cwilleford.miamiblues-第44部分

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　　〃I　know　you　will。　But　for　an　experienced　police　officer；　that　was　just　about　the　dumbest　trick　you　ever　pulled。　Not　only　should　you　have　waited　for　backup；　but　going　after　a　man　like　Frenger　called　for　a　SWAT　team。〃
　　〃I　was　afraid　he　was　going　to　get　away…〃
　　〃That's　no　excuse。　You　knew　he　was　armed；　even　if　you　didn't　know　he'd　killed　Wulgemuth　and　his　bodyguard。〃
　　〃Maybe　I　should've　waited　a　little　longer；　but…〃
　　〃Shut　up！　How　in　the　hell　can　I　chew　your　ass　if　you　keep　interrupting　me？〃　Brownley　frowned；　took　a　cigar　out　of　the　humidor　on　his　desk；　and　began　to　unwrap　it。
　　Brownley's　face　was　creased　with　thousands　of　tiny　wrinkles。　His　face　reminded　Hoke　of　a　piece　of　black　silk　that　has　been　wadded　into　a　tiny　ball　and　then　smoothed　out　again。　But　the　captain's　cheeks　were　grayish　with　fatigue；　and　there　were　a　few　gray　hairs　in　his　mustache　as　well…gray　hairs　Hoke　hadn't　noticed　before。　How　old　was　Brownley；　anyway？　Forty…five；　forty…six？　Certainly　no　more　than　forty…seven；　but　he　looked　much　much　older。
　　Brownley；　turning　his　cigar　as　he　lighted　it　with　a　kitchen　match；　looked　at　Hoke　with　unreadable　eyes。　The　whites　of　his　eyes　were　slightly　yellow；　and　Hoke　had　never　noticed　that　before　either。
　　〃I　just　got　through　talking　to　the　chief；〃　Brownley　said；　〃and　we　made　a　promise。　I'm　going　to　write　you　a　letter　of　reprimand；　and　it'll　go　into　your　permanent　file。〃
　　Hoke　cleared　his　throat。　〃I　deserve　it。〃
　　〃Damned　right！　The　chief；　on　the　other　hand；　is　going　to　write　you　a　letter　of　mendation。　You　might　be　puzzled　by　the　ambiguity　of　his　letter；　but　it'll　be　a　mendation。　That　will　also　go　into　your　permanent　file。　So　one　letter　will；　in　a　sense；　cancel　out　the　other。〃
　　〃I　don't　deserve　a　letter　of　mendation。〃
　　〃I　know　you　don't；　but　this　case'll　give　the　chief　something　positive　to　talk　about　at　the　University　Club　next　week；　and　besides；　it'll　help　you　out　at　the　hearing。　And　in　a　way；　maybe　you　do　deserve　a　mendation　from　the　chief。　That　was　good　police　work；　getting　Sanchez　to　call　Ramon　Mendez…〃
　　〃Who？〃
　　〃Ramon　Mendez。　Sanchez's　cop　cousin　in　Hollywood。〃
　　〃I　forgot　for　a　minute。　Mendez　was　one　of　Frenger's　names…〃
　　〃I　know。　But　the　fact　that　we　had　at　least　one　Broward　County　officer　at　the　scene　helped　to　get　us　off　the　hook　when　we　entered　Broward's　jurisdiction。　Because　of　the　seriousness　of　the　crime；　we　probably　would've　been　okay　anyway；　but　having　a　Broward　officer　present　helped　save　a　little　face。　This　is　politics；　Hoke；　not　police　work。　I'm　sending　Officer　Mendez　a　mendation；　as　well　as　one　for　Henderson　and　Sanchez。　And　your　letter　of　reprimand　will　be　fairly　mild；　because　the　chief　just　confirmed　my　majority。〃　Brownley　puffed　on　his　cigar。　〃As　of　the　first　of　the　month；　you　can　call　me　Major　Brownley。〃
　　〃Congratulations；　Willie。〃　Hoke　grinned。
　　〃Major　Willie。〃　Brownley　took　a　cigar　out　of　the　humidor　and　offered　it　to　Hoke；　but　Hoke　waved　it　away。
　　〃I'll　stick　to　cigarettes；　major。　What　happens　to　me　now？〃
　　〃As　you　know；　there's　no　standard　operating　procedure。　Usually；　when　a　cop　shoots　a　suspect；　we　just　send　him　home　to　wait　for　the　hearing　or　we　give　him　a　desk　job　while　he　waits。　If　the　shooting's　accidental　or　if　it　looks　like　a　grand　jury　matter；　the　officer's　usually　suspended；　with　or　without　pay。　In　your　case；　as　long　as　you're　on　sick　leave　anyway；　you　just　go　home　and　wait　for　the　hearing。〃
　　〃There're　a　few　things　to　clear　up　first。　I　want　to　call　San　Francisco；　and…〃
　　〃You'll　go　home　and　stay　there。　Don't　e　into　the　station　until　the　hearing。　You　can　call　Sanchez；　and　let　her　clear　up　any　loose　ends。　Don't　talk　to　the　press　or　to　anyone　else　about　the　case。　You're　not　going　to　have　any　problems　at　the　hearing。　Deadly　force　was　justified；　and　you'll　be　cleared。〃
　　〃All　right。　I'll　call　Sanchez。　She　can　handle　things　all　right。〃
　　〃She　likes　you；　too。　Of　course；　when　I　told　you　to　win　her　over；　I　didn't　mean　for　you　to　prove　what　a　good　shot　you　were；　but　at　least　she's　not　plaining　about　her　supervisor。〃
　　〃It　won't　be　the　same　as　working　with　Bill　Henderson；　but　then；　Bill　can't　type　eighty…five　words　a　minute；　and　she　can。　So　I　guess　it'll　even　out。〃
　　〃Get　the　hell　out　of　here；　Hoke。　I've　still　got　some　calls　to　make。〃
　　Hoke　got　to　his　feet。　〃I'd　like　to　go　up　to　Riviera　Beach　to　spend　a　few　days　with　my　father。〃
　　〃Okay。　Just　call　in　every　day。　As　long's　we　can　reach　you　by　phone。〃
　　They　shook　hands；　and　Hoke　left　the　office。
　　
　　When　Hoke　got　to　the　station　parking　lot；　Henderson　and　Sanchez　were　waiting　for　him。　The　morning　air　was　moist　and　hot；　and　Hoke　could　feel　his　pores　opening。　The　humid　air　felt　good　after　the　stale　air…conditioning　of　the　station；　and　Hoke　didn't　really　mind　the　little　rivulets　of　perspiration　that　rolled　down　his　sides。
　　Ellita　Sanchez　had　removed　her　blue　faille　suit　jacket；　and　her　upper　lip　was　beaded　lightly　with　sweat。　Henderson's　heavy　shoulders　slumped　with　fatigue；　and　his　eyes　were　bloodshot。　Hoke　knew　that　neither　one　of　them　wanted　a　beer　as　much　as　they　wanted　a　bed；　but　he　also　suspected　that　they　were　as　reluctant　as　he　was　to　break　up　a　process　they　had　shared；　a　certain　sense　of　teamwork。
　　〃How'd　you　make　out；　Hoke？〃　Henderson　said。
　　〃I'm　still　on　sick　leave；　but　I'm　supposed　to　stay　away　from　the　station　until　the　hearing。　Brownley　said　I　could　go　up　to　Riviera　Beach；　though；　and　stay　with　my　father　if！　want　to；　and　I　think　I　will。〃
　　〃You　haven't　been　up　to　Riviera　for　a　while；　have　you？〃
　　〃'Bout　a　year　ago；　when　the　old　man　got　married　again…　remember？〃
　　〃Let's　go　to　the　Seven…Eleven；〃　Sanchez　suggested。　〃You　guys　can　get　a　beer；　and　I'll　get　a　grape　Slurpee。　My　throat's　dry；　but　it　doesn't　feel　like　a　beer　for　breakfast。〃
　　〃Suits　me；〃　Henderson　said。　〃We　can　take　my　car。〃
　　〃Let's　walk；〃　Hoke　said。　〃It's　only　a　block。　We　can　stretch　our　legs。〃
　　They　walked　to　the　7…Eleven；　down　the　narrow　Overtown　sidewalk；　Hoke　beside　Sanchez；　with　Henderson　lumbering　a　few　feet　ahead　of　them。
　　〃You　ever　been　to　Riviera　Beach；　Ellita？〃
　　〃Never。　I've　been　to　Palm　Beach；　but　not　to　Riviera。〃
　　〃Palm　Beach　is　right　across　the　inlet　from　Singer　Island；　and　Singer's　a　part　of　the　Riviera　Beach　municipality；　with　the　best　beach　in　Florida。　So；　if　you　went　as　far　as　the　northern　end　of　Palm　Beach；　you　were　looking　across　at　Singer。　I　grew　up　in　Riviera　Beach；　but　I　didn't　know　it　was　actually　called　Riviera　until　I　was　almost　twenty　years　old。　We　always　called　it　Rivera。　Rivera…that's　what　everybody　called　it。　Funny；　isn't　it？〃
　　〃I've　noticed　that　a　lot　of　Miamians　call　Miami　Mi…am…ah。　I　guess　it's　what　you　grow　up　with。〃
　　〃In　Riviera；　that's　how　we　can　tell　the　natives　from　the　tourists。　Most　of　us　still　say　Rivera。〃
　　When　they　got　to　the　7…Eleven；　Sanchez　asked　the　manager　to　fix　her　a　grape　Slurpee。　Hoke　and　Henderson　went　to　the　freezer。　Henderson　got　a　Bud；　and　Hoke　reached　deep　into　the　box　to　get　a　cold　Coors。　Each　paid　for　his　own　drink；　and　then　they　went　outside　to　drink　them。　A　few　blocks　away；　in　the　nascent　morning　light；　they　could　see　the　vultures　circling　above　the　county　courthouse　tower；　preparing　to　fly　to　the　city　dump　for　their　breakfast　feeding。
　　〃That　yellow　Nova；〃　Sanchez　said；　pointing　to　the　dusty　car　parked　by　the　Dempsey　Dumpster；　〃has　been　there　for　three　days。　I　remember　seeing　it。〃
　　〃Probably　the　manager's　car；〃　Henderson　said。　〃There's　no　one　else　around　here。〃
　　Sanchez　walked　down　to　the　car。　〃It's　got　Michigan　plates。〃
　　Henderson　cracked　open　the　glass　door　to　the　store。　The　manager　had　〃The　Star〃　open　on　the　counter　and　was　reading　it。　He　looked　up。　〃You　from　Michigan？〃　Henderson　said。
　　〃What？〃
　　〃Are　you　from　Michigan？〃
　　〃Michigan？〃　The　manager　shook　his　head。　〃Ponce。　In　Puerto　Rico。〃
　　〃That　your　car？　The　yellow　Nova？〃
　　The　Puerto　Rican　shook　his　head。　〃My　wife's　got　my　car。　She　drives　me　to　work；　and　picks　me　up。　That　car's　been　parked　there　for　three　days。〃
　　〃You　guys　better　e　down　here　a　minute！〃　Sanchez　raised　her　voice。　She　threw　her　waxed　cup；　still　half　full；　into　the　dumpster。　Hoke　and　Henderson　joined　her　at　the　back　o