demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第13部分

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as　elusive。
　We　exited　the　closet　and　the　guest　room。
　On　the　way　down　the　stairs；　I　said　to　Cynthia；　〃Before　I　was　in　the　CID；　I　couldn't　see　a　clue　if　it　bit　me　in　the　ass。〃
　〃And　now？〃
　〃And　now　I　see　everything　as　a　clue。　The　lack　of　clues　is　a　clue。〃
　〃Is　that　so？　I　haven't　progressed　to　that　level　yet。　Sounds　Zen。〃
　〃I　think　of　it　as　Sherlockian。　You　know；　the　dog　that　did　not　bark　in　the　night。〃　We　went　into　the　kitchen。　〃Why　did　the　dog　not　bark？〃
　〃It　was　dead。〃
　It's　hard　adjusting　to　a　new　partner。　I　don't　like　the　young；　sycophantic　guys　who　hang　on　your　every　word。　But　I　don't　like　smart…asses；　either。　I'm　at　that　age　and　rank　where　I　get　respect　and　earn　respect；　but　I'm　still　open　to　an　occasional　piece　of　reality。
　Cynthia　and　I　contemplated　the　bolted　basement　door。　I　said；　not　apropos　of　the　door；　but　of　life；　〃My　wife　left　clues　all　over　the　place。〃
　She　didn't　reply。
　〃But　I　never　saw　the　clues。〃
　〃Sure　you　did。〃
　〃Well　。。。　in　retrospect　I　did。　But　when　you're　young；　you're　pretty　dense。　You're　full　of　yourself；　you　don't　read　other　people　well；　you。　haven't　been　lied　to　and　cheated　too　much；　and　you　lack　the　cynicism　and　suspicion　that　makes　for　a　good　detective。〃
　〃A　good　detective；　Paul；　has　to　separate　his　or　her　professional　life　from　his　or　her　personal　life。　I　wouldn't　want　a　man　who　snooped　on　me。〃
　〃Obviously　not；　considering；　your　past。〃
　〃Fuck　off。〃
　Score　one　for　Paul。　I　threw　back　the　bolt　on　the　door。　〃Your　turn。〃
　〃Okay。　I　wish　you　had　your　pistol。〃　She　handed　me　her　Smith　&　Wesson　and　opened　the　basement　door。
　〃Maybe　I　should　go　and　get　that　M…16　upstairs；〃　I　offered。
　〃Never　rely　on　a　weapon　you　just　found　and　never　tested。　Says　so　in　the　manual。　Just　call　out；　then　cover　me。〃
　I　shouted　down　the　stairs；　〃Police！　e　to　the　staircase　with　your　hands　on　your　head！〃　This　is　the　military　version　of　hands…up　and　makes　a　little　more　sense　if　you　think　about　it。　Well；　no　one　came　to　the　base　of　the　stairs；　so　Cynthia　had　to　go　down。　She　said　in　a　quiet　voice；　〃Leave　the　lights　off。　I'll　break　to　the　right。　Wait　five　seconds。〃
　〃You　wait　one　second。〃　I　looked　around　for　something　to　throw　down　the　stairs　and　spotted　a　toaster　oven；　but　Cynthia　was　off　and　running；　down　the　cellar　stairs　in　long　leaps；　barely　hitting　the　steps　on　her　way　down。　I　saw　her　shoulder…roll　to　the　right　and　lost　sight　of　her。　I　followed；　breaking　to　the　left；　and　wound　up　in　a　firing　crouch；　peering　into　the　darkness。　We　waited　in　silence　for　a　full　ten　seconds；　then　I　shouted；　〃Ed；　John；　cover　us！〃　I　wished　there　were　an　Ed　and　John　around；　but　as　Captain　Campbell　might　have　said；　〃Create　phantom　battalions　in　the　minds　of　the　enemy。〃
　By　now；　I　figured　that　if　anyone　was　down　there；　they　weren't　lying　in　ambush；　but　were　cowering。　Right？
　Anyway；　Cynthia；　who　was　obviously　impatient　with　my　caution；　bounded　back　up　the　stairs　and　hit　the　light　switches。　Fluorescent　bulbs　flickered　all　over　the　large　open　basement；　then　burst　into　that　stark　white　light　that　I　associated　with　unpleasant　places。
　Cynthia　came　back　down　the　stairs　and　we　surveyed　the　basement。　It　was　a　standard　layout　of　washer　and　dryer；　workbench；　storage；　heating；　air…conditioning；　and　so　on。　The　floor　and　walls　were　bare　concrete；　and　the　ceiling　was　bare　beams；　electric；　and　plumbing。
　We　examined　the　workbench　and　the　dark　corners；　but　it　was　uninteresting　in　the　extreme　except　that　Ann　Campbell　possessed　a　lot　of　sporting　equipment。　In　fact；　the　entire　wall　to　the　right　of　the　workbench　was　pegboard；　from　floor　to　ceiling；　from　which　protruded　those　wire　holders　in　every　size　and　shape；　and　hanging　from　the　wire　holders　were　skis；　tennis　rackets；　squash　rackets；　a　baseball　bat；　scuba　gear；　and　so　forth。　Very　organized。　Also；　fixed　to　the　pegboard　with　screws　was　a　recruiting　poster；　about　six　feet　from　top　to　bottom；　showing　none　other　than　Captain　Ann　Campbell；　a　head…to…foot　shot　of　her　in　battle　dress　uniform；　wearing　full　field　gear；　with　an　M…16　rifle　slung　under　her　right　arm；　a　radiotelephone　cradled　against　her　ear；　while　she　juggled　a　field　map　and　checked　her　watch。　Her　face　was　smeared　with　camouflage　greasepaint；　but　only　a　eunuch　would　fail　to　see　the　subtle　sexuality　in　this　photo。　The　caption　on　top　of　the　poster　said；　Time　to　Synchronize　Your　Life。　On　the　bottom；　it　said；　See　Your　Army　Recruiter　Today。　What　it　didn't　say　was；　〃Meet　people　of　the　opposite　sex　in　close　proximity；　sleep　with　them　out　in　the　woods；　bathe　with　them　in　streams；　and　engage　in　other　intimate　outdoorsy　things　where　no　one　has　any　privacy。〃
　Well；　maybe　I　was　projecting　my　own　sexual　reveries　into　the　photo；　but　I　think　the　civilian　advertising　types　who　put　the　poster　together　were　a　little　bit　aware　of　what　my　dirty　mind　saw。　I　nodded　toward　the　poster　and　said　to　Cynthia；　〃What　do　you　think？〃
　She　shrugged；　〃Good　poster。〃
　〃Do　you　see　the　subliminal　sexual　message？〃
　〃No。　Point　to　it。〃
　〃Well　。。。　it's　subliminal。　How　can　I　point　to　it？〃
　〃Tell　me　about　it。〃
　I　had　the　feeling　I　was　being　baited；　so　I　said；　〃Woman　with　a　gun。　Gun　is　penis　object；　penis　substitute。　Map　and　watch　represent　a　subconscious　desire　to　have　sex；　but　on　her　terms；　timewise　and　location…wise。　She's　talking　to　a　man　on　the　radiophone；　giving　him　her　grid　coordinates　and　telling　him　he　has　fifteen　minutes　to　find　her。〃
　Cynthia　glanced　at　her　own　watch　and　informed　me；　〃I　think　it's　time　to　go；　Paul。〃
　〃Right。〃
　We　started　back　up　the　stairs；　but　then　I　glanced　back　into　the　basement　and　said；　〃We're　missing　some　floor　space。〃
　As　if　on　cue；　we　both　turned　and　beelined　for　the　pegboard　wall；　the　only　wall　that　did　not　show　the　bare　concrete　foundation　wall。　I　knocked　on　the　pegboard；　pushed　on　the　four…by…eight…foot　panels；　but　they　seemed　solid　enough；　nailed　firmly　in　place　to　a　stud　frame；　which　I　could　see　through　the　small　peg　holes。　I　found　a　long；　pointed　awl　on　the　workbench　and　slid　it　through　one　of　the　peg　holes；　and　after　about　two　inches　it　struck　a　solid　object。　I　pushed　farther；　and　the　point　of　the　awl　penetrated　into　something　soft；　something　that　was　not　a　concrete　foundation　wall。　I　said　to　Cynthia；　〃This　is　a　false　wall。　There's　no　foundation　behind　it。〃
　She　didn't　reply；　and　I　looked　to　my　left　where　Cynthia　was　standing　facing　the　recruiting　poster。　She　grasped　the　wooden　frame　of　the　poster　with　her　fingertips；　pulled；　and　the　poster　swung　out　on　blind　hinges；　revealing　a　dark　open　space。　I　moved　quickly　beside　her　and　we　stood　there；　back…lighted　by　the　bright　fluorescents　of　the　basement。
　After　a　few　seconds；　during　which　time　we　were　not　perforated　with　bullet　holes；　my　eyes　adjusted　to　the　darkness　of　the　space　before　us；　and　I　could　begin　to　make　out　some　objects　in　the　room　that　appeared　to　be　furniture。　I　could　also　make　out　the　glow　of　a　digital　clock　across　the　room；　and　I　estimated　that　the　room　was　fifteen　feet　deep　and　probably　about　forty　or　fifty　feet　long；　the　length　of　the　town　house　itself　from　front　to　rear。
　I　handed　Cynthia　her　。38　and　felt　along　the　inside　wall　for　a　light　switch；　menting；　〃This　is　where　the　Campbells　probably　keep　their　demented；　drooling　relative。〃　I　found　the　switch　and　flipped　it；　turning　on　a　table　lamp；　which　revealed　a　pletely　finished　and　furnished　room。　I　moved　forward　cautiously；　and　out　of　the　corner　of　my　eye；　I　saw　Cynthia　in　a　firing　crouch；　her　。38　sweeping　the　room。
　I　kneeled　and　peeked　under　the　bed；　then　stood　and　moved　around；　checking　the　closet；　then　a　small　bathroom　off　to　the　right；　while　Cynthia　covered　me。
　Cynthia　and　I　stood　across　from　each　other；　and　I　said；　〃Well；　here　it　is。〃
　And；　indeed；　there　it　was。　There　was　a　double　bed；　a　nightstand　on　which　sat　the　lighted　lamp；　a　chest　of　drawers；　a　long　table　on　which　sat　a　stereo　system；　a　television；　a　VCR；　and　a　camcorder　with　a　tripod　for　home　movies；　and　everything　sat　on　a　deep　white　plush　carpet；　which　wasn't　as　clean　as　the　other　carpets。　The　walls　were　finished　in　a　light…colored　wood　paneling。　To　the　far　left　of　the　room　was　a　rolling　hospital…type　gurney；　suitable　for　massages　or　whatever。　I　noticed　now　a　mirror　mounted　on　the　ceiling　over　the　bed；　and　the　open　c