demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第64部分

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ur　boots。　But　for　now；　I　can't　tell　you　from…〃
　〃Okay。　I　get　it。　How　about　the　third　time　he　walked　out　to　the　body？〃
　Cal　shrugged。　〃He　walked　there　when　I　was　there；　but　we　had　tarps　down　by　then。　I　guess　he　went　out　to　the　body　more　than　once　before　you　two　got　there；　because　it　seems　that　we've　got　three　trails　of　his　prints　from　the　road　to　the　body。　But　even　that's　hard　to　say　for　sure　because　no　trail　is　plete。　We　got　prints　over　prints；　and　we　got　soft　ground　and　hard　ground；　and　grass。〃
　〃Right。〃　We　all　studied　the　pins；　the　arrows；　and　the　notations。
　I　said；　〃There　was　a　man　and　woman　out　there　also；　wearing　civilian　shoes。　I　could　get　you　the　shoes；　but　what　I'm　interested　in　is　Colonel　Kent。　I　think　he　visited　the　scene　earlier；　probably　in　uniform；　with　the　same　boots　he　wore　later；　somewhere　between；　say；　0245　and　0330　hours。〃
　Cal　Seiver　thought　a　moment；　then　replied；　〃But　the　body　wasn't　found　until　。。。　what　time？　。。。　0400；　by　the　duty　sergeant；　St。　John。〃
　I　didn't　reply。
　Seiver　scratched　his　bald　head　and　stared　at　the　diagram。　〃Well　。。。　could　be　。。。　I　mean；　here's　something　that　doesn't　make　sense　。。。　here's　St。　John's　bootprint。　Orange。　That's　a　definite。　The　guy　had　a　wad　of　gum　on　his　sole　and　it　printed。　Okay　。。。　so　here　we　have　St。　John's　bootprint；　and　it　seems　to　be　superimposed　on　a　bootprint　that　we　think　is　Colonel　Kent's。　Kent　had　very　new　boots　with　clear　tread。　So　。。。　I　mean；　if　St。　John　was　there　at　0400　hours；　and　Colonel　Kent　didn't　arrive　until　the　MPs　called　him　at　what　。。。　after　0500　hours；　then　St。　John's　bootprint　on　top　of　Kent's　bootprint　wouldn't　make　sense。　But　you　have　to　understand　that　while　we　can　ID　the　impressions　of　most　footwear　if　the　medium　is　good…snow；　mud；　soft　soil；　and　such…it's　not　as　precise　as　fingerprints。　And　in　this　case；　where　we　have　two　good　prints；　we　can't　say　for　certain　which　was　superimposed　on　which。〃
　〃But　you　have　St。　John's　noted　as　being　superimposed　on　Kent's。〃
　〃Well；　that's　a　judgment　call　by　the　tech。　Could　be　a　mistake。　Probably　was；　now　that　I　see　it。　St。　John　was　there　first；　so　he　couldn't　have　walked　over　Kent's　。。。　but　you're　saying　you　think　Kent　was　there　before　St。　John　found　the　body。〃
　〃I'm　saying　it；〃　I　replied；　〃but　you　will　not　say　it　to　anyone。〃
　〃I　only　give　information　to　you　two　and　to　a　court…martial　board。〃
　〃Correct。〃
　Cynthia　said　to　Cal；　〃Let's　see　the　plaster　impression　of　this　spot。〃
　〃Right。〃　Cal　looked　at　some　sheets　of　typed　paper　on　the　bulletin　board　and　matched　something　to　something；　then　led　us　to　a　distant　corner　of　the　hangar　where　about　a　hundred　white　plaster　casts　of　footprints　sat　on　the　floor；　looking　like　the　evidence　of　Pompeii's　populace　heading　out　of　town。　The　casts　were　numbered　with　black　grease　pencil；　and　he　found　the　one　he　wanted；　hefted　it　up；　and　carried　it　over　to　a　table。　There　was　a　fluorescent　lamp　clamped　to　the　table；　and　I　turned　it　on。
　We　all　stared　at　the　cast　a　few　seconds；　then　Cal　said；　〃Okay；　this　bootprint　is　St。　John's；　heading　toward　the　body。　This　little　mark　at　the　edge　is　the　direction　of　the　body。　Okay；　also　heading　toward　the　body　is　this　bootprint；　which　is　Colonel　Kent's。〃
　I　looked　at　the　two　bootprints。　They　were　superimposed　side　by　side；　the　left　side　of　Kent's　left　boot　overlapping　the　right　side　of　St。　John's　right　boot…or　St。　John's　overlapping　Kent's。　That　was　the　question。　I　didn't　say　anything；　and　neither　did　Cynthia。　Finally；　Cal　said；　〃Well　。。。　if　you　。。。　do　you　see　that　indent　there？　That's　the　wad　of　gum　on　St。　John's　boot；　but　it　wasn't　touched　by　Kent's　boot　or　vice　versa。　You　see；　we　have　two　military　boots　of　the　same　make；　same　tread；　and　the　prints　were　made　within　hours　of　each　other　。。。　and　we　have　intersecting　and　interlocking　tread　marks　。。。〃
　〃Do　you　need　a　deerstalker　cap　for　this？〃
　〃A　what？〃
　〃Why　did　someone　put　the　shorter　pin　on　Kent's　print　on　the　diagram？〃
　〃Well；　I'm　not　an　expert　on　this。〃
　〃Where　is　the　expert？〃
　〃He's　gone。　But　let　me　give　it　a　try。〃　He　changed　the　position　of　the　lighting；　then　shut　it　off　and　looked　at　the　cast　in　the　shadowy　overhead　light　of　the　hangar；　then　got　a　flashlight　and　tried　different　angles　and　distances。　Cynthia　and　I　looked　as　well；　this　not　being　an　exact　science　but　more　a　matter　of　mon　sense。　In　truth；　it　was　nearly　impossible　to　say　with　any　certainty　which　bootprint　had　been　made　first。
　Cynthia　ran　her　finger　over　the　places　where　the　two　bootprints　intersected。　With　a　smooth　sole；　you　could　easily　tell　which　was　deeper；　but　even　that　was　not　proof　that　the　deeper　one　was　made　first；　given　the　fact　that　people　walk　differently　and　are　of　different　weights。　But　the　deeper　print　is　usually　first　because　it　presses　the　earth　or　the　snow　or　the　mud；　and　the　next　footstep　is　walking　on　pressed　earth　and　will　not　sink　in　as　far；　unless　the　person　is　a　real　lard…ass。　Cynthia　said；　〃St。　John's　print　is　a　hair　higher　than　Kent's。〃
　Cal　said；　〃I've　seen　Kent；　and　he　weighs　about　two　hundred　pounds。　How　about　St。　John？〃
　I　replied；　〃About　the　same。〃
　〃Well；〃　said　Seiver；　〃it　really　depends　on　how　hard　they　came　down。　Relative　to　their　other　prints　on　the　diagram；　and　considering　the　flat　impressions　of　both　prints；　neither　was　running。　In　fact；　I'd　guess　that　both　were　walking　slowly。　So　if　Kent's　print　is　a　hair　deeper；　you'd　have　to　guess　that　Kent's　print　was　made　first；　and　St。　John　walked　over　Kent's　print　later。　But　that's　just　a　guess。〃　He　added；　〃I　wouldn't　send　anybody　to　the　gallows　on　that。〃
　〃No；　but　we　can　scare　the　shit　out　of　him。〃
　〃Right。〃
　〃Can　you　get　the　latent…footprint　guy　back　here　tonight？〃
　Cal　shook　his　head。　〃He's　off　to　Oakland　Army　Base　on　assignment。　I　can　get　someone　else　flown　in　by　chopper。〃
　〃I　want　the　original　guy。　Get　this　cast　on　a　flight　to　Oakland　and　have　him　analyze　it　again。　Don't　tell　him　what　he　thought　the　first　time。　Right？　He's　not　going　to　remember　this　one　out　of　a　few　hundred。〃
　〃Right。　We'll　see　if　we　get　the　same　analysis。　I'll　get　on　it。　We　may　have　to　put　it　on　a　mercial　flight　out　of　Atlanta　to　San　Francisco。　I　may　go　myself。〃
　〃No　way；　pal。　You're　stuck　at　Hadley　with　me。〃
　〃Shit。〃
　〃Right。　Okay；　I　do　want　a　latent…footprint　team　from　Gillem。　I　want　them　out　at　the　rifle　range　at　first　light。　They're　looking　for　more　of　Colonel　Kent's　bootprints。　Have　them　look　alongside　the　road；　out　further　on　the　range；　around　the　body　again；　and　near　the　latrines　and　so　on。　I　want　a　clear　diagram　showing　only　Kent's　prints。　Better　yet；　feed　everything　into　a　puter　program；　and　be　prepared　to　show　it　by　noon　tomorrow。　Okay？〃
　〃We'll　do　our　best。〃　He　hesitated；　then　asked；　〃Are　you　sure　about　this？〃
　I　gave　him　a　slight　nod；　which　was　all　the　encouragement　he　needed　to　roust　people　out　of　bed　and　get　them　back　to　Hadley　at　dawn。　I　said；　〃Cal；　the　FBI　might　e　around　tonight　or　early　tomorrow。　They　have　jurisdiction　over　this　case　as　of　noon　tomorrow。　But　not　until　then。〃
　〃I　hear　you。〃
　〃Work　out　some　kind　of　early　warning　signal　with　the　MPs　outside；　and　alert　Grace　so　she　can　stuff　the　disk　she's　working　on。〃
　〃No　problem。〃
　〃Thanks。　You've　done　a　good　job。〃
　Cynthia　and　I　went　back　to　Grace　Dixon；　who　was　making　a　neat　pile　of　printouts　on　her　desk。　She　said；　〃Here's　the　last　one。　That's　all　the　diary　entries　that　mention　Bill　Kent；　William　Kent；　Kent；　and　so　on。〃
　〃Good。〃　I　took　the　stack　and　leafed　through　it。　There　were　about　forty　sheets　of　paper；　some　with　more　than　one　dated　entry；　the　first　going　back　to　June　of　two　years　ago；　and　the　most　recent　was　just　last　week。
　Cynthia　mented；　〃They　saw　a　lot　of　each　other。〃
　I　nodded。　〃Okay；　thanks　again；　Grace。　Why　don't　you　put　the　disk　in　your　secret　place　and　go　get　some　sleep？〃
　〃I'm　okay。　You　look　like　hell。〃
　〃See　you　tomorrow。〃
　I　took　the　printouts　with　me；　and　we　made　the　long　walk　across　the　hangar　and　exited　through　the　small　door。　It　was　one　of　those　still　nights　where　the　humidity　hung　in　the　air；　and　you　couldn't　even　smell　the　pines　unless　you　were　on　top　of　them。　〃Shower？〃　I　asked。
　〃No；〃　Cynthia　replied。　〃Provost　office。　Colonel　Moore　and　Ms。　Baker…Kiefer。　Remember　them？〃
　We　got　into　my　Blazer；　and　the　clock　on　the　dashboard　said　ten　thirty…five。　That　gave　us　less　than　fourteen　hours　to　tie　it　up。
　Cynthia　saw　me　looking　at　the　clock　and　said；　〃The　FBI　guys　are　probably　yawning　and　thinking　about　turning　in。　But　they'll　be　all　over　the　place　tomorrow　morning。〃
　〃Right。〃　I　put　the　Blazer　in　gear；　and　we　headed　away　from　Jordan　Field。　I　said；　〃I　don't　care　if　they　get　credit　for　solving　this　case。　I'm　not　into　the　petty　crap。　I'll　turn　this　all　over　to　them　at　noon　tomorrow；　and　they　can　run　with　it。　But　the　closer　we　get　to　the　perpetrator；　the　less　dirt　they　have　to　dig　up。　I'll　point　them　in　Kent's　direction　and　hope　that's　as　far　as　it　goes。〃
　〃Well；　that's　very　big　of　you　to　let　them　wind　it　up。　Your　career　is　sort　of　winding　up；　too。　But　I　could　use　the　credit。〃
　I　glanced　at　her。　〃We're　military。　We　just　take　orders。　In　fact；　you　take　orders　from　me。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　She　sulked　for　a　minute；　then　said；　〃The　FBI　are　masters　at　the　public　relations　game；　Paul。　Their　PR　people　make　the　Army　Public　Information　Office　look　like　an　information　booth　at　a　bus　station。　We've　got　to　finish　this　ourselves；　even　if　it　means　putting　a　gun　to　Kent's　head　and　threatening　to　blow　his　brains　out　unless　he　signs　a　confession。〃
　〃My；　my；　aren't　we　assertive　tonight。〃
　〃Paul；　this　is　important。　And　you're　right　about　the　FBI　digging　up　unnecessary　dirt。　They'll　leak　the　contents　of　that　diary　to　every　paper　in　the　country；　and　to　add　insult　to　injury；　they'll　say　they　found　the　disk　and　cracked　it。　These　guys　are　good；　but　they're　ruthless。　They're　almost　as　ruthless　as　you。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃
　〃And　they　don't　care　about　the　Army。　Talk　about　Nietzsche…the　FBI　philosophy　is；　'Whatever　makes　any　other　law　enforcement　agency　or　institution　look　bad　makes　us　look　better。'　So　we　have　to　wrap　it　up　by　noon。〃
　〃Okay。　Who's　the　murderer？〃
　〃Kent。〃
　〃Positive？〃
　〃No。　Are　you？〃
　I　shrugged。　〃I　like　the　guy。〃
　She　nodded。　〃I　don't　dislike　him；　but　I'm　not　overly　fond　of　him。〃
　It　was　funny；　I　thought；　how　men　a