demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第27部分

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　〃Has　she　been　to　yours？〃
　〃Yes。　A　number　of　times。　For　social　functions。〃
　〃Does　your　wife　like　her？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Why　not？〃
　〃You　figure　it　out；　Brenner。〃
　〃Okay。　I　figured　it　out。〃　Cynthia　had　the　good　sense　to　not　join　in　my　interrogation　of　a　high…ranking　officer；　so　I　turned　to　her。　〃Any　questions　for　Colonel　Kent？〃
　Cynthia　replied；　〃Just　the　obvious　one。〃　She　looked　at　Kent。
　He　said；　〃I　was　never　intimate　with　her。　If　I　had　been；　I　would　have　told　you　from　minute　one。〃
　〃One　hopes　so；〃　I　said。　I　asked　him；　〃Did　she　have　a　steady　boyfriend？〃
　〃Not　that　I　know　of。〃
　〃Did　she　have　any　known　enemies？〃
　He　thought　about　that；　then　replied；　〃Some　women　didn't　like　her。　I　think　they　felt　threatened。　Some　men　didn't　like　her。　They　felt　。。。〃
　〃Inadequate？〃　Cynthia　prompted。
　〃Yes。　Something　like　that。　Or　maybe　she　was　a　little　cool　with　some　of　the　younger；　unmarried　officers　who　had　the　hots　for　her。　But　as　for　real　enemies；　I　don't　know　of　any。〃　He　hesitated；　then　added；　〃Considering　how　she　died；　I　think　it　was　a　lust　murder。　I　mean；　there　are　women　who　you　might　have　healthy　sexual　or　romantic　fantasies　about；　but　Ann　Campbell；　I　think；　provoked　rape　fantasies　in　some　men。　I　think　somebody　just　went　for　it。　After　the　rape；　the　guy　knew　he　was　in　a　world　of　serious　trouble。　Maybe　Ann　taunted　him；　for　all　we　know。　I　wouldn't　put　it　past　her。　The　guy　thought　about　life　in　Leavenworth　and　strangled　her。〃　Kent　looked　at　me　and　Cynthia。　〃A　lot　of　guys　are　pulled　around　by　the　one…eyed；　heat…seeking　monster；　and　it　leads　them　right　to　hell。　I've　seen　too　much　of　that　on　this　job。　So　have　you。〃
　True　enough。　But　in　this　case；　I　was　focusing　more　on　the　thing　that　the　monster　was　seeking。　I　asked　Kent；　〃Well；　do　you　know　if　she　dated？　Was　she　sexually　active？〃
　〃I　don't　know　if　she　was　sexually　active。　I　only　know　one　unmarried　officer　who　dated　her…Lieutenant　Elby；　one　of　the　general's　aides…but　she　never　discussed　her　private　life　with　me；　and　her　behavior　never　came　to　my　attention　professionally。　On　the　other　hand；　you　have　to　wonder　what　she　did　for　fun。〃
　〃What　do　you　think　she　did　for　fun？〃
　〃What　I　would　do　in　her　situation。　Keep　my　professional　life　here　separate　from　my　social　life　in　the　civilian　munity。〃
　〃What　kind　of　files　does　Yardley　have　on　her？〃
　〃Well　。。。　I　guess　he　means　when　she　was　arrested　in　Midland　about　a　year　ago。　Before　she　was　even　booked；　Yardley　called　me　and　I　went　downtown　and　picked　her　up。〃
　〃So　she　did　e　to　your　attention　professionally。〃
　〃Sort　of。　This　was　unofficial。　Yardley　said　there　would　be　no　file；　no　record　of　the　arrest。〃
　〃Obviously　he　lied。　What　was　she　arrested　for？〃
　〃Yardley　said　it　was　for　disturbing　the　peace。〃
　〃In　what　way　did　Ann　Campbell　disturb　the　peace　of　Midland？〃
　〃She　had　an　altercation　with　some　guy　on　the　street。〃
　〃Any　details？〃
　〃No。　Yardley　wouldn't　say。　Just　said　to　get　her　home。〃
　〃So　you　took　her　home。〃
　〃No；　I　told　you　I　don't　know　where　she　lives；　Brenner。　Don't　try　that　shit　with　me。　In　fact；　I　took　her　back　to　post。　That　was　at　about　2300　hours。　She　was　cold　sober；　by　the　way。　So　I　took　her　for　a　drink　at　the　O　Club。　She　never　told　me　what　happened；　and　I　didn't　ask。　I　called　her　a　taxi　and　she　left　about　midnight。〃
　〃You　don't　know　the　name　of　the　man　involved；　or　the　arresting　officer？〃
　〃No。　But　I'm　sure　Yardley　does。　Ask　him〃…Kent　smiled…〃now　that　you　have　his　full　cooperation。　Any　other　questions？〃
　Cynthia　said　to　him；　〃How　did　you　feel　when　you　were　informed　that　she　was　dead？〃
　〃Stunned。〃
　〃Sad？〃
　〃Of　course。　And　sad　for　General　and　Mrs。　Campbell。　And　damned　angry；　and　a　little　upset　knowing　it　happened　on　my　beat。　I　liked　her；　but　we　weren't　so　close　that　I　took　it　very　badly。　I'm　more　upset　professionally。〃
　I　mented；　〃I　appreciate　your　honesty。〃
　〃You're　going　to　appreciate　it　more　when　you　start　hearing　the　bullshit。〃
　〃No　doubt。〃　I　asked　him；　〃Any　questions　for　me？〃
　He　smiled。　〃What　did　you　say　the　traveling　time　was　between　post　and　Whispering　Pines？〃
　〃Half　an　hour。　Less　in　the　early　morning　hours。〃
　He　nodded；　then　surveyed　the　furniture　and　household　goods　in　the　hangar。　〃Look　all　right　to　you？〃
　〃It's　okay。　Good　job。　But　get　some　portable　partitions　up；　hang　the　pictures；　and　hang　the　clothes　on　poles　where　the　closets　were。〃　I　asked　him；　〃Did　they　get　the　stuff　out　of　the　basement？〃　I　glanced　at　Cynthia。
　Kent　replied；　〃Yes。　Over　there；　still　in　boxes。　We'll　get　some　tables　and　shelves　to　simulate　the　basement　area。〃　He　thought　a　moment；　then　mented；　〃I　would　have　thought　there　would　be　。。。　something　more　here。　Did　you　happen　to　notice；　for　instance；　that　there　were　no　。。。　personal　items？〃
　〃You　mean　like　birth　control　items？　Letters　from　men；　photos　of　boyfriends；　sexual　aids　and　erotica？〃
　〃Well；　I　don't　know　if　single　women　keep　sexual　aids　。。。　and　I　didn't　look　closely　for　letters　and　such　。。。　I　guess　I　meant　birth　control　pills　or　devices。〃
　〃Did　you　touch　anything；　Bill？〃
　〃No。〃　He　pulled　a　pair　of　surgical　gloves　out　of　his　trouser　pockets。　〃But　I　may　have　touched　something　bare…handed　when　I　was　supervising　the　unloading。　Yardley　touched　a　few　things；　too；　by　accident。〃
　〃Or　on　purpose。〃
　Kent　nodded。　〃Or　on　purpose。　Add　another　suspect　to　the　list。〃
　〃I　already　have。〃　I　walked　over　to　where　Ann　Campbell's　office　furniture　had　been　placed。　It　was　the　sort　of　spartan　stuff　that　the　Army　likes　to　buy　on　the　one　hand；　while　they　lobby　Congress　for　three…million…dollar　tanks　on　the　other。
　The　office　consisted　of　a　steel　desk；　a　swivel　chair；　two　folding　chairs；　a　bookshelf；　two　upright　file　cabinets；　and　a　puter　station。　The　books　on　the　shelves　were　all　standard　texts　on　psychology；　plus　military　publications　on　the　same　subject；　as　well　as　on　psychological　operations；　POW　studies；　and　other　related　subjects。
　I　opened　a　file　drawer　and　read　the　folder　tabs；　which　seemed　to　refer　to　lecture　notes。　The　next　drawer　was　marked　〃Confidential；〃　so　I　opened　it　and　saw　that　the　folders　were　not　named；　but　numbered。　I　drew　out　one　of　the　folders　and　scanned　the　papers　inside。　The　pages　appeared　to　be　a　transcribed　interview　with　a　person　identified　only　by　the　initials　〃R。J。〃　The　interviewer　was　identified　as　〃Q；〃　for　question　or　questioner。　It　looked　like　a　typical　format　for　a　psychological　interview　or　session；　but　the　person　being　interviewed；　according　to　page　one；　was　a　convicted　sex　offender。　The　questions　were　things　like　〃How　did　you　pick　your　victim？〃　and　〃What　did　she　say　to　you　when　you　told　her　she　had　to　perform　oral　sex　on　you？〃　I　closed　the　file。　This　was　pretty　standard　stuff　in　a　police　or　prison　psychologist's　office；　but　I　didn't　see　how　it　related　to　psychological　warfare。　Obviously；　this　was　a　private　interest　of　Ann　Campbell's。
　I　closed　the　drawer　and　went　to　her　puter　station。　I　don't　even　know　how　to　turn　these　things　on；　but　I　said　to　Kent；　〃There　is　a　woman　in　Falls　Church；　Grace　Dixon；　who　squeezes　the　brains　of　personal　puters。　I'll　get　her　down　here；　and　I　don't　want　anyone　else　messing　with　this　thing。〃
　Cynthia　had　gone　into　the　transplanted　study　and　was　looking　at　the　answering　machine。　〃There's　a　call　here。〃
　Kent　nodded。　〃Came　in　about　noon；　a　few　minutes　after　the　phone　pany　got　the　call…forwarding　in　place。〃
　Cynthia　pushed　the　play　button　and　a　male　voice　said；　〃Ann；　this　is　Charles。　I　tried　you　earlier；　but　your　phone　was　out　of　order。　I　knew　you　wouldn't　be　at　work　this　morning；　but　I　want　you　to　know　that　a　group　of　MPs　were　here　and　they've　removed　your　entire　office。　They　wouldn't　tell　me　anything　about　it。　Please　call　me；　or　meet　me　at　the　O　Club　for　lunch　or　something。　This　is　very　strange。　I'd　call　the　police；　but　they　are　the　police。〃　He　chuckled；　but　it　was　forced。　He　continued；　〃I　hope　this　is　nothing　serious。　Call　me。
　I　asked　Kent；　〃Who　is　that？〃
　〃Colonel　Charles　Moore。　Ann's　boss　at　the　school。〃
　〃What　do　you　know　about　him？〃
　〃Well；　he's　a　shrink；　too；　of　course。　Ph。D。　type。　An　odd　duck。　Sort　of　on　the　fringes。　That　whole　school　is　on　the　fringe。　Sometimes　I　think　they　should　put　a　fence　around　it；　with　guard　towers。〃
　Cynthia　asked　Kent；　〃Were　they　friends？〃
　Kent　nodded。