第2部分(第2/8 頁)

　was　cheating；　she　stood　waiting　for　the　unfortunate　Lester　McCall；　known　to　his　pals　（and；　presumably；　to　his　extremely　short…term　mistress）　as　Cutter；　at　the　top　of　the　stairs　leading　to　the　apartment　over　his　barber　shop。　She　waited　until　he　got　his　overcoat　half　off；　then　dropped　his　cheating　guts　onto　his　two…tone　shoes。　Used　one　of　Cutter's　own　razors　to　do　it。　Two　nights　before　she　was　due　to　sit　in　Old　Sparky；　she　called　me　to　her　cell　and　said　she　had　been　visited　by　her　African　spirit…father　in　a　dream。　He　told　her　to　discard　her　slave…name　and　to　die　under　her　free　name；　Matuomi。　That　was　her　request；　that　her　death　warrant　should　be　read　under　the　name　of　Beverly　Matuomi。　I　guess　her　spirit…father　didn't　give　her　any　first　name；　or　one　she　could　make　out；　anyhow。　I　said　yes；　okay；　fine。　One　thing　those　years　serving　as　the　bull…goose　screw　taught　me　was　never　to　refuse　the　condemned　unless　I　absolutely　had　to。　In　the　case　of　Beverly　Matuomi；　it　made　no　difference　anyway。　The　governor　called　the　next　day　around　three　in　the　afternoon；　muting　her　sentence　to　life　in　the　Grassy　Valley　Penal　Facility　for　Women…all　penal　and　no　penis；　we　used　to　say　back　then。　I　was　glad　to　see　Bev's　round　ass　going　left　instead　of　right　when　she　got　to　the　duty　desk；　let　me　tell　you。

Thirty…five　years　or　so　later　…　had　to　be　at　least　thirty…five　…　I　saw　that　name　on　the　obituary　page　of　the　paper；　under　a　picture　of　a　skinny…faced　black　lady　with　a　cloud　of　white　hair　and　glass