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！
'Don't you worry none；' the big man said softly。 'We look out for each other； don't we？ I don't give a rat's ass for anyone around here； you know that？ They're all a bunch of goddamned
hypocrites。 I got my job to do； I do it。 The rest of them； well； they all got an axe to grind； one way or another。 There's always an angle to play out here； ain't that right。 War's a perfect place for angles； you know that。 The smart make out in wars。 They ain't got no conscience； they ain't got no emotion。 All they got to worry about is keeping their tails on straight； after that； they got all the time in the world to look for the gravy rollin' in under the dirt and the scum and the …' Vegas stopped abruptly； aware that his grip had tightened painfully on his friend's flesh。 He shook his head like a wounded animal。 'Sorry； Soldier； it's been a heavy day。' He smiled ruefully。 'Real heavy duty。'
'It's okay； Spook。' They had given each other nicknames long ago when they had first met； it gave them both a forting feeling of privacy amid the openness of their days and nights on the force。 At times； Croaker thought that this was the falsest feeling in the world； on those days when he felt pletely invaded by his job。 'We're two fucking heroes who think that shovellin' shit is heroic。' He laughed。 'But cheer up。 What the hell； it could be worse。 We could be the ones ma1（in' the shit。'
Vegas threw back his head and laughed； the rich sound rolling off the high walls。 'Now； look； here's the dope；' he said。 'We been working； like I said； on this Scarsdale bust for three months； no less。 We get a tip to move。 We move。 Lots of stuff there … enough pills to keep the goddamned Chinese Army awake for a year； a whole lotta horse； carload o' coke an' about a half a ton of reefer madness。 Okay； not so bad。 That's going on in the back of the place。 In the front they got a party going on and everyone gets busted； you know？ That's when I saw her。 Thought I'd bring her in myself； just in case。 I think she's clean but' … he shrugged … 'you know how that is sometimes。 Anyway； she's yours if you want her … I can straighten them out upstairs。'
'How can I know if I want her；' Croaker said； 'if I don't
know who she is？'
Vegas transferred his hand from Croaker's shoulder to the lever of the back door to the van。 'Sittin' in the。 dark right in here； man； is Raphael's elder daughter； Gelda Tomkin。'
Croaker felt a jolt race through him just as if he had been doused with ice water。
Vegas leaned on the lever； grinning； the reinforced…steel door swung outward and Croaker stepped in。 The door slammed shut behind him。
He stood for a moment in the dimness unmoving； letting his eyes adjust to the low light seeping in through the windshield； washed to a pale grey by the mesh screen dividing the blessed from the damned。
She sat on one of the plain metal benches riveted along either side of the van。 Her head was tilted back； resting against the wall。 This put her profile into prominence so that he could see the arch of her long forehead； the straight patrician nose； the flair of the highly sensual lips； the long cool sweep of her curving throat。 He knew without having to see them now the dark sparks of her eyes； the rather heavy torso with its thrusting breasts and ample hips。 Knew； too； the long sweep of the perfect legs from thigh to calf to slim exquisite ankle palely outlined as they stretched out before her； those magnificent legs which； quite inexplicably； made her heaviness an overwhelm…iogasset。
'Well 。。。' He felt a great weight about his body and an inarticulateness that obliged him to clear his throat and begin again。 'Well； Gelda； what have you been up to now？'
The sharply delineated profile dissolved into sweeping shadow as she turned her head to look in his direction。
'Who the hell are you？' Even in anger there was a rich lustre； a 〃silkine^s to her voice that made it seem as if he had spoken to her yesterday instead of several months ago。 Even alarm could not diminish its effectiveness。
'Croaker；' he said； moving towards her。 'Lieutenant。 Remember me？'
'Should I？' The tone had turned aqueous； soft and languid。 The air between them seemed to tremble。
'Maybe。 I met you once before。' He stood over her now； not seeing anything in the twilight except the pale sheen from the whites of her large eyes。 But he felt her presence acutely and it gave him pleasure to stand thus。 'I interviewed you at the beginning of the summer regarding the Angela Didion murder； we talked about your father。'
'That shit！' Even though she spat it out； there remained an
elegance to it。 He heard her take a breath。 'Yeah。 I remember
you。 Big dude with a face like Robert Mitchum's。' His laugh was a brief bark。 'How flattering！ Thanks。' 'Don't get cocky。 His face looks like it's waged World War
Three。 So does yours。'
He waited for a moment； then said； 'Mind if I sit down？' 'You mean I've got a choice？' When he didn't answer； he
felt her shrug。 'Suit yourself。 This isn't my house。'
'That'd be on Sutton Place； right？' he said； sitting down next
to her。
Abruptly her head came away from the wall。 'What the hell's going on； anyway？' she snapped。 'Am I going to be booked？'
'That depends。' '
'On what？'
But his hand； having dipped into his suit jacket pocket； was a blur and he was already moving。 His left hand reached across the space between them。 He grasped her wrists together； pulled。 At the same time； he flicked on the pocket flash； searching the pale flesh on the inside of her elbows。 He tried not to think of the softness of the skin here。
He let her go； sat back。 'I could check the insides of your thighs； too；' he said softly。 'Or you could tell me。〃 He had used a fair amount of pressure and her wrists must hurt but she made no move to rub them； he liked that。 She had a great deal of pride。
'I shoot up through the eyeballs；' she said acidly。 'You've heard of that； I'm sure。 Leaves no tracks。' Her head turned then and her cheek lit up as a grillwork of grey and black fell obliquely 'across her face。 She looked like a heroine out of a fifties' film noir。 Some of the air seemed to go out of her all at once。 'I don't do anything any of you guys don't do。 Probably a good deal less。 I don't blow coke； for instance。'
He said nothing； sat beside her smelling her scent silently until she turned her head and she was in absolute darkness again。 He felt like a blind man； wanting badly； irrationally to see her again。 'Do you believe me ？' Her voice had turned small and he wondered how much of an act she was promoting。
He decided to be honest with her； anything less would be useless and potentially dangerous。 'Yes；' he said slowly。 'I believe you。'
Then I'm free to go？'
'In a minute。' He didn't realize how gentle his voice had bee。 'Why the hell are you involved in all this？'
'What； you mean break my poor old father's heart？' She laughed sardonically。 'e on； what do you want me for？'
'I'm just talking to you；' he said reasonably。
'Yeah； sure。 In a police van； home from a bust。'
'That was your choice； not mine。'
She was silent for a moment and； though he couldn't see her； he knew that she was studying him。 It could all break apart now； he knew； and held his breadi。
She laughed again； a bell…like sound； slightly echoey within the confines of the metal van。 'All right；' she said softly； 'I'll tell you why I do it。 I like it； it's as simple as that。 It's fun to get paid to fuck。 I'm an actress； a model； selling things； just like Angela Didion was。 It's all e on； there's no involvement。'
'Never？'
Her head tossed like a bridling horse's and he saw a flash of light across her eyes。 'Sometimes；' she said truthfully； 'with a woman。' She was thinking of Dare。 'Does that shock you？'
'Not really；' he said。 'Did you think it would？'
'I don't know what kind of man you are。'
'I'm just your plain ordinary New York slob。'
'Yeah； I can see that。' She had hurt him and she knew it； she felt he had asked for it。
'What about the booze？' Croaker asked her。
'What about it？〃 He could hear her voice go hard as her defences came up。
'Still hitting the bottle hard ？'
Perversely； she felt herself wanting to tell