demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第77部分

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　CHAPTER　THIRTY
　
　I　pointed　the　Blazer　toward　the　Officers'　Club；　and　we　drove　in　silence；　then　I　asked　Cynthia；　〃Why　do　you　think　it　was　Kent？〃
　〃Instinct。〃
　〃Instinct　is　what　put　Kent　between　Ann　Campbell's　thighs。　Why　do　you　think　he　murdered　her？〃
　〃I　don't　know　that　he　did；　Paul。　But　we've　eliminated　other　suspects。　The　Yardley　boys　have　tight　alibis；　we　know　what　Colonel　Moore　did；　and　the　Fowlers　are　each　other's　witnesses；　and　the　general；　and；　for　that　matter；　Mrs。　Campbell；　are　clean　as　far　as　I'm　concerned。　Sergeant　St。　John　and　MP　Casey；　who　found　the　body；　are　not　likely　suspects；　and　neither　is　anyone　else　we've　spoken　to　or　heard　about。〃
　〃But　there's　Major　Bowes；　Colonel　Weems；　Lieutenant　Elby；　the　head　chaplain；　the　medical　officer；　and　about　thirty　other　officers　who　had　a　motive。　Plus；　there　are　the　wives　of　those　officers；　if　you　think　about　that。　That's　a　possibility。〃
　〃True。　And　there　could　very　well　be　someone　else　out　there　whom　we　haven't　even　heard　of。　But　you　have　to　consider　opportunity　and　the　will　to　mit　murder。〃
　〃Right。　Unfortunately；　we　don't　have　the　time　to　interview　all　the　men　in　her　diary。　And　I'd　hate　to　think　of　the　FBI　doing　that；　because　they'll　write　a　two…hundred…page　report　on　every　one　of　them。　Kent　is　a　possible　suspect；　but　I　don't　want　him　to　be　a　convenient　suspect　like　he…and　some　others　here…tried　to　make　of　Colonel　Moore。〃
　〃I　understand　that。　But　it　just　struck　me　at　some　point　that　Kent　fits。〃
　〃When　did　it　strike　you？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　In　the　shower。〃
　〃I'll　pass　on　that。〃
　〃Do　you　think　he'll　join　us　for　a　drink？〃
　〃He　was　vague。　But　if　he's　the　murderer；　he'll　be　there。　I've　never　seen　it　fail　yet。　They　want　to　be　close；　to　see；　to　hear；　to　try　to　manipulate　the　investigation。　And　the　bright　ones　are　not　obvious　about　it。　I　certainly　wouldn't　say　that　if　Kent　joined　us　for　a　drink　he　is　the　murderer。　But　if　he　doesn't　show　up；　I'd　bet　money　that　he　isn't。〃
　〃I　understand。〃
　In　my　years　in　the　CID；　I　had　managed　to　avoid　every　Department　of　the　Army　mandated　personnel　management　class；　sensitivity　session；　race　and　gender　relations　course；　and　so　on；　which　was　obviously　why　I　was　having　problems　in　the　new　Army。　But　I　did　take　lots　of　leadership　classes；　and　within　those　classes　was　everything　you　needed　to　know　about　human　relations；　such　as：　respect　subordinates　and　superiors；　don't　ask　your　people　to　do　anything　you　wouldn't　do；　earn　respect；　don't　demand　it；　give　praise　when　it's　due。　So；　in　that　spirit；　I　said　to　Cynthia；　〃You're　doing　a　fine　job；　you've　shown　good　initiative；　good　judgment；　and　poise　under　pressure。　You're　very　professional；　very　knowledgeable；　and　very　hardworking。　It's　a　pleasure　to　be　working　with　you。〃
　〃Is　this　a　recorded　message？〃
　〃No；　I…〃
　〃No　feeling；　Paul。　pletely　atonal。　Speak　from　your　heart；　if　you　have　one。〃
　〃I　resent　that。〃　I　pulled　into　the　Officers'　Club　parking　lot　and　nosed　into　a　space。　〃That's　judgmental；　very…〃
　〃I　love　you。　Say　it。〃
　〃I　said　it　last　year。　How　many　times…？〃
　〃Say　it！〃
　〃I　love　you。〃
　〃Good。〃　She　jumped　out　of　the　Blazer；　slammed　the　door；　and　began　walking　across　the　parking　lot。　I　followed　and　caught　up。　We　didn't　exchange　another　word　until　we　got　into　the　main　lounge。　I　found　an　empty　table　in　the　corner　and　checked　my　watch；　which　gave　me　the　civilian　time　of　eight…fifteen　P。M。　The　dining　room　was　full；　but　the　lounge　was　half…empty　now　that　half…price　Happy　Hour　was　over。　The　new　Army　officially　frowns　on　half…price　Happy　Hour；　but　the　clubs　are　quasi…independent；　and　some　of　them　still　honor　the　ancient　and　honorable　tradition　of　cheap　whisky　for　an　hour　or　two；　a　minor　reward　for　putting　up　with　bullshit　that　no　civilian…except　a　recent　immigrant　from　a　military　dictatorship…would　put　up　with。　But　the　Army　has　its　moments。　Unfortunately；　there　are　fewer　of　them　these　days。　A　waitress　came　around；　and　Cynthia　ordered　her　bourbon　and　Coke；　and　I　ordered　a　Scotch　with　a　beer　chaser。　I　said；　〃I'm　dehydrated。　God；　it's　hot　out　there。〃
　〃You've　been　sweating　like　a　pig　all　day；〃　she　agreed。　She　smiled。　〃You　need　a　shower。〃
　〃Do　we　have　time？〃
　〃We　might　have　to　share　it　again。〃
　〃This　is　a　demanding　job。〃
　The　drinks　came　and　we　toasted。　She　said；　〃To　Ann　Campbell。　We'll　do　our　best　for　you；　Captain。〃
　We　drank。
　I　said；　〃This　case　is　getting　to　me。　Is　that　because　of　the　case；　or　because　I'm　tired　and　old？〃
　〃It's　because　of　the　case；　Paul。　Because　you　care。　Because　it's　not　just　a　case。　It's　a　human　tragedy。〃
　〃What　other　kind　of　tragedies　are　there？　We're　all　a　heartbeat　away　from　tragedy。〃
　〃Right。　When　we　find　the　killer；　it　won't　be　a　time　to　celebrate。　It　will　be　another　tragedy。　It　will　be　someone　who　knew　her。　Maybe　loved　her。〃
　〃Like　Kent。〃
　〃Yes。　I　keep　thinking　of　something　I　read　once　。。。　something　I　think　about　when　I'm　interviewing　a　woman　who's　been　raped。　It　goes　like　this…'pared　to　shame；　death　is　nothing。'　I　think　that's　what　happened　here；　starting　with　Ann　Campbell's　shame　and　humiliation　at　West　Point。　I　mean；　think　of　it；　Paul。　They　teach　officers　to　be　proud；　to　be　assertive；　to　stand　tall。　People　like　Ann　Campbell　are　already　predisposed　to　this　type　of　personality；　so　they　gravitate　toward　someplace　like　West　Point。　Then；　when　something　like　that　happens；　a　rape；　a　humiliation；　they　can't　handle　it。　They　don't　bend　like　most　people。　They　stand　tall；　then　snap。〃
　I　nodded。　〃I　see　that。〃
　〃Right。　They　pick　up　the　pieces　and　go　on；　but　they're　never　the　same　again。　I　mean；　no　woman　is　after　a　brutal　rape；　but　someone　like　Ann　Campbell　can't　even　begin　to　heal　inside。〃
　〃I　understand　that　some　people　think　that　the　only　cure　for　shame　and　humiliation　is　revenge。〃
　〃Correct。　So　take　that　a　step　further　and　think　of　the　average　male　officer。　He's　been　seduced　by　Ann　Campbell　in　about　twenty　minutes；　including　drinks；　he's　been　led　into　a　sex　room　and　encouraged　or　coerced　into　engaging　in　kinky　acts；　then　at　some　point　he's　either　discarded　or　asked　by　Ann　to　bend　a　few　rules　for　her。　He　has　a　mix　of　emotions…starting　with　a　little　male　vanity　at　his　conquest；　but　eventually；　if　he's　married　and　if　he　takes　any　of　this　officer　stuff　seriously；　he　feels　shame。　Most　men　would　not　feel　a　great　deal　of　shame　for　a　consensual　sex　act；　but　some　men…officers；　clergy；　pillars　of　the　munity…will　feel　shame。　So　we　get　back　to　'pared　to　shame；　death　is　nothing。'　Or　call　it　dishonor；　to　put　it　in　a　military　context。　This　could　apply　to　Ann　Campbell；　General　Campbell；　and　to　any　number　of　men　who　either　wished　themselves　or　Ann　Campbell　dead。　That's　why　I　think　it　was　someone　she　knew；　someone　who　felt　that　the　act　of　murder　was　a　way　to　end　the　shame　and　dishonor　of　the　victim　as　well　as　of　the　murderer。　Kent；　as　a　ramrod　kind　of　cop；　an　officer；　might　well　fit　that　theory。〃
　I　nodded　again。　I'd　thought　something　similar；　though　with　a　different　slant。　But　it　was　interesting　that　we　both　had　a　psychological　profile　of　the　killer　that　could　fit　Kent。　Then　again；　there's　nothing　like　hindsight。　〃Kent；〃　I　said；　〃Kent。〃
　〃Speaking　of　whom　。。。〃
　In　walked　Colonel　Kent；　and　a　few　heads　turned。　Any　post's　top　cop　usually　gets　a　few　heads　to　turn；　a　few　side　glances。　But　now；　at　Hadley；　with　a　sensational　murder　still　hot　news；　Kent　was　the　man　of　the　hour。　He　saw　us　and　walked　over。
　Cynthia　and　I　stood；　as　was　customary。　I　might　shove　it　up　his　butt　in　private；　but　in　public　I　gave　him　the　respect　he　was　supposed　to　deserve。
　He　sat　and　we　sat。　A　waitress　came　over　and　Kent　ordered　drinks　for　us　and　a　gin　and　tonic　for　himself。　〃On　me；〃　he　said。
　We　chatted　awhile；　everyone　agreeing　what　a　strain　this　had　been　and　how　tempers　were　getting　short；　sleepless　nights；　hot　days；　and　all　that　crap。　As　casual　and　chatty　as　Cynthia　and　I　were；　Kent　was　a　pro　and　he　smelled　the　rat；　or　perhaps　felt　like　the　rat　being　maneuvered　into　the　corner。
　He　said　to　us；　〃Will　you　stay　on　awhile　after　the　funeral；　and　brief　the　FBI？〃
　〃I　think　that's　what　we're　supposed　to　do；〃　I　replied。　〃But　I'd　like　to　be　gone　by　nightfall　tomorrow。〃
　He　nodded；　then　smiled　at　us。　〃You　two　getting　along？　Or　is　that　a　leading　question？〃
　Cynth