第11部分(第2/8 頁)

d　the　general　population。

〃Say！〃　he　called。　''There's　a　mouse　in　here！　What　kind　of　a　joint　are　you　guys　running；　anyway？〃　He　was　kind　of　laughing；　but　Dean　said　he　also　sounded　kind　of　outraged；　as　if　even　a　murder　rap　hadn't　been　quite　enough　to　knock　the　Kiwanis　out　of　his　soul。　He　had　been　the　regional　head　of　an　outfit　called　Mid…South　Realty　Associates；　and　had　thought　himself　smart　enough　to　be　able　to　get　away　with　pushing　his　half…senile　father　out　a　third…story　window　and　collect　on　a　double…indemnity　whole…life　policy。　On　that　he　had　been　wrong；　but　maybe　not　by　much。

〃Shut　up；　you　lugoon；〃　Percy　said；　but　that　was　pretty　much　automatic。　He　had　his　eye　on　the　mouse。　He　had　re…holstered　his　baton　and　taken　out　one　of　his　magazines；　but　now　he　tossed　the　magazine　on　the　duty　desk　and　pulled　the　baton　out　of　its　holster　again。　He　began　tapping　it　casually　against　the　knuckles　of　his　left　hand。

〃Son　of　a　bitch；〃　Bill　Dodge　said。　〃I've　never　seen　a　mouse　in　here　before。〃

〃Aw；　he's　sort　of　cute；〃　Dean　said。　〃And　not　afraid　at　all。〃

〃How　do　you　know？〃

〃He　was　in　the　other　night。　Percy　saw　him；　too。　Brutal　calls　him　Steamboat　Willy。〃

Percy　kind　of　sneered　at　that；　but　for　the　time　being　said　nothing。　He　was　tapping　the　baton　faster　now　on　the　back　of　his　hand。

〃Watch　this；〃　Dean　said。　〃He　came　all　the　way　up　to　the　desk　before。　I　want　to　see　if　he'll　do　it　again。〃

It　did；　skirting　wide　of　The　Pres　on　its　way；　a