demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第7部分
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〃No。 We'll keep this in the family； Bill。〃
〃You can't go search her off…post house without a civilian search warrant…〃
Cynthia handed me the keys from Ann Campbell's bag and said； 〃I'll drive。〃
Kent protested； 〃You can't go off post without civilian authority。〃
I detached Ann Campbell's car keys from the key chain and gave them to Kent； along with the victim's handbag。 〃Find out where her car is and impound it。〃
As we walked toward Cynthia's Mustang； I said to Kent； 〃You should stay here to direct things。 When you write your report； you can write that I said I was going to the Midland police。 I'll take responsibility for my change of mind。〃
〃Yardley is a tough； redneck son…of…a…bitch；〃 Kent informed me。 〃He'll get your ass； Paul。〃
〃He has to stand in line and wait his turn。〃 To get Kent squared away so he didn't do anything stupid； I said； 〃Look； Bill； I have to have first look at Ann Campbell's place。 I have to remove anything that might embarrass her； her family； the Army； or her military colleagues and friends。 Right？ Then we'll let Chief Yardley have his shot at the house。 Okay？〃
He seemed to process this correctly and nodded。
Cynthia got behind the wheel of her Mustang and I got in the passenger seat。 I said to Kent； 〃I may call you from there。 Think positive。〃
Cynthia threw the five…liter Mustang into first gear； made a U…turn； and we were off； zero to sixty in about six seconds； along the lonely Rifle Range Road。
I listened to the engine for a while and neither of us spoke； then Cynthia said； 〃I feel queasy。〃
〃Pretty awful；〃 I agreed。
〃Disgusting。〃 She glanced at me。 〃Are you used to it？〃
〃God； no。〃 I added； 〃I don't see that many homicides and not many like this。〃
She nodded； then took a deep breath。 〃I think I can help you on this one。 But I don't want it to be awkward。〃
〃No problem；〃 I said。 〃But we'll always have Brussels。〃
〃Where？〃
〃Belgium。 The capital。〃 Bitch。
We sat in silence； then Cynthia asked； 〃Why？〃
〃Why is Brussels the capital？ Or why will we always have it？〃
〃No； Paul； why was she murdered？〃
〃Oh 。。。 well； the possible motives in homicide cases；〃 I replied； 〃are profit； revenge； jealousy； to conceal a crime； to avoid humiliation or disgrace； and homicidal mania。 Says so in the manual。〃
〃And what do you think？〃
〃Well； when rape precedes homicide； it usually es down to revenge or jealousy or possibly to conceal the identity of the rapist。 She may have known him； or she could have identified him afterward if he wasn't wearing a mask or disguise。〃 I added； 〃On the other hand； this certainly looks like a lust murder； the work of a homicidal rapist…a person who gets his sexual release from the killing itself； and he may not even have penetrated her with his penis。 That's what it looks like； but we don't know yet。〃
Cynthia nodded； but offered nothing。
I asked her； 〃What do you think？〃
She let a few seconds go by； then replied； 〃Obviously premeditated。 The perpetrator had a rape kit…the tent pegs； rope； and presumably something to drive the pegs into the ground。 The perpetrator must have been armed in order to overe the victim's own weapon。〃
〃Go on。〃
〃Well； the perpetrator got the drop on her； then made her toss away her weapon； then made her strip and walk out on the rifle range。〃
〃Okay。 I'm trying to picture how he managed to stake her out and still keep her under his control。 I don't think she was the submissive type。〃
Cynthia replied； 〃Neither do I。 But there may have been two of them。 And I wouldn't make the assumption that the perpetrator or perpetrators was a he until we have some lab evidence。〃
〃Okay。〃 I was obviously having trouble with personal pronouns this morning。 〃Why weren't there any signs of struggle on her part； or brutalization on his…on the perpetrator's part？〃
She shook her head。 〃Don't know。 You usually get some brutalization 。。。 The ligature isn't what you'd call friendly； however。〃
〃No；〃 I replied； 〃but the guy didn't hate her。〃
〃He didn't like her much； either。〃
〃He may have。 Look； Cynthia； you do this stuff for a living。 Does this resemble any rape you've ever seen or heard about？〃
She mulled that over； then said； 〃It has some of the elements of what we call an organized rape。 The assailant planned a rape。 But I don't know if the assailant knew her； or if the assailant was just cruising and she was a victim of opportunity。〃
〃The assailant may have been in uniform；〃 I suggested； 〃which was why she was not on her guard。〃
〃Possible。〃
I looked out the open window； smelled the morning dews and damps among the thick pines； and felt the rising sun on my face。 I rolled up the window and sat back； trying to picture what preceded what I had just seen； like running the film backward； Ann Campbell staked out on the ground； then standing naked； then walking from the jeep； and so on。 A lot of it didn't pute。
Cynthia broke into my thoughts。 〃Paul； the uniform had her name tag on it； and so did her dog tags； obviously； and probably her helmet and boots had her name stenciled inside。 So what do the missing items have in mon？ Her name。 Correct？〃
〃Correct。〃 Women bring different things to the party。 And that's okay。 Really。
She said； 〃So this guy is into 。。。 what？ Trophies？ Proof？ Mementos and souvenirs？ That's consistent with the personality and profile of an organized sex offender。〃
〃But he left her underwear and handbag。〃 I added； 〃Actually； what all the missing items have in mon is that they are all her military issue； including her holster and sidearm； and they would not have her name on them。 He left the civilian stuff behind； including her watch and her handbag； which has all sorts of things with her name on them。 Correct？〃
〃Is this a contest？〃
〃No； Cynthia。 It's a homicide investigation。 We're brainstorming。〃
〃Okay。 Sorry。 That's what partners are supposed to do in a homicide investigation。〃
〃Right。〃 Partner？
Cynthia stayed silent a moment； then said； 〃You know this stuff。〃
〃I hope so。〃
〃Okay； why did he take only her military issue？〃
〃Ancient warriors stripped the arms and armor from their dead enemies。 They left the loincloths。〃
〃That's why he took her military issue？〃
〃Maybe。 Just a thought。 Could be a red herring。 Could be some other mental derangement that I'm not familiar with。〃
She glanced at me as she drove。
I added； 〃He may not have raped her。 But he staked her out like that to draw attention to the sexual nature of his act； or possibly to dishonor her body； to reveal her nakedness to the world。〃
〃Why？〃
〃Don't know yet。〃
〃Maybe you do。〃
〃I have to think about it。 I'm starting to think he knew her。〃 Actually； I knew he knew her。 We rode in silence a while longer； then I said to Cynthia； 〃I don't know why it happened； but how does this sound for how it happened： Ann Campbell leaves Post Headquarters and goes directly to the rifle range； stopping a good distance from PFC Robbins's guard post。 She has a preplanned rendezvous with a lover。 They do this often。 He plays the armed bandito and gets the drop on her； makes her strip； and they get into some kinky S&M and bondage thing。〃 I glanced at Cynthia。 〃You know what I mean？〃
〃I know nothing about sexual perversions。 That's your department。〃
〃Well said。〃
She added； 〃Your scenario sounds like male fantasy。 I mean； what woman would go through all that trouble to be staked out on the cold ground and call that fun？〃
I could see this was going to be a long day； and I hadn't even had my breakfast yet。 I said； 〃Do you know why her panties were under the rope around her neck？〃
〃No； why？〃
〃Check the homicide manual under sexual asphyxia。〃
〃Okay。〃
〃Also； did you notice that there seemed to be a blacktop stain on the sole of her right foot？〃
〃I didn't。〃
〃If it came from the road； why was she barefoot on the road？〃
〃He made her strip in； or near； the jeep。〃
〃Then why was her underwear on the rifle range？〃
Cynthia replied； 〃She may have been forced to take off her clothes at； or in； the jeep； then she or the perpetrator carried them to where she was staked out。〃
〃Why？〃
〃Part of the script； Paul。 Sex offenders have incredibly involved fantasies
