cpatricia.blacknotice-第39部分

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　　〃Yes。　Which　irritated　me'　a　little　because　it's　not　supposed　to　close　until　six。　I　thought　ugly　thoughts；　and　now　I　feel　so　bad　about　that；　too。　Here　she　is　dead　in　there　and　I'm　mad　at　her　because　I　couldn't　get　cookies　。　。　。　！〃　she　sobbed。
　　〃Did　you　see　any　cars　in　the　lot？〃　Marino　asked。　〃Any　person　or　persons？〃
　　〃Not　a　one；〃　she　barely　said。
　　〃Think　hard；　Rose。　Was　there　anything　that　struck　you　at　all？〃
　　〃Oh；　yes；〃　she　said。　〃And　this　is　what　I've　been　trying　to　get　at。　I　could　see　from　Libbie　that　the　market　was　closed　because　the　lights　were　out；　so　I　pulled　into　the　lot　to　turn　around；　and　I　saw　the　closed　sign　on　the　door。　I　got　back　on　Libbie　and　hadn't　gone　any　farther　than　the　ABC　store　when　this　car　was　suddenly　behind　me　with　its　high　beams　on。〃
　　〃Were　you　headed　home？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Yes。　And　I　really　didn't　think　anything　until　I　turned　on　Grove　and　he　did；　too；　staying　on　my　bumper　with　those　darn　lights　about　to　blind　me。　Cars　going　the　other　way　were　flicking　their　lights　up　and　down　to　tell　him　his　high　beams　were　on；　in　case　he　didn't　know。　But　he　clearly　intended　for　them　to　be　on。　By　now　I　was　getting　frightened。〃
　　〃Any　idea　what　kind　of　car？　Could　you　see　anything？〃　Marino　asked。
　　〃I　was　practically　blinded；　and　then　I　was　so　confused。　Immediately　I　thought　of　the　car　in　my　parking　lot　on　Tuesday　night　when　you　came　by；〃　she　said　to　me。　〃And　then　your　telling　me　you'd　been　followed。　And　I　started　thinking　about　Chuck　and　drugs　and　the　sort　of　horrible　people　who　get　involved　in　that。〃
　　〃So　you're　driving　along　Grove；〃　Marino　got　her　back　on　track。
　　〃Of　course；　I　drove　right　on　past　my　Apartment　building；　trying　to　figure　out　where　to　go　to　get　away　with　him。　And　I　don't　know　how　I　thought　of　it；　but　I　suddenly　cut　over　to　the　left　and　did　a　U…turn。　Then　I　drove　to　where　Grove　ends　at　Three　Chopt　and　took　a　left；　him　still　behind　me。　The　next　right　was　the　Country　Club　of　Virginia；　and　I　turned　in　there　and　drove　straight　to　the　entrance　where　the　valets　were。　Needless　to　say；　whoever　it　was　vanished。〃
　　〃That　was　damn　smart　of　you；〃　Marino　said。　〃Damn　smart。　But　why　didn't　you　call　the　police？〃
　　〃It　wouldn't　have　done　any　good。　They　wouldn't　have　believed　me　and　I　couldn't　have　described　a　thing；　anyway。〃
　　〃Well；　you　should　have　called　me；　at　least；〃　Marino　said。
　　〃I　know。〃
　　〃After　this　where　did　you　go？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Here。〃
　　〃Rose；　you're　scaring　me；〃　I　said。　〃What　if　he　was　waiting　for　you　somewhere？〃
　　〃I　couldn't　stay　out　all　night；　and　I　went　a　different　route　home。〃
　　〃Any　idea　what　time　it　was　when　he　vanished？〃　Marino　asked。
　　〃Somewhere　between　six　and　six…fifteen。　Oh；　dear　Lord；　。　I　just　can't　believe　when　I　pulled　up　to　that　store　she　was　in　there。　And　what　if　he　was？　If　only　I'd　known。　I　can't　stop　thinking　there　must　have　been　something　I　should　have　noticed。　Maybe　even　when　I　was　in　there　Tuesday　night。〃
　　〃Rose；　you　couldn't　have　known　a　damn　thing　unless　you're　a　gypsy　with　a　crystal　ball；〃　Marino　told　her。
　　She　took　a　deep；　shaky。breath　and　pulled　her　robe　more　tightly　around　her。
　　〃I　can't　seem　to　get　warm；〃　she　said。　〃Kim　was　such　a　nice　girl。〃
　　She　stopped　again；　her　face　contorted　by　grief。　Tears　filled　her　eyes　and　spilled。
　　〃She　was　never　rude　to　anyone　and　worked　so　hard。　How　could　anybody　do　something　like　that！　She　wanted　to　be　a　nurse！　She　wanted　to　spend　her　life　helping　people！　I　remember　worrying　about　her　being　。alone　in　there　so　late　at　night；　oh；　God　help　me。　It　even　crossed　my　mind　when　I　was　there　on　Tuesday　but　I　didn't　say　anything！〃
　　Her　voice　tumbled　as　if　it　were　falling　down　a　steep　flight　of　stairs。　I　came　over　and　knelt　beside　her；　pulling　her　close。
　　〃It's　like　when　Sassy　wasn't　feeling　well　。　。　。　so　lethargic　and　I　just　thought　she　had　eaten　something　she　shouldn't　have　。　。　。〃
　　〃It's　okay；　Rose。　Everything's　going　to　be　okay；〃　I　said。
　　〃And　it　turned　out　she'd　somehow　gotten　hold　of　a　piece　of　glass　。　。　。　My　little　baby　was　bleeding　inside　。　。　。　And　I　didn't　do　anything。〃
　　〃You　didn't　know。　We　can't　know　everything。〃　I　felt　a　spasm　of　grief；　too。
　　〃If　only　I'd　taken　her　to　the　vet　sooner　。　。　。　I'll　never；　ever　forgive　myself　for　that。　Poor　little　girl　a　prisoner　in　a　little　cage　and　muzzle　and　some　monster　hit　her　with　something　and　broke　her　nose　。　。　。　at　that　goddamn　dog　track！　And　then　I　let　her　suffer　and　die！〃
　　She　wept　as　if　outraged　over　every　loss　and　act　of　cruelty　the　world　had　ever　suffered。　I　held　her　clenched　fists　in　both　of　my　hands。
　　〃Rose；　now　you　listen　to　me；〃　I　said。　〃You　saved　Sassy　from　hell　just　as　you've　saved　others。　There's　nothing　you　could　have　done　for　Sassy　any　more　than　there　was　anything　you　could　have　done　when　you　stopped　to　get　your　shortbreads。　Kim　was　dead。　She　had　been　dead　for　hours。〃
　　〃What　about　him？〃　she　cried。　〃What　if　he　had　still　been　inside　that　store　and　had　e　out　just　as　I　had　pulled　in？　I'd　be　dead；　too；　wouldn't　I？　Shot　and　dumped　somewhere　like　garbage。　Or　maybe　he　would　have　done　awful　things　to　me；　too。〃
　　She　closed　her　eyes；　exhausted；　tears　sneaking　down　her　face。　She　went　limp　all　over　as　the　violent　storm　passed。　Marino　leaned　forward　on　the　couch　and　touched　her　knee。
　　〃You　got　to　help　us　out；〃　he　said。　〃We　need　to　know　why　you　think　your　being　followed　and　the　murder　might　be　connected。〃
　　〃Why　don't　you　e　home　with　me？〃　I　said。
　　Her　eyes　cleared　as　she　began　to　regain　her　posure。
　　〃That　car　pulling　out　after　me　right　there　where　she　was　murdered？　Why　didn't　he　start　following　me　long　before　that？〃　she　said。　〃And　an　hour；　an　hour　and　a　half；　before　the　alarm　went　off。　Don't　you　find　that　an　amazing　coincidence？〃
　　〃Sure　I　do；〃　Marino　said。　〃But　there've　been　a　lot　of　amazing　coincidences　in　my　career。〃
　　〃I　feel　foolish；〃　Rose　said；　looking　down　at　her　hands。
　　〃All　of　us　are　tired；〃　I　said。　〃I've　got　plenty　of　room　。　。　。〃　〃We're　gonna　nail　Chuckle…boy　for　drugs；〃　Marino　said　to　her。　〃Not…a　damn　thing　foolish　about　that。〃
　　〃I'm　going　to　stay　here　and　go　on　to　bed；〃　Rose　said。
　　I　continued　to　sort　through　what　she'd　told　us　as　we　went　down　the　stairs　and　into　the　parking　lot。
　　〃Look；〃　Marino　said；　unlocking　his　car。　〃You've　been　around　Chuck　a　whole　lot　more　than　I　have。　You　know　him　a　lot　better；　which　is　too　bad　for　you。〃
　　〃And　you're　going　to　ask　me　if　he's　the　one　in　the　rental　car　following　us；〃　I　said　as　he　backed　out　and　turned　on　Randy　Travis。　〃The　answer's　no。　He's　a　sneak。　He's　a　liar　and　a　thief；　but　he's　a　coward；　Marino。　It　takes　a　lot　of　arrogance　to　boldly　tailgate　someone　with　your　high　beams　on。　Whoever's　doing　it　is　very　sure　of　himself。　He　has　no　fear　of　being　caught　because　he　thinks　he's　too　smart　for　that。〃
　　〃Sort　of　the　definition　of　a　psychopath；〃　he　said。　〃And　now　I　feel　worse。　Shit。　I　don't　want　to　think　that　guy　who　just　did　Luong　is　the　one　following　you　and　Rose。〃
　　Roads　had　frozen　over　again　and　Richmond　drivers；　lacking　sense；　were　sliding　and　spinning　all　over　the　place。　Marino　had　his　portable　police　radio　on　and　was　monitoring　accidents。
　　〃When　are　you　going　to　turn　that　thing　in？〃　I　asked。
　　〃When　they　e　and　try　to　take　it　from　me；〃　he　replied。　〃I　ain't　turning　in　shit。〃
　　〃That's　the　spirit。〃
　　〃The　hard　thing　about　every　case　we've　ever　worked；〃　he　said；　〃is　there's　never　just　one　thing　going　on。　Cops　try　to　connect　so　much　crap　that　by　the　time　we　solve　the　case；　we　could　have　written　the　victim's　biography。　Half　the　time　we　find　a　connection；　it's　not　one　that　matters。　Like　the　husband　who　gets　mad　at　his　wife。　She　goes　out　the　door；　pissed；　and　ends　up　abducted　from　a　mall　parking　lot；　raped　and　murdered。　Her　husband　pissing　her　off　didn't　make　it　happen。　Maybe　she　was　going　shopping　anyway。〃
　　He　turned　into　my　driveway　and　put　the　truck　in　park。　I　gave　him　a　long　look。
　　〃Marino；　what　are　you　going　to　do　about　money？〃
　　〃I'll　be　all　right。〃
　　I　knew　it　wasn't　true。
　　〃You　could　help　me　out　as　a　field　investigator　for　a　while；〃　I　said　〃Until　this　suspension　nonsense　ends。〃
　　He　was　silent。　As　long　as　Bray　was　there；　it　would　never　end　Suspending　him　without　pay　was　her　way　of　forcing　Marino　to　resign。　If　he　did　that；　he　was　out　of　the　way　like　AI　Carson。
　　〃I　can　hire　you　two　ways；〃　I　went　on。　〃A　case…by…case　basis　and　you'll　get　fifty　dollars　per　。　。　：'
　　He　snorted。　〃Fifty　dollars　my　ass！〃
　　〃Or　I　can　hire　you　part…time　and　eventually　I'll　have　to　advertise　the　position　and　you'll　have　to　apply　for　it　like　everybody　else：'
　　〃Don't　make　me　sick。〃
　　〃How　much　are　you　earning　now？〃
　　〃About　sixty…two　plus　benefits；〃　he　replied。
　　〃The　best　I　could　do　is　make　you　a　P…fourteen　at　senior　level。　Thirty　hours　a　week。　No　benefits。　Thirty…five　a　year。〃
　　〃Now　that's　a　good　one。　One　of　the　funniest　things　I've　heard　in　a　while。〃
　　〃I　can　also　take　you　on　as　an　instructor　and　coordinator　in　death　investigation　at　the　Institute。　That's　another　thirtyfive。　So　that's　seventy。　No　benefits。　Actually；　you'll　probably　make　out　better。〃
　　He　thought　about　it　for　a　moment；　sucking　smoke。
　　〃I　don't　need　your　help　right　now；〃　he　said　rudely。　〃And　hanging　around　medical　examiners　and　dead　bodies　ain't　part　of　my　life's　plan。〃
　　I　climbed　out　of　his　truck。
　　〃Good　night；〃　I　said。
　　He　angrily　roared　away　and　I　knew　it　wasn't　me　he　was　really　so　angry　with。　He　was　frustrated　and　furious。　His　self…respect　and　vulnerability　were　naked　in　front　of　me　and　he　didn't　want　me　to　see　it。　All　the　same；　what　he'd　said　hurt。
　　I　threw　my　coat　over　a　chair　in　the　foyer　and　pulled　off　leather　gloves。　I　put　Beethoven's　〃Eroica〃　symphony　on　the　CD　player　and　my　discordant　nerves　began　to　restore　their　rhythm　like　the　strings　that　played。　I　ate　an　omelet　and　settled　in　bed　with　a　book　I　was　too　tired　to　read。
　　I　fell　asleep　with　the　light　on　and　was　shocked　awake　by　the　hammering　of　my　burglar　alarm。　I　got　my　Glock　out　of　a　drawer　and　fought　the　impulse　to　disarm　the　system。　I　couldn't　stand　the　awful　clangor。　But　I　。didn't　know　what　had　set　it　off。　The　phone　rang　several　minutes　later。
　　‘。‘This　is　ADT　。　。　：'
　　〃Yes；　yes；〃　I　said　loudly。　〃I　don't　know