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A reporter behind the barricade caught at Hernandez's sleeve。 〃Hey； are you in charge here？〃 he asked。
〃No。〃
〃Well； who is？ Can't we get some men in there for pictures？〃
〃The police department'll send out pictures；〃 Hernandez said。 He pushed past the reporter and walked to the luncheonette。 〃Look at these kids；〃 he said to Luis。 〃Sucking violence from the same tits Miranda used。〃 He shook his head。 〃He's waiting up there to die； Luis； you know that？ He's waiting up there for us to kill him。〃
Luis nodded。
〃And you know something？ I think he wants to die。 I think he wants to end it； once and for all。〃
The two girls who came around the avenue and stopped at the mouth of the street were apparently more interested in beginning something than in ending it。 They were both tall brunettes。 One was wearing a tight； bright…red silk dress。 The other wore the identical dress in yellow。 The dresses were designed to exhibit and reveal； they were incapable of keeping a secret。 Every nuance of flesh beneath the skintight silk； every subtle hint of muscle or bone； every flowing curve； every dimple； every pucker； insistently shrieked its existence to the most casual observer。 The girls were not the bashful type。 They moved with a fluidity of breast； hip； thigh and leg that aided the dresses in their task of nonconcealment。 They were； in fact； so much the Hollywood concept of what a whore should look like that at first glance they seemed to be imitations。 If there was one quality which every prostitute in the 87th Precinct shared； it was the ability to look like anything but a street walker。 In most instances； the precinct whore was the best…dressed girl on the streets。 Her careful grooming； more than any other attribute； was usually the one clue to her occupation。
These two were either new at the trade； or else they'd canceled their subscriptions to Vogue magazine。 In any case； they walked directly to the barricade and stopped there。 The girl in the red dress touched the arm of the nearest patrolman who turned； ready to start yelling； and then looked as if a movie queen had wandered into his bedroom by mistake。
〃Excuse me； officer；〃 she said in a tiny little voice； 〃but can't we get through here？ We work right across the street。〃
〃Where？〃 the patrolman asked。
〃At La Gallina。〃
〃What the hell do you do there？〃
The girl in the red dress seemed at a loss for words。 She turned to her panion。 The other girl smiled at the patrolman sweetly and said； 〃We're in 。。。 ah 。。。 public relations。〃
〃Well； I'm sorry； girls；〃 the patrolman said。 〃My orders are to let nobody through this barricade unless he's a cop or a fireman。 Now you two girls ain't cops or firemen； are you？〃 He grinned politely； thinking how clever he was being； and making a note to repeat his ment to the boys in the locker room when he checked in later。
〃No； indeed；〃 the one in the red dress said。
They moved away from the barricade。
〃What now； Marge？〃 the one in the yellow dress asked。
Marge shrugged。 〃Let's hang around。 It looks like a lively crowd。 There may be something in it for us； Marie。〃
Marie looked skeptical。 Together； walking with a hip…swiveling； crazy…socketing； ball…bearing； thigh…thrusting； leg…strutting motion that turned every head on the block； they began appraising the potential customers watching the siege。 Marie raised an eyebrow at Marge； and Marge glanced in the direction she indicated。
They were both looking at Frederick Block； the fat man。
12
There are times when it must be nice to have a Cinemascope camera and stereophonic sound。 There are times when it must be great to have a wide screen stretching across the front of the world； with things happening on every corner of that screen； with the eye gathering in all these things like a net sweeping the ocean floor。 It isn't enough to say this and this were happening here； that and that were happening there。 A city street is not a tiny canvas； a city street is not a page in a book。 It is a tumultuous thing teeming with life； and you can't hope to capture life in a sentence or a brush stroke。 The things that happened on that street； on that particular day in July； happened almost simultaneously； separate and distinct from each other； but nonetheless almost at the same time； so that there was a feeling of continuous motion； of one event overlapping and flowing into the next。 The wide screen stretched the length of a city block。 The life on that street stretched to the very edges of time。
Cooch stood on the steps of the building next door to the church。
China came down a flight of stairs and into bright sunshine。
A man selling ices entered the street at the opposite end。
Marge and Marie； the two prostitutes； approached Frederick Block。
Jeff Talbot looked at the wall clock and left the luncheonette。
Two boys wearing bright…gold jackets turned into the block。
The cops of the 87th rushed the doorway to the left of La Gallina。
These are the things that happened； minute overlapping minute； time lost and time replaced by the tireless eye of space。 These are the things that happened。。。
Cooch stood on the steps of the building next door to the church。 He had been standing there for ten minutes now； watching the people pour down the church steps and into the bright confused sunshine of the street。 There were not many people left inside the church now。 He looked at his wrist watch； and then studied the few stragglers again。 He was certain that Alfredo Gomez had not left the apartment to attend mass this morning。 But he would wait a few moments more； just to make sure。
Against his belly he could feel the hard； cold metal of the pistols he had retrieved from Chico and Estaban。 The weapons made him feel very strong and very powerful。 Too； he considered this independent reconnaissance an act of foresight worthy of a general。 He would wait until everyone had e out of the church； and then he would go back to Zip with the guns and with a report on Alfie's whereabouts。 This was acting above and beyond the call of duty。 Zip would be pleased。 And whereas it would not be as dramatic to catch Alfie in his house instead of on the church steps； Cooch didn't much care。 The important thing was to wash the little bastard。 That was the important thing。
Cooch had been thinking about it all week long； ever since Zip first got the idea。 There were times when Cooch couldn't sit still； just thinking about it。 There were two stimulating and contradictory feelings which rushed through Cooch's mind and body whenever he considered what they were about to do。 The first of these was the very concept of killing。 This excited him。 He had fantasized the squeezing of a trigger many times； had imagined Alfie tumbling down the church steps； had wondered what it would feel like to know that he had killed another human being。 He had convinced himself that Alfie deserved killing。 He had； after all； messed with China。
This was the second idea； and this was as exciting as the first。 A hundred or more times in the past week； Cooch had imagined Alfie messing with China。 He wondered just what Alfie had done to her； and his imagination created new images each time。 Alfie g