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〃I guess you don't know Sergeant Wilson； then。 He won't stand for any split like that。〃
〃In that case； it'll cost you seven…fifty a week instead of five hundred； won't it？〃
〃Give me a break； for Christ's sake！〃
〃I have。 But I'd rather take you in and book you。 There're plenty of girls in Miami over eighteen without putting young kids into the life。〃
〃I didn't know。 That holy sonofabitch！ I asked Marty first thing because she looked so fucking young； but he swore that…〃
〃Martin Waggoner's dead； Pablo； and there's no one to back you up。 You can start paying today。 Tonight； by ten P。M。 An envelope to the Eldorado Hotel。〃
〃That's in South Beach？〃
〃That's right； on the bay side； three blocks from Joe's Stone Crabs。 Just give it to the man on the desk tonight； and tell him to put it in the safe for me。〃
〃All right； but I'm going to talk to Wilson； and he'll have something to say to you about this。〃
〃I'm sure he will。 Tell him if he wants to talk to me； we can meet in the Internal Affairs Office。 Tell him that。〃
〃You didn't have to hit me； either。〃
〃I wanted to get your attention； and I thought you might have a knife。 Good…bye； Pablo。〃
Pablo looked as if he might have something more to say； but he turned and left the conference room。 He didn't close the door behind him。
He'll send the 250 tonight； Freddy thought； but after his talk with Wilson； whoever that is； he'll probably discontinue the next payment。 But maybe not。 Sergeant Wilson would worry about those two magic words 〃Internal Affairs〃。 Even straight cops were frightened by the investigators in Internal Affairs。 At any rate； a confused Pablo Lhosa wouldn't e looking for Susan。 As time passed； old Pablo would try to forget that he had ever known her。
The old lady； smoking an aromatic Tijuana Small； was still waiting for Freddy when he came out of the hotel。 The meter was ticking away。
〃Turn off the meter now；〃 Freddy said； as he got into the back seat。 〃It reminds me of the passage of time。 I'll give you another hundred bucks； and you can give me a tourist's grand tour of Miami Beach。 And then； when you get to Bal Harbour； you can drop me at a real estate office。〃
〃I've got nothing better to do；〃 the old lady said。
When Freddy handed her the money she lifted her Mercury Morris T…shirt； with the number 22 on the back； and stuffed the bills into her brassiere。
16
The work on Hoke's mouth； as planned by Doctors Rubin and Goldstein； did not pan out as well as they had hoped。 Hoke's new teeth were almost fragile pared with his old Dolphin choppers； his jaw wouldn't hold a set of heavier teeth。 After the jaw healed； and it healed remarkably fast； the restraints were removed and a pan holding evil…tasting pink plaster was jammed into Hoke's mouth。 Impressions were made； and twenty…three days after the assault； Hoke had a full set of slightly yellow upper and lower dentures。 Hoke had wanted whiter teeth； but Dr。 Rubin had told him that whiter teeth would look false； and that the yellow ones were more natural for his age。
Nevertheless； when Hoke forced himself to take a long look at his new visage； the teeth looked phony； and he was alarmed by his overall appearance。
Hoke had lost weight on the liquid diet and was down to 158 pounds。 The last time he had weighed 158 pounds he had been a junior in high school。 He was only forty…two； but with his sunken cheeks and gray beard he thought he looked closer to sixty。 The crinkly sun…wrinkles around his eyes were deeper； and the lines from the corners of his nose to the edge of his lips looked as if they had been etched there with a power tool。 His habitually dour expression underwent a startling transformation when he smiled： the yellow teeth gave him a sinister appearance。
But Hoke had no reason to smile。
The departmental insurance had covered 80 percent of his hospitalization and a good portion of his dental and surgical fees； but Hoke still owed the hospital and the two doctors more than 10；000。 Except for the one night when he had shared the four…bed ward with the teenager； he had had the ward to himself。 As a consequence； the hospital had charged him for a private room； except for that one night。 On that night； it was charged as a semiprivate room。 Hoke's insurance didn't cover a private room； so the 〃private〃 room meant an extra 10 a day on his bill。 Hoke protested the charge to no avail。 When he left the hospital； the nurses packed his bedpan and enema equipment； telling him that he had paid for them and was entitled to take them along。
Before leaving the hospital with Bill Henderson； who had driven over to pick him up； Hoke had a talk with the priestcounselor who wanted to work out some kind of a reasonable monthly payment plan。 The talk had ended with both of them angry because Hoke insisted that he couldn't possibly pay more than 25 a month on the enormous bill。
Henderson drove Hoke straight to the Eldorado so he could get his car。 The police radio was missing； and so was the battery。
〃The department'll put in a new radio； Hoke；〃 Henderson said； 〃on the strength of a Lost and Damaged Report； but they sure as hell won't get you a new battery。〃
〃There goes another fifty bucks。〃
〃What the hell？ You've got the hundred and eighteen bucks the guy didn't find； or didn't want； on top of your dresser； and two paychecks waiting for you in Captain Brownley's office。〃
〃One of those checks goes to my ex…wife；〃 Hoke reminded him。 〃But what I can't figure out is that money you found in my room。 I'll swear that I had less than twenty bucks when I got home。 Otherwise I'd've given part of the hundred to Irish Mike to bring down my tab。〃
〃Maybe the guy felt sorry for you。 He took your wallet； so he had to take the money out to leave it on your dresser。〃
〃Guys like that don't feel sorry for anyone。 Let's go in and talk to Mr。 Bennett。 And Bill； I really don't want to go home with you。 I appreciate your offer； but I'm too much of a loner to put up with Marie and your kids。 I want to be alone for the next couple of weeks。〃
〃I thought you might feel that way； so I talked to Mr。 Bennett myself。 In fact； I won't go inside with you； because Bennett and me…well…we had some words。 I got on his ass about the lousy room he had you in； so finally he agreed to give you a small suite on the second floor。 Suite two…oh…seven。 The old lady who had it for eleven years died。〃
〃Mrs。 Schultz died？〃
〃I think that was her name。 Anyway； she had some nice things； and he's left them there and cleaned up the place。 You were missed around here while you were in the hospital。 The old people were scared shitless when you were attacked。 So I guess your Mr。 Bennett finally realized that a free security officer was worth two rooms instead of one。〃
〃I guess you knew all along I wouldn't move in on you and Marie？〃
〃I had a hunch。 The main thing was to give you a Miami address； so be sure to use my address on your correspondence。 Anyway； I brought all your stuff with me in the trunk of the car； just in case you wanted to stay here。〃
〃e on in； Bill。 You don't have to be worried about