th.red dragon-第19部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


air　of　child's　coveralls　suspended　from　a　hanger　over　a　table　covered　with　white　paper。　Working　under　bright　lights　in　the　draft…free　room；　she　brushed　the　coveralls　with　a　metal　spatula；　carefully　working　with　the　wale　and　across　it；　with　the　nap　and　against　it。　A　sprinkle　of　dirt　and　sand　fell　to　the　paper。　With　it；　falling　through　the　still　air　more　slowly　than　sand　but　faster　than　lint；　came　a　tightly　coiled　hair。　She　cocked　her　head　and　looked　at　it　with　her　bright　robin's　eye。
　Crawford　could　see　her　lips　moving。　He　knew　what　she　was　saying。
　〃Gotcha。〃
　That's　what　she　always　said。
　Crawford　pecked　on　the　glass　and　she　came　out　fast；　stripping　off　her　white　gloves。
　〃It　hasn't　been　printed　yet；　right？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃I'm　set　up　in　the　next　examining　room。〃　She　put　on　a　fresh　pair　of　gloves　while　Crawford　opened　the　document　case。
　The　note；　in　two　pieces；　was　contained　gently　between　two　sheets　of　plastic　film。　Beverly　Katz　saw　the　tooth　impressions　and　glanced　up　at　Crawford；　not　wasting　time　with　the　question。
　He　nodded：　the　impressions　matched　the　clear　overlay　of　the　killer's　bite　he　had　carried　with　him　to　Chesapeake。
　Crawford　watched　through　the　window　as　she　lifted　the　note　on　a　slender　dowel　and　hung　it　over　white　paper。　She　looked　it　over　with　a　powerful　glass；　then　fanned　it　gently。　She　tapped　the　dowel　with　the　edge　of　a　spatula　and　went　over　the　paper　beneath　it　with　the　magnifying　glass。
　Crawford　looked　at　his　watch。
　Katz　flipped　the　note　over　another　dowel　to　get　the　reverse　side　up。　She　removed　one　tiny　object　from　its　surface　with　tweezers　almost　as　fine　as　a　hair。
　She　photographed　the　torn　ends　of　the　note　under　high　magnification　and　returned　it　to　its　case。　She　put　a　clean　pair　of　white　gloves　in　the　case　with　it。　The　white　gloves　…　the　signal　not　to　touch　…　would　always　be　beside　the　evidence　until　it　was　checked　for　fingerprints。
　〃That's　it；〃　she　said；　handing　the　case　back　to　Crawford。　〃One　hair；　maybe　a　thirty…second　of　an　inch。　A　couple　of　blue　grains。　I'll　work　it　up。　What　else　have　you　got？〃
　Crawford　gave　her　three　marked　envelopes。　〃Hair　from　Lecter's　b。　Whiskers　from　the　electric　razor　they　let　him　use。　This　is　hair　from　the　cleaning　man。　Gotta　go。〃
　〃See　you　later；〃　Katz　said。　〃Love　your　hair。〃
　
　#　#　#
　
　Jimmy　Price　in　Latent　Fingerprints　winced　at　the　sight　of　the　porous　toilet　paper。　He　squinted　fiercely　over　the　shoulder　of　his　technician　operating　the　helium…cadmium　laser　as　they　tried　to　find　a　fingerprint　and　make　it　fluoresce。　Glowing　smudges　appeared　on　the　paper；　perspiration　stains；　nothing。
　Crawford　started　to　ask　him　a　question；　thought　better　of　it；　waited　with　the　blue　light　reflecting　off　his　glasses。
　〃We　know　three　guys　handled　this　without　gloves；　right？〃　Price　said。
　〃Yeah；　the　cleanup　man；　Lecter；　and　Chilton。〃
　〃The　fellow　scrubbing　sinks　probably　had　washed　the　oil　off　his　fingers。　But　the　others　…this　stuff　is　terrible。〃　Price　held　the　paper　to　the　light；　forceps　steady　in　his　mottled　old　hand。　〃I　could　fume　it；　Jack；　but　I　couldn't　guarantee　the　iodine　stains　would　fade　out　in　the　time　you've　got。〃
　〃Ninhydrin？　Boost　it　with　heat？〃　Ordinarily；　Crawford　would　not　have　ventured　a　technical　suggestion　to　Price；　but　he　was　floundering　for　anything。　He　expected　a　huffy　reply；　but　the　old　man　sounded　rueful　and　sad。
　〃No。　We　couldn't　wash　it　after。　I　can't　get　you　a　print　off　this；　Jack。　There　isn't　one。〃
　〃Fuck；〃　Crawford　said。
　The　old　man　turned　away。　Crawford　put　his　hand　on　Price's　bony　shoulder。　〃Hell；　Jimmy。　If　there　was　one；　you'd　have　found　it。〃
　Price　didn't　answer。　He　was　unpacking　a　pair　of　hands　that　had　arrived　in　another　matter。　Dry　ice　smoked　in　his　wastebasket。　Crawford　dropped　the　white　gloves　into　the　smoke。
　
　#　#　#
　
　Disappointment　growling　in　his　stomach；　Crawford　hurried　on　to　Documents　where　Lloyd　Bowman　was　waiting。　Bowman　had　been　called　out　of　court　and　the　abrupt　shear　in　his　concentration　left　him　blinking　like　a　man　just　wakened。
　〃I　congratulate　you　on　your　hairstyle。　A　brave　departure；〃　Bowman　said；　his　hands　quick　and　careful　as　he　transferred　the　note　to　his　work　surface。　〃How　long　do　I　have？〃
　〃Twenty　minutes　max。〃
　The　two　pieces　of　the　note　seemed　to　glow　under　Bowman's　lights。　His　blotter　showed　dark　green　through　a　jagged　oblong　hole　in　the　upper　piece。
　〃The　main　thing；　the　first　thing；　is　how　Lecter　was　to　reply；〃　Crawford　said　when　Bowman　had　finished　reading。
　〃Instructions　for　answering　were　probably　in　the　part　torn　out。〃　Bowman　worked　steadily　with　his　lights　and　filters　and　copy　camera　as　he　talked。　〃Here　in　the　top　piece　he　says　'I　hope　we　can　correspond　。　。　。'　and　then　the　hole　begins。　Lecter　scratched　over　that　with　a　felt…tip　pen　and　then　folded　it　and　pinched　most　of　it　out。〃
　〃He　doesn't　have　anything　to　cut　with。〃
　Bowman　photographed　the　tooth　impressions　and　the　back　of　the　note　under　extremely　oblique　light；　his　shadow　leaping　from　wall　to　wall　as　he　moved　the　light　through　360　degrees　around　the　paper　and　his　hands　made　phantom　folding　motions　in　the　air。
　〃Now　we　can　mash　just　a　little。〃　Bowman　put　the　note　between　two　panes　of　glass　to　flatten　the　jagged　edges　of　the　hole。　The　tatters　were　smeared　with　vermilion　ink。　He　was　chanting　under　his　breath。　On　the　third　repetition　Crawford　made　out　what　he　was　saying。　〃You're　so　sly；　but　so　am　I。〃
　Bowman　switched　filters　on　his　small　television　camera　and　focused　it　on　the　note。　He　darkened　the　room　until　there　was　only　the　dull　red　glow　of　a　lamp　and　the　blue…green　of　his　monitor　screen。
　The　words　〃I　hope　we　can　correspond〃　and　the　jagged　hole　appeared　enlarged　on　the　screen。　The　ink　smear　was　gone；　and　on　the　tattered　edges　appeared　fragments　of　writing。
　〃Aniline　dyes　in　colored　inks　are　transparent　to　infrared；〃　Bowman　said。　〃These　could　be　the　tips　of　T's　here　and　here。　On　the　end　is　the　tail　of　what　could　be　an　M　or　N；　or　possibly　an　R。〃　Bowman　took　a　photograph　and　turned　the　lights　on。　〃Jack；　there　are　just　two　mon　ways　of　carrying　on　a　munication　that's　one…way　blind　…　the　phone　and　publication。　Could　Lecter　take　a　fast　phone　call？〃
　〃He　can　take　calls；　but　it's　slow　and　they　have　to　e　in　through　the　hospital　switchboard。〃
　〃Publication　is　the　only　safe　way；　then。〃
　〃We　know　this　sweetheart　reads　the　Tattler。　The　stuff　about　Graham　and　Lecter　was　in　the　Tattler。　I　don't　know　of　any　other　paper　that　carried　it。〃
　〃Three　T's　and　an　R　in　Tattler。　Personal　column；　you　think？　It's　a　place　to　look。〃
　Crawford　checked　with　the　FBI　library；　then　telephoned　instructions　to　the　Chicago　field　office。
　Bowman　handed　him　the　case　as　he　finished。
　〃The　Tattler　es　out　this　evening；〃　Crawford　said。　〃It's　printed　in　Chicago　on　Mondays　and　Thursdays。　We'll　get　proofs　of　the　classified　pages。〃
　〃I'll　have　some　more　stuff…minor；　I　think；〃　Bowman　said。
　〃Anything　useful；　fire　it　straight　to　Chicago。　Fill　me　in　when　I　get　back　from　the　asylum；〃　Crawford　said　on　his　way　out　the　door。
　
　
　CHAPTER　14
　
　The　turnstile　at　Washington's　Metro　Central　spit　Graham's　fare　card　back　to　him　and　he　came　out　into　the　hot　afternoon　carrying　his　flight　bag。
　The　J。　Edgar　Hoover　Building　looked　like　a　great　concrete　cage　above　the　heat　shimmer　on　Tenth　Street。　The　FBI's　move　to　the　new　headquarters　had　been　under　way　when　Graham　left　Washington。　He　had　never　worked　there。
　Crawford　met　him　at　the　escort　desk　off　the　underground　driveway　to　augment　Graham's　hastily　issued　credentials　with　his　own。　Graham　looked　tired　and　he　was　impatient　with　the　signing…in。　Crawford　wondered　how　he　felt；　knowing　that　the　killer　was　thinking　about　him。
　Graham　was　issued　a　magnetically　encoded　tag　like　the　one　on　Crawford's　vest。　He　plugged　it　into　the　gate　and　passed　into　the　long　white　corridors。　Crawford　carried　his　flight　bag。
　〃I　forgot　to　tell　Sarah　to　send　a　car　for　you。〃
　〃Probably　quicker　this　way。　Did　you　get　the　note　back　to　Lecter　all　right？〃
　〃Yeah；〃　Crawford　said。　〃I　just　got　back。　We　poured　water　on　the　hall　floor。　Faked　a　broken　pipe　and　electrical　short。　We　had　Simmons　…　he's　the　assistant　SAC　Baltimore　now　…　we　had　him　mopping　when　Lecter　was　brought　back　to　his　cell。　Simmons　thinks　he　bought　it。〃
　〃I　kept　wondering　on　the　plane　if　Lecter　wrote　it　himself。〃
　〃That　bothered　me　too　until　I　looked　at　it。　Bite　mark　in　the　paper　matches　the　ones　on　the　women。　Also　it's　ball…point；　which　Lecter　doesn't　have。　The　person　who　wrote　it　had　read　the　Tattler；　and　Lecter　hasn't　had　a　Tattler。　Rankin　and　Willingham　tossed　the　cell。　Beautiful　job；　but　they　didn't　find　diddly。　They　took　Polaroids　first　to　get　everything　back　just　right。　Then　the　cleaning　man　went　in　and　did　what　he　always　does。〃
　〃So　what　do　you　think？〃
　〃As　far　as　physical　evidence　toward　an　ID；　the　note　is　pretty　much　dreck；〃　Crawford　said。　〃Some　way　we've　got　to　make　the　contact　work　for　us；　but　damn　if　I　know　how　yet。　We'll　get　the　rest　of　the　lab　results　in　a　few　minutes。〃
　〃You've　got　the　mail　and　phone　covered　at　the　hospital？〃
　〃Standing　trace…and…tape　order　for　any　time　Lecter's　on　the　phone。　He　made　a　call　Saturday　afternoon。　He　told　Chilton　he　was　calling　his　lawyer。　It's　a　damn　WATS　line；　and　I　can't　be　sure。
　〃What　did　his　lawyer　say？〃
　〃Nothing。　We　got　a　leased　line　to　the　hospital　switchboard　for　Lecter's　convenience　in　the　future；　so　that　won't　get　by　us　again。　We'll　fiddle　with　his　mail　both　ways；　starting　next　delivery。　No　problem　with　warrants；　thank　God。〃
　Crawford　bellied　up　to　a　door　and　stuck　the　tag　on　his　vest　into　the　lock　slot。　〃My　new　office。　e　on　in。　Decorator　had　some　paint　left　over　from　a　battleship　he　was　doing。　Here's　the　note。　This　print　is　exactly　the　size。〃
　Graham　read　it　twice。　Seeing　the　spidery　lines　spell　his　name　started　a　high　tone　ringing　in　his　head。
　〃The　library　confirms　the　Tattler　is　the　only　paper　that　carried　a　story　about　Lecter　and　you；〃　Crawford　said；　fixing　himself　an　AlkaSeltzer。　〃Want　one　of　these？　Good　for　you。　It　was　published　Monday　night　a　week　ago。　It　was　on　the　stands　Tuesday　nationwide　…some　areas　not　till　Wednesday　…　Alaska　and　Maine　and　places。　The　Tooth　Fairy　got　one　…　couldn't　have　done　it　before　Tuesday。　He　reads　it；　writes　to　Lecter。　Rankin　a