altered. You'll get no argument from me. You can't work both cases at the same time?'
'It's worse than date rape, man. I told you about the three women disappeared? We finally found one of 'em. She must'a put up a hell of a fight. Jumped out of her abductor's car while it was moving, but she chose the wrong time 'cause he was on the Marco Bridge when she bailed. That's a very long fall.'
I said, 'Dear God,' picturing it. 'How old was she?'
'She was twenty-four, on vacation down here from Columbus. Medical examiner says she had a drug in her, this new drug come up here from South America from what the natives there call the Borracho tree. It means 'drunk tree.''
I said, 'Borracho, Jesus. I'm familiar with it.' The drug made from the leaf of the Borracho tree is scopolamine. I knew about it because, south of Cartagena and off the Rosier Islands, locals boiled skin off the roots and dumped the liquor into calm backwaters to stun immature tarpon which they then sold in the markets. Colombia is one of the few places in the world that considers tarpon to be a table delicacy.
Shamans there also used it to induce waking trances in their patients. An individual under the influence of Borracho is unaware that the dream they seem to be having is actually real. They can be ordered to engage in sexual or illegal acts without their consent or knowledge. They are also extremely suggestible.
I also knew about scopolamine because it was used for interrogation and subjugation in the world of international espionage.
'You think Mrs. Copeland feels bad 'bout her daughter? Listen to this. Man, I had to call this girl's parents on the phone, tell them we'd found their missing child. Then stand there beside her father when the medical examiner pulled the sheet back for him to ID his dead girl. Know the worst thing?'
I had a terrible feeling of dreamy premonition as Parrish added, 'The man who got the drug down her. He'd already hurt the girl bad before she jumped. He'd taken her eyes out; probably used his fingers, the medical examiner said. I had to tell the daddy the truth about that. It happened while his child was still alive.'
I said, 'How do you know she jumped out of a car?'
'What you mean? 'Course she jumped out of a car. How else we find her floating under that bridge?'
'A boat,' I said. 'She could have jumped from a boat.'
Twenty
Tomlinson Stood at the top of the com-panionway steps, looking in. For no reason that made sense, the individual ropes of his beaded hair created streamers of colored light as they swung back and forth. He said, 'Uh-oh, uh-oh, holy shiizky. What you been eating there, Doc?'
'Some of your snapper. Thanks for inviting me, by the way. Yes, I'm being sarcastic. It's excellent.' I touched a fist to my chest. 'But I think it's giving me heartburn.' Then I said, 'Whew! Is it hot down here? All of a sudden, it seems really warm.' I tried to stand, then sat down quickly on the settee cushion. No Mas seemed to be dancing around in the wind.
He came down the steps fast, held his palms outward. 'Okay, first thing is, stay calm. I'm here by your side. I'm not going anywhere; not a thing in the world to be afraid of. Some consider me an expert in this field.'
'Are you nuts? I've got to fly. You know where Ted Bauer-stock's ranch is? We need to get up there right away. Take the truck, bang on the gate till they let us in. I think the girls could be in trouble.'
He put his hands on my shoulders. 'You're in no condition to go anywhere, compadre. What you're feeling right now is very typical. Mild panic, sweating, mild heartburn, all symptomatic. Especially the panic. It's to be expected on your first journey.'
I was sweating and burping. Colors through the compan-ionway door had gotten much brighter: molecularized purples and fruity pinks. As the boat rocked back and forth, the mast created a metallic slash in the tissue of burning, sunset sky. It was an opening large enough to swim through.
'Doc, there's something I need to tell you. Before I do, I want you to promise me something. Please don't hit me. I've seen you hit people. I'm much too fond of my nose to risk it. Plus it makes my eyes water and it looks like I'm crying. It would be embarrassing. I cry too much as it is.'
'Hit you? I don't have time to hit anybody. I've got to get to Marco, find that ranch.' I tried to stand again. My legs had turned to water. I looked down at my boat loafers to see orange streaks scoring the leather. Then my brain, in rapid succession, transferred the outline of the loafers onto a leather hide hanging on the wall, then onto a cow that was sprinting away from a bald-headed cobbler who was chasing the animal, thread and needle in hand.
I sat again. Forced myself to be calm, and said, 'Tomlinson, something's happened to me. I'm not sure what. But my brain has begun to… has begun to.' I realized that I was focused on the telephone sitting atop the icebox. The phone was melting. As it did, drops of beige plastic turned to black and jumped around like grease on a griddle. 'My brain, Tomlinson… it's my brain. It isn't translating information the way it should.'
Now my heart was pounding, and sweat was streaming down my face. I felt my friend's hand pat my shoulder, trying to comfort me. 'It's okay, Doc, after I explain, you'll understand. What I want to tell you right off is this: psilocybin mushrooms are illegal in forty-nine of the fifty states. Know what the good news is? Florida is the fiftieth state. So it's legal, rest your mind about that. We're not breaking any laws. What you're feeling right now is legal. Isn't that great!'
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. 'Are you saying that the mushrooms on the snapper are psychedelic mushrooms?'
'Shrooms we call them. Friendly little guys who know just how to mix with a natural chemical in the brain. Think of them as tour guides. It's a chemical called serotonin. Kind of a cool, masculine name, huh? It's Jim.'
I was looking at him, trying to remain calm. 'Oh shit.' Then I said, 'Okay, okay… I would never have consented to this. But I've got to deal with it, so… so when I see something crawling around your neck… something that appears to be a scarlet boa constrictor-like now, for instance-I should assume it's bad information altered by chemicals?'
Tomlinson pulled the snake away from his neck, and it became a Vietnamese flag, red backing, single yellow star. 'Yep, see! It's really just a scarf.'
'Right, that explains it. File this away, Tomlinson. If you ever do this to me again, leave psychedelic food lying around, I will personally grab you by the neck…'
I lost my train of thought. Realized I was gazing at the shell mobile hanging from a locker. It really was rather pretty. Nice earth colors on scallop shells that were wonderfully formed with precise ridges. Reminded me of Arizona where I'd seen petroglyphs on red stone high above Tempe…
My wandering inattention starded me. I straightened myself and said, 'Help me out of this damn boat. I need to get up. I'm going topside and try to make myself puke. Is there an antidote?'
'An antidote?' Tomlinson was shaking his head, slinging colors against the bulkhead. 'Doc, you know how to take the fun out of everything.'
'I want this to be over. I hate it. Isn't there something I can take to make it go away?'
'You're speaking, like, heresy, man. Good shrooms are hard enough to find as it is. Why would anybody want an antidote?'
Five minutes later, Tomlinson pressed the phone to my ear, saying, 'Put a smile on that mug of yours. Guess who just answered her cell phone? I explained things to her. She understands.'
I heard Nora's voice say, 'Doc? Are you okay?'
My heart was still pounding in my ears and I was hyperventilating. 'Are you at the ranch? Are you with Ted? I want you to get out of there right away. I mean it. Get Delia and run.'
She was laughing. 'Oh sweetie, I wish I was there to see you. Marion Ford on psychedelics! I don't think the world's ready.'
'Please, listen to me. I'm probably wrong, but if I'm right-'
'You're not right. Believe me. The shrooms are getting to you, babe. I've been through it. Just hang on, stay calm, you'll be fine and so will I. Ted's one of the nicest men I've ever met. I'm going to work in his campaign. Don't worry, though. He doesn't have your magnetism. But he's genuine. He's making cocktails for Delia and me right now.'
