said, "You don't say?" still looking at Jeth's empty slip. "Last night all by himself. You sure?"
"That's what I said."
"What time about?"
"How the hell should we know. Sutter? Late, for Christ's sake."
Sutter said, "And in that storm," noticing that the guy with the glasses, the one who'd been talking to Mack, was standing looking at the tarpon hanging on his boat, but not touching them. Sutter asked, "Hey, who is that guy, anyway?"
Nels said, "Him? That's the guy that lives in the old fish house. Doc Ford."
"Like a real doctor, you mean?"
"Naw, a marine biologist. That kinda doctor, doing research. He's a good guy."
Sutter said. "Oh yeah. I heard Dalbert and the nigger talking about him. The scientist. At least that's what they think he is."
Felix said, "You better never let Jeth hear you talking about Javier like that."
"I know, I know. Jeth and Javier, big buddies. The hick and the spic."
"Knock it off!"
Sutter was still watching Ford. "Well, he is. isn't he? Javier. Cuban nigger. That's all Javier is. The way he talks about you guys, I wouldn't figure you'd be so fussy what I call him."
"And what docs Javier say about us?" Sick of this guy, Felix was showing it.
Sutter shrugged. "The nigger and Dalbert both, telling people you're no longer the hot guides you used to be. Taking your old clients. But if you don't want to hear it..."
Felix said. "Karl, you're so full of crap, how do you still breathe through your nose?"
Putting his beer bottle on a piling. Nels said. "Thing is, Felix ... wait a minute. I'm trying to remember.... Karl may be getting at something."
"Aw, come on."
"No. You know that dentist from Cleveland you fish?
The old guy with the pretty wife. Yeah, the thing is. I saw Dalbert fishing that guy two weeks ago. I meant to tell you. but. hey!" He snapped his fingers. "Come to think of it, Dalbert had some of my old clients out last week, too. That son of a bitch, I never put two and two together."
Sutter held his palms up, a presto gesture. "Dalbert and the nigger, both of 'em. I tried to talk to 'em, but with Marvin in charge, all he cared about was getting the people booked, making the dough. But that shit's going to change now. You got to have ethics in a business like this."
"Ya know, you think you can trust a fellow guide...."
Felix said. "Whoa, can't you see what this guy's trying to do. Nels?"
Nels said. "I know, I know, but it's just that things are starting to add up." draining the rest of his beer.
Sutter was watching the guy with glasses, who was now touching one of the tarpon hanging on his boat. Inspecting it. Studying the fish's eyes. Getting up on his tiptoes, trying to look into the fish's mouth.
Sutter said. "What the hell's that guy doing?" Then he yelled across the docks. "Hey, what the hell you think you're doing? Get away from my fish."
Felix said. "It's not like he's going to steal a dead tarpon, for Christ's sake," but Sutter was already walking down the dock, then walking faster, calling, "You got a hearing problem, man?"
But the guy with glasses, the one called Doc, was still messing with the fish. Not exactly ignoring him, but not paying attention, cither.
Sutter went up to him fast, bumping him a little as he stopped, saying, "That's my private property you've got your hands on there, man."
The guy looked at him through those librarian glasses but made no move to step away from the tarpon—the biggest fish, probably 150 pounds, all gray, not silver now, except where blood had bloated it, and that part was black.
The guy they called Doc said. "Since the taxidermist is just going to dump them anyway, I didn't think you would mind—"
"I do mind. What the taxidermist docs is between me and the taxidermist, okay?"
The guy had his hand on the fish again, turning it around and looking, but saying, "You're right. I should have asked first," and Sutter knew everyone was watching, judging him. every single one of these bastards just waiting for an excuse to
"That's what I said."
"What time about?"
"How the hell should we know. Sutter? Late, for Christ's sake."
Sutter said, "And in that storm," noticing that the guy with the glasses, the one who'd been talking to Mack, was standing looking at the tarpon hanging on his boat, but not touching them. Sutter asked, "Hey, who is that guy, anyway?"
Nels said, "Him? That's the guy that lives in the old fish house. Doc Ford."
"Like a real doctor, you mean?"
"Naw, a marine biologist. That kinda doctor, doing research. He's a good guy."
Sutter said. "Oh yeah. I heard Dalbert and the nigger talking about him. The scientist. At least that's what they think he is."
Felix said, "You better never let Jeth hear you talking about Javier like that."
"I know, I know. Jeth and Javier, big buddies. The hick and the spic."
"Knock it off!"
Sutter was still watching Ford. "Well, he is. isn't he? Javier. Cuban nigger. That's all Javier is. The way he talks about you guys, I wouldn't figure you'd be so fussy what I call him."
"And what docs Javier say about us?" Sick of this guy, Felix was showing it.
Sutter shrugged. "The nigger and Dalbert both, telling people you're no longer the hot guides you used to be. Taking your old clients. But if you don't want to hear it..."
Felix said. "Karl, you're so full of crap, how do you still breathe through your nose?"
Putting his beer bottle on a piling. Nels said. "Thing is, Felix ... wait a minute. I'm trying to remember.... Karl may be getting at something."
"Aw, come on."
"No. You know that dentist from Cleveland you fish?
The old guy with the pretty wife. Yeah, the thing is. I saw Dalbert fishing that guy two weeks ago. I meant to tell you. but. hey!" He snapped his fingers. "Come to think of it, Dalbert had some of my old clients out last week, too. That son of a bitch, I never put two and two together."
Sutter held his palms up, a presto gesture. "Dalbert and the nigger, both of 'em. I tried to talk to 'em, but with Marvin in charge, all he cared about was getting the people booked, making the dough. But that shit's going to change now. You got to have ethics in a business like this."
"Ya know, you think you can trust a fellow guide...."
Felix said. "Whoa, can't you see what this guy's trying to do. Nels?"
Nels said. "I know, I know, but it's just that things are starting to add up." draining the rest of his beer.
Sutter was watching the guy with glasses, who was now touching one of the tarpon hanging on his boat. Inspecting it. Studying the fish's eyes. Getting up on his tiptoes, trying to look into the fish's mouth.
Sutter said. "What the hell's that guy doing?" Then he yelled across the docks. "Hey, what the hell you think you're doing? Get away from my fish."
Felix said. "It's not like he's going to steal a dead tarpon, for Christ's sake," but Sutter was already walking down the dock, then walking faster, calling, "You got a hearing problem, man?"
But the guy with glasses, the one called Doc, was still messing with the fish. Not exactly ignoring him, but not paying attention, cither.
Sutter went up to him fast, bumping him a little as he stopped, saying, "That's my private property you've got your hands on there, man."
The guy looked at him through those librarian glasses but made no move to step away from the tarpon—the biggest fish, probably 150 pounds, all gray, not silver now, except where blood had bloated it, and that part was black.
The guy they called Doc said. "Since the taxidermist is just going to dump them anyway, I didn't think you would mind—"
"I do mind. What the taxidermist docs is between me and the taxidermist, okay?"
The guy had his hand on the fish again, turning it around and looking, but saying, "You're right. I should have asked first," and Sutter knew everyone was watching, judging him. every single one of these bastards just waiting for an excuse to
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