demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第34部分

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Where'd　it　e　from？〃
　I　patted　his　bald　head。　〃Not　from　you。〃
　The　technician　laughed　as　she　buried　her　face　in　the　microscope。
　Cal　was　not　amused　and　said　to　Cynthia；　〃Since　you're　the　one　with　the　brains　on　this　team；　why　don't　you　look　in　that　microscope？〃
　The　technician　moved　aside；　and　Cynthia　sat　at　the　table。　The　technician；　a　Specialist　Lubbick；　said；　〃The　hair　on　the　right　was　recovered　from　the　sink　basin　in　the　male　latrine　at　rifle　range　six。　The　hair　on　the　left　was　taken　from　the　hairbrush。〃
　Cynthia　looked　into　the　microscope　as　Specialist　Lubbick　continued；　〃I　actually　examined　twenty　hairs　taken　from　the　brush　to　satisfy　myself　that　the　brush　hairs　all　belonged　to　the　same　individual。　My　opinion　is　that　they　do；　and　that　statistically　and　logically；　there　should　be　no　other　individual's　hair　on　that　brush；　though　I'll　examine　every　one　of　them　for　my　report。〃
　I　wanted　to　say；　〃Get　to　the　point；〃　but　you　have　to　let　technical　types　do　it　their　way　or　they　get　sulky。
　Specialist　Lubbick　continued；　〃Hairs　have　what　we　call　class　characteristics。　That　means　they　can't　be　matched　absolutely　to　a　given　sample。　They　can　be　used　to　exclude　a　suspect；　but　not　to　identify　a　suspect　in　a　court　of　law；　unless　both　samples　submitted　have　roots　so　that　we　can　get　the　sex　of　an　individual　and　a　genetic　marker。〃
　Cal　said　to　her；　〃I　think　they　know　that。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　Anyway；　the　sample　found　in　the　latrine　has　no　roots；　but　from　the　shaft；　I've　determined　that　the　individual　had　blood　type　O；　and　that　the　individual　whose　hair　was　on　the　brush　also　had　blood　type　O。　Also；　both　samples　are　Caucasian；　are　visually　similar　in　texture；　color；　lack　of　artificial　treatment；　and　general　condition　of　health。〃
　Cynthia　looked　up　from　the　microscope。　〃Yup。　They　look　similar。〃
　Specialist　Lubbick　concluded；　〃My　opinion　is　that　they're　from　the　same　individual；　though　the　sample　from　the　sink　basin　is　too　small　to　perform　other　tests　such　as　spectra　analysis　that　might　yield　more　similarities。　Any　further　tests　will　alter　or　destroy　this　single　strand　taken　from　the　latrine。〃　She　added；　〃Some　of　the　hairs　from　the　brush　do　have　roots；　and　in　about　an　hour　I　can　tell　you　the　sex　of　that　individual　and　get　a　DNA　marker　for　you。〃
　I　nodded。　〃Understand。〃
　Cynthia　stood　and　said　to　Lubbick；　〃Please　mark　and　bag　this　and　attach　a　report。〃
　〃Yes；　ma'am。〃
　〃Thanks。〃
　Seiver　asked　me；　〃Is　this　enough　for　an　arrest？〃
　〃No；　but　it's　enough　to　start　looking　at　a　guy　real　close。〃
　〃What　guy？〃
　I　took　him　off　to　the　side；　away　from　the　technicians；　and　said；　〃A　guy　named　Colonel　Charles　Moore　whose　tire　tracks　you　are　going　to　pare。　Moore's　office　is　also　at　the　Psy…Ops　School。　He　was　the　victim's　boss。　I'm　trying　to　get　his　office　sealed　until　we　can　get　authorization　to　bring　it　here。〃
　Cynthia　joined　us　and　said；　〃In　the　meantime；　Cal；　match　the　fingerprints　found　on　Colonel　Moore's　hairbrush　to　the　fingerprints　found　on　the　humvee；　and　also　to　any　fingerprints　found　on　the　trash　bag　and　the　articles　found　inside　the　bag。〃
　〃Right。〃　He　thought　a　moment；　then　said；　〃But　a　match　doesn't　conclusively　place　this　Colonel　Moore　at　the　scene　if　Moore　and　the　victim　knew　each　other。　He　has　a　believable　reason　why　his　fingerprints　could　be　on；　let's　say；　her　holster；　or　on　the　humvee。〃
　I　replied；　〃I　know；　but　he　would　have　a　harder　time　explaining　why　his　prints　are　on　the　trash　bag；　or　why　his　tire　marks　are　out　on　range　five。〃
　Cal　nodded。　〃Still；　you　need　to　place　him　there　at　the　time　of　the　murder。〃
　〃Right。　So　I　want　you　to　pare　the　fingerprints　on　the　hairbrush　to　the　partial　prints　you　found　on　the　tent　pegs。　If　we　have　his　tire　marks　and　enough　fingerprints　that　match；　then　the　rope　around　his　fucking　neck　gets　much　tighter。　Okay？〃
　Cal　nodded。　〃Okay。　You're　the　detective。　I'd　vote　guilty；　but　you　never　know　these　days。〃　He　turned　and　walked　toward　the　fingerprint　unit。
　Cynthia　said　to　me；　〃If　we　interrogate　Moore　and　present　him　with　the　evidence；　there's　a　good　chance　he　will　tell　us　he　did　it。〃
　〃Right；　or　he　will　tell　us　he　didn't。　Then　we　wind　up　in　front　of　a　court…martial　board；　all　holding　our　breaths　while　they　decide　if　a　colonel　in　the　United　States　Army　strangled　General　Campbell's　daughter；　or　if　Warrant　Officers　Brenner　and　Sunhill　got　the　wrong　guy；　missed　the　right　guy；　totally　dishonored　themselves　and　the　Army；　and　blew　it　big…time。〃
　Cynthia　thought　a　moment　and　asked　me；　〃If　all　the　forensic　evidence　points　to　Moore；　do　you　have　any　reasonable　doubts？〃
　〃Do　you？〃
　〃Reasonable　doubts；　yes。　I　just　can't　see　Ann　Campbell　doing　whatever　she　was　doing　out　there　with　that　guy；　and　I　can't　see　him　strangling　her。　He　looks　like　the　kind　of　sicko　who'd　put　poison　in　your　coffee；　but　he's　not　a　hands…on　killer。〃
　〃That's　what's　bothering　me。　But　you　never　know　。。。　she　may　have　asked　him　to　do　it。　Pleaded　with　him　to　kill　her。　I　had　one　like　that　once。　And　for　all　we　know；　Moore　could　have　been　flying　on　mind…altering　drugs。　Something　he　got　from　work。〃
　〃That's　possible。〃
　I　looked　over　Cynthia's　shoulder。　〃Meanwhile；　here　es　the　law。〃
　Colonel　Kent　was　making　the　long　walk　across　the　hangar；　and　we　met　him　halfway。　He　asked；　〃Anything　new　here？〃
　I　replied；　〃We're　close　to　something；　Bill。　I'm　waiting　for　fingerprints　and　tire　tracks。〃
　His　eyes　widened。　〃No　kidding？　Who？〃
　〃Colonel　Moore。〃
　He　seemed　to　think　about　that；　then　nodded。　〃It　fits。〃
　〃How　does　it　fit；　Bill？〃
　〃Well　。。。　they　had　a　close　relationship；　he　would　have　the　opportunity；　and　I　wouldn't　put　it　past　him。　He's　weird。　I　just　don't　know　what　his　motive　would　be。〃
　〃Me　neither。〃　I　asked　Kent；　〃Tell　me　about　Captain　and　General　Campbell。〃
　〃What　about　them？〃
　〃Were　they　close？〃
　He　looked　me　right　in　the　eye　and　said；　〃They　were　not。〃
　〃Go　on。〃
　〃Well　。。。　perhaps　we　can　discuss　that　another　time。〃
　〃Perhaps　we　can　discuss　it　in　Falls　Church。〃
　〃Hey；　don't　threaten　me。〃
　〃Look；　Colonel；　I'm　the　investigating　officer　in　a　homicide　case。　You　may　feel　that　you're　under　some　social　and　professional　restraints；　but　you're　not。　Your　duty　is　to　answer　my　questions。〃
　Kent　did　not　seem　happy；　but　at　the　same　time；　he　seemed　relieved　to　be　told　in　no　uncertain　terms　that　he　had　to　unburden　himself。　He　walked　off　toward　the　center　of　the　hangar；　and　we　followed　him。　He　said；　〃Okay。　General　Campbell　disapproved　of　his　daughter's　choice　of　military　occupation　specialty；　her　choice　of　men；　her　decision　to　live　off　post；　her　associations　with　people　like　Charles　Moore；　and　probably　a　half　dozen　other　things　that　I'm　not　privy　to。〃
　Cynthia　asked；　〃Wasn't　he　proud　of　her？〃
　〃I　don't　think　so。〃
　〃The　Army　was　proud　of　her；〃　Cynthia　pointed　out。
　Kent　replied；　〃The　Army　had　about　as　much　choice　in　the　matter　as　General　Campbell　did。　Ann　Campbell　had　one　hand　on　her　father's　balls　and　the　other　on　the　Army's　balls；　to　be　quite　blunt。〃
　Cynthia　asked　him；　〃What　does　that　mean？〃
　〃That　means　that；　as　a　woman；　a　general's　daughter；　a　West　Pointer；　and　a　nearly　public　figure；　she　got　away　with　a　lot。　She　wangled　her　way　into　that　recruiting　stuff　before　her　father　knew　what　was　happening；　and　all　of　a　sudden　she's　got　the　power　of　public　notoriety；　doing　radio　and　TV；　and　addressing　colleges　and　women's　groups；　pushing　an　Army　career　for　women　and　all　that。　Everyone　loved　her。　But　she　didn't　give　a　damn　about　the　Army。　She　just　wanted　to　bee　untouchable。〃
　Cynthia　asked　him；　〃Why？〃
　〃Well；　as　much　as　the　general　disapproved　of　her；　she　hated　his　guts　ten　times　more。　She　did　everything　she　could　to　personally　embarrass　him；　and　there　wasn't　much　he　could　do　to　her　without　screwing　up　his　own　career。〃
　〃My　goodness；〃　I　said；　〃that's　interesting　information。　You　must　have　forgotten　to　tell　us　that　as　you　were　agonizing　over　how　to　break　the　news　to　the　general。〃
　Kent　glanced　around　him；　then　said　in　a　soft　voice；　〃That's　between　us。　Officially；　they　loved　each　other。〃　He　hesitated；　then　said；　〃To　tell　you　the　truth；　General　Campbell　may　have　disapproved　of　this　or　that；　but　he　didn't　hate　her。〃　He　added；　〃Look；　this　is　all　hearsay；　but　I'm　passing　it　on　to　you　in　confidence；　so　you　know　what　the　hell　is　going　on　here。　You　didn't　hear　it　from　me；　but　you　can　follow　up　on　it。〃
　I　nodded；　〃Thanks；　Bill。　Anything　else？〃
　〃No。〃
　But　of　course　there　was。　〃Who；〃　I　asked；　〃were　these　men　that　the　general　disapproved　of；　aside　from　Colonel　Moore？〃
　〃I　don't　know。〃
　〃Was　Wes　Yardley　one　of　them？〃
　He　looked　at　me　a　long　time；　then　nodded。　〃I　think　so。〃
　〃Was　Wes　Yardley　the　man　she　had　an　altercation　with　in　Midland？〃
　〃Possibly。〃
　〃Why　did　she　want　to　embarrass　her　father？〃
　〃I　don't　know。〃
　〃Why　did　she　hate　his　guts？〃
　〃If　you　find　out；　let　me　know。　But　whatever　the　reason　was；　it　was　one　hell　of　a　big　one。〃
　〃What　was　her　relationship　with　her　mother？〃
　Kent　replied；　〃Strained。　Mrs。　Campbell　was　torn　between　being　the　general's　lady　and　being　the　mother　of　a　very　independent　woman。〃
　〃In　other　words；〃　I　said；　〃Mrs。　Campbell　is　a　doormat；　and　Ann　Campbell　tried　to　raise　her　consciousness。〃
　〃Something　like　that。　But　it　was　a　little　more　plex。〃
　〃How　so？〃
　〃You　should　speak　with　Mrs。　Campbell。〃
　〃I　intend　to。〃　I　said　to　him；　〃Tell　me　again　that　you　never　went。　to　Ann　Campbell's　house；　so　I　can　explain　in　my　report　why　your　fingerprints　were　found　on　a　bottle　of　her　liquor。〃
　〃I　told　you；　Brenner；　I　touched　a　few　of　the　things。〃
　〃The　liquor　was　sealed　in　a　box　by　your　MPs　and　not　opened　until　about　an　hour　ago。〃
　〃You　can't　pull　that　crap　with　me；　Paul。　I'm　a　cop；　too。　If　you　have　evidence；　let's　talk　to　Seiver　and　he　can　show　it　to　me。〃
　〃Look；　Bill；　let's　clear　the　air　here　so　we　can　get　onto　more　important　things；　like　Colonel　Moore。　Here's　the　question；　and　remember　that　you　have　a　duty　to　answer　truthfully；　and　if　that　doesn't　impress　you；　remember　that　I　may　discover　the　truth　myself。　Okay？　Here's　the　big　question…were　you　fucking　her？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　No　one　spoke　for　a　few　long　seconds；　and　I　noticed　that　Kent　seemed　rather　at　ease　with　his　confession。　I　didn't　remind　him　that　he　had　said　he　would　have　told　me　that　from　minute　one；　because　it　was　b