demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第81部分

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　〃Kent。〃
　〃Positive？〃
　〃No。　Are　you？〃
　I　shrugged。　〃I　like　the　guy。〃
　She　nodded。　〃I　don't　dislike　him；　but　I'm　not　overly　fond　of　him。〃
　It　was　funny；　I　thought；　how　men　and　women　often　had　a　different　opinion　of　the　same　person。　The　last　time　I　can　remember　when　a　woman　and　I　both　agreed　that　we　really　liked　a　guy；　the　woman　was　my　wife；　and　she　ran　off　with　the　guy。　I　asked；　as　a　matter　of　information；　〃What　is　it　about　Kent　that　you　don't　like？〃
　〃He　cheated　on　his　wife。〃
　Makes　sense　to　me。　I　added　to　that；　〃He　may　also　be　a　killer。　Minor　point；　but　I　thought　I'd　mention　it。〃
　〃Can　the　sarcasm。　If　he　murdered　Ann　Campbell；　he　did　it　on　the　spur　of　the　moment。　Cheating　on　his　wife　was　a　two…year；　premeditated　infidelity。　It　shows　weakness　of　character。〃
　〃I'll　say。〃　I　headed　up　the　long；　dark　road　through　the　pine　forest。　In　the　distance；　I　could　see　the　lights　of　Bethany　Hill；　and　I　wondered　what　was　going　on　at　the　Fowler　house　and　the　Kent　house。　I　said；　〃I　wouldn't　want　to　be　up　there　for　dinner　tonight。〃
　Cynthia　looked　out　the　windshield。　〃What　a　mess。　I　came　here　to　Hadley　to　investigate　a　rape；　and　I　wind　up　involved　with　the　aftershock　of　a　ten…year…old　rape。〃
　〃Crime　breeds　crime　breeds　crime；〃　I　pointed　out。　〃Right。　Did　you　know　that　a　rape　victim　is　statistically　more　likely　to　get　raped　again　than　a　female　who　has　never　been　raped？〃
　〃I　didn't　know　that。〃
　〃But　no　one　seems　to　know　why。　There's　no　mon　denominator　like　job；　age；　neighborhood；　or　anything　like　that。　It's　just　that　if　it　happened　once；　it's　more　likely　to　happen　again。　Makes　no　sense。　It's　scary；　like　there's　some　sort　of　evil　out　there　that　knows　。。。〃
　〃Spooky；〃　I　agreed。　I　didn't　have　that　experience　in　homicide　cases。　You　only　get　killed　once。
　Cynthia　began　talking　about　her　job；　about　how　the　job　got　her　down　sometimes；　and　how　it　had　probably　affected　her　marriage。
　Cynthia　obviously　needed　to　talk；　to　start　healing　herself　before　the　next　case。　But　there's　always　a　residue　of　each　case；　and　it's　like　a　soul　toxin　that　makes　you　spiritually　sicker　each　year。　But　it's　a　job　that　needed　to　be　done；　and　some　people　decided　to　do　it；　and　some　people　decided　they　needed　another　job。　You　form　a　callus　around　your　heart；　I　think；　but　it's　only　as　thick　as　you　want　it　to　be；　and　sometimes　a　particularly　vicious　crime　cuts　right　through　the　callus；　and　you're　wounded　again。
　Cynthia　kept　talking；　and　I　supposed　I　realized　that　this　talk　was　not　just　about　her；　or　her　marriage；　or　the　job；　but　about　me；　and　about　us。
　She　said；　〃I　think　I　might　apply　for　a　transfer　to　。。。　something　else。〃
　〃Like　what？〃
　〃The　Army　band。〃　She　laughed。　〃I　used　to　play　the　flute。　Do　you　play　anything？〃
　〃Just　the　radio。　How　about　Panama？〃
　She　shrugged。　〃You　go　where　they　send　you。　I　don't　know　。。。　Everything's　up　in　the　air。〃
　I　guess　I　was　supposed　to　say　something；　to　offer　an　alternative。　But　in　truth；　I　wasn't　as　confident　and　decisive　in　my　personal　life　as　I　was　in　my　professional　life。　When　a　woman　says　〃mitment；〃　I　ask　for　an　aspirin。　When　she　says　〃love；〃　I　immediately　lace　up　my　running　shoes。
　Yet；　this　thing　with　Cynthia　was　real；　because　it　had　withstood　some　test　of　time；　and　because　I'd　missed　her　and　thought　about　her　for　a　year。　But　now　that　she　was　here；　right　beside　me；　I　was　starting　to　panic。　But　I　wasn't　going　to　blow　it　again；　so　I　said　to　her；　〃I　still　have　that　farmhouse　outside　of　Falls　Church。　Maybe　you'd　like　to　see　it。〃
　〃I'd　love　to。〃
　〃Good。〃
　〃When？〃
　〃I　guess　。。。　day　after　tomorrow。　When　we　go　back　to　headquarters。　Stay　the　weekend。　Longer　if　you　want。〃
　〃I　have　to　be　at　Benning　on　Monday。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃Lawyers。　Papers。　I'm　getting　divorced　in　Georgia。　I　was　married　in　Virginia。　You'd　think　there'd　be　a　national　divorce　law　for　people　like　us。〃
　〃Good　idea。〃
　〃I　have　to　be　in　Panama　by　the　end　of　this　month。　I'd　like　to　finalize　the　divorce　before　then　or　it'll　take　another　six　months　if　I'm　out　of　the　country。〃
　〃Right。　I　got　my　divorce　papers　delivered　in　the　mail　call　by　chopper　while　I　was　under　fire。〃
　〃Really？〃
　〃Really。　Plus　a　dunning　letter　for　my　car　loan；　and　antiwar　literature　from　a　peace　group　in　San　Francisco。　Some　days　it　doesn't　pay　to　get　out　of　bed。　Actually；　I　had　no　bed。　Goes　to　show　you。　Things　could　be　worse。〃
　〃Things　could　be　better。　We'll　have　a　good　weekend。〃
　〃Looking　forward　to　it。〃
　
　CHAPTER　THIRTY…TWO
　
　We　arrived　back　at　the　provost　marshal's　building。　The　media　had　decamped；　and　I　parked　in　a　no…parking　zone　on　the　road。　Carrying　the　printouts　of　Ann　Campbell's　diary；　we　went　inside　the　building。
　I　said　to　Cynthia；　〃We'll　speak　with　Colonel　Moore　first；　then　see　what　Ms。　Kiefer　has　found。〃
　As　we　walked　toward　the　holding　cells；　Cynthia　observed；　〃It's　hard　to　prehend　that　the　man　who　runs　this　whole　place　could　be　a　criminal。〃
　〃Right。　It　kind　of　messes　up　the　protocols　and　the　standard　operating　procedures。〃
　〃Sure　does。　How　do　you　feel　about　that　bootprint？〃
　〃It's　about　all　we've　got；〃　I　replied。
　She　thought　a　moment；　then　said；　〃But　we've　got　motive　and　opportunity。　Though　I'm　not　certain　about　our　psychological　profile　of　the　killer　or　Kent's　will　to　act。　Also；　we　have　almost　no　circumstantial　evidence。〃　She　added；　〃But　after　having　drinks　with　him；　I　think　our　intuition　is　correct。〃
　〃Good。　Tell　it　to　the　FBI。〃
　I　asked　the　lockup　sergeant　to　acpany　us；　and　we　went　to　Colonel　Moore's　cell。　Moore　was　sitting　up　in　his　cot；　fully　dressed　except　for　his　shoes。　Dalbert　Elkins　had　pulled　his　chair　up　to　the　mon　bars　and　was　talking　to　Moore；　who　was　either　listening　very　intently　or　had　gone　into　a　catatonic　trance。
　They　both　saw　us　approaching　and　both　stood。　Elkins　seemed　glad　to　see　me；　but　Moore　looked　apprehensive；　not　to　mention　disheveled。
　Elkins　said　to　me；　〃Still　set　for　tomorrow；　Chief？　No　problem？〃
　〃No　problem。〃
　〃My　wife　says　to　say　thanks　to　you。〃
　〃She　does？　She　told　me　to　keep　you　here。〃
　Elkins　laughed。
　I　said　to　the　MP　sergeant；　〃Will　you　unlock　Colonel　Moore；　please？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　He　unlocked　Moore's　cell　and　asked　me；　〃Cuffs？〃
　〃Yes；　please；　Sergeant。〃
　The　MP　sergeant　barked　at　Moore；　〃Wrists；　front！〃
　Moore　thrust　his　clenched　hands　to　his　front；　and　the　sergeant　snapped　the　cuffs　on　him。
　Without　a　word；　we　walked　down　the　long；　echoing　corridor；　past　the　mostly　empty　cells。　Moore；　in　his　stockinged　feet；　made　no　echoes。　There　are　few　places　on　this　earth　more　dismal　than　a　cell　block；　and　few　scenes　more　melancholy　than　a　prisoner　in　handcuffs。　Moore；　for　all　his　intellectualizing；　was　not　handling　this　well；　which　was　the　purpose。
　We　went　into　an　interrogation　room；　and　the　sergeant　left　us。　I　said　to　Moore；　〃Sit。〃
　He　sat。
　Cynthia　and　I　sat　at　a　table　opposite　him。
　I　said　to　him；　〃I　told　you　that　the　next　time　we　spoke；　it　would　be　here。〃
　He　didn't　reply。　He　looked　a　little　frightened；　a　little　dejected；　and　a　little　angry；　though　he　was　trying　to　suppress　that；　since　he　realized　it　wouldn't　do　him　any　good。　I　said　to　him；　〃If　you'd　told　us　everything　you　knew　the　first　time；　you　might　not　be　here。〃
　No　reply。
　〃Do　you　know　what　makes　a　detective　really；　really　angry？　When　the　detective　has　to　waste　valuable　time　and　energy　on　a　witness　who's　being　cute。〃
　I　verbally　poked　him　around　awhile；　assuring　him　that　he　made　me　sick；　that　he　was　a　disgrace　to　his　uniform；　his　rank；　his　profession；　his　country；　and　to　God；　the　human　race；　and　the　universe。
　All　the　while；　Moore　stayed　silent；　though　I　don't　think　this　was　an　expression　of　his　Fifth　Amendment　right　to　do　so　as　much　as　it　was　his　accurate　estimate　that　I　wanted　him　to　shut　his　mouth。
　Cynthia；　meanwhile；　had　taken　the　printouts　of　the　diary　and　had　gotten　up　and　left　for　most　of　the　verbal　abuse。　After　about　five　minutes；　she　came　back　without　the　printouts；　but　she　was　carrying　a　plastic　tray　on　which　was　a　Styrofoam　cup　of　milk　and　a　donut。
　Moore's　eyes　flashed　to　the　food；　and　he　stopped　paying　attention　to　me。
　Cynthia　said　to　him；　〃I　brought　you　this。〃　She　set　the　tray　down　out　of　his　reach　and　said　to　him；　〃I've　asked　the　MP　to　unlock　your　cuffs　so　you　can　eat。　He'll　be