demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第48部分
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idn't even seem real。 I was firing on two cylinders and my tank was on empty。 But I needed about forty…eight more hours at this pace； then I'd be out of here in a blaze of glory； or I'd crash in flames。
Personal and career considerations aside； there was something very wrong here at Fort Hadley； a festering sore； and it needed to be lanced and washed clean。 That much I knew I could do。
Through the rippled glass and steam on the shower door； I saw a figure standing in the entrance to Cynthia's room。 〃Okay if I e in？〃
〃Sure。〃
She was wearing something white； probably a nightshirt； and disappeared into the stall where the toilet was。 A few minutes later she reappeared and went to the sink； her back to me。 She washed her face and called out over the noise of the shower； 〃How do you feel？〃
〃Fine。 How about you？〃
〃Not bad。 Did I hear your phone ring？〃
〃Yes。 Colonel Fowler。 Just a harassment call。〃
She laughed。 〃You deserve it。〃 She began brushing her teeth。
My phone rang again； and I said； 〃That's the CQ。 Can you get it？〃
She rinsed her mouth。 〃Sure。〃 She went into my room and came back a few seconds later。 〃It's five…thirty。〃 She went back to the sink； gargled； then asked me； 〃Are you taking one of your marathon showers？〃
〃Yes。 Do you want to save time？〃
Silence。 Maybe that was too subtle。 〃Cynthia？〃
She turned away from the sink； and I heard her say to herself； 〃Oh； what the hell。〃
I saw her pull off her nightshirt； and she opened the shower door and stepped inside。 〃Do my back。〃
So I did。 Then I did her front。 We embraced and kissed； and the water ran over us； and our bodies pressed closer together。 The body remembers an old lover； I think； and a flood of good memories came back to me； and it was as if we were in Brussels again。 Woody remembered； too； and rose happily； like an old hound dog whose master walks in the door after a year's absence。 Ruff； ruff！
〃Paul 。。。 it's all right 。。。 go ahead。〃
〃Yes； it's all right。 It's good。 Here or in bed？〃
〃Here。 Now。〃
But； as luck would have it； the phone rang again； and she said； 〃You'd better get that。〃
〃Damn it！〃 We separated； and Cynthia hung the washcloth on my hook and laughed。
I threw the washcloth aside and said； 〃Don't go anywhere。〃 I got out of the shower； grabbed a towel on my way； and picked up the phone on my nightstand。 〃Brenner here。〃
〃Well； now； you're a hell of a hard man to find。〃
〃Who's this？〃
〃It ain't your mommy； son。〃
〃Oh 。。。〃
Chief Yardley informed me； 〃Bill Kent just told me you decided to stay on post。 Why don't you e on home to your trailer？〃
〃What？〃
〃I spent the whole damn day tryin' to figure where you were at； and I get here and you're AWOL； boy。 e on home。〃
〃What the hell…are you in my trailer？〃
〃Sure thing； Paul。 But you ain't。〃
〃Hey； Chief； do you practice that cracker accent； or what？〃
〃Sure 'nuf； boy。〃 He laughed。 〃Hey； tell you what…I'm cleanin' this place out for you。 No use payin' rent someplace you ain't gonna see again。〃
〃You have no right…〃
〃Hold that thought awhile； son。 We might get back to that。 Meantime； e on down to my office and gather up your stuff。〃
〃Chief； there is government property in there…〃
〃Yeah； I saw that。 Had to bust a lock。 Got a gun here； some official…lookin' papers； some weird book fulla codes or somethin' 。。。 what else we got here？ Pair of cuffs； some uniforms and ID from a guy named White 。。。 you sleepin' with some guy？〃
Cynthia came into the room wrapped in a bath towel and sat on the bed。 I said to Yardley； 〃Okay； you skunked me。〃
〃Let's see 。。。 box of rubbers； prissy little bikini shorts 。。。 that yours or your boyfriend's？〃
〃Chief…〃
〃Tell you what； son…you e on over to the station and pick this here stuff up。 I'll be waitin' on ya。〃
〃You deliver the government property to the provost office。 I'll meet you there at noon。〃
〃Let me think on that awhile。〃
〃You do that。 And bring Wes with you。 I'd like to talk to him。〃
Silence； followed by； 〃You can talk to him at my office。
〃I'll just wait to see him at the funeral service here。 I assume he'll attend。〃
〃I reckon he will。 But we don't conduct business at funerals around here。〃
〃You should。 That's where everybody shows up after a murder。〃
〃I'll tell you what…I'll let you talk to him because I want to see the son…of…a…bitch who done this in the pokey。 But I'm lettin' you know now； my boy was on duty when it happened； and his partner will verify that； and we got tapes of his radio calls all night。〃
〃I'm sure of that。 Meanwhile； you can have access to the hangar as of now。 I want to send my lab people to Captain Campbell's house。〃
〃Yeah？ What for？ Y'all took every damn thing。 My boys had to bring their own damn toilet paper。〃
〃I'll see you and Wes at noon。 Bring my stuff and the government's stuff。〃
〃Don't hold your breath； son。〃
He hung up； and I stood； wrapping the towel around me。 Cynthia asked； 〃Burt Yardley？〃
〃Sure 'nuf。〃
〃What did he want？〃
〃My ass； mostly。 The SOB cleaned out my trailer。〃 I laughed。 〃I like this guy。 Too many wimps around these days。 This guy is a genuine； hard…ass old prick。〃
〃That'll be you next year。〃
〃I hope so。〃 I looked at my watch on the nightstand。 〃It's ten after six。 Do we have time？〃
She stood。 〃I have to dry my hair； get dressed； do my face…〃
〃All right。 Rain check？〃
〃Sure。〃 She walked to the bathroom door； then turned and asked me； 〃Are you seeing anyone？〃
〃Yes。 Colonel Fowler at seven； then Moore about eight…〃
〃I forgot； you don't like that expression。 Are you romantically involved with anyone？〃
〃No； I'm kind of between meaningful relationships at the moment。 Truth is； no one since you。〃
〃Good。 Keeps it simple。〃
〃Right。 Except for Major what's…his…name。 Your husband？〃
〃I'm very clear about that now。〃
〃That's encouraging。 We don't want a repeat of Brussels； do we？〃
She laughed。 〃Sorry。 Why do I find that funny？〃
〃Because you weren't looking down the muzzle of the gun。
〃No； but you didn't have to listen to him for the next year。 But； okay； Paul； I owe you for that。 I'll pay off tonight； then we'll see where it goes。〃
〃Looking forward to it。〃
〃Me； too。〃 She hesitated； then said； 〃You're too obsessed with 。。。 this case。 You need a release。〃
〃You're a sensitive and nurturing partner。〃
She disappeared into the bathroom； and I found yesterday's shorts and yesterday's socks。 I got dressed； thinking； as I went through the motions； that life is a series of plications； some small； like where to get clean underwear； some a little bigger； like the one who just left the room。 How you handle life depends a lot on how you handle plan B； or if you have a plan B。
Anyway； as I checked to see if my Glock had a firing pin and ammunition； I considered that the time had e for me to settle down a bit； and that what I didn't need anymore was a little light sport…fucking now and then。
Right。 Whatever happened tonight with Cynthia would be the real thing。 Something good had to e out of this mess。
CHAPTER TWENTY…ONE
Bethany Hill is Fort Hadley's Shaker Heights； though considerably smaller and not as well manicured。 There are about thirty solid brick colonial…style homes set in an area of some sixty acres of oaks； beech； maple； and other high…ranking trees； while the lowly southern pine is specifically absent。 All of the houses go back to the 1920s and '30s； when officers were gentlemen； were expected to live on post； and there weren't so many of them。
Times change； and the officer population has swelled beyond the Army's needs and its ability to give each one a house； a horse； and a manservant。 But the top dogs on post still get the houses on the hill if they want them； and Colonel Fowler probably felt that living on post was good politics。 Mrs。 Fowler may have also preferred Fort Hadley。 Not that Midland is a bastion of Old South attitudes toward blacks； it is not； having been influenced by decades of close proximity to the fort。 But Bethany Hill； sometimes called the colonels' ghetto； was probably more fortable in social terms than a similar neighborhood in town。
Bethany Hill's only disadvantage was its proximity to the rifle ranges；
