ch.doublewhammy-第3部分

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rtly　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　just　about　any　damn　fool　can　catch　one。
　Its　democratic　nature　makes　the　bass　an　ideal　tournament　fish；　and　a　marketing　dream…e…true　for　the　tackle　industry。　Because　a　large…mouth　in　Seattle　is　no　different　from　its　Everglades　cousin；　expensive　bass…fishing　products　need　no　regionalization；　no　tailored　advertising。　This　is　why　hard…core　bass　fishermen　everywhere　are　outfitted　exactly　the　same；　from　their　trucks　to　their　togs　to　their　tackle。　On　any　body　of　water；　in　any　county　rural　or　urban；　the　uniform　and　arsenal　of　the　bassing　fraternity　are　unmistakable。　The　universal　mission　is　to　catch　one　of　those　freakishly　big　bass　known　as　lunkers　or　hawgs。　In　many　parts　of　the　country；　any　fish　over　five　pounds　is　considered　a　trophy；　and　it　is　not　unmon　for　the　ardent　basser　to　have　three　or　four　such　specimens　mounted　on　the　walls　of　his　home；　one　for　the　living　room；　one　for　the　den；　and　so　on。　The　geographic　range　of　truly　gargantuan　fish；　ten　to　fifteen　pounds；　is　limited　to　the　humid　Deep　South；　particularly　Georgia　and　Florida。　In　these　areas　the　quest　for　the　world's　biggest　bass　is　rabid　and　ruthless；　for　tournament　fishermen　this　is　the　big　leagues；　where　top　prize　money　for　a　two…day　event　might　equal　seventy…five　thousand　dollars。　If　the　weather　on　these　days　happens　to　be　rotten　or　the　water　too　cold；　a　dinky　four…pound　bass　might　win　the　whole　shooting　match。　More　than　likely；　though；　it　takes　a　lunker　fish　to　win　the　major　tournaments；　and　few　anglers　are　capable　of　catching　lunkers　day　in　and　day　out。
　Weekend　anglers　are　fond　of　noting　that　the　largest　bass　ever　caught　was　not　landed　by　a　tournament　fisherman。　It　was　taken　by　a　nineteen…year…old　Georgia　farm　kid　named　George　W。　Perry　at　an　oxbow　slough　called　Montgomery　Lake。　Fittingly；　young　Perry　had　never　heard　of　Lowrance　fish…finders　or　Thruster　trolling　motors　or　Fenwick　graphite　flipping　sticks。　Perry　went　out　fishing　in　a　simple　rowboat　and　took　the　only　bass　lure　he　owned；　a　beat…up　Creek　Chub。　He　went　fishing　mainly　because　his　family　was　hungry；　and　he　returned　with　a　largemouth　bass　that　weighed　twenty…two　pounds；　four　ounces。　The　year　was　1932。　Since　then；　despite　all　the　space…age　advancements　in　fish…catching　technology；　nobody　has　boated　a　bass　that　es　close　to　the　size　of　George　Perry's　trophy；　which　he　and　his　loved　ones　promptly　ate　for　dinner。　Today　an　historical　plaque　memorating　this　leviathan　largemouth　stands　on　Highway　117；　near　Lumber　City；　Georgia。　It　serves　as　a　defiant　and　nagging　challenge　to　modern　bass　fishermen　and　all　their　infernal　electronics。　Some　ichthyologists　have　been　so　bold　as　to　suggest　that　the　Monster　of　Montgomery　Lake　was　a　supremely　mutant　fish；　an　all…tackle　record　that　will　never　be　bested　by　any　angler。　To　which　Dickie　Lockhart；　in　closing　each　segment　of　Fish　Fever；　would　scrunch　up　his　eyes；　wave　a　finger　at　the　camera；　and　decree：　〃George　Perry；　next　week　your　cracker　butt　is　history！〃
　There　was　no　tournament　that　weekend；　so　Dickie　Lockhart　was　taping　a　show。　He　was　shooting　on　Lake　Kissimmee；