cpatricia.unnaturalexposure-第16部分

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　She　reached　for　her　wine。
　'It's　very　good；　by　the　way；'　I　said。　'I　like　pinot　noir　because　it's　light。　Not　heavy　like　a　merlot。　I'm　not　in　the　mood　for　anything　heavy　right　now。　So　you　made　a　good　choice。'
　She　stabbed　another　bite　of　steak；　getting　my　point。
　'Tell　me　how　things　are　going　with　Janet；'　I　went　on。　'Mostly　doing　white…collar　crime　in　D。C。？　Or　is　she　getting　to　spend　more　time　at　ERF　these　days？'
　Lucy　stared　out　the　window　at　the　moon　as　she　slowly　swirled　wine　in　her　glass。　'I　should　get　started　on　your　puter。'
　While　I　cleaned　up；　she　disappeared　into　my　office。　I　did　not　disturb　her　for　a　very　long　time；　if　for　no　other　reason　than　I　knew　she　was　put　out　with　me。　She　wanted　plete　openness；　and　I　had　never　been　good　at　that；　not　with　anyone。　I　felt　bad；　as　if　I　had　let　down　everyone　I　loved。　For　a　while；　I　sat　at　the　kitchen　desk；　talking　to　Marino　on　the　phone；　and　I　called　to　catch　up　with　my　mother。　I　put　on　a　pot　of　decaffeinated　coffee　and　carried　two　mugs　down　the　hall。
　Lucy　was　busy　at　my　keyboard；　glasses　on；　a　slight　frown　furrowing　her　young；　smooth　brow　as　she　concentrated。　I　set　her　coffee　down　and　looked　over　her　head　at　what　she　was　typing。　It　made　no　sense　to　me。　It　never　did。
　'How's　it　going？'　I　asked。
　I　could　see　my　face　reflected　in　the　monitor　as　she　struck　the　enter　key　again；　executing　another　UNIX　mand。
　'Good　and　not　good；'　she　replied　with　an　impatient　sigh。　'The　problem　with　applications　like　AOL　is　you　can't　track　files　unless　you　get　into　the　original　programming　language。　That's　where　I　am　now。　And　it's　like　following　bread　crumbs　through　a　universe　with　more　layers　than　an　onion。'
　I　pulled　up　a　chair　and　sat　next　to　her。　'Lucy；'　I　said；　'how　did　someone　send　these　photographs　to　me？　Can　you　tell　me；　step　by　step？'
　She　stopped　what　she　was　doing；　slipping　off　her　glasses　and　setting　them　on　the　desk。　She　rubbed　her　face　in　her　hands　and　massaged　her　temples　as　if　she　had　a　headache。
　'You　got　any　Tylenol？'　she　asked。
　'No　acetaminophen　with　alcohol。'　I　opened　a　drawer　and　got　out　a　bottle　of　Motrin　instead。
　'For　starters；'　she　said；　taking　two；　'this　wouldn't　have　been　easy　if　your　screen　name　wasn't　the　same　as　your　real　one：　KSCARPETTA。'
　'I　made　it　easy　deliberately；　for　my　colleagues　to　send　me　mail；'　I　explained　one　more　time。
　'You　made　it　easy　for　anyone　to　send　you　mail。'　She　looked　accusingly　at　me。　'Have　you　gotten　crank　mail　before？'
　'I　think　this　goes　beyond　crank　mail。'
　'Please　answer　my　question。'
　'A　few　things。　Nothing　to　worry　about。'　I　paused；　then　went　on；　'Generally　after　a　lot　of　publicity　because　of　some　big　case；　a　sensational　trial；　whatever。'
　'You　should　change　your　user　name。'
　'No；'　I　said。　'Deadoc　might　want　to　send　me　something　else。　I　can't　change　it　now。'
　'Oh　great。'　She　put　her　glasses　back　on。　'So　now　you　want　him　to　be　a　pen　pal。'
　'Lucy；　please；'　I　quietly　said；　and　I　was　getting　a　headache；　too。　'We　both　have　a　job　to　do。'
　She　was　quiet　for　a　moment。　Then　she　apologized。　'I　guess　I'm　just　as　overly　protective　of　you　as　you've　always　been　of　me。'
　'I　still　am。'　I　patted　her　knee。　'Okay；　so　he　got　my　screen　name　from　the　AOL　directory　of　subscribers；　right？'
　She　nodded。　'Let's　talk　about　your　AOL　profile。'
　'There's　nothing　in　it　but　my　professional　title；　my　office　phone　number　and　address；'　I　said。　'I　never　entered　personal　details；　such　as　marital　status；　date　of　birth；　hobbies；　et　cetera。　I　have　more　sense　than　that。'
　'Have　you　checked　out　his　profile？'　she　asked。　'The　one　for　deadoc？'
　'Frankly；　it　never　occurred　to　me　that　he　would　have　one；'　I　said。
　Depressed；　I　thought　of　saw　marks　I　could　not　tell　apart；　and　felt　I　had　made　yet　one　more　mistake　this　day。
　'Oh；　he's　got　one；　all　right。'　Lucy　was　typing　again。　'He　wants　you　to　know　who　he　is。　That's　why　he　wrote　it。'
　She　clicked　to　the　Member　Directory；　and　when　she　opened　deadoc's　profile；　I　could　not　believe　what　was　before　my　eyes。　I　scanned　key　words　that　could　be　searched　by　anyone　interested　in　finding　other　users　to　whom　they　applied。
　Attorney；　autopsy；　chief；　Chief　Medical　Examiner；　Cornell；　corpse；　death；　dismemberment；　FBI；　forensic；　Georgetown；　Italian；　Johns　Hopkins；　judicial；　killer；　lawyer；　medical；　pathologist；　physician；　Scuba；　Virginia；　woman。
　The　list　went　on；　the　professional　and　personal　information；　the　hobbies；　all　describing　me。
　'It's　like　deadoc's　saying　he's　you；'　Lucy　said。
　I　was　dumbfounded　and　suddenly　felt　very　cold。　'This　is　crazy。'
　Lucy　pushed　back　her　chair　and　looked　at　me。　'He's　got　your　profile。　In　cyberspace；　on　the　World　Wide　Web；　you're　both　the　same　person　with　two　different　screen　names。'
　'We　are　not　the　same　person。　I　can't　believe　you　said　that。'　I　looked　at　her；　shocked。
　'The　photographs　are　yours　and　you　sent　them　to　yourself。　It　was　easy。　You　simply　scanned　them　into　your　puter。　No　big　deal。　You　can　get　portable　color　scanners　for　four；　five　hundred　bucks。　Attach　the　file　to　the　message　ten；　which　you　send　to　KSCARPETTA；　send　to　yourself；　in　other　words　。　。　。'
　'Lucy；'　I　cut　her　off；　'for　God's　sake；　that's　enough。'
　She　was　silent；　her　face　without　expression。
　'This　is　outrageous。　I　can't　believe　what　you're　saying。'　I　got　up　from　the　chair　in　disgust。
　'If　your　fingerprints　were　on　the　murder　weapon；'　she　replied；　'wouldn't　you　want　me　to　tell　you？'
　'My　fingerprints　aren't　on　anything。'
　'Aunt　Kay；　I'm　just　making　the　point　that　someone　out　there　is　stalking　you；　impersonating　you；　on　the　Internet。　Of　course　you　didn't　do　anything。　But　what　I'm　trying　to　impress　upon　you　is　every　time　someone　does　a　search　by　subject　because　they　need　help　from　an　expert　like　you；　they're　going　to　get　deadoc's　name；　too。'
　'How　could　he　have　known　all　this　information　about　me？'　I　went　on。　'It's　not　in　my　profile。　I　don't　have　anything　in　there　about　where　I　went　to　law　school；　medical　school；　that　my　heritage　is　Italian。'
　'Maybe　from　things　written　about　you　over　the　years。'
　'I　suppose。'　I　felt　as　if　I　were　ing　down　with　something。　'Would　you　like　a　nightcap？　I'm　very　tired。'
　But　she　was　lost　again　in　the　dark　space　of　the　UNIX　environment　with　its　strange　symbols　and　mands　like　cat；　：q！　and　vi。
　'Aunt　Kay；　what's　your　password　in　AOL？'　she　asked。
　'The　same　one　I　use　for　everything　else；'　I　confessed；　knowing　she　would　be　annoyed　again。
　'Shit。　Don't　tell　me　you're　still　using　Sinbad。'　She　looked　up　at　me。
　'My　mother's　rotten　cat　has　never　been　mentioned　in　anything　ever　written　about　me；'　I　defended　myself。
　I　watched　as　she　typed　the　mand　password　and　entered　Sinbad。
　'Do　you　do　password　aging？'　she　asked　as　if　everyone　should　know　what　that　meant。
　'I　have　no　idea　what　you're　talking　about。'
　'Where　you　change　your　password　at　least　once　a　month。'
　'No；'　I　said。
　'Who　else　knows　your　password？'
　'Rose　knows　it。　And　of　course；　now　you　do；'　I　said。　'There's　no　way　deadoc　could。'
　'There's　always　a　way。　He　could　use　a　UNIX　password…encryption　program　to　encrypt　every　word　in　a　dictionary。　Then　pare　every　encrypted　word　to　your　password　。　。　。'
　'It　wasn't　that　plicated；'　I　said　with　conviction。　'I　bet　whoever　did　this　doesn't　know　a　thing　about　UNIX。'
　Lucy　closed　what　she　was　doing；　and　looked　curiously　at　me；　swiveling　the　chair　around。　'　Why　do　you　say　that？'
　'Because　he　could　have　washed　the　body　first　so　trace　evidence　didn't　adhere　to　blood。　He　shouldn't　have　given　us　a　photo　of　her　hands。　Now　we　may　have　her　prints。'　I　was　leaning　against　the　door　frame；　holding　my　aching　head。　'He's　not　that　smart。'
　'Maybe　he　doesn't　think　her　prints　will　ever　matter；'　she　said；　getting　up。　'And　by　the　way；'　she　said　as　she　walked　by。　'Almost　any　puter　book's　going　to　tell　you　it's　stupid　to　choose　a　password　that's　the　name　of　your　significant　other　or　your　cat。'
　'Sinbad's　not　my　cat。　I　wouldn't　have　a　miserable　Siamese　that　always　gives　me　the　fisheye　and　stalks　me　whenever　I　walk　into　my　mother's　house。'
　'Well；　you　must　like　him　a　little　bit　or　you　wouldn't　have　wanted　to　think　of　him　every　time　you　log　on　to　your　puter；'　she　said　from　down　the　hall。
　'I　don't　like　him　in　the　least；'　I　said。
　
　The　next　morning；　the　air　was　crisp　and　clean　like　a　fall　apple；　stars　were　out；　traffic　mostly　truckers　in　the　midst　of　long　hauls。　I　turned　off　on　64　East；　just　beyond　the　state　fairgrounds；　and　minutes　later　was　prowling　rows　in　short…term　parking　at　the　Richmond　International　Airport。　I　chose　a　space　in　S　because　I　knew　it　would　be　easy　for　me　to　remember；　and　was　reminded　of　my　password　again；　of　other　obvious　acts　of　carelessness　caused　by　overload。
　As　I　was　getting　my　bag　out　of　the　trunk；　I　heard　footsteps　behind　me　and　instantly　wheeled　around。
　'Don't　shoot。'　Marino　held　up　his　hands。　It　was　cool　enough　out　that　I　could　see　his　breath。
　'I　wish　you'd　whistle　or　something　when　you　walk　up　on　me　in　the　dark；'　I　said；　slamming　shut　the　trunk。
　'Oh。　And　bad　people　don't　whistle。　Only　good　guys　like　me　do。'　He　grabbed　my　suitcase。　'You　want　me　to　get　that；　too？'
　He　reached　for　the　hard；　black　Pelican　case　I　was　taking　with　me　to　Memphis　today；　where　it　already　had　been　numerous　times　before。　Inside　were　human　vertebrae　and　bone；　evidence　that　could　not　leave　me。
　'This　stays　handcuffed　to　me；'　I　said；　grabbing　it　and　my　briefcase。　'I'm　really　sorry　to　put　you　out　like　this；　Marino。　Are　you　sure　it's　necessary　for　you　to　e　along？'
　We　had　discussed　this　several　times　now；　and　I　did　not　think　he　should　acpany　me。　I　did　not　see　the　point。
　'Like　I　told　you；　some　squirrel's　playing　games　with　you；'　he　said。　'Me；　Wesley；　Lucy；　the　entire　friggin'　Bureau　think　I　should　e　along。　For　one　thing；　you've　made　this　exact　same　trip　in　every　case；　so　it's　gotten　predictable。　And　it's　been　in　the　papers　that　you　use　this　guy　at　LTT。'
　Parking　lots　were　well　lit　and　full　of　cars；　and　I　could　not　help　but　notice　people　slowly　driving　past；　looking　for　a　place　that　wasn't　miles　from　the　terminal。　I　wondered　what　else　deadoc　knew　about　me；　and　wished　I　had　worn　more　than　a　trench　coat。　I　was　cold　and　had　forgotten　my　gloves。
　'Besides；'　Marino　added；　'I've　never　been　to　Graceland。'
　At　first；　I　thought　he　was　jo