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！
the ride。 I decided to let Vasquez get right up next to me and blow his brains out point…blank。 Then a white woman walked out the left…hand door； and I saw my ticket home。
I ran over and grabbed her by the throat。 She started to scream。 I stifled the sound by moving my left hand to her mouth。 The woman flailed with her arms； then clenched herself rigid。 I pulled my 。38 and pointed it at her head。
The Rurales advanced cautiously； hand cannons pressed to their sides。 I shoved the woman into the phone booth； whispering； 〃Scream and you're dead。 Scream and you're dead。〃 Inside； I pinned her to the wall with my knees and removed my hand； the screams she put out were silent。 I aimed my gun at her mouth to keep them that way； grabbed the receiver； fed the slot a nickel and dialed 〃0。〃 Vasquez was standing in front of the booth now； livid； reeking of cheap American cologne。 The operator came on the line with 〃Que？〃 I blurted； 〃Habla ingles？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
I held the receiver chin to shoulder and fumbled all the coins in my pocket into the slot； I kept my 。38 glued to the woman's face。 When a shitload of pesos were swallowed up； I said； 〃Ferderal Bureau of Investigation； San Diego field office。 It's an emergency。〃
The operator muttered； 〃Yes； sir。〃 I heard the call going through。 The woman's teeth chattered against my gun barrel。 Vasquez tried bribery： 〃Blanchard was very rich； my friend。 We could find his money。 You could live very well here。 You…〃
〃FBI； Special Agent Rice。〃
I stared daggers at Vasquez。 〃This is Officer Dwight Bleichert； Los Angeles Police Department。 I'm in Ensenada； and I screwed up with some Rurales。 They're getting ready to kill me for nothing； and I thought you could talk Captain Vasquez here out of it。〃
〃What the 〃
〃Sir； I'm a legit LA policemen and you had better do this fast。〃
〃You jerking my chain； son？〃
〃Goddamn it； you want proof？ I worked Central Homicide with Russ Millard and Harry Sears。 I worked DA's Warrants； I worked…〃
〃Put the spic fellow on； son。〃
I handed the receiver to Vasquez。 He took it and leveled his automatic at me； I kept my 。38 on the woman。 Seconds ticked； the standoff held as the Rurale boss listened to the fed； getting paler and paler。 Finally he dropped the phone and lowered his piece。 〃Go home； puta。 Get out of my city and get out of my country。〃
I holstered my gun and squeezed out of the booth； the woman shrieked。 Vasquez stood back and waved his men away。 I got in my car and peeled out of Ensenada on fear overdrive。 It was only when I was back in America that I started obeying speed laws…and that was when it got bad with Lee。
* * *
Dawn was pushing up over the Hollywood Hills when I knocked on Kay's door。 I stood on the porch shivering； storm clouds and streaks of sunlight looming as strange things I didn't want to see。 I heard 〃Dwight？〃 inside； followed by the sound of bolts being unlatched。 Then the other remaining partner in the Blanchard/Bleichert/Lake triad was there； saying； 〃And all that。〃
It was an epitaph I didn't want to hear。
I walked inside； stunned at how strange and pretty the living room was。 Kay said； 〃Lee's dead？〃
I sat down in his favorite chair for the first time。 〃The Rurales or some Mexican woman or her friends killed him。 Oh； babe； I…〃
Using Lee's endearment jarred me。 I looked at Kay； standing by the door； backlighted by the weird sunstreaks。 〃He hired the Rurales to kill DeWitt； but that doesn't mean shit。 We've got to get Russ Millard and some decent Mexican cops on it 。 。
I stopped； noticing the phone on the coffee table。 I started dialing the padre's home number。 Kay's hand halted me。 〃No。 I want to talk to you first。〃
I moved from the chair to the couch； Kay sat beside me。 She said； 〃You'll hurt Lee if you go crazy with this。〃
That was when I knew she'd been expecting it； that was when I knew she knew more than I did。 〃You can't hurt something dead。〃
〃Oh； yes you can； babe。〃
〃Don't call me that！ That's his！〃
Kay moved closer and touched my cheek。 〃You can hurt him and you can hurt us。〃
I pulled away from the caress。 〃You tell me why； babe。〃
Kay cinched the belt on her robe and fixed me with a cold look。 〃I didn't meet Lee at Bobby's trial；〃 she said。 〃I met him before。 We became friends； and I lied about where I was staying so Lee wouldn't know about Bobby。 Then he found out on his own； and I told him how bad it was； and he told me about a business opportunity he had ing up。 He wouldn't tell me the details； and then Bobby was arrested for bank robbery and everything was chaos。
〃Lee planned the robbery and got three men to help him。 He'd bought his way out of his contract with Ben Siegel； and it cost him every cent he'd made as a boxer。 Two of the men were killed during the robbery； one escaped to Canada； and Lee was the fourth。 Lee framed Bobby because he hated him for what he did to me。 Bobby didn't know we were seeing each other； and we made it look like we met at the trial。 Bobby knew it was a frame； but he didn't suspect Lee； just the LAPD in general。
〃Lee wanted to give me a home； and he did。 He was very cautious with his part of the robbery money； and he always talked up his boxing savings and his gambling so the brass wouldn't think he was living above his means。 He hurt his career by living with a woman； even though we weren't together that way。 It was like a happy fairy tale until last fall； right after you and Lee became partners。〃
I moved toward Kay； awed by Lee as the most audacious rogue cop in history。 〃I knew he had it in him。〃
Kay drew away from me。 〃Let me finish before you get sentimental。 When Lee heard about Bobby getting an early parole date； he went to Ben Siegel to try to get him killed。 He was afraid of Bobby talking about me； upsetting our fairy tale with all the ugly things he knew about yours truly。 Siegel wouldn't do it； and I told Lee it didn't matter； that there were three of us now and the truth couldn't hurt us。 Then； right before New Year's； the third man from the robbery showed up。 He knew that Bobby De Witt was getting out on parole； and he made a blackmail demand： Lee was to pay him ten thousand dollars； or he would tell Bobby that Lee masterminded the robbery and framed him。
〃The man said Lee's deadline was Bobby's release date。 Lee put him off； then went to Ben Siegel to try to borrow the money。 Siegel wouldn't do it； and Lee begged him to have the man killed。 He wouldn't do that either。 Lee learned that the man hung out with some Negroes who sold marijuana； and he…〃
I saw it ing； huge and black like the headlines it got me； Kay's words the new fine print： 〃That man's name was Baxter Fitch。 Siegel wouldn't help Lee； so he got you。 The men were armed； so I guess you were legally justified； and I guess you were damn lucky that no one looked into it。 It's the one thing I can't forgive him for； the one thing I hate myself for tolerating。 Still feeling sentimental； triggerman？〃
I couldn't answer； Kay did it for me。 〃I didn't think so。 I'll finish up； and you tell me if you still want revenge。
〃The Short thing happened then； and Lee latche