th.red dragon-第20部分

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　Tooth　Fairy　got　one　…　couldn't　have　done　it　before　Tuesday。　He　reads　it；　writes　to　Lecter。　Rankin　and　Willingham　are　still　sifting　the　hospital　trash　for　the　envelope。　Bad　job。　They　don't　separate　the　papers　from　the　diapers　at　Chesapeake。
　〃All　right；　Lecter　gets　the　note　from　the　Tooth　Fairy　no　sooner　than　Wednesday。　He　tears　out　the　part　about　how　to　reply　and　scratches　over　and　pokes　out　one　earlier　reference　…　I　don't　know　why　he　didn't　tear　that　out　too。〃
　〃It　was　in　the　middle　of　a　paragraph　full　of　pliments；〃　Graham　said。　〃He　couldn't　stand　to　ruin　them。　That's　why　he　didn't　throw　the　whole　thing　away。〃　He　rubbed　his　temples　with　his　knuckles。
　〃Bowman　thinks　Lecter　will　use　the　Tattler　to　answer　the　Tooth　Fairy。　He　says　that's　probably　the　setup。　You　think　he'd　answer　this　thing？〃
　〃Sure。　He's　a　great　correspondent。　Pen　pals　all　over。〃
　〃If　they're　using　the　Tattler；　Lecter　would　barely　have　time　to　get　his　answer　in　the　issue　they'll　print　tonight；　even　if　he　sent　it　special　delivery　to　the　paper　the　same　day　he　got　the　Tooth　Fairy's　note。　Chester　from　the　Chicago　office　is　down　at　the　Tattler　checking　the　ads。　The　printers　are　putting　the　paper　together　right　now。〃
　〃Please　God　don't　stir　the　Tattler　up；〃　Graham　said。
　〃The　shop　foreman　thinks　Chester's　a　realtor　trying　to　get　a　jump　on　the　ads。　He's　selling　him　the　proof　sheets　under　the　table；　one　by　one　as　they　e　off。　We're　getting　everything；　all　the　classifieds；　just　to　blow　some　smoke。　All　right；　say　we　find　out　how　Lecter　war　to　answer　and　we　can　duplicate　the　method。　Then　we　can　fake　a　message　to　the　Tooth　Fairy　…　but　what　do　we　say？　How　do　we　use　it？〃
　〃The　obvious　thing　is　to　try　to　get　him　to　e　to　a　mail　drop；〃　Graham　said。　〃Bait　him　with　something　he'd　like　to　see。　'Important　evidence'　that　Lecter　knows　about　from　talking　to　me。　Some　mistake　he　made　that　we're　waiting　for　him　to　repeat。〃
　〃He'd　be　an　idiot　to　go　for　it。〃
　〃I　know。　Want　to　hear　what　the　best　bait　would　be？〃
　〃I'm　not　sure　I　do。〃
　〃Lecter　would　be　the　best　bait；〃　Graham　said。
　〃Set　up　how？〃
　〃It　would　be　hell　to　do；　I　know　that。　We'd　take　Lecter　into　federal　custody　…　Chilton　would　never　sit　still　for　this　at　Chesapeake　…　and　we　stash　him　in　maximum　security　at　a　VA　psychiatric　hospital。　We　fake　an　escape。
　〃Oh；　Jesus。〃
　〃We　send　the　Tooth　Fairy　a　message　in　next　week's　Tattler；　after　the　big　'escape。'　It　would　be　Lecter　asking　him　for　a　rendezvous。〃
　〃Why　in　God's　name　would　anybody　want　to　meet　Lecter？　I　mean；　even　the　Tooth　Fairy？〃
　〃To　kill　him；　Jack。〃　Graham　got　up。　There　was　no　window　to　look　out　of　as　he　talked。　He　stood　in　front　of　the　〃Ten　Most　Wanted；〃　Crawford's　only　wall　decoration。　〃See；　the　Tooth　Fairy　could　absorb　him　that　way；　engulf　him；　bee　more　than　he　is。
　〃You　sound　pretty　sure。〃
　〃I'm　not　sure。　Who's　sure？　What　he　said　in　the　note　was　'I　have　some　things　I'd　love　to　show　you。　Someday；　perhaps；　if　circumstances　permit。'　Maybe　it　was　a　serious　invitation。　I　don't　think　he　was　just　being　polite。〃
　〃Wonder　what　he's　got　to　show？　The　victims　were　intact。　Nothing　missing　but　a　little　skin　and　hair；　and　that　was　probably　。　。　。　How　did　Bloom　put　it？〃
　〃Ingested；〃　Graham　said。　〃God　knows　what　he's　got。　Tremont；　remember　Tremont's　costumes　in　Spokane？　While　he　was　strapped　to　a　stretcher　he　was　pointing　with　his　chin；　still　trying　to　show　them　to　the　Spokane　PD。　I'm　not　sure　Lecter　would　draw　the　Tooth　Fairy；　Jack。　I　say　it's　the　best　shot。〃
　〃We'd　have　a　goddamn　stampede　if　people　thought　Lecter　was　out。　Papers　all　over　us　screaming。　Best　shot；　maybe；　but　we'll　save　it　for　last。〃
　〃He　probably　wouldn't　e　near　a　mail　drop；　but　he　might　be　curious　enough　to　look　at　a　mail　drop　to　see　if　Lecter　had　sold　him。　If　he　could　do　it　from　a　distance。　We　could　pick　a　drop　that　could　be　watched　from　only　a　few　places　a　long　way　off　and　stake　out　the　observation　points。〃　It　sounded　weak　to　Graham　even　as　he　said　it。
　〃Secret　Service　has　a　setup　they've　never　used。　They'd　let　us　have　it。　But　if　we　don't　put　an　ad　in　today；　we'll　have　to　wait　until　Monday　before　the　next　issue　es　out。　Presses　roll　at　five　our　time。　That　gives　Chicago　another　hour　and　fifteen　minutes　to　e　up　with　Lecter's　ad；　if　there　is　one。
　〃What　about　Lecter's　ad　order；　the　letter　he'd　have　sent　the　Tattler　ordering　the　ad　…could　we　get　to　that　quicker？〃
　〃Chicago　put　out　some　general　feelers　to　the　shop　foreman；〃　Crawford　said。　〃The　mail　stays　in　the　classified　advertising　manager's　office。　They　sell　the　names　and　return　addresses　to　mailing　lists　…　outfits　that　sell　products　for　lonely　people；　love　charms；　rooster　pills；　squack　dealers；　'meet　beautiful　Asian　girls；'　personality　courses；　that　sort　of　stuff。
　〃We　might　appeal　to　the　ad　manager's　citizenship　and　all　and　get　a　look；　request　him　to　be　quiet；　but　I　don't　want　to　chance　it　and　risk　the　Tattler　slobbering　all　over　us。　It　would　take　a　warrant　to　go　in　there　and　Bogart　the　mail。　I'm　thinking　about　it。〃
　〃If　Chicago　turns　up　nothing；　we　could　put　an　ad　in　anyway。　If　we're　wrong　about　the　Tattler；　we　wouldn't　lose　anything；〃　Graham　said。
　〃And　if　we're　right　that　the　Tattler　is　the　medium　and　we　make　up　a　reply　based　on　what　we　have　in　this　note　and　screw　it　up　…　if　it　doesn't　look　right　to　him　…　we're　down　the　tubes。　I　didn't　ask　you　about　Birmingham。　Anything？〃
　〃Birmingham's　shut　down　and　over　with。　The　Jacobi　house　has　been　painted　and　redecorated　and　it's　on　the　market。　Their　stuff　is　in　storage　waiting　for　probate。　I　went　through　the　crates。　The　people　I　talked　to　didn't　know　the　Jacobis　very　well。　The　one　thing　they　always　mentioned　was　how　affectionate　the　Jacobis　were　to　each　other。　Always　patting。　Nothing　left　of　them　now　but　five　pallet　loads　of　stuff　in　a　warehouse。　I　wish　I　had…〃
　〃Quit　wishing；　you're　on　it　now。〃
　〃What　about　the　mark　on　the　tree？〃
　〃'You　hit　it　on　the　head'？　Means　nothing　to　me；〃　Crawford　said。　〃The　Red　Dragon　either。　Beverly　knows　Mah…Jongg。　She's　sharp；　and　she　can't　see　it。　We　know　from　his　hair　he's　not　Chinese。〃
　〃He　cut　the　limb　with　a　bolt　cutter。　I　don't　see…〃
　Crawford's　telephone　rang。　He　spoke　into　it　briefly。
　〃Lab's　ready　on　the　note；　Will。　Let's　go　up　to　Zeller's　office。　It's　bigger　and　not　so　gray。〃
　Lloyd　Bowman；　dry　as　a　document　in　spite　of　the　heat；　caught　up　with　them　in　the　corridor。　He　was　flapping　damp　photographs　in　each　hand　and　held　a　sheaf　of　Datafax　sheets　under　his　arm。　〃Jack；　I　have　to　be　in　court　at　four…fifteen；〃　he　said　as　he　flapped　ahead。　〃It's　that　paper　hanger　Nilton　Eskew　and　his　sweetheart；　Nan。　She　could　draw　a　Treasury　note　freehand。　They've　been　driving　me　crazy　for　two　years　making　their　own　traveler's　checks　on　a　color　Xerox。　Won't　leave　home　without　them。　Will　I　make　it　in　time；　or　should　I　call　the　prosecutor？〃
　〃You'll　make　it；〃　Crawford　said。　〃Here　we　are。〃
　Beverly　Katz　smiled　at　Graham　from　the　couch　in　Zeller's　office；　making　up　for　the　scowl　of　Price　beside　her。
　Scientific　Analysis　Section　Chief　Brian　Zeller　was　young　for　his　job；　but　already　his　hair　was　thinning　and　he　wore　bifocals。　On　the　shelf　behind　Zeller's　desk　Graham　saw　H。　J。　Walls's　forensic　science　text；　Tedeschi's　great　Forensic　Medicine　in　three　volumes；　and　an　antique　edition　of　Hopkins'　The　Wreck　of　the　Deutschland。
　〃Will；　we　met　once　at　GWU　I　think；〃　he　said。　〃Do　you　know　everybody？　。　。　。　Fine。〃
　Crawford　leaned　against　the　corner　of　Zeller's　desk；　his　arans　folded。　〃Anybody　got　a　blockbuster？　Okay；　does　anything　you　found　indicate　the　note　did　not　e　from　the　Tooth　Fairy？〃
　〃No；〃　Bowman　said。　〃I　talked　to　Chicago　a　few　minutes　ago　to　give　them　some　numerals　I　picked　up　from　an　impression　on　the　back　of　the　note。　Six…six…six。　I'll　show　you　when　we　get　to　it。　Chicago　has　over　two　hundred　personal　ads　so　far。〃　He　handed　Graham　a　sheaf　of　Datafax　copies。　〃I've　read　them　and　they're　all　the　usual　stuff　…marriage　offers；　appeals　to　runaways。　I'm　not　sure　how　we'd　recognize　the　ad　if　it's　here。〃
　Crawford　shook　his　head。　〃I　don't　know　either。　Let's　break　down　the　physical。　Now；　Jimmy　Price　did　everything　we　could　do　and　there　was　no　print。　What　about　you；　Bev？〃
　〃I　got　one　whisker。　Scale　count　and　core　size　match　samples　from　Hannibal　Lecter。　So　does　color。　The　color's　markedly　different　from　samples　taken　in　Birmingham　and　Atlanta。　Three　blue　grains　and　some　dark　flecks　went　to　Brian's　end。〃　She　raised　her　eyebrows　at　Brian　Zeller。
　〃The　grains　were　mercial　granulated　cleaner　with　chlorine；〃　he　said。　〃It　must　have　e　off　the　cleaning　man's　hands。　There　were　several　very　minute　particles　of　dried　blood。　It's　definitely　blood；　but　there's　not　enough　to　type。〃
　〃The　tears　at　the　end　of　the　pieces　wandered　off　the　perforations；〃　Beverly　Katz　continued。　〃If　we　find　the　roll　in　somebody's　possession　and　he　hasn't　torn　it　again；　we　can　get　a　definite　match。　I　remend　issuing　an　advisory　now；　so　the　arresting　officers　will　be　sure　to　search　for　the　roll。〃
　Crawford　nodded。　〃Bowman？〃
　〃Sharon　from　my　office　went　after　the　paper　and　got　samples　to　match。　It's　toilet　tissue　for　marine　heads　and　motor　homes。　The　texture　matches　brand　name　Wedeker　manufactured　in　Minneapolis。　It　has　nationwide　distribution。〃
　Bowman　set　up　his　photographs　on　an　easel　near　the　windows。　His　voice　was　surprisingly　deep　for　his　slight　stature；　and　his　bow　tie　moved　slightly　when　he　talked。　〃On　the　handwriting　itself；　this　is　a　right…handed　person　using　his　left　hand　and　printing　in　a　deliberate　block　pattern。　You　can　see　the　unsteadiness　in　the　strokes　and　varying　letter　sizes。
　〃The　proportions　make　me　think　our　man　has　a　touch　of　uncorrected　astigmatism。
　〃The　inks　on　both　pieces　of　the　note　look　like　the　same　standard　ball…point　royal　blue　in　natural　light；　but　a　slight　difference　appears　under　colored　filters。　He　used　two　pens；　changing　somewhere　in　the　missing　section　of　the　note。　You　can　see　where　the　first　one　began　to　skip。　The　first　pen　is　not　used　frequently　…　see　the　blob　it　starts　with？　It　might　have　been　stored　point…down　and　uncapped　in　a　pencil　jar　or　canister；　which　suggests　a　desk　situation。　Also　the　surface　the　paper　lay　on　was　soft　enough　to　be　a　blotter。　A　blotter　might　retain　impressions　if　you　find　it。　I　want　to　add　the　blotter　to　Beverly's　advi