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！
〃Most of the time； yes。 I didn't want him to call me 'Dad' because he wasn't my real son。 I don't see anything wrong with that。 After all； I supported him； so I was entitled to a little respect。〃
〃Yours wasn't exactly a loving relationship then？〃
〃He got some love from Loretta。〃 Hickey smiled。 〃He admitted it； and so did Loretta after I confronted her with his confession。 I made him put it in writing； in case she wanted to fight the divorce。〃
〃How'd Jerry get on the spike without you finding out about it？〃
〃I did know about it。 I recognized the signs right away。 I advised Jerry to get off drugs at once。 I also told him I'd pay for drug counseling。 But he claimed he could handle it； and that was that。 A lot of young people are into dope down here； you know。〃
〃I know。〃
〃I don't even smoke pot。 But Jerry could get drugs anywhere in the city in five minutes； so long as he had the money。〃
〃But you gave him the money。〃
〃I gave him a small allowance after he quit school； but I advised him to finish high school。 And I told him I'd put him through college。 But when he dropped out of high school； I lowered his allowance。 In this state； a father's no longer responsible for a child after he reaches eighteen。 But I would've sent him to college。 No one ever helped me。〃 He leaned forward in his chair。 〃I put myself through the University of Miami by washing trays at night in the old Holsum Bakery in South Miami。 And I did maintenance work to get a free efficiency apartment。 No one ever gave me a fucking penny。 Miami offers a young man more opportunities than any other city in the United States。 If you want to get ahead down here； you take advantage of them。 Jerry fell by the wayside。 It's not society's fault； and it's not Reagan's； and it's not mine。〃 Hickey； sitting back； started to yawn； he put a hand to his mouth。 〃Excuse me。 But this is a sore point with me。 Every day； if you look at the women's section of the paper； you'll see articles blaming the parents for the way their kids turn out。 It's all bullshit。〃
〃It isn't easy to always know the right thing to do； I suppose。 But then； I'm not a family man。〃
〃When can I get the body？ I'd like to send somebody over to get Jerry cremated。〃
〃After the autopsy。 I can remend Minrow's Funeral Home； if you don't have anyone else in mind。〃
〃What do you get？ A ten percent mission？〃
Hoke didn't mind the question； not from a Miami lawyer。 As it happened； Hoke didn't get any mission； but he usually remended Minrow when someone asked； because he and Minrow had been neighbors when Hoke first moved to Miami。 If he denied getting anything； Hoke knew that Hickey would merely consider him a fool。
〃No；〃 Hoke said。 〃I just get a flat fifty bucks for each referral。〃
〃Okay。 I'll call Minrow's and mention that you remended him。 It makes no difference to me。〃
〃At one time；〃 Hoke said； getting to his feet； and placing the empty Tab can on the glass…topped desk； 〃there was a number you could call in Miami； and a man would e by in a taxi cab。 You paid him five bucks and he took the body away and you never heard of it again。 But I don't think that number's in service any longer。〃
〃Is that the truth； Mr。 Moseley； or are you trying to be funny？〃
〃Sergeant Moseley。〃 Hoke pointed to a framed blueand…green oleograph on the opposite wall。 A blue man playing a violin floated upside down above a white house in a green sky。 〃Is that one of Jerry's crayon drawings； from when he was a kid？〃
Hickey shook his head。 〃No； it's a Marc Chagall。〃 He leaned forward and switched on the television。 A mercial touting the new aviary at the Metrozoo appeared on the screen； and Hickey turned off the sound。
〃I like the picture anyway；〃 Hoke said； turning in the doorway。 〃Just one more question； Mr。 Hickey； and I'll be on my way。 Did Jerry ever carry any large sums of money for you？〃
Hickey got to his feet。 He shook his head。 〃No。 I never wrote Jerry a check for more than a hundred dollars at a time。 The most money he ever had was when he sold his car。 I paid four thousand for his Escort； and he sold it for only two。 He should've gotten a lot more than that。〃
〃That almost always happens。 You always pay more for a car than you sell it for。〃
〃I know that。 But I should've kept the title so he couldn't've sold it at all。〃
〃We all make mistakes sooner or later； Mr。 Hickey。 Thanks for the Tab。〃
The Filipino appeared and escorted Hoke to the front door。
8
As Hoke drove back toward the city after cutting over to I…95； he wondered why he had wasted time talking to Harold Hickey。 Hoke wasn't fond of lawyers； especially lawyers like Hickey who managed to get low bonds for their drug clients and then advised them to skip the country to avoid prison。 On the other hand； someone had been furnishing Jerry with money。 Jerry's father gave him an allowance； but he wouldn't have given the kid a thousand dollars。 A thousand bucks for a drug dealer； on the other hand； was small change。 And now that he was dead； the missing 24；000 was gone forever。 It was possible that Jerry had been a small…time pusher in the Grove to help him support his own habit。 But it still bothered Hoke that an experienced user； with a large sum of money and more drugs available； would take a deliberate overdose； or even OD accidentally。 It just didn't fit the pattern。
Hoke returned to U。S。1； and then stopped at an Eckerd's drugstore to buy a package of Kools。 After he paid for the cigarettes； he showed the clerk his shield and asked if he could use the telephone。 Since the pay phone rates had jumped from a dime to a quarter a few years back； Hoke； as a matter of principle； had never paid to use a phone again。 He called Ms。 Westphal at the house…sitting service。 When she answered after the first ring； Hoke identified himself and asked if she had found any more prospects for him。
〃I'm now willing；〃 he said； 〃to take a short…time sitter's job； even if it's only a couple of weeks。 How about that apartment on Grove Isle？〃
〃That's gone。 I've got a garage apartment on Tangerine Lane in the black Grove。 It'll be available next Friday for twenty…one days。 It's owned by a Barbadian sculptor who's going up to New York for a one…man show。 He uses the garage under his apartment as his studio； and he doesn't want his tools and things left unguarded。〃
〃That's right in the middle of the black Grove； isn't it？〃
〃Not exactly in the middle。 It's off Douglas a few blocks。 But you're a policeman； and you've got a gun； so it shouldn't bother you to live in a black neighborhood。〃
〃I told you I couldn't be there much in the daytime； except for weekends。〃
〃Daytime doesn't bother Mr。 Noseworthy。 The man who lives in the house in front'll be home during the day。〃
〃That's a pretty funky neighborhood； Ms。 Westphal。〃
〃Listen； Sergeant； I think you're a little too finicky for this kind of work。 Perhaps you should look for another agency…〃
〃No； no； I'll take the garage apartment。 Of course； I'd like to look at it first。〃
〃There's nothing to see。 It's got a bed； a sink； a hot plate and a refrigerator； and you use the bathroom in the house in front of the garage。 There's no dog； if that's what's bothering