demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第8部分

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　〃Why？〃
　〃Part　of　the　script；　Paul。　Sex　offenders　have　incredibly　involved　fantasies　that　they　perfect　in　their　minds；　things　that　have　a　strong　sexual　meaning　for　them　but　for　no　one　else。　Making　a　woman　strip；　then　walk　naked　carrying　her　own　clothes　to　a　place　where　he　intends　to　rape　her　may　be　his　unique　fantasy。〃
　〃So　you　know　this　stuff？　I'm　not　in　sole　charge　of　perversions。〃
　〃I'm　familiar　with　pathological　sex　acts　and　criminal　deviations。　I　don't　know　much　about　consenting　sexual　perversions。〃
　I　let　that　one　alone　and　pointed　out；　〃The　line　between　the　two　is　a　bit　thin　and　indistinct　on　occasion。〃
　〃I　don't　believe　that　Ann　Campbell　was　a　consenting　partner。　Certainly；　she　didn't　consent　to　being　strangled　to　death。〃
　〃There　are　many　possibilities；〃　I　mused；　〃and　it's　a　good　idea　not　to　get　married　to　any　of　them。〃
　〃We　need　forensic；　we　need　the　autopsy；　and　we　need　to　question　people。〃
　We？　I　looked　out　at　the　landscape　as　we　drove　in　silence。　I　tried　to　recall　what　I　knew　about　Cynthia。　She　was　originally　from　rural　Iowa；　a　graduate　of　the　state　university；　with　a　master's　in　criminology；　which　she　received　at　some　civilian　university　through　the　Army's　Technological　Enhancement　Program。　Like　a　lot　of　women；　as　well　as　minorities　that　I've　known　in　the　Army；　the　military　offered　more　money；　education；　prestige；　and　career　possibilities　than　they　would　have　hoped　for　back　on　the　farm；　in　the　ghetto；　or　whatever　disadvantaged　background　they　came　from。　Cynthia；　I　seemed　to　recall；　expressed　positive　views　toward　the　Army…travel；　excitement；　security；　recognition；　and　so　on。　Not　bad　for　a　farm　girl。　I　said　to　her；　〃I've　thought　about　you。〃
　No　reply。
　〃How　are　your　parents？〃　I　inquired；　though　I　never　met　them。
　〃Fine。　Yours？〃
　〃Fine。　Still　waiting　for　me　to　get　out；　grow　up；　get　hitched；　and　make　them　grandparents。〃
　〃Work　on　growing　up　first。〃
　〃Good　advice。〃　Cynthia　can　be　sarcastic　at　times；　but　it's　just　a　defense　mechanism　when　she's　nervous。　People　who've　had　a　prior　sexual　relationship；　if　they're　at　all　sensitive　and　human；　respect　the　relationship　that　existed；　and　perhaps　even　feel　some　tenderness　toward　the　ex…partner。　But　there's　also　that　awkwardness；　sitting　side　by　side　as　we　were；　and　neither　of　us；　I　think；　knew　the　words　or　the　tone　of　voice　we　should　adopt。　I　said　again；　〃I've　thought　about　you。　I　want　you　to　respond　to　that。〃　　　　
　She　responded；　〃I've　thought　about　you；　too；〃　and　we　fell　　　　　into　a　long　silence　as　she　drove；　head　and　eyes　straight　ahead。
　A　word　about　Paul　Brenner　in　the　passenger　seat。　South　Boston；　Irish　Catholic；　still　don't　recognize　a　cow　when　I　see　one；　high　school　graduate；　working…class　family。　I　didn't　join　the　Army　to　get　out　of　South　Boston；　the　Army　came　looking　for　me　because　they'd　gotten　involved　in　a　large　ground　war　in　Asia；　and　someone　told　them　that　the　sons　of　working…class　stiffs　made　good　infantrymen。
　Well；　I　must　have　been　a　good　infantryman；　because　I　survived　a　year　over　there。　Since　that　time；　I've　taken　college　courses；　pliments　of　the　Army；　as　well　as　criminology　courses　and　career　courses。　I'm　sufficiently　transformed　so　that　I　don't　feel　fortable　back　in　South　Boston　any　longer；　but　neither　do　I　feel　fortable　at　the　colonel's　house；　watching　how　much　I　drink　and　making　small　talk　with　officers'　wives　who　are　either　too　ugly　to　talk　to　or　too　good…looking　to　stick　to　small　talk。
　So　there　we　were；　Cynthia　Sunhill　and　Paul　Brenner；　from　opposite　ends　of　the　North　American　continent；　different　worlds；　lovers　in　Brussels；　reuniting　in　the　Deep　South；　having　just　had　the　mon　experience　of　looking　at　the　naked　body　of　a　general's　daughter。　Can　love　and　friendship　flourish　under　those　circumstances？　I　wasn't　putting　money　on　it。
　She　said；　〃I　was　sort　of　startled　to　see　you　last　night。　I'm　sorry　if　I　was　rude。〃
　〃No　ifs　about　it。〃
　〃Well；　then；　I　apologize　unequivocally。　But　I　still　don't　like　you。〃
　I　smiled。　〃But　you'd　like　to　have　this　case。〃
　〃Yes；　so　I'll　be　nice　to　you。〃
　〃You'll　be　nice　to　me　because　I'm　your　superior　officer。　If　you're　not　nice；　I'll　send　you　packing。〃
　〃Cut　the　posturing；　Paul。　You're　not　sending　me　anywhere；　and　I'm　not　going　anywhere。〃　She　added；　〃We've　got　a　case　to　solve；　and　a　personal　relationship　to　straighten　out。〃
　〃In　that　order。〃
　〃Yes；　in　that　order。〃
　
　CHAPTER　FOUR
　
　Victory　Drive；　formerly　Pine　Hollow　Road；　had　been　renamed　during　World　War　II　in　a　frenzy　of　Orwellian　name　changing。　It　was　once　a　two…lane　country　road　heading　south　out　of　Midland；　but　by　the　time　I　saw　it　first　in　1971；　it　was　being　a　mixture　of　garden　apartments　and　mercial　garishness。　Now；　almost　a　quarter　century　later；　there　wasn't　even　a　hint　of　Pine　Hollow　Road。
　There　is　something　uniquely　ugly　and　depressing　about　mercial　strips　in　the　old　South；　great　expanses　of　parking　lots；　motels；　fast…food　places；　discount　stores；　car　dealers；　and　what　passes　for　nightclubs　hereabouts。　The　old　South；　as　I　remember　it；　was　perhaps　not　so　prosperous；　but　it　was　picturesque　with　its　tiny　gas　stations　with　the　Coke　cooler　next　to　the　fish…bait　cooler；　the　sagging　pine　houses；　the　country　stores；　and　the　baled　cotton　bursting　from　sheds　along　the　railroad　sidings。　These　were　the　things　that　grew　organically　out　of　the　soil；　the　lumber　from　the　forests；　the　gravel　roads　from　nearby　quarries；　and　the　people　themselves　a　product　of　their　environment。　These　new　things　seem　artificial；　transplanted。　Convenience　stores　and　shopping　strips　with　mammoth　plastic　signs　and　no　relationship　to　the　land　or　the　people；　to　history；　or　to　local　custom。
　But；　of　course；　the　new　South　had　embraced　all　of　this；　not　quickly；　as　we　had　done　up　North；　but　embraced　it　nonetheless。　And　in　some　strange　way；　the　garish　mercial　strip　was　now　more　associated　with　the　South　than　with　anywhere　else　in　the　country。　The　carpetbaggers　have　finally　taken　over。
　Within　fifteen　minutes　of　leaving　the　post；　we　arrived　at　Victory　Gardens　and　parked　the　Mustang　near　unit　forty…five。
　Victory　Gardens　was　actually　a　pleasant　sort　of　place；　prised　of　about　fifty　attached　town　houses　around　a　central　courtyard；　with　landscaping　and　ample　parking。　There　were　no　signs　that　said；　〃Officers　Only；〃　but　the　place　had　that　air　about　it；　and　the　rents　probably　approximated　the　off…post　quarters'　allowance　for　lieutenants　and　captains。　Money　aside；　there　are　unwritten　rules　about　where　officers　may　live　off　post；　and　thus；　Ann　Campbell；　daughter　of　a　general　and　good　soldier　that　she　was；　had　not　gone　to　the　funky　side　of　town；　nor　had　she　opted　for　the　anonymity　of　a　newer　high…rise　building；　which；　in　this　town；　is　somewhat　synonymous　with　swinging　singles。　Yet；　neither　did　she　live　in　her　parents'　huge；　government…issue　house　on　post；　which　suggested　that　she　had　a　life　of　her　own；　and　I　was　about　to　discover　something　about　that　life。
　Cynthia　and　I　looked　around。　Though　the　Army　workday　starts　early；　there　were　still　a　few　cars　parked　in　front　of　the　units。　Most　of　them　had　the　blue　post　bumper　stickers　signifying　an　officer's　car；　and　some　had　the　green　bumper　sticker　of　a　civilian　post　employee。　But　mostly；　the　place　looked　as　deserted　as　a　barracks　after　morning　mess　call。
　I　was　still　wearing　the　battle　dress　uniform　I'd　had　on　in　the　armory；　and　Cynthia　was；　as　I　said；　in　jeans　and　windbreaker。　As　we　approached　the　front　door　of　unit　forty…five　along　the　row　of　red　brick　fa？ades；　I　said　to　her；　〃Are　you　armed？〃
　She　nodded。
　〃All　right。　You　wait　here。　I'll　go　in　through　the　back。　If　I　flush　somebody　out　the　front；　you　stop　them　right　here。〃
　〃Okay。〃
　I　made　my　way　around　the　row　of　units　and　came　to　the　back。　The　rear　yard　was　a　mon　stretch　of　grass；　but　each　unit　had　a　patio　separated　from　the　next　by　a　wooden　fence　for　privacy。　On　Ann　Campbell's　patio　was　the　standard　barbecue　grill　and　lawn　furniture；　including　a　lounge　chair　on　which　lay　suntan　oil　and　a　travel　magazine。
　There　were　sliding　glass　doors　facing　onto　the　patio；　and　I　was　able　to　see　through　the　vertical　blinds　into　the　dining　area　and　part　of　the　living　room。　There　didn't　appear　to　be　anyone　home。　Certainly；　Ann　Campbell　was　not　home；　and　I　couldn't　i