ch.doublewhammy-第37部分

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ped；　at　least…that　he　was　curled　up　in　the　bushes　somewhere。
　For　Decker；　being　in　the　same　house　with　Catherine　was　unnerving。　Though　it　was　also　the　house　of　James；　Catherine's　tastes　predominated…smart　and　elegant；　and　so　expensive　that　Decker　marveled　how　such　a　destitute　mongrel　as　himself　had　managed　to　keep　her　as　long　as　he　had。　If　only　he　could　steal　a　few　moments　alone　with　her　now；　but　how？　Skink　wanted　to　be　on　the　road　before　dawn_　there　was　little　time。
　Barefoot；　and　wearing　only　his　underwear；　Decker　made　his　way　through　the　long　hallways；　which　smelled　of　Catherine's　hair　and　perfume。　A　couple　of　times；　near　doorways；　Decker　had　to　step　carefully　over　the　white　beams　of　photosensitive　alarm　units；　which　were　mounted　at　knee…level　throughout　the　house。
　Photoelectronic　burglar　alarms　were　the　latest　rage　among　the　rich　in　Miami；　thanks　to　a　widely　publicized　case　in　which　a　whole　gang　of　notorious　cat　burglars　was　captured　inside　a　Star　Island　mansion　after　tripping　the　silent　alarm。　The　gang　had　prised　bold　Mariel　refugees　relatively　new　to　the　country　and　unschooled　in　the　basic　skills　and　technology　of　modern　burglary。　While　looting　the　den　of　the　mansion；　one　of　the　Cuban　intruders　had　spotted　a　wall…mounted　photoelectronic　unit　and　naturally　assumed　it　was　a　laser　beam　that　would　incinerate　them　all　if　they　dared　cross　it。　Consequently；　they　did　not。　They　sat　there　all　night　and；　the　next　morning；　surrendered　sheepishly　to　police。　The　incident　made　all　the　TV　news。　Photo…electronic　burglar　alarms　became　so　popular　that　burglars　soon　began　to　specialize　in　stealing　the　alarms　themselves。　In　many　of　the　houses　where　such　devices　were　installed；　the　alarm　itself　was　more　valuable　than　anything　else　on　the　premises。　For　a　while；　all　the　fences　in　Hialeah　were　paying　twice　as　much　for　stolen　burglar　alarms　as　they　were　for　Sony　VCRs；　but　even　at　five　hundred　a　pop　it　was　virtually　impossible　for　thieves　to　keep　up　with　the　demand。
　Tiptoeing　around　the　alarm　beams；　Decker　found　the　master　bedroom　at　the　far　west　end　of　Catherine's　house。　He　listened　at　the　door　to　make　sure　nothing　was　going　on；　and　was　greatly　relieved　to　hear　the　sound　of　snoring。
　Decker　slipped　into　the　room。　He　stood　at　the　door　until　his　eyes　adjusted；　the　window　shades　were　drawn　and　it　was　very　dark。　Gradually　he　inched　toward　the　source　of　the　snoring　until　his　right　foot　stubbed　a　wooden　bed　poster。　Decker　bit　back　a　groan；　and　one　of　the　two　forms　in　the　big　bed　stirred　and　turned　slightly　under　the　covers。　Decker　knelt　by　the　side　of　the　bed；　and　the　form　snored　directly　into　his　face。
　〃Catherine；〃　he　whispered。
　She　snored　again；　and　Decker　remembered　how　difficult　it　was　to　wake　her　up。　He　shook　her　gently　by　the　shoulder　and　said　her　name　again。　This　time　she　swallowed；　sighed；　and　groggily　opened　her　eyes。　When　she　saw　who　it　was；　she　sat　up　immediately。
　She　put　her　hand　on　the　back　of　Decker's　head　and　pulled　him　close。　〃What　are　you　doing　here？〃
　〃Hey；　careful　with　the　neck；〃　Decker　whispered　back。
　Catherine　glanced　at　her　husband　to　make　sure　he　was　still　dozing。　Decker　had　counted　on　James　being　a　sound　sleeper；　unlike　surgeons　or　obstetricians；　chiropractors　rarely　had　to　go　tearing　off　to　the　hospital　in　the　middle　of　the　night。　Back　spasms　could　wait。　James　was　probably　accustomed　to　getting　a　full　nine　hours。
　〃What　is　it；　Rage？〃　Catherine　said　into　his　ear。　Her　hair　was　tangled　from　sleep；　and　her　eyes　were　a　little　puffy；　but　Decker　didn't　care　at　all。　He　kissed　her　on　the　mouth　and　boldly　slipped　a　hand　under　her　nightshirt。
　During　the　kiss　Catherine　sort　of　gulped；　but　still　she　closed　her　eyes。　Decker　knew　this　because　he　peeked；　he　had　to。　Some　women　closed　their　eyes　during　kissing　just　to　be　polite；　but　Catherine　never　did　unless　she　was　honestly　enjoying　herself。　Decker　was　pleased　to　see　her　eyes　shut。　The　activity　beneath　the　nightshirt　was　another　matter。　With　an　elbow　Catherine　deftly　had　pinned　his　hand　to　her　left　breast；　obviously　that　was　as　far　as　Mr。　Hand　would　be　allowed　to　go。　It　was　all　right　with　Decker；　the　left　one　had　always　been　his　favorite；　anyway。
　Catherine　pulled　away　and　said；　〃You're　nuts。　Get　outta　here。〃
　〃e　to　my　room；〃　Decker　said。
　Catherine　shook　her　head　and　gestured　toward　her　husband。
　〃Leave　him　here；〃　Decker　said　playfully。
　〃He'll　notice　if　I　get　out　of　bed。〃
　〃Just　for　a　few　minutes。〃
　〃No…〃
　So　he　kissed　her　again。　This　time　she　gave　a　shy　purr；　which　Decker　correctly　read　more　as　tolerance　than　total　surrender。　The　second　kiss　lasted　longer　than　the　first；　and　Decker　was　getting　fairly　heated　up　when　James　suddenly　rolled　over；　snorted；　and　said；　〃Cath？〃
　Carefully　she　lay　down　on　the　pillow；　Decker's　hand　still　resting　on　her　breast。　〃Yes；　hon？〃　she　said。
　Cath。
　Hon。
　Very　sweet；　Decker　thought；　a　regular　goddamn　testimonial　to　marital　bliss。　He　started　to　remove　his　hand　but　Catherine　wouldn't　let　him。　Decker　smiled　in　the　dark。
　〃Cath；〃　James　said　torpidly；　〃did　Bambi　ever　e　in？〃
　〃No；　honey；〃　she　said。　〃He's　probably　out　on　the　porch。　Go　back　to　sleep　now。〃
　Catherine　held　motionless　until　James's　breathing　grew　thick　and　regular。　Then　she　turned　her　back　to　him　so　that　she　and　Decker　were　face…to…face　at　the　edge　of　the　bed。
　〃Go　back　to　your　room；〃　she　whispered。　〃Give　me　about　ten　minutes。〃
　〃Thatta　girl；〃　Decker　said；　rising　off　his　knees。　〃One　more　kiss。〃
　Catherine　said；　〃Ssshhh；〃　but　she　kissed　him　back。　This　time　she　let　her　tongue　sneak　into　his　mouth。
　〃We'll　need　your　boat。〃
　Catherine　and　Decker　opened　their　eyes　mid…kiss　and　stared　at　each　other。　The　whisper　did　not　belong　to　James。
　〃The　boat；〃　Skink　said。
　Catherine　saw　his　tangled　face　looming　impassively　over　Decker's　shoulder。
　〃I　don't　mean　to　interrupt；〃　Skink　said；　〃but　there's　some　cops　out　front。〃
　Decker　stood　up　and　fought　back　a　panic。　It　had　to　be　Al　Garcia。　He　knew　about　the　divorce；　and　Catherine　would　have　been　high　on　his　list　of　interviews。　The　surprising　thing　was　that　he'd　e　in　the　dead　of　night…unless；　of　course；　he　knew　Decker　was　inside　the　house。
　Which　any　nitwit　could　have　figured　out　from　the　rental　car　out　front。　Decker　wondered　if　maybe　deep　down　he　wanted　to　go　back　to　jail…what　else　could　explain　such　carelessness？　Skink　took　care　of　survival　in　the　boonies；　but　the　city　was　Decker's　responsibility　and　he　kept　making　dumb　mistakes。
　〃Your　boat；〃　Skink　said　again　to　Catherine；　〃it's　tied　up　out　back。〃
　She　whispered；　〃I　don't　know　where　the　keys　are。〃
　〃I　don't　need　the　keys；〃　Skink　said；　no　longer　making　an　effort　to　talk　quietly。　〃We'll　leave　'er　up　at　Haulover；　but　don't　go　looking　right　away。〃
　The　doorbell　rang；　followed　by　three　sharp　knocks。
　James　sat　up　in　bed　and　reached　for　a　lamp　on　the　nightstand。　Blearily　he　eyed　Decker　and　Skink。　〃What's　going　on？〃
　Catherine　was　out　from　the　covers；　brushing　her　hair　in　the　mirror。　〃You　better　get　moving；〃　she　said　to　Decker's　reflection。　〃I'll　keep　them　at　the　door。〃
　〃We'll　need　a　head　start。〃　
　〃Don't　worry；　Rage。〃
　The　doorbell　rang　again。　The　knocks　turned　to　pounding。　Slunk　handed　Decker　his　jeans　and　shoes。
　〃What's　going　on？〃　James　the　doctor　wondered。　〃Where's　the　damn　dog？〃
　
　Since　the　truck　they'd　been　driving　was　registered　to　Dickie　Lockhart；　and　since　the　New　Orleans　police　had　temporarily　impounded　it　along　with　everything　else　belonging　to　Dickie；　the　Rundell　brothers　had　been　forced　to　take　a　Trailways　all　the　way　back　to　Florida。　On　the　trip　they　talked　primarily　about　two　things…how　their　hero　had　died；　and　what　had　happened　to　their　precious　bass　boat。
　Dim　as　they　were；　even　the　Rundells　realized　that　not　much　could　be　done　for　Dickie；　but　the　boat　was　another　issue。　It　had　been　stolen　and　then　scuttled　in　the　middle　of　Lake　Maurepas；　where　it　had　turned　up　as　bottom　clutter　on　Captain　Coot　Hough's　Vexilar　LCD　Video　sonic　fish…finder。　Once　the　lost　boat　had　been　pinpointed；　the　Rundells　had　recruited　an　amateur　salvage　team　made　up　of　fellow　bass　anglers；　who　raised　the　vessel　with　a　hand…cranked　winch　mounted　on　a　borrowed　construction　barge。　The　sight　of　their　sludge…covered　beauty　breaking　the　surface　was　the　second　saddest　thing　Ozzie　Rundell　had　ever　seen…the　first　being　Dickie　Lockhart's　blue…lipped　corpse　in　the　big　fish　tank。
　On　the　long　bus　ride　back　to　Harney；　Ozzie　and　Culver　puzzled　over　who　might　have　stolen　their　boat　and　why。　The　prime　suspect　seemed　to　be　the　violent　hermit　known　to　the　Rundells　only　as　Skink。　A　peculiar　and　vividly　garbed　man　matching　his　description　had　been　spotted　on　the　lake　by　several　other　anglers；　though　no　one　had　reported　witnessing　the　actual　sinking　of　the　boat。　What　Skink　was　doing　in　Louisiana　was　a　mystery　that　the　Rundells　did　not　contemplate　for　long…he　was　there；　that's　all　that　mattered。　They　clearly　remembered　the　sky　marshals　leading　him　off　the　airplane　in　New　Orleans；　and　they　remembered　the　look　of　latent　derangement　in　his　eyes。　Certainly　the　man　was　capable　of　stealing　a　boat；　the　riddle　was　finding　a　plausible　motive。　With　a　fellow　like　Skink；　unadulterated　malice　might　have　been　enough；　but　the　Rundells　remained　doubtful。　Culver　in　particular　suspecte