th.red dragon-第55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！


　〃Sure。〃　She　hung　up。　
　〃Ape　shit；〃　Graham　said。　〃Ape　shit。〃
　Crawford　stuck　his　head　in　the　door。　〃Did　I　hear　you　say　'ape　shit'？〃
　〃You　did。〃
　〃Well；　cheer　up。　Aynesworth　called　in　from　the　site。　He　has　something　for　you。　He　said　we　ought　to　e　on　out；　he's　got　some　static　from　the　locals。〃
　
　
　CHAPTER　51
　
　Aynesworth　was　pouring　ashes　carefully　into　new　paint　cans　when　Graham　and　Crawford　got　to　the　black　ruin　where　Dolarhyde's　house　had　stood。
　He　was　covered　with　soot　and　a　large　blister　puffed　under　his　ear。　Special　Agent　Janowitz　from　Explosives　was　working　down　in　the　cellar。
　A　tall　sack　of　a　man　fidgeted　beside　a　dusty　Oldsmobile　in　the　drive。　He　intercepted　Crawford　and　Graham　as　they　crossed　the　yard。
　〃Are　you　Crawford？〃
　〃That's　right。〃
　〃I'm　Robert　L。　Dulaney。　I'm　the　coroner　and　this　is　my　jurisdiction。〃　He　showed　them　his　card。　It　said　〃Vote　for　Robert　L。　Dulaney。〃
　Crawford　waited。
　〃Your　man　here　has　some　evidence　that　should　have　been　turned　over　to　me。　He's　kept　me　waiting　for　nearly　an　hour。〃
　〃Sorry　for　the　inconvenience；　Mr。　Dulaney。　He　was　following　my　instructions。　Why　don't　you　have　a　seat　in　your　car　and　I'll　clear　this　up。
　Dulaney　started　after　them。
　Crawford　turned　around。　〃You'll　excuse　us；　Mr。　Dulaney。　Have　a　seat　in　your　car。〃
　Section　Chief　Aynesworth　was　grinning；　his　teeth　white　in　his　sooty　face。　He　had　been　sieving　ashes　all　morning。
　〃As　section　chief；　it　gives　me　great　pleasure…〃
　〃To　pull　your　prong；　we　all　know　that；〃　Janowitz　said；　climbing　from　the　black　tangle　of　the　cellar。
　〃Silence　in　the　ranks；　Indian　Janowitz。　Fetch　the　items　of　interest。〃　He　tossed　Janowitz　a　set　of　car　keys。
　From　the　trunk　of　an　FBI　sedan　Janowitz　brought　a　long　cardboard　box。　A　shotgun；　the　stock　burned　off　and　barrels　twisted　by　the　heat；　was　wired　to　the　bottom　of　the　box。　A　smaller　box　contained　a　blackened　automatic　pistol。
　〃The　pistol　came　out　better；〃　Aynesworth　said。　〃Ballistics　may　be　able　to　make　a　match　with　it。　e　on；　Janowitz；　get　to　it。〃
　Aynesworth　took　three　plastic　freezer　bags　from　him。
　〃Front　and　center；　Graham。〃　For　a　moment　the　humor　left　Aynesworth's　face。　This　was　a　hunter's　ritual；　like　smearing　Graham's　forehead　with　blood。
　〃That　was　a　real　sly　show；　podna。〃　Aynesworth　put　the　bags　in　Graham's　hands。
　One　bag　contained　five　inches　of　a　charred　human　femur　and　the　ball　of　a　hip。　Another　contained　a　wristwatch。　The　third　held　the　teeth。
　The　plate　was　black　and　broken　and　only　half　was　there；　but　that　half　contained　the　unmistakable　pegged　lateral　incisor。
　Graham　supposed　he　should　say　something。　〃Thanks。　Thanks　a　lot。〃
　His　head　swam　briefly　and　he　relaxed　all　over。
　〃。　。　。　museum　piece；〃　Aynesworth　was　saying。　〃We　have　to　turn　it　over　to　the　turkey；　don't　we；　Jack？〃
　〃Yeah。　But　there're　some　pros　in　the　St。　Louis　coroner's　office。　They'll　e　over　and　make　good　impressions。　We'll　have　those。〃
　Crawford　and　the　others　huddled　with　the　coroner　beside　his　car。　Graham　was　alone　with　the　house。　He　listened　to　the　wind　in　the　chimneys。　He　hoped　Bloom　would　e　here　when　he　was　well。　Probably　he　would。
　Graham　wanted　to　know　about　Dolarhyde。　He　wanted　to　know　what　happened　here；　what　bred　the　Dragon。　But　he　had　had　enough　for　now。
　A　mockingbird　lit　on　the　top　of　a　chimney　and　whistled。
　Graham　whistled　back。
　He　was　going　home。
　
　
　CHAPTER　52
　
　Graham　smiled　when　he　felt　the　jet's　big　push　rocket　him　up　and　away　from　St。　Louis；　turning　across　the　sun's　path　south　and　east　at　last　toward　home。
　Molly　and　Willy　would　be　there。
　〃Let's　don't　jack　around　about　who's　sorry　for　what。　I'll　pick　you　up　in　Marathon；　kiddo；〃　she　said　on　the　phone。
　In　time　he　hoped　he　would　remember　the　few　good　moments　…　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　people　at　work　who　were　deeply　mitted　to　their　skills。　He　supposed　you　could　find　that　anywhere　if　you　knew　enough　about　what　you　were　watching。
　It　would　have　been　presumptuous　to　thank　Lloyd　Bowman　and　Beverly　Katz；　so　he　just　told　them　on　the　telephone　that　he　was　glad　to　have　worked　with　them　again。
　One　thing　bothered　him　a　little：　the　way　he　felt　when　Crawford　turned　from　the　telephone　in　Chicago　and　said；　〃It's　Gateway。〃
　Possibly　that　was　the　most　intense　and　savage　joy　that　had　ever　burst　in　him。　It　was　unsettling　to　know　that　the　happiest　moment　of　his　life　had　e　then；　in　that　stuffy　jury　room　in　the　city　of　Chicago。　When　even　before　he　knew；　he　knew。
　He　didn't　tell　Lloyd　Bowman　how　it　felt；　he　didn't　have　to。　〃You　know；　when　his　theorem　rang　the　cherries；　Pythagoras　gave　one　hundred　oxen　to　the　Muse；〃　Bowman　said。　〃Nothing　sweeter；　is　there？　Don't　answer　…　it　lasts　better　if　you　don't　spend　it　talking。〃
　Graham　grew　more　impatient　the　closer　he　got　to　home　and　to　Molly。　In　Miami　he　had　to　go　out　on　the　apron　to　board　Aunt　Lula；　the　old　DC…3　that　flew　to　Marathon。
　He　liked　DC…3's。　He　liked　everything　today。
　Aunt　Lula　was　built　when　Graham　was　five　years　old　and　her　wings　were　always　dirty　with　a　film　of　oil　that　blew　back　from　the　engines。　He　had　great　confidence　in　her。　He　ran　to　her　as　though　she　had　landed　in　a　jungle　clearing　to　rescue　him。
　Islamorada's　lights　were　ing　on　as　the　island　passed　under　the　wing。　Graham　could　still　see　whitecaps　on　the　Atlantic　side。　In　minutes　they　were　descending　to　Marathon。
　It　was　like　the　first　time　he　came　to　Marathon。　He　had　e　aboard　Aunt　Lula　that　time　too；　and　often　afterward　he　went　to　the　airfield　at　dusk　to　watch　her　ing　in；　slow　and　steady；　flaps　down；　fire　flickering　out　her　exhausts　and　all　the　passengers　safe　behind　their　lighted　windows。
　The　takeoffs　were　good　to　watch　as　well；　but　when　the　old　airplane　made　her　great　arc　to　the　north　it　left　him　sad　and　empty　and　the　air　was　acrid　with　good…byes。　He　learned　to　watch　only　the　landings　and　hellos。
　That　was　before　Molly。
　With　a　final　grunt；　the　airplane　swung　onto　the　apron。　Graham　saw　Molly　and　Willy　standing　behind　the　fence；　under　the　floodlights。
　Willy　was　solidly　planted　in　front　of　her。　He'd　stay　there　until　Graham　joined　them。　Only　then　would　he　wander　along；　examining　whatever　interested　him。　Graham　liked　him　for　that。
　Molly　was　the　same　height　as　Graham；　five　feet　ten　inches。　A　level　kiss　in　public　carries　a　pleasant　jolt；　possibly　because　level　kisses　usually　are　exchanged　in　bed。
　Willy　offered　to　carry　his　suitcase。　Graham　gave　him　the　suit　bag　instead。
　Riding　home　to　Sugarloaf　Key；　Molly　driving；　Graham　remembered　the　things　picked　out　by　the　headlights；　imagined　the　rest。
　When　he　opened　the　car　door　in　the　yard；　he　could　hear　the　sea。　Willy　went　into　the　house；　holding　the　suit　bag　on　top　of　his　head；　the　bottom　flapping　against　the　backs　of　his　legs。
　Graham　stood　in　the　yard　absently　brushing　mosquitoes　away　from　his　face。
　Molly　put　her　hand　on　his　cheek。　〃What　you　ought　to　do　is　e　on　in　the　house　before　you　get　eaten　up。〃
　He　nodded。　His　eyes　were　wet。
　She　waited　a　moment　longer；　tucked　her　head　and　peered　up　at　him；　wiggling　her　eyebrows。　〃Tanqueray　martinis；　steaks；　hugging　and　stuff。　Right　this　way　。　。　。　and　the　light　bill　and　the　water　bill　and　lengthy　conversations　with　my　child；〃　she　added　out　of　the　side　of　her　mouth。
　
　
　CHAPTER　53
　
　Graham　and　Molly　wanted　very　much　for　it　to　be　the　same　again　between　them；　to　go　on　as　they　had　before。
　When　they　saw　that　it　was　not　the　same；　the　unspoken　knowledge　lived　with　them　like　unwanted　pany　in　the　house。　The　mutual　assurances　they　tried　to　exchange　in　the　dark　and　in　the　day　passed　through　some　refraction　that　made　them　miss　the　mark。
　Molly　had　never　looked　better　to　him。　From　a　painful　distance；　he　admired　her　unconscious　grace。
　She　tried　to　be　good　to　him；　but　she　had　been　to　Oregon　and　she　had　raised　the　dead。
　Willy　felt　it　and　he　was　cool　to　Graham；　maddeningly　polite。
　A　letter　came　from　Crawford。　Molly　brought　it　in　the　mail　and　did　not　mention　it。
　It　contained　a　picture　of　the　Sherman　family；　printed　from　movie　film。　Not　everything　had　burned；　Crawford's　note　explained。　A　search　of　the　fields　around　the　house　had　turned　this　picture　up；　along　with　a　few　other　things　the　explosion　had　blown　far　from　the　fire。
　〃These　people　were　probably　on　his　itinerary；〃　Crawford　wrote。　〃Safe　now。　Thought　you'd　like　to　know。〃
　Graham　showed　it　to　Molly。
　〃See？　That's　why；〃　he　said。　〃That's　why　it　was　worth　it。〃
　〃I　know；〃　she　said。　〃I　understand　that；　really　I　do。〃
　The　bluefish　were　running　under　the　moon。　Molly　packed　suppers　and　they　fished　and　they　built　fires；　and　none　of　it　was　any　good。
　Grandpa　and　Mamamma　sent　Willy　a　picture　of　his　pony　and　he　tacked　it　to　the　wall　in　his　room。
　The　fifth　day　home　was　the　last　day　before　Graham　and　Molly　would　go　back　to　work　in　Marathon。　They　fished　in　the　surf；　walking　a　quarter…mile　around　the　curving　beach　to　a　place　where　they　had　luck　before。
　Graham　had　decided　to　talk　to　both　of　them　together。
　The　expedition　did　not　begin　well。　Willy　pointedly　put　aside　the　rod　Graham　had　rigged　for　him　and　brought　the　new　surf…casting　rod　his　grandfather　sent　home　with　him。
　They　fished　for　three　hours　in　silence。　Graham　opened　his　mouth　to　speak　several　times；　but　it　didn't　seem　right。
　He　was　tired　of　being　disliked。
　Graham　caught　four　snappers；　using　sand　fleas　for　bait。　Willy　caught　nothing。　He　was　casting　a　big　Rapala　with　three　treble　hooks　which　his　grandfather　had　given　him。　He　was　fishing　too　fast；　casting　again　and　again；　retrieving　too　fast；　until　he　was　red…faced　and　his　T…shirt　stuck　to　him。
　Graham　waded　into　the　water；　scooped　sand　in　the　backwash　of　a　wave；　and　came　up　with　two　sand　fleas；　their　legs　waving　from　their　shells。
　〃How　about　one　of　these；　partner？〃　He　held　out　a　sand　flea　to　Willy。
　〃I'll　use　the　Rapala。　It　was　my　father's；　did　you　know　that？〃
　〃No；〃　Graham　said。　He　glanced　at　Molly。
　She　hugged　her　knees　and　looked　far　off　at　a　frigate　bird　sailing　high。
　She　got　up　and　brushed　off　the　sand。　〃I'll　go　fix　some　sandwiches；〃　she　said。
　When　Molly　had　gone；　Graham　was　tempted　to　talk　to　the　boy　by　himself。　No。　Willy　would　feel　whatever　his　mother　felt。　He'd　wait　and　get　them　both　together　when　she　came　back。　He'd　do　it　this　time。
　She　wasn'