dk.nightchills-第37部分

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　Rain　drummed　on　the　outside　window；　and　hundreds　of　tiny　beads　of　dew　formed　on　the　inside。
　Still　numb　from　the　discovery　of　his　son's　body；　Paul　sat　in　one　of　the　easy　chairs；　his　hands　on　the　arms　of　the　chair　and　his　fingertips　pressed　like　claws　into　the　upholstery。
　Sam　stood　by　one　of　the　bookcases；　pulling　volumes　of　collected　psychology　essays　from　the　stacks　and　leafing　through　them。
　On　the　wide　window　ledge；　an　antique　mantel　clock　ticked　hollowly；　monotonously。
　Jenny　came　into　the　room　from　the　ball；　letting　the　door　stand　open　behind　her。　She　knelt　on　the　floor　beside　Paul's　chair　and　put　her　hand　over　his。
　〃How's　Rya？〃　he　asked。
　Before　they　had　gone　to　the　Thorp　house　to　search　for　the　body；　Sam　had　given　the　girl　a　sedative。
　〃Sleeping　soundly；〃　Jenny　said。　〃She'll　be　out　for　at　least　two　more　hours。〃
　〃Here！〃　Sam　said　excitedly。
　They　looked　up；　startled。
　He　came　to　them；　holding　up　a　book　of　essays。　〃His　picture。　The　one　who　calls　himself　Deighton。〃
　Paul　stood　up　to　have　a　better　look　at　it。
　〃No　wonder　Rya　and　I　couldn't　find　any　of　his　articles；〃　Sam　said。　〃We　were　looking　through　tables　of　contents　for　something　written　by　Albert　Deighton。　But　that's　not　his　name。　His　real　name's　Ogden　Salsbury。〃
　〃I've　seen　him；〃　Paul　said。　〃He　was　in　Ultman's　Cafe　the　day　that　waitress　drove　the　meat　fork　through　her　hand。　In　fact　she　waited　on　him。〃
　Rising　to　her　feet；　Jenny　said；　〃You　think　that　was　connected　with　the　rest　of　this；　with　the　story　Buddy　Pellineri　told　us…　with　what　they　did　to　Mark？〃　Her　voice　faltered　slightly　on　those　last　few　words；　and　her　eyes　grew　shiny。　But　she　bit　her　lip　and　held　back　the　tears。
　〃Yes；〃　Paul　said；　wondering　again　at　his　own　inability　to　weep。　He　ached。　God；　he　was　full　of　pain！　But　the　tears　would　not　e。　〃It　must　be　connected。　Somehow。〃　To　Sam　he　said；　〃Salsbury　wrote　this　article？〃
　〃According　to　the　introductory　blurb；　it　was　the　last　piece　he　ever　published…more　than　twelve　years　ago。〃
　〃But　he's　not　dead。〃
　〃Unfortunately。〃
　〃Then　why　the　last？〃
　〃Seems　he　was　quite　a　controversial　figure。　Praised　and　damned　but　mostly　damned。　And　he　got　tired　of　the　controversy。　He　dropped　out　of　his　lecture　tours　and　gave　up　his　writing　so　that　he'd　have　more　time　to　dedicate　to　his　research。〃
　〃What's　the　article　about？〃
　Sam　read　the　title。　〃'Total　Behavioral　Modification　through　Subliminal　Perception。'〃　And　the　subtitle：　〃'Mind　Control　from　the　Inside　Out。'〃
　〃What　does　all　of　that　mean？〃
　〃Do　you　want　me　to　read　it　aloud？〃
　Paul　looked　at　his　watch。
　〃It　wouldn't　hurt　if　we　knew　the　enemy　before　we　went　into　Bexford　to　see　the　state　police；〃　Jenny　said。
　〃She's　right；〃　Sam　said。
　Paul　nodded。　〃Go　ahead。　Read　it。〃
　2：40　P。M。
　Friday　afternoon　H。　Leonard　Dawson　was　in　the　study　of　his　Greenwich；　Connecticut；　house；　reading　a　long　letter　on　lavender　paper　from　his　wife。　Julia　was　one…third　of　the　way　through　a　three…week　trip　to　the　Holy　Land；　and　day　by　day　she　was　discovering　that　it　was　less　and　less　like　she　had　imagined　and　hoped　it　would　be。　The　best　hotels　were　all　owned　by　Arabs　and　Jews；　she　said；　therefore；　she　felt　unclean　every　time　she　went　to　bed。　There　were　plenty　of　rooms　in　the　inns；　she　said；　but　she　would　almost　have　preferred　to　sleep　in　the　stables。　That　morning　（as　she　wrote　the　letter）　her　chauffeur　had　driven　her　to　Golgotha；　that　most　sweetly　sacred　of　places；　and　she　had　read　to　herself　from　the　Bible　as　the　car　wended　its　way　to　that　shrine　of　both　sorrow　and　everlasting　joy。　But　even　Golgotha　had　been　spoiled　for　her。　Upon　arriving　there；　she　found　that　the　holy　hill　was　literally　swarming　with　sweaty　Southern　Negro　Baptists。　Southern　Negro　Baptists；　of　all　people。　Furthermore。
　The　white　telephone　rang。　Its　soft；　throaty　burrrr…burrrrburrrr　was　instantly　recognizable。
　The　white　phone　was　the　most　private　line　in　the　house。　Only　Ogden　and　Ernst　knew　the　number。
　He　put　down　the　letter；　waited　until　the　telephone　had　rung　a　second　time；　picked　up　the　receiver。　〃Hello？〃
　〃I　recognize　your　voice；〃　Salsbury　said　guardedly。　〃Do　you　find　mine　familiar？〃
　〃Of　course。　Are　you　using　your　scrambler？〃
　〃Oh；　yes；〃　Salsbury　said。
　〃Then　there's　no　need　to　talk　in　riddles　and　be　mysterious。
　Even　if　the　line　is　tapped；　which　it　isn't；　they　can't　make　sense　of　what　we're　saying。〃
　〃With　the　situation　what　it　is　at　my　end；〃　Salsbury　said；　〃I　think　we　should　take　the　precaution　of　riddle　and　mystery　and　not　trust　solely　in　the　scrambler。〃
　〃What　is　the　situation　at　your　end？〃
　〃We've　got　serious　trouble　here。〃
　〃At　the　test　site？〃
　〃At　the　test　site。〃
　〃Trouble　of　what　sort？〃
　〃There's　been　one　fatality。〃
　〃Will　it　pass　for　natural　causes？〃
　〃Not　in　a　million　years。〃
　〃Can　you　handle　it　yourself？〃　〃No。　There　are　going　to　be　more。〃　〃Fatalities？〃　Dawson　asked。　〃We've　got　people　here　who　are　unaffected。〃　〃Unaffected　by　the　program？〃　〃That's　right。〃
　〃Why　should　that　lead　to　fatalities？〃　〃My　cover　is　blown。〃
　〃How　did　that　happen？〃　Salsbury　hesitated。
　〃You'd　better　tell　me　the　truth；〃　Dawson　said　sharply。　〃For　all　our　sakes。　You'd　better　tell　me　the　truth。〃
　〃I　was　with　a　woman。〃
　〃You　fool。〃
　〃It　was　a　mistake；〃　Salsbury　admitted。
　〃It　was　idiotic。　We'll　discuss　it　later。　One　of　these　unaffected　people　came　upon　you　while　you　were　with　the　woman。〃
　〃That's　right。〃
　〃If　your　cover　is　blown　it　can　be　repaired。　Undramatically。〃
　〃I'm　afraid　not　I　ordered　the　killer　to　do　what　he　did。〃　Despite　the　riddle　form　of　the　conversation；　the　events　in　Black　River　were　being　all　too　clear　to　Dawson。　〃I　see。〃　He　thought　for　a　moment。　〃How　many　are　unaffected？〃
　〃Besides　a　couple　of　dozen　babies　and　very　young　children；　at　least　four　more。　Maybe　five。〃
　〃That's　not　so　many。〃
　〃There's　another　problem。　You　know　the　two　men　we　sent　up　here　at　the　beginning　of　the　month？〃
　〃To　the　reservoir。〃
　〃They　were　seen。〃
　Dawson　was　silent。
　〃If　you　don't　want　to　e；〃　Salsbury　said；　〃that's　okay。　But　I　have　to　have　some　help。　Send　our　partner　and…〃
　〃We'll　both　arrive　tonight　by　helicopter；〃　Dawson　said。　〃Can　you　bold　it　yourself　until　nine　or　ten　o'clock？〃
　〃I　think　so。〃
　〃You　had　better。〃
　Dawson　hung　up。
　Oh　Lord；　he　thought；　You　sent　him　to　me　as　an　instrument　of　Your　will。　Now　Satan's　gotten　to　him。　Help　me　to　set　all　of　this　aright。　I　only　want　to　serve　You。
　He　telephoned　his　pilot　and　ordered　him　to　fuel　the　helicopter　and　have　it　at　the　landing　pad　behind　the　Greenwich　house　within　the　hour。
　He　dialed　three　numbers　before　he　located　Klinger。　〃There's　some　trouble　up　north。〃
　〃Serious？〃
　〃Extremely　serious。　Can　you　be　here　in　an　hour？〃
　〃Only　if　I　drive　like　a　maniac。　Better　make　it　an　hour　and　a　quarter。〃
　〃Get　moving。〃
　Dawson　hung　up　again。
　Oh　Lord；　he　thought；　both　of　these　men　are　infidels。　I　know　that。　But　You　sent　them　to　me　for　Your　own　purposes；　didn't　You？　Don't　punish　me　for　doing　Your　will；　Lord。
　He　opened　the　lower　right…hand　drawer　of　the　desk　and　took　Out　a　folder　thick　with　papers。
　The　label　on　it　said：
　HARRISON…BODREI　DETECTIVE　AGENCY
　SUBJECT：　OGDEN　SALSBURY
　　
　Thanks　to　the　Harrison…Bodrei　Agency；　he　understood　his　partners　almost　better　than　they　understood　themselves。　For
　the　past　fifteen　years　he　had　kept　a　constantly　updated　file　on　Ernst　Klinger。　The　Salsbury　dossier　was　paratively　new；　begun　only　in　January　1975；　but　it　traced　his　life　all　the　way　back　through　his　childhood；　and　it　was　undeniably　plete。　Having　read　it　ten　or　twelve　times；　from　cover　to　cover；　Dawson　felt　that　he　should　have　anticipated　the　current　crisis。
　Ogden　was　neither　stark…raving　mad　nor　perfectly　sound　of　mind。　He　was　a　pathological　woman…hater。　Yet　periodically　he　indulged　in　lascivious　sprees　of　whoring；　using　as　many　as　seven　or　eight　prostitutes　during　a　single　weekend。　Occasionally；　there　was　trouble。
　To　Dawson's　way　of　thinking；　two　of　the　reports　in　the　file　were　more　important；　told　more　about　Ogden；　than　all　of　the　others　bined。　He　withdrew　the　first　of　them　from　the　folder　and　read　it　yet　again。
　A　week　past　his　eleventh　birthday；　Ogden　was　taken　from　his　mother　and　made　a　ward　of　the　court。　Katherine　Salsbury　（widowed）　and　her　lover；　Howard　Parker；　were　later　convicted　of　child　abuse；　child　molestation；　and　corrupting　the　morals　of　a　minor。　Mrs。　Salsbury　was　sentenced　to　seven　to　ten　years　in　the　New　Jersey　Correctional　Institution　for　Women。　Upon　her　conviction；　Ogden　was　transferred　to　the　home　of　a　neighbor；　Mrs。　Carrie　Barger　（now　Peterson）；　where　he　became　one　of　several　foster　children。　This　interview　was　conducted　with　Mrs。　Carrie　Peterson　（now　sixty…nine　years　old）　in　her　home　in　Teaneck；　New　Jersey；　on　the　morning　of　Wednesday；　January　22；　1975。　The　subject　was　obviously　intoxicated　even　at　that　early　hour　and　sipped　at　a　glass　of　〃just　plain　orange　juice〃　throughout　the　interview。　The　subject　was　not　aware　that　she　was　being　recorded。
　Dawson　had　marked　the　sections　of　the　report　that　most　interested　him。　He　skipped　ahead　to　the　third　page。
　AGENT：　Living　next　door　to　Mrs。　Salsbury；　you　must　have　witnessed　a　great　many　of　those　beatings。
　MRS。　PETERSON：　Oh；　yes。　Oh；　I　should　say。　From　the　time
　that　Ogden　was　old　enough　to　walk；　he　was　a　target　for　her。　That　woman！　The　least　little　thing　he　did…whup！　she　beat　him　black　and　blue。
　AGENT：　Spanked　him？
　MRS。　PETERSON：　No；　no。　She　hardly　ever　spanked。　Had　she　only　spanked！　That　wouldn't　have　been　so　horrid。　But　that　woman！　She　started　out　hitting　him　with　her　open　hands。　On　the　head　and　all　about　his　sweet　little　face。　As　he　got　older　she'd　sometimes　use　her　fists。　She　was　a　big　woman；　you　know。　She'd　use　her　fists。　And　she'd　pinch。　Pinch　his　little　arms　。　。　。　I　cried　many　the　time。　He'd　e　over　to　play　with　my　foster　children；　and　he'd　be　a　mess。　His　little　arms　would　be　spotted　with　bruises。　Just　spotted　all　over　with　bruises。
　AGENT：　Vas　she　an　alcoholic？
　MRS。　PETERSON：　She　drank。　Some。　But　she　wasn't　addicted　to　gin　or　anything。　She　was　just　mean。　Naturally　mean。　And　I　don't　think　she　was　too　smart。　Sometimes；　very　dim…witted　people；　when　they　get　frustrated；　they　take　it　out　on　children。　I've　seen　it　before。　Too　often。　Suffer　the　little　c