nto a witness。 A pretty young woman leaned against one of the squad cars。 She was sobbing as she talked to a uniformed cop； who was filling out a pink report。 Decker heard the girl say her name was Ellen。 Ellen O'Leary。 She had a New Orleans accent。
Decker wondered what she knew； what she might have seen。
In the back of his mind Decker harbored a fear that Skink might show up at the dock to admire his own handiwork； but there was no sign of him。 Decker slipped into a phone booth and called Dennis Gault at home in Miami。 He sounded half…asleep。
〃What do you want？〃
What do you want？ All charm； this guy。
〃Your pal Dickie's landed his last lunker；〃 Decker said。
〃What do you mean？〃
〃He's dead。〃
〃Shit；〃 Gault said。 〃What happened？〃
〃I'll tell you about it later。〃
〃Don't leave New Orleans；〃 Gault said。 〃Stay put。〃
〃No way。〃 Just what I need is that asshole jetting up for brunch at Brennan's； Decker thought。 He's probably icing a Dom Perignon already。
In an oddly stiff tone Gault asked； 〃Do you have those pictures？〃 As if it made a difference now。
Decker didn't answer。 Through the pane in the phone booth he was watching Thomas Curl and the Rundell brothers in the parking lot of the marina。 One of the local detectives was interviewing the three men together； when Ozzie talked； his head bobbed up and down like a dashboard puppy。 The cop was scribbling energetically in his notebook。
〃What number you at？〃 Dennis Gault asked over the phone。
〃Seventy；〃 Decker replied。 〃As in miles per hour。〃
The tire blew on Interstate 10； outside of Kenner。 The spare was one of those tiny toy tires now standard equipment on new cars。 To get to the spare Decker had to empty the trunk of his duffel and camera gear； which he stacked neatly by the side of the highway。 He had gotten the rental halfway jacked when he heard another car pull up behind him in the emergency lane； by the emphysemic sounds of the engine； Decker knew it wasn't a cop。
Not even close。 It was a brown 1974 Cordoba； its vinyl roof puckered like a sun blister。 Two…for…four on the hubcaps。 Three men got out of the rusty old tank； judging by their undershirts and tattoos； Decker assumed they were not from the Triple…A。 He pried the crowbar out of the jack handle and held it behind him。
〃Gentlemen；〃 he said。
〃Whatsamatter here？〃 said the largest of the trio。
〃Flat tire；〃 Decker said。 〃I'm fine。〃
〃Yeah？〃
〃Yeah。 Thanks anyway。〃
The men didn't exactly take the hint。 Two of them ambled over to where Decker had laid the camera bag； tripod； and galvanized lens cases。 One of the jerks poked at the cameras with the toe of his boot。
〃Whatsis？〃 he said。
〃Beer money；〃 said the other。
Decker couldn't believe it。 Broad daylight； cars and trucks and Winnebagos cruising by on the interstate…and these pussbuckets were going to roll him anyway。 Damned Nikons； he thought； sometimes they seemed to be the root of all his troubles。
〃I'm a professional photographer；〃 Decker said。 〃Want me to take your picture？〃
The two thinnest men looked expectantly toward the bigger one。 Decker knew the idea appealed to them； although their leader needed a little convincing。 〃A nice eight…by…ten；〃 Decker said affably； 〃just for fun。〃 He knew what the big guy was thinking： Well； why not…we're going to steal the damn things anyway。
〃Stand in front of the car and I'll get a shot of all three of you together。 Go ahead； now。〃
Decker walked over to the camera bag and inconspicuously set the crowbar inside。 He picked up a bare F…3 camera body； didn't even bother to screw on a lens。 These morons wouldn't know the difference。 Shrugging； murmuring； slicking their hair with brown bony hands； the highwaymen struck a pricelessly idiotic pose in front of the dented Cordoba。 As he pressed the shutter； Decker almost wished there were film in the camera。
〃That's just great； guys；〃 he said。 〃Now let's try one from the side。〃
The big man scowled。
〃Just a joke；〃 Decker said。 The two thin guys didn't get it anyway。
〃Enough a this shit；〃 the leader of the trio said。 〃We want your goddamn car。〃
〃What for？〃
〃To go to Florida。〃
Of course； Decker thought； Florida。 He should have known。 Every pillhead fugitive felon in America winds up in Florida eventually。 The Human Sludge Factor…it all drips to the South。
〃One more picture；〃 Decker suggested。 He had to hurry； he didn't want to get mugged； but he didn't want to miss his plane； either。
〃No！〃 the big man said。
〃One more picture and you can have the car； the cameras； everything。〃
Decker kept one eye on the interstate； thinking： Don't they have a highway patrol in Louisiana？
〃You guys got some cigarettes？ That would be a good shot； have a cigarette hanging from your mouth。〃
One of the thin guys lighted a Camel and wedged it into his lips at a very cool angle。 〃Oh yeah；〃 Decker said。 〃That's what I mean。 Let me get the wide…angle lens。〃
He went back to the camera bag and fished out a regular fifty…millimeter； which he attached to the Nikon。 He picked up the crowbar and slipped it down the front of his jeans。 The black iron felt cold against his left leg。
When he turned around； Decker saw that all three men now sported cigarettes。 'The girls down in Florida are gonna love this picture；〃 he said。
One of the thin guys grinned。 〃Good pussy in Florida； right？〃
〃The best；〃 Decker said。 He moved up close； clicking away。 The men stunk like stale beer and tobacco。 Through the lens Decker saw rawboned ageless faces； they could have been twenty years old； or forty…five。 Classic cons。 They seemed mesmerized by the camera； or at least by Decker's hyperactive choreography。 The leader of the trio plainly was getting antsy； he couldn't wait to kick Decker's ass； maybe even kill him； and get moving。
〃Almost done；〃 Decker said finally。 〃Move a little closer together 。。。 that's good 。。。 now look to my right and blow some smoke 。。。 great！ 。。。 keep looking out at the water 。。。 that…is…per…fect！〃
Staring obediently at Lake Pontchartrain； the three men never saw Decker pull out the crowbar。 With both hands he swung as hard as he could； a batter's arc。 The iron blade pinged off the top of their skulls one by one； as if Decker were playing a human xylophone。 The robbers fell in a wailing cross…eyed heap。
Decker had expected less noise and more blood。 As the adrenaline ebbed； he looked down and wondered if he had hit them more than once。 He didn't think so。
Now it was definitely time to go； the flat tire was Hertz's problem。 Decker quickly loaded his stuff into the Cordoba。 The key was in the ignition。 A blue oily pistol lay on the front seat。 He tossed it out the window on his way to the airport。
The first person R。 J。 Decker called when he got back to Miami was Lou Zicutto。 Lou was branch claims manager of the mammoth insurance pany where Decker worked part…time as an investigator。 Lou was a spindly little twit； maybe a hundred twenty pounds； but he had a huge florid head； which he shaved every day。 As a result he looked very much like a Tootsie Pop with lips。 Despite his appearance； Lou Zicutto was treated respectfully by all employees and coworkers； who steadfastly believed that he was a member of the Mafia who could have them snuffed with a single phone call。 Lou himself did nothing to discourage this idea； even though it wasn't true。 Except for the fancy stationery； Decker himself didn't see much difference between the mob and an insurance pany； anyway。
〃Where ya been？〃 Lou Zicutto asked。 〃I left a jillion messages。〃 Lou had a raspy cabdriver voice； and he was always sucking on menthol cough drops。
〃I've been out of town on a case；〃 Decker said。 He could hear Lou slurping away； working the lozenges around his teeth。
〃We got Nu？ez this week； remember？〃
Nu？ez was a big fraud trial the pany was prosecuting。 Nu？ez was a stockbroker who stole his own yacht and tried to scuttle it off Bimini for the insurance。 Decker had shot some pictures and done surveillance； he was scheduled to testify for the pany。
〃You're my star witness；〃 Lou said。
〃I can't make it； Lou； not this week。〃
〃What the hell you mean？〃
Decker said； 〃I've got a conflict。〃
〃No shit you got a conflict。 You got a big fucking conflict with me； you don't show up。〃 The cough drops were clacking furiously。 〃Two million bucks this creep is trying to rip us for。〃
〃You got my pictures； the tapes； the reports…〃 Decker said。
〃Your smiling face is what the lawyers want；〃 Lou Zicutto said。 〃You be there； Mr。 Cameraman。〃 Then he hung up。
The second person Decker tried to call was Catherine。 The first time； the line was busy。 He tried again two minutes later and a man answered。 It sounded like James； the chiropractor； he answered the phone the way doctors do； not with a civil hello but with a 〃Yes？〃 Like it was a pain in the ass to have to speak to another human being。
Decker hung up the phone； opened a beer； and put a Bob Seger album on the stereo。 He wondered what Catherine's new house looked like； whether she had one of these sunken marble tubs she'd always wanted。 A vision of Catherine in a bubble bath suddenly swept over Decker； and his chest started to throb。
He was half…asleep on the