demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第57部分

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ed　her　behavior。〃
　〃Resent　it　or　not；〃　I　informed　him；　〃it　seems　to　be　a　strong　suspicion　in　some　quarters。〃
　〃What　do　you　expect　from…〃　He　shrugged　and　said；　〃Neither　I；　nor　my　work　here；　nor　this　school；　nor　my　relationship　with　Ann　Campbell；　was　very　much　appreciated　or　understood　on　this　post。〃
　I　said；　〃I　can　relate　to　that。　You　know；　I've　seen　some　of　Captain　Campbell's　video　lectures；　and　I　think　you　people　are　performing　some　vital　functions。　But　maybe　you　were　straying　into　areas　that　made　people　nervous。〃
　〃Everything　we　do　here　is　sanctioned　by　higher　mand。〃
　〃I'm　glad　to　hear　that。　But　I　think　Ann　Campbell　took　some　of　it　out　of　the　classroom　and　tried　it　on　her　own　battlefield。〃
　Moore　didn't　respond　to　that。
　I　asked　him；　〃Do　you　know　why　Ann　Campbell　kept　files　of　therapy　sessions　with　criminals？　Sex　offenders？〃
　He　thought　a　moment；　then　replied；　〃I　don't　know　that　she　did。　But　if　she　did；　it　was　a　private　pursuit。　There's　hardly　a　psychologist　here　who　doesn't　have　an　outside　project　or　interest。　Most　times　it　has　something　to　do　with　a　Ph。D。　program。〃
　〃Sounds　reasonable。〃
　Cynthia　asked　him；　〃How　did　you　feel　about　her　having　sexual　relations　with　multiple　partners？〃
　He　didn't　reply　at　first；　then　said；　〃Well　。。。　I　。。。　Who　told　you　that？〃
　Cynthia　said；　〃Everybody　but　you。〃
　〃You　never　asked。〃
　〃I'm　asking　now。　How　did　you　personally　feel　about　her　having　sexual　relations　with　men　she　didn't　care　about　just　to　get　at　her　father？〃
　He　coughed　into　his　hand；　then　replied；　〃Well　。。。　I　thought　it　was　not　wise；　especially　for　the　reasons　she　was　doing　it…〃
　〃Were　you　jealous？〃
　〃Of　course　not。　I…〃
　Cynthia　interrupted　him　again。　〃Did　you　feel　betrayed？〃
　〃Certainly　not。　We　had　a　good；　platonic；　intellectual；　and　trusting　relationship。〃
　I　wanted　to　ask　him　if　that　included　staking　her　out　naked　on　the　ground；　but　I　had　to　know　why　he　did　it。　Actually；　I　thought　I　knew　why　now。　And；　beyond　finding　the　killer；　I　could　see　now；　based　on　what　Moore　had　said　so　far　about　betrayal；　that　Ann　Campbell's　life　and　unhappiness　needed　to　be　understood。
　I　took　a　shot　in　the　dark　and　said　to　him；　〃I　understand　that　when　you　and　Captain　Campbell　were　in　the　Gulf；　you　proposed　a　psy…ops　program　called　Operation　Bonkers。〃
　He　replied；　〃I'm　not　at　liberty　to　discuss　that。〃
　〃Captain　Campbell　had　great　faith　in　the　power　of　sex　as　a　means　to　achieve　apparently　unrelated　goals。　Correct？〃
　〃I　。。。　Yes；　she　did。〃
　〃As　I　said；　I've　seen　her　psy…ops　lecture　series　on　video；　and　I　can　see　where　she　was　ing　from。　Now；　while　I　don't　deny　the　power　of　sex；　I　see　it　as　a　force　for　good；　as　an　expression　of　love　and　caring。　But　somehow；　Ann　Campbell　got　it　wrong。　Would　you　agree　with　that？〃
　He　may　have；　but　he　replied；　〃Sex　is　neither　good　nor　bad　in　itself。　But　it　is　true　that　some　people…mostly　women…use　it　as　a　tool；　a　weapon；　to　achieve　their　goals。〃
　I　turned　to　Cynthia。　〃Do　you　agree　with　that？〃
　She　seemed　a　little　annoyed；　though　I　don't　know　whom　she　was　annoyed　at。　She　replied；　however；　〃I　agree　that　some　women　use　sex；　sometimes；　as　a　weapon；　but　that　is　understood　to　be　unacceptable　behavior。　In　the　case　of　Ann　Campbell；　she　may　have　seen　sex　as　her　only　weapon　against　some　injustice；　or　against　her　feelings　of　powerlessness。　I　think；　Colonel　Moore；　if　you　knew　she　was　doing　that；　it　was　your　ethical　duty；　not　to　mention　your　duty　as　her　manding　officer；　to　try　to　stop　it。〃
　Moore　sort　of　stared　at　Cynthia　with　those　beady　little　eyes　and　said；　〃I　was　not　in　a　position　to　stop　anything。〃
　〃Why　not？〃　she　shot　back。　〃Are　you　an　officer　or　a　cabin　boy？　Were　you　her　friend　or　not？　And　surely；　since　you　weren't　seduced　by　her　charms；　you　could　have　reasoned　with　her。　Or　did　you　find　her　sexual　experiments　interesting　in　a　clinical　way？　Or　perhaps　you　were　titillated　by　the　knowledge　that　she　had　sex　with　multiple　partners？〃
　Moore　looked　at　me　and　said；　〃I　refuse　to　answer　that　or　to　speak　to　this　woman。〃
　I　informed　him；　〃You　can't　stand　behind　the　Fifth　Amendment　until　we　read　you　your　rights　as　an　accused；　which　I　have　no　intention　of　doing　at　this　time。　It's　frustrating；　I　know。　But　we'll　let　the　question　pass　for　now；　and　I　promise　you　that　Ms。　Sunhill　will　try　to　phrase　her　questions　so　that　you　don't　mistake　them　for　insubordination。〃
　Colonel　Moore　seemed　to　see　no　advantage　in　keeping　up　the　moral　indignation　routine；　so　he　nodded　and　sat　back　in　his　chair。　The　body　language　said；　〃You're　both　beneath　my　contempt。　Fire　away。〃
　Cynthia　got　herself　under　control；　and；　in　a　non…adversarial　tone　of　voice；　asked　him；　〃When　would　Ann　Campbell　have　considered　the　score　even？〃
　Moore　didn't　look　at　Cynthia　or　at　me；　but　replied　in　a　toneless；　professional　voice；　〃Unfortunately；　only　she　knew　that。　Apparently；　what　she　was　doing　to　him　was　not　enough　to　satisfy　her。　Part　of　the　problem　was　General　Campbell　himself。〃　Moore　smiled；　but　it　was　more　of　a　sneer；　and　said；　〃This　is　a　general　who　will　not　admit　he's　being　damaged；　let　alone　admit　he's　beaten　and　raise　the　white　flag。　To　the　best　of　my　knowledge；　he　never　asked　for　a　cease…fire；　to　continue　the　military　metaphor；　nor　did　he　ever　ask　for　peace　talks。　He　apparently　felt　that　whatever　he　had　done　to　her　was　canceled　out　by　what　she　was　doing　to　him。〃
　〃In　other　words；〃　Cynthia　said；　〃they　were　too　stubborn　to　negotiate。　He　never　apologized　for　his　initial　betrayal。〃
　〃Well；　he　did；　in　a　manner　of　speaking；　but　you　can　guess　what　sort　of　apology　you'd　get　from　such　a　man。〃
　Cynthia　observed；　〃It's　too　bad　so　many　innocent　people　had　to　be　hurt　while　these　two　fought　it　out。〃
　Moore　replied；　with　some　surprisingly　normal　insight；　〃That's　life；　that's　war。　When　has　it　been　any　different？〃
　Indeed　so；　I　thought。　Or；　as　Plato　said；　〃Only　the　dead　have　seen　an　end　to　war。〃
　Cynthia　asked　Colonel　Moore；　〃When　you　left　home　on　the　morning　of　the　murder；　did　you　notice　that　Ann　Campbell's　car　was　not　in　front　of　her　house？〃
　He　thought　a　moment；　then　said；　〃I　may　have。　Subconsciously。〃
　〃Don't　you　normally　take　note　of　her　car？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃So　you　don't　ever　know　if　your　subordinate；　neighbor；　and　friend　is　still　home　or　on　her　way　to　the　office。〃
　〃Well；　I　suppose　on　most　mornings　I　do。〃
　〃Did　you　ever　share　a　ride？〃
　〃Sometimes。〃
　〃Did　you　know　that　Captain　Campbell　had　an　appointment　for　breakfast　with　her　parents　that　morning？〃
　〃No　。。。　well；　yes；　now　that　you　mention　it。　She　did　tell　me　that。〃
　〃What　was　the　purpose　of　this　breakfast　meeting？〃
　〃Purpose？〃
　〃Did　the　Campbells　often　get　together　to　enjoy　one　another's　pany？〃
　〃I　suppose　not。〃
　Cynthia　said；　〃It's　my　understanding；　Colonel；　that　General　Campbell　gave　his　daughter　an　ultimatum　regarding　her　behavior；　and　that　Ann　Campbell's　reply　to　that　ultimatum　was　to　be　given　at　that　breakfast。　Correct？〃
　Colonel　Moore　for　the　first　time　looked　a　bit　uneasy；　probably　wondering　how　much　we　knew　and　from　whom　we　knew　it。
　〃Correct？〃
　〃I　。。。　She　did　tell　me　that　her　father　wanted　to　resolve　this　problem。〃
　Cynthia　was　getting　herself　worked　up　again　and　said　sharply；　〃Colonel；　either　she　did　or　didn't　tell　you　all　about　this。　Either　she　did　or　didn't　use　words　like　ultimatum；　court…martial；　ordered　therapy；　and　resignation　from　the　service。　Did　she　or　didn't　she　confide　pletely　in　you；　and　did　she　or　didn't　she　ask　your　advice？〃
　Colonel　Moore　was　clearly　angry　again　at　Cynthia's　tone；　but　he　was　also　uneasy　about　this　particular　question；　which　had　obviously　touched　on　something　that　frightened　him。　He　must　have　decided　that　we　could　not　possibly　know　enough　to　hammer　him　on　this；　so　he　replied；　〃I've　told　you　all　I　know。　She　never　told　me　what　he　proposed；　and　she　never　asked　my　advice。　I　told　you；　as　her　therapist　I　listened；　kept　my　questions　to　a　minimum；　and　only　gave　advice　when　asked。〃
　Cynthia　replied；　〃I　don't　believe　any　man　is　capable　of　that　amount　of　self…restraint　with　a　woman　he's　known　for　six　years。〃
　〃Then　you　don't　understand　therapy；　Ms。　Sunhill。　I　certainly　offered　advice　in　terms　of　her　career；　assignments；　and　such；　and　even　personal　advice　regarding　living　quarters；　vacations；　and　so　forth。　But　the