th.red dragon-第41部分

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　scattered　over　eight　states。　We've　asked　for　help　from　the　local　jurisdictions。　It'll　take　a　while。　If　God　loves　me；　he　used　a　credit　card。　There's　a　chance。〃
　〃Not　if　he　can　suck　a　siphon　hose；　there　isn't。〃
　〃I　asked　the　missioner　not　to　say　anything　about　the　Tooth　Fairy　maybe　living　in　this　area。　These　people　are　spooked　enough。　If　he　told　them　that；　this　place　would　sound　like　Korea　tonight　when　the　drunks　e　home。〃
　〃You　still　think　he's　close？〃
　〃Don't　you？　It　figures；　Will。〃　Crawford　picked　up　the　Lounds　autopsy　report　and　peered　at　it　through　his　half…glasses。
　〃The　bruise　on　his　head　was　older　than　the　mouth　injuries。　Five　to　eight　hours　older；　they're　not　sure。　Now；　the　mouth　injuries　were　hours　old　when　they　got　Lounds　to　the　hospital。　They　were　burned　over　too；　but　inside　his　mouth　they　could　tell。　He　retained　some　chloroform　in　his　。　。　。　hell；　someplace　in　his　wheeze。　You　think　he　was　unconscious　when　the　Tooth　Fairy　bit　him？〃
　〃No。　He'd　want　him　awake。〃
　〃That's　what　I　figure。　All　right；　he　takes　him　out　with　a　lick　on　the　head　…　that's　in　the　garage。　He　has　to　keep　him　quiet　with　chloroform　until　he　gets　him　someplace　where　the　noise　won't　matter。　Brings　him　back　and　gets　here　hours　after　the　bite。〃
　〃He　could　have　done　it　all　in　the　back　of　the　van；　parked　way　out　somewhere；〃　Graham　said。
　Crawford　massaged　the　sides　of　his　nose　with　his　fingers；　giving　his　voice　a　megaphone　effect。　〃You're　forgetting　about　the　wheels　on　the　chair。　Bev　got　two　kinds　of　carpet　fuzz；　wool　and　synthetic。　Synthetic's　from　a　van；　maybe；　but　when　have　you　ever　seen　a　wool　rug　in　a　van？　How　many　wool　rugs　have　you　seen　in　someplace　you　can　rent？　Damn　few。　Wool　rug　is　a　house；　Will。　And　the　dirt　and　mold　were　from　a　dark　place　where　the　chair　was　stored；　a　dirt…floored　cellar。〃
　〃Maybe。〃
　〃Now；　look　at　this。〃　Crawford　pulled　a　Rand　McNally　road　atlas　out　of　his　briefcase。　He　had　drawn　a　circle　on　the　〃United　States　mileage　and　driving　time〃　map。　〃Freddy　was　gone　a　litfie　over　fifteen　hours；　and　his　injuries　are　spaced　over　that　time。　I'm　going　to　make　a　couple　of　assumptions。　I　don't　like　to　do　that；　but　here　goes　。　。　。　What　are　you　laughing　at？〃
　〃I　just　remembered　when　you　ran　those　field　exercises　at　Quantico　when　that　trainee　told　you　he　assumed　something。〃
　〃I　don't　remember　that。　Here's…〃
　〃You　made　him　write　'assume'　on　the　blackboard。　You　took　the　chalk　and　started　underlining　and　yelling　in　his　face。　'When　you　assume；　you　make　an　ASS　out　of　U　and　ME　both；'　that's　what　you　told　him；　as　I　recall。〃
　〃He　needed　a　boot　in　the　ass　to　shape　up。　Now；　look　at　this。　Figure　he　had　Chicago　traffic　on　Tuesday　afternoon；　going　out　of　town　with　Lounds。　Allow　a　couple　of　hours　to　fool　with　Lounds　at　the　location　where　he　took　him；　and　then　the　time　driving　back。　He　couldn't　have　gone　much　farther　than　six　hours'　driving　time　out　of　Chicago。　Okay；　this　circle　around　Chicago　is　six　hours'　driving　time。　See；　it's　wavy　because　some　roads　are　faster　than　others。〃
　〃Maybe　he　just　stayed　here。〃
　〃Sure；　but　this　is　the　farthest　away　he　could　be。〃
　〃So　you've　narrowed　it　down　to　Chicago；　or　inside　a　circle　covering　Milwaukee；　Madison；　Dubuque；　Peoria；　St。　Louis；　Indianapolis；　Cincinnati；　Toledo；　and　Detroit；　to　name　a　few。〃
　〃Better　than　that。　We　know　he　got　a　Tattler　very　fast　Monday　night；　probably。〃
　〃He　could　have　done　that　in　Chicago。〃
　〃I　know　it；　but　once　you　get　out　of　town　the　Tattlers　aren't　available　on　Monday　night　in　a　lot　of　locations。　Here's　a　list　from　the　Tattler　circulation　department　…　places　Tattlers　are　air…freighted　or　trucked　inside　the　circle　on　Monday　night。　See；　that　leaves　Milwaukee；　St。　Louis；　Cincinnati；　Indianapolis；　and　Detroit。　They　go　to　the　airports　and　maybe　ninety　newsstands　that　stay　open　all　night；　not　counting　the　ones　in　Chicago。　I'm　using　the　field　offices　to　check　them。　Some　newsie　might　remember　an　odd　customer　on　Monday　night。〃
　〃Maybe。　That's　a　good　move；　Jack。〃
　Clearly　Graham's　mind　was　elsewhere。
　If　Graham　were　a　regular　agent；　Crawford　would　have　threatened　him　with　a　lifetime　appointment　to　the　Aleutians。　Instead　he　said；　〃My　brother　called　this　afternoon。　Molly　left　his　house；　he　said。〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃Someplace　safe；　I　guess？〃
　Graham　was　confident　Crawford　knew　exactly　where　she　went。
　〃Willy's　grandparents。〃
　〃Well；　they'll　be　glad　to　see　the　kid。〃　Crawford　waited。
　No　ment　from　Graham。
　〃Everything's　okay；　I　hope。〃
　〃I'm　working；　Jack。　Don't　worry　about　it。　No；　look；　it's　just　that　she　got　jumpy　over　there。〃
　Graham　pulled　a　flat　package　tied　with　string　from　beneath　a　stack　of　funeral　pictures　and　began　to　pick　at　the　knot。
　〃What's　that？〃
　〃It's　from　Byron　Metcalf；　the　Jacobis'　lawyer。　Brian　Zeller　sent　it　on。　It's　okay。〃
　〃Wait　a　minute；　let　me　see。〃　Crawford　turned　the　package　in　his　hairy　fingers　until　he　found　the　stamp　and　signature　of　S。　F。　〃Semper　Fidelis〃　Aynesworth；　head　of　the　FBI's　explosives　section；　certifying　that　the　package　had　been　fluoroscoped。
　〃Always　check。　Always　check。〃
　〃I　always　check；　Jack。〃
　〃Did　Chester　bring　you　this？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Did　he　show　you　the　stamp　before　he　handed　it　to　you？〃
　〃He　checked　it　and　showed　me。〃
　Graham　cut　the　string。　〃It's　copies　of　all　the　probate　business　in　the　Jacobi　estate。　I　asked　Metcalf　to　send　it　to　me　…　we　can　pare　with　the　Leeds　stuff　when　it　es　in。〃
　〃We　have　a　lawyer　doing　that。〃
　〃I　need　it。　I　don't　know　the　Jacobis；　Jack。　They　were　new　in　town。　I　got　to　Birmingham　a　month　late；　and　their　stuff　was　scattered　to　shit　and　gone。　I've　got　a　feel　for　the　Leedses。　I　don't　for　the　Jacobis。　I　need　to　know　them。　I　want　to　talk　to　people　they　knew　in　Detroit；　and　I　want　a　couple　of　days　more　in　Birmingham。〃
　〃I　need　you　here。〃
　〃Listen；　Lounds　was　a　straight　snuff。　We　made　him　mad　at　Lounds。　The　only　connection　to　Lounds　is　one　we　made。　There's　a　little　hard　evidence　with　Lounds；　and　the　police　are　handling　it。　Lounds　was　just　an　annoyance　to　him；　but　the　Leedses　and　the　Jacobis　are　what　he　needs。　We've　got　to　have　the　connection　between　them。　If　we　ever　get　him；　that's　how　we'll　do　it。〃
　〃So　you　have　the　Jacobi　paper　to　use　here；〃　Crawford　said。　〃What　are　you　looking　for？　What　kind　of　thing？〃
　〃Any　damn　thing；　Jack。　Right　now；　a　medical　deduction。〃　Graham　pulled　the　IRS　estate…tax　form　from　the　package。　〃Lounds　was　in　a　wheelchair。　Medical。　Valerie　Leeds　had　surgery　about　six　weeks　before　she　died　…　remember　in　her　diary？　A　small　cyst　in　her　breast。　Medical　again。　I　was　wondering　if　Mrs。　Jacobi　had　surgery　too。〃
　〃I　don't　remember　anything　about　surgery　in　the　autopsy　report。〃
　〃No；　but　it　might　have　been　something　that　didn't　show。　Her　medical　history　was　split　between　Detroit　and　Birmingham。　Something　might　have　gotten　lost　there。　If　she　had　anything　done；　there'll　be　a　deduction　claimed　and　maybe　an　insurance　claim。〃
　〃Some　itinerant　orderly；　you're　thinking？　Worked　both　places　…　Detroit　or　Birmingham　and　Atlanta？〃
　〃If　you　spend　time　in　a　mental　hospital　you　pick　up　the　drill。　You　could　pass　as　an　orderly；　get　a　job　doing　it　when　you　got　out；〃　Graham　said。
　〃Want　some　dinner？〃
　〃I'll　wait　till　later。　I　get　dumb　after　I　eat。〃
　Leaving；　Crawford　looked　back　at　Graham　from　the　gloom　of　the　doorway。　He　didn't　care　for　what　he　saw。　The　hanging　lights　deepened　the　hollows　in　Graham's　face　as　he　studied　with　the　victims　staring　at　him　from　the　photographs。　The　room　smelled　of　desperation。
　Would　it　be　better　for　the　case　to　put　Graham　back　on　the　street？　Crawford　couldn't　afford　to　let　him　burn　himself　out　in　here　for　nothing。　But　for　something？
　Crawford's　excellent　administrative　instincts　were　not　tempered　by　mercy。　They　told　him　to　leave　Graham　alone。
　
　
　CHAPTER　33
　
　By　ten　P。M。　Dolarhyde　had　worked　out　to　near…exhaustion　with　the　weights；　had　watched　his　films　and　tried　to　satisfy　himself。　Still　he　was　restless。
　Excitement　bumped　his　chest　like　a　cold　medallion　when　he　thought　of　Reba　McClane。　He　should　not　think　of　Reba　McClane。
　Stretched　out　in　his　recliner；　his　torso　pumped　up　and　reddened　by　the　workout；　he　watched　the　television　news　to　see　how　the　police　were　ing　along　with　Freddy　Lounds。
　There　was　Will　Graham　standing　near　the　casket　with　the　choir　howling　away。　Graham　was　slender。　It　would　be　easy　to　break　his　back。　Better　than　killing　him。　Break　his　back　and　twist　it　just　to　be　sure。　They　could　roll　him　to　the　next　investigation。
　There　was　no　hurry。　Let　Graham　dread　it。
　Dolarhyde　felt　a　quiet　sense　of　power　all　the　time　now。
　The　Chicago　police　department　made　some　noise　at　a　news　conference。　Behind　the　racket　about　how　hard　they　were　working；　the　essence　was：　no　progress　on　Freddy。　Jack　Crawford　was　in　the　group　behind　the　microphones。　Dolarhyde　recognized　him　from　a　Tattler　picture。
　A　spokesman　from　the　Tattler；　flanked　by　two　bodyguards；　said；　〃This　savage　and　senseless　act　will　only　make　the　Tattler's　voice　ring　louder。〃
　Dolarhyde　snorted。　Maybe　so。　It　had　certainly　shut　Freddy　up。
　The　news　readers　were　calling　him　〃The　Dragon〃　now。　His　acts　were　〃what　the　police　had　termed　the　'Tooth　Fairy　murders。'〃
　Definite　progress。
　Nothing　but　local　news　left。　Some　prognathous　lout　was　reporting　from　the　zoo。　Clearly　they'd　send　him　anywhere　to　keep　him　out　of　the　office。
　Dolarhyde　had　reached　for　his　remote　control　when　he　saw　on　the　screen　someone　he　had　talked　with　only　hours　ago　on　the　telephone：　Zoo　Director　Dr。　Frank　Warfield；　who　had　been　so　pleased　to　have　the　film　Dolarhyde　offered。
　Dr。　Warfield　and　a　dentist　were　working　on　a　tiger　with　a　broken　tooth。　Dolarhyde　wanted　to　see　the　tiger；　but　the　reporter　was　in　the　way。　Finally　the　newsman　moved。
　Rocked　back　in　his　recliner；　looking　along　his　own　powerful　torso　at　the　screen；　Dolarhyde　saw　the　great　tiger　stretched　unconscious　on　a　heavy　work　table。
　Today　they　were　preparing　the　tooth。　In　a　few　days　they　would　cap　it；　the　oaf　reported。
　Dolarhyde　watched　them　calmly　working　between　the　jaws　of　the　tiger's　terrible　striped　face。
　〃May　I　touch　your　face？〃　said　Miss　Reba　McClane。
　He　wanted　to　tell　Reba　McClane　something。　He　wished　she　had　one　inkling　of　what　she　had　almost　done。　He　wished　she　had　one　flash　of　his　Glory。　But