按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃SomeRamada。〃
〃Goddamn。 We don't got much time。〃
Edie said； 〃Where's Mrs。 Torres？ Is she here in Miami？〃
〃Hell if I know。 Get me to the car。〃
〃I've got some more bad news。 The dogs came back this morning。〃
〃The wiener dogs？〃
〃We can't just leave them here。 They need to be fed。〃
With both hands Snapper choked his throbbing leg and said； 〃Never again。 I swear to Christ。〃
〃Oh yeah；〃 Edie Marsh said； 〃like this is some fun picnic for me。 Here； give me your arm。〃
Avila's new customer took the Turnpike south。 Before long the Cadillac was pinned in traffic…construction trucks； eighteen…wheelers； Army convoys； ambulances； sightseers； National Guardsmen； and hundreds of queasy insurance adjusters； all heading into the hurricane zone。 Ground Zero。
〃Looks like a bombing range；〃 said the man calling himself Rick Reynolds。
〃Sure does。 Where's your house？〃
〃We got a ways yet。〃 As the car inched along； the man turned up the radio： Rush Limbaugh； making wisecracks about the wife of some candidate。 Avila didn't think the jokes were all that funny； but the man chuckled loyally。 After the program ended； a news report announced that the President of the United States was flying to Miami to see the storm damage firsthand。
〃Great；〃 said Avila。 〃You think traffic sucks now； just wait。〃
The man said； 〃Yeah； one time I got stuck behind Reagan's motorcade in the Holland Tunnel。 Talk about a fuck story…two hours we're breathing fumes。〃
Avila inquired how long the man had been in Dade County。 Couple months； he answered。 Moved down from New York。
〃And I never saw nuthin' like this。〃
Avila said； 〃Me； neither。〃
〃I don't get it。 Some houses go down like dominoes； some don't lose a shingle。 How's that happen？〃
Avila checked his wristwatch。 He wondered if the guy had the fifteen grand on him； or maybe in the trunk of the car。 He glanced in the back seat： a crumpled road map and two empty Mister Donut boxes。
The man said； 〃My guess is somebody got paid off。 There's no other way to make sense of it。〃
Avila kept his eyes ahead。 〃This ain't New York；〃 he said。 Finally the traffic started to move。
The customer said a trailer park not far from his neighborhood got blown to smithereens。 〃Old lady was killed；〃 he said。
〃Man； that's rough。〃
〃Wonderful old lady。 But every single trailer got destroyed； every damn one。〃
Avila said； 〃Storm of the century。〃
〃No； but here's the thing。 The tie…downs on those mobile homes was rotted out。 The augers was sawed off。 Anchor disks missing。 Now you tell me some inspector didn't get greased。〃。
Avila shifted unfortably。 〃Straps rot fast in this heat。 How much farther？〃
〃Not long。〃
The customer picked up Krome Avenue to 168th Street。 There he turned back east and drove for a mile to a subdivision called Fox Hollow； which had eroded to more or less bare foundations in the hurricane。 The man parked in front of the skeletal remains of a small tract home。
Avila got out of the Cadillac and said； 〃God； you weren't kidding。〃
The roof of the house was totally blown away； gables； beams； trusses； everything。 Avila was stunned that Mr。 Reynolds was allowing his family to remain in such an unprotected structure。 Avila followed him inside； stepping over the wind…flattened doors。 The place looked abandoned except for the kitchen； where a pack of stray dogs fought over rancid hamburger in the overturned refrigerator。 Avila's customer grabbed an aluminum baseball bat and chased the mongrels off。
Peeking into the flooded bedrooms； Avila saw no sign of the customer's family。 Immediately he felt the whole day go sour。 Just to be sure； he said； 〃So where's your ninety…year…old grandmother？〃
〃Dead and buried；〃 Ira Jackson replied； slapping the bat in the palm of one hand； 〃on beautiful Staten Island。〃
As the man from New York prepared to nail him to a pine tree； Avila concluded that Snapper was responsible for hiring the attacker。
Clearly the plan was to murder Avila and take control of his crooked roofers。 Where was the mighty fist of Chango？ Avila wondered grimly。 Had the double…chicken sacrifice misfired？
Then the man from New York explained himself… who he was； what had happened to his mother； and why Avila must die a horrible drawn…out death。 At first Avila pleaded innocence； feigning outrage at the fate of Beatrice Jackson。 Soon he realized that the survival skills so essential to a county bureaucrat…the ability on a moment's notice to shift blame； dodge responsibility and misplace crucial paperwork…were of no use to him now。
Avila reasoned it was better to tell the truth than to have it tortured out of him。 So； out of sheer bladder…shriveling fear； he confessed to Ira Jackson。
Yes； it was he who'd been assigned to approve the mobile homes at Suncoast Leisure Village。 And yes； he'd failed to perform thorough and timely inspections。 And…yes； yes！ God forgive me！…he'd taken bribes to overlook code violations。
〃Didn't you see those goddamn rotten straps？〃 demanded Ira Jackson； who was making a crucifix with fallen roof beams。
〃No；〃 Avila admitted。
〃The augers？〃
〃No； I swear。〃
〃Never even checked？〃 Ira Jackson pounded ferociously with a hammer。
〃I didn't see them；〃 Avila said morosely； 〃because I never drove out there。〃
Ira Jackson's hammer halted in midair。 Avila； who was lashed to a broken mode in a bathroom； lowered his eyes in a pantomime of shame。 That's when he saw that the toilet bowl was alive with bright…green frogs and mottled brown snakes； splashing beneath him in fetid water。
With a shiver he said； 〃I never went to the trailer park。 The guy sent me the money…〃
〃How much？〃
〃Fifty bucks a unit。 He sent it to the office； so I figured what the hell； why waste gas？ Instead of driving all the way down there； I。。。〃 Here Avila caught himself。 It seemed unnecessary to reveal that he'd played golf on the afternoon he was supposed to inspect Suncoast Leisure Village。
〃。。。I didn't go。〃
〃You're shittin'me。〃
〃No。 I'm very； very sorry。〃
The expression on Ira Jackson's face caused Avila to reevaluate his decision to be candid。 Evidently the doughnut man intended to torture him； no matter what。 Ira Jackson bent over the crucifix and went back to work。
Raising his voice over the racket； Avila said； 〃Christ； if I knew what he was doing with those trailers； he never woulda got permits。 You gotta believe me； there's no amount of money would make me take a pass on cut augers。 No way！〃
〃Shut up。〃 Ira Jackson carried the cross to the backyard and began nailing it to the trunk of a pine。 It had been a tall lush tree until the hurricane sheared off the top thirty feet； now it was merely a bark…covered pole。
With each plonk of the hammer； Avila's spirits sank。 He said a prayer to Change； then tried a 〃Hail Mary〃 in the wan hope that traditional Catholic entreaty would be more potent in staving off a crucifixion。
As the man from New York dragged him to the tree； Avila cried； 〃Please； I'l