demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第15部分

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　〃Excuse　me？〃
　〃I　see　no　reason　why　a　healthy　woman　could　not　pull　the　stakes　out。〃
　〃Well；　I　can。　The　stakes　were　angled　away　from　the　body；　Karl；　and　she　wouldn't　have　the　leverage；　and　presumably　there　was　someone　there　with　a　rope　around　her　neck；　and　I　think…my　assumption　is　that　it　was　a　game　at　first…〃
　〃Perhaps；　perhaps　not。　But　at　some　point　she　knew　it　was　not　a　game。　We　know　from　past　experience　what　strength　a　woman　can　summon　when　her　life　is　in　danger。　She　may　have　been　drugged　or　sedated。　Be　sure　toxology　looks　for　sedatives。　Meanwhile；　you　and　Ms。　Sunhill　will　attempt　to　re…create　the　crime　from　beginning　to　end。〃
　〃You're　talking　about　a　simulation；　I　hope。〃
　〃Of　course。　Don't　rape　or　strangle　her。〃
　〃You're　getting　soft；　Karl。　Well；　I'll　relay　your　suggestion。〃
　〃It　is　not　a　suggestion。　It　is　an　order。　Now　tell　me　in　more　detail　what　you　found　in　Captain　Campbell's　house。〃
　I　told　him；　and　he　made　no　ment　about　my　failure　to　notify　the　civilian　authorities。　So　I　asked　him；　〃For　the　record；　do　you　have　any　problems　with　my　entering　her　house　and　removing　the　contents？〃
　〃For　the　record；　you　notified　her　next　of　kin；　who　agreed　to　or　even　suggested　that　course　of　action。　Learn　to　cover　your　own　ass；　Paul。　I'm　not　always　available　for　that　job。　Now　you　have　five　seconds　for　homicidal　reverie。〃
　I　took　the　five　seconds；　painting　a　delightful　mental　image　of　me　with　my　hands　around　Karl's　neck；　his　tongue　sticking　out；　his　eyes　bulging　。。。
　〃Are　you　back？〃
　〃Another　second〃　。。。　his　skin　turning　blue；　and　finally　。。。　〃I'm　back。〃
　〃Good。　Do　you　want　FBI　assistance？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Do　you　want　another　investigator　from　this　office；　or　from　our　detachment　at　Hadley？〃
　〃Let's　back　up。　I　don't　even　want　this　case。〃
　〃Why　not？〃
　〃I　already　have　an　unfinished　case　here。〃
　〃Finish　it。〃
　〃Karl；　do　you　understand　that　this　murder　is　very　sensitive　。。。　very　。。。〃
　〃Did　you　have　any　personal　involvement　with　the　victim？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Fax　me　a　preliminary　report　to　be　on　my　desk　by　1700　hours　today。　Diane　will　assign　a　case　number。　Anything　further？〃
　〃Well；　yes。　There's　the　media；　the　official　statement　from　the　Department　of　the　Army；　the　Judge　Advocate　General's　Office；　the　Justice　Department；　the　general's　own　personal　statement　and　that　of　his　wife；　the　general　continuing　his　duties　here；　the…〃
　〃Just　investigate　the　murder。〃
　〃That's　what　I　want　to　hear。〃
　〃You've　heard　it。　Anything　further？〃
　〃Yes。　I　want　Ms。　Sunhill　removed　from　the　case。〃
　〃I　didn't　assign　her　to　the　case。　Why　is　she　on　the　case？〃
　〃For　the　same　reason　I'm　on　the　case。　We　were　here。　We're　not　connected　to　the　power　structure　or　personalities　here。　Kent　asked　us　to　help　him　until　you　officially　assign　a　team。〃
　〃You're　officially　assigned。　Why　don't　you　want　her　on　the　case？〃
　〃We　don't　like　each　other。〃
　〃You　never　worked　together。　So　what　is　the　basis　of　that　dislike？〃
　〃We　had　a　personal　falling…out。　I　have　no　knowledge　of　her　professional　abilities。〃
　〃She's　quite　petent。〃
　〃She　has　no　homicide　experience。〃
　〃You　have　very　little　rape　experience。　Now；　here　we　have　a　rape　homicide；　and　you　two　will　make　an　excellent　team。〃
　〃Karl；　I　thought　we　discussed　this　once。　You　promised　not　to　assign　us　to　the　same　duty　station　at　the　same　time。　Why　was　she　here？〃
　〃I　never　made　such　a　promise。　The　needs　of　the　Army　e　first。〃
　〃Fine。　The　needs　of　the　Army　would　best　be　served　if　you　reassigned　her　today。　Her　case　here　is　finished。〃
　〃Yes；　I　have　her　report。〃
　〃So？〃
　〃Hold　on。〃
　He　put　me　on　hold。　Karl　was　being　particularly　insensitive　and　difficult；　which　I　know　is　his　way　of　telling　me　he　has　every　confidence　in　my　ability　to　handle　a　tough　assignment。　Still；　it　would　have　been　nice　to　hear　a　word　or　two　acknowledging　that　I'd　caught　a　bad　squeal。　Yes；　Paul；　this　will　be　very　sensitive；　very　difficult；　and　potentially　harmful　to　your　career。　But　I'm　behind　you　all　the　way。　Maybe　even　a　few　words　about　the　victim　and　her　family。　Tragic；　yes；　tragic。　Such　a　young；　beautiful；　and　intelligent　woman。　Her　parents　must　be　devastated。　I　mean；　get　human；　Karl。
　〃Paul？〃
　〃Yes？〃
　〃That　was　Ms。　Sunhill　on　the　line。〃
　I　thought　it　might　be。　I　said；　〃She　has　no　business　going　over　my　head…〃
　〃I　reprimanded　her；　of　course。〃
　〃Good。　You　see　why　I　don't…〃
　〃I　told　her　you　don't　wish　to　work　with　her；　and　she　claims　that　you　are　discriminating　against　her　because　of　her　sex；　her　age；　and　her　religion。〃
　〃What？　I　don't　even　know　her　religion。〃
　〃It's　on　her　dog　tags。〃
　〃Karl；　are　you　jerking　me　around？〃
　〃This　is　a　serious　charge　against　you。〃
　〃I'm　telling　you；　it's　personal。　We　don't　get　along。〃
　〃You　got　along　very　well　in　Brussels；　from　what　I've　been　told。〃
　Fuck　you；　Karl。　〃Look；　do　you　want　me　to　spell　it　out？〃
　〃No；　I've　already　had　it　spelled　out　for　me　by　someone　in　Brussels　last　year　and　by　Ms。　Sunhill　a　minute　ago。　I　trust　my　officers　to　behave　properly　in　their　personal　lives；　and；　while　I　don't　require　that　you　be　celibate；　I　do　require　that　you　be　discreet；　and　that　you　don't　promise　yourself；　the　Army；　or　your　assignment。〃
　〃I　never　did。〃
　〃Well；　if　Ms。　Sunhill's　fiancé　had　put　a　bullet　through　your　head；　you　would　have　left　me　with　the　mess。〃
　〃That　would　have　been　my　last　thought　as　my　brain　exploded。〃
　〃Good。　So　you　are　a　professional；　and　you　will　establish　a　professional　relationship　with　Ms。　Sunhill。　End　of　discussion。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　I　asked　him；　〃is　she　married？〃
　〃What　difference　does　it　make　to　you？〃
　〃There　are　personal　considerations。〃
　〃Neither　you　nor　she　has　a　personal　life　until　you　conclude　this　case。　Anything　further？〃
　〃Did　you　tell　Ms。　Sunhill　about　your　rather　odd　experiment？〃
　〃That's　your　job。〃　Karl　Gustav　hung　up；　and　I　sat　a　moment；　considering　my　options；　which　boiled　down　to　resigning　or　pushing　on。　Actually；　I　had　my　twenty　years　in；　and　I　could　put　in　my　papers　anytime；　get　out　with　half　pay；　and　get　a　life。
　There　are　different　ways　to　end　an　Army　career。　Most　men　and　women　spend　the　last　year　or　so　in　a　safe　assignment　and　fade　away　into　oblivion。　Some　officers　stay　too　long；　fail　to　make　the　next　grade；　and　are　asked　to　leave　quietly。　A　fortunate　few　go　out　in　a　blaze　of　glory。　And　then　there　are　those　who　go　for　that　last　moment　of　glory　and　crash　in　flames。　Timing　is　everything。
　Career　considerations　aside；　I　knew　that　if　I　pulled　out；　this　case　would　haunt　me　forever。　The　hook　was　in；　and；　in　fact；　I　don't　know　what　I　would　have　said　or　done　if　Karl　had　tried　to　take　me　off　the　case。　But　Karl　was　a　contrary　and　counter…suggestible　son…of…a…bitch；　so　when　I　said　I　didn't　want　the　case；　I　had　the　case；　and　when　I　said　I　didn't　want　Cynthia；　I　had　Cynthia。　Karl　is　not　as　smart　as　he　thinks。
　　
　On　the　desk　in　my　new　office　were　Captain　Ann　Campbell's　personnel　and　medical　files；　and　I　flipped　through　the　former。　These　files　contain　a　soldier's　entire　Army　career；　and　they　can　be　informative　and　interesting。　Chronologically；　Ann　Campbell　entered　West　Point　some　twelve　years　before；　graduated　in　the　top　ten　percent　of　her　class；　was　given　the　traditional　thirty…day　graduation　leave；　and　was　assigned；　at　her　request；　to　the　Military　Intelligence　Officer　Course　at　Fort　Huachuca；　Arizona。　From　there；　she　went　to　graduate　school　at　Georgetown　and　received　her　master's　in　psychology。　Her　next　step　was　to　apply　for　what　we　call　a　functional　area；　which　in　this　case　was　psychological　operations。　She　pleted　the　required　course　at　the　John　F。　Kennedy　Special　Warfare　School　at　Fort　Bragg；　then　joined　the　4th　Psychological　Operations　Group；　also　at　Bragg。　From　there；　she　went　to　Germany；　then　back　to　Bragg。　Then　the　Gulf；　the　Pentagon；　and　finally　Fort　Hadley。
　Her　officer　efficiency　reports；　at　first　glance；　looked　exceptional；　but　I　didn't　expect　otherwise。　I　found　her　Army　test　battery　of　scores　and　noted　that　her　IQ　put　her　into　the　genius　category；　the　top　two　percent　of　the　general　population。　My　professional　experience　has　been　that　an　inordinate　number　of　two…percenters　wind　up　on　my　desk　as　suspects；　usually　in　homicide　cases。　Geniuses　don't　seem　to　have　much　tolerance　for　people　who　annoy　them；　or　hinder　them；　and　they　tend　to　think　they　are　not　subject　to　the　same　rules　of　behavior　as　the　mass　of　humanity。　They　are　often　unhappy　and　impatient　people；　and　they　can　also　be　sociopaths；　and　sometimes　psychopaths　who　see　themselves　as　judge　and　jury　and；　now　and　then；　as　executioner；　which　is　when　they　e　to　my　attention。
　But　here　I　had　not　a　suspect；　but　a　victim　who　was　a　two…percenter；　which　could　be　a　meaningless　fact　in　this　case。　But　my　instinct　was　telling　me　that　Ann　Campbell　was　a　perpetrator　of　something　before　she　became　a　victim　of　that　something。
　I　opened　the　medical　file　and　went　directly　to　the　back；　where　psychological　information；　if　any；　is　usually　placed。　And　here　I　found　the　old　psychological　evaluation　report；　which　is　required　for　entry　into　West　Point。　The　reporting　psychiatrist　wrote：
　　
　This　is　a　highly　motivated；　bright；　and　well…adjusted　person。　Based　on　a　two…hour　interview　and　the　attached　testing　results；　I　found　no　authoritarian　traits　in　her　personality；　no　delusional　disorders；　mood　disorders；　anxiety　disorders；　personality　disorders；　or　sexual　disorders。
　　
　The　report　went　on　to　say　that　there　were　no　apparent　psychological　problems　that　would　prevent　her　from　fulfilling　her　duties　and　obligations　at　the　United　States　Military　Academy。　Ann　Campbell　was　a　normal　eighteen…year…old　American　girl；　whatever　that　meant　in　the　latter　part　of　the　twentieth　century。　All　well　and　good。
　But　there　were　a　few　more　pages　in　the　psychological　section；　a　short　report　dated　in　what　would　have　been　the　fall　semester　of　her　third　year　at　West　Point。　Ann　Campbell　had　been　ordered　to　see　a　staff　psychiatrist；　though　who　had　ordered　this；　and　why；　was　not　stated。　The　psychiatrist；　a　Dr。　Wells；　had　written：
　　
　Cadet　Campbell　has　been　remended　for　therapy　and/or　evaluation。　Cadet　Campbell　claims　〃There　is　nothing　wrong　with　me。〃　She　is　uncooperative；　but　not　to　the　extent　that　I　can　forward　a　delinquency　report　on　her　to　her　manding　officer。　In　four　interviews；　each　lasting　approximat