but the current phosphate levels are lethal。 There's no fresh oxygen； no natural water flow。 Whoever dredged your canals…〃
〃Lakes； goddammit！〃
〃…they dredged too deep。 The fish don't last more than two days。〃
〃Jesus Christ Almighty。 So what're we talking about here…stinking dead bass floating all over the place？〃
The hydrologist said； 〃I took the liberty of hiring some local boats to scoop up the kill。 With this cool weather it's not so bad； but if a warm front pushes through； they'd smell it all the way to Key West。〃
Weeb slammed down the phone and groaned。 The woman lying next to him said； 〃What is it； Father？〃
〃I'm not a priest；〃 Weeb snapped。 He didn't have the energy for a theology lesson； it would have been a waste of time anyway。 The girl worked at Louie's Lap…Dancing Palace in Gretna。 She said her whole family watched him every Sunday morning on television。
〃I never been with a TV star before；〃 she said； burrowing into his chest。 〃You're a big boy； too。〃
Charlie Weeb was only half…listening。 He missed Ellen O'Leary； no one else looked quite as fine； topless in the rubber trout waders。 No one soothed him the way Ellen did； either； but now she was gone。 Took off after Dickie Lockhart's murder。 One more disappointment in a week of bleak disappointments for the Reverend Charles Weeb。
〃How much do I owe you？〃 he asked the lap dancer。
〃Nothing； Father。〃 She sounded confused。 〃I brought my own money。〃
〃What for？〃 Weeb looked down； he couldn't see her face； just the top of her head and the smooth slope of her naked back。
〃I got a favor to ask；〃 the lap dancer said； whispering into his chest hair。 〃And I wanna pay for it。〃
〃What on earth are you talking about？〃
〃I want you to heal my poppa。〃 She looked up shyly。 〃He's got the gout； my poppa does。〃
〃No； child…〃
〃Some days he can't barely get himself out of bed。〃
Weeb shifted restlessly； glanced at his wristwatch。
〃I'll give you two hundred dollars；〃 the girl declared。
〃You're serious？〃
〃Just one little prayer； please。〃
〃Two hundred bucks？〃
〃And a hum job； if you want it； Father。〃
Charlie Weeb stared at her； thinking： It's true what they say about the power of television。
〃e； child；〃 he said softly； 〃let's pray。〃
Later； when he was alone； the Reverend Charles Weeb thought about the girl and what she'd wanted。 Maybe it was the answer he'd been looking for。 It had worked before； in the early years； perhaps it would work again。
Charlie Weeb drank a Scotch and tried to sleep； but he couldn't。 In recent nights he had been kept awake by the chilling realization that Lunker Lakes； his dream city； was in deep trouble。 The first blow had e from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation； whose auditors had swept into the offices of First Standard Eurobank of Ohio and discovered that the whole damn thing was on the verge of insolvency。 The problem was bad loans； huge ones； which First Standard Eurobank apparently handed out as freely as desk calendars。 The Outdoor Christian Network； doing business as Lunker Lakes Ltd。； had been