demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第83部分

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　Cynthia　asked　him；　〃What　did　she　expect　her　parents　to　do？　What　did　she　say　to　you　about　that？〃
　Moore　thought　a　moment；　then　replied；　〃Well　。。。　I　think　she　expected　them　to　。。。　She　didn't　know　quite　how　they　were　going　to　deal　with　what　they　saw；　but　she　fully　expected　them　to　get　her　out　of　there　no　matter　how　difficult　it　was　for　them。〃　He　added；　〃She　knew　they　wouldn't　leave　her　there；　so　they　would　be　forced　to　confront　her；　confront　her　nakedness；　her　shame　and　humiliation；　and　to　physically　undo　her　bonds；　and　thereby　psychologically　free　not　only　her　but　themselves。〃　He　looked　at　us。　〃Do　you　understand？〃
　Cynthia　nodded。　〃Yes；　I　understand　the　theory。〃
　I　put　in　my　opinion。　〃Sounds　screwy　to　me。〃
　Moore　said　to　me；　〃If　Mrs。　Campbell　had　been　there；　it　might　have　worked。　Certainly；　it　would　not　have　ended　in　tragedy。〃
　〃Well；　the　best…laid　plans　of　shrinks　usually　go　astray。〃
　He　ignored　me　and　said　to　Cynthia；　〃Could　you　at　least　pass　that　cup　of　milk　here？　I'm　very　dry。〃
　〃Sure。〃　Cynthia　put　the　milk　near　his　manacled　hands；　and　he　took　the　cup　with　both　hands　and　drained　it　in　one　long　gulp。　He　put　the　cup　down；　and　we　all　stayed　silent　for　a　minute　or　so　while　Moore　savored　the　milk　as　if　it　were　a　glass　of　that　cream　sherry　he　liked。
　Cynthia　said　to　him；　〃Did　she　ever　indicate　to　you　that　she　thought　her　father　might　e　alone；　might　bee　enraged；　and　actually　kill　her？〃
　Moore　answered　quickly；　〃No！　If　she　had；　I　would　never　have　agreed　to　her…to　the　plan。〃
　I　nodded　to　myself。　I　didn't　know　if　that　was　true　or　not；　and　only　two　people　did。　One　of　them　was　dead；　the　other；　sitting　here；　was　going　to　lie　about　it　to　mitigate　what　he'd　done。　The　general　himself　knew；　of　course；　how　he'd　felt　in　that　moment　when　his　daughter　had　hurled　the　challenge　at　him。　But　he　couldn't　even　tell　himself　what　he　felt；　and　he　wasn't　going　to　tell　me。　In　a　way；　it　didn't　matter　anymore。
　Cynthia　asked　the　prisoner；　〃Did　it　occur　to　you　or　Ann　Campbell　that　the　general　did　not　e　prepared　to　free　his　daughter…I　don't　mean　psychologically…I'm　referring　to　a　knife　or　stake　puller。〃
　Moore　replied；　〃Yes；　she　considered　that。　In　fact；　I　stuck　a　bayonet　in　the　ground　。。。　you　found　that；　didn't　you？〃
　Cynthia　asked；　〃Where　was　the　bayonet？〃
　〃Well　。。。　sort　of　between　her　legs　。。。　The　men　who　raped　her　at　West　Point　took　her　bayonet　and　jammed　it　in　the　ground；　close　to　her　。。。　her　vagina；　then　warned　her　about　not　reporting　what　happened；　then　she　was　cut　loose。〃　Cynthia　nodded。　〃I　see　。。。〃
　Moore　continued；　〃She　was　trying　to　shock　him；　of　course；　shock　both　of　them；　and　they　were　going　to　have　to　retrieve　the　bayonet　and　cut　her　loose。　Then　she　thought　he　would　offer　her　his　shirt　or　jacket。　I'd　left　her　bra　there；　and　her　panties　were　around　her　neck；　as　I'm　sure　you　found　them。　That's　how　they　had　left　her　in　the　woods　at　West　Point。　They'd　thrown　her　clothes　around；　and　she'd　had　to　retrieve　them　in　the　dark。　In　this　case；　however；　she　intended　for　her　parents　to　help　her　back　to　the　humvee；　then　she　intended　to　tell　her　father　where　her　clothes　were…on　top　of　the　latrine…and　make　him　go　get　them。　She'd　left　her　handbag　in　the　humvee　with　her　keys；　and　it　was　her　intention　to　get　dressed　and　drive　off　as　if　nothing　had　happened；　then　return　to　duty　at　Post　Headquarters。　Then　she　was　going　to　show　up　at　the　breakfast　meeting　she　had　with　her　parents；　and；　at　that　point；　they　would　all　confront　the　issues。〃
　Again　Cynthia　nodded。　She　asked；　〃Did　she　have　much　hope　for　this　breakfast　meeting？〃
　He　considered　a　moment；　then　replied；　〃Yes；　I　think　she　did。　Depending；　of　course；　on　how　her　father　and　mother　had　reacted　to　the　rape　scene。　Well；　as　it　turned　out；　Mrs。　Campbell　had　not　e　along。　But　I　think　that　Ann　realized　that　whatever　forces　she　unleashed　that　night；　no　matter　how　her　father　reacted；　things　could　not　get　any　worse。　There　is　a　high　risk　with　shock　therapy；　but　when　you've　nothing　left　to　lose；　when　you've　hit　bottom；　then　you're　ready　to　gamble　everything　and　hope　for　the　best。〃
　Cynthia　nodded　again；　the　way　they　tell　you　to　do　in　the　interrogation　manual。　Be　positive；　affirming。　Don't　appear　stone…faced；　or　judgmental；　or　skeptical　when　a　suspect　is　rolling。　Just　keep　nodding；　like　a　shrink　during　a　therapy　session。　Perhaps　Moore　recognized　the　technique；　which　was　ironic；　but　in　his　present　mental　and　physical　state；　all　he　wanted　was　a　smile；　a　nod；　and　the　stupid　donut。　Cynthia　asked　him；　〃Did　she　tell　you　why　she　had　hope　for　this　meeting？　I　mean；　why　this　time；　after　all　those　years？〃
　〃Well　。。。　she　was　finally　ready　to　forgive。　She　was　prepared　to　say　anything　that　morning；　to　promise　anything　that　would　make　things　right　again。　She　was　tired　of　the　war；　and　she　felt　the　catharsis　even　before　she'd　gone　out　to　the　rifle　range。　She　was　hopeful；　almost　giddy；　and　to　tell　you　the　truth；　she　was　happy　and　close　to　peace　for　the　first　time　since　I'd　known　her。〃　He　took　a　long　breath　and　looked　at　us；　then　said；　〃I　know　what　you　think　of　me；　and　I　don't　blame　you；　but　I　had　only　her　best　interests　at　heart。　She　had　seduced　me；　too；　in　another　way；　and　I　went　along　with　what　I　knew　was　。。。　unorthodox。　But　if　you　could　have　seen　how　optimistic　she　was；　how　almost　girlish　she　was　acting…nervous；　frightened；　but　filled　with　hope　that　this　was　the　end　of　the　long　nightmare　。。。　In　fact；　however；　I　knew　that　the　damage　she　had　done　to　herself　and　others　was　not　going　to　disappear　just　like　that；　just　because　she　was　going　to　say　to　her　parents；　'I　love　you；　and　I　forgive　you　if　you　forgive　me'　。。。　but　she　believed　this；　and　she　had　me　believing　it　too　。。。　But　she　miscalculated　。。。　I　miscalculated　her　father's　rage　。。。　and　the　irony　is；　she　thought　she　was　so　close　to　being　happy　again　。。。　and　she　kept　rehearsing　what　she　was　going　to　say　to　them　that　night　。。。　and　at　breakfast　。。。〃
　Then　the　oddest　thing　happened。　Two　tears　rolled　down　Moore's　cheeks；　and　he　put　his　face　in　his　hands。
　Cynthia　stood　and　put　her　hand　on　his　shoulder　and　motioned　me　to　e　with　her。　We　went　out　into　the　corridor；　and　she　said　to　me；　〃Let　him　go；　Paul。〃
　〃Hell；　no。〃
　〃You　got　your　jailhouse　interview。　Let　him　go　sleep　in　his　office；　attend　the　funeral　tomorrow。　We'll　deal　with　him　tomorrow　or　the　next　day。　He's　not　going　anywhere。〃
　I　shrugged。　〃All　right。　God；　I'm　getting　soft。〃　I　went　to　the　guard　office　and　spoke　to　the　sergeant。　I　filled　out　a　confinement　release　form　and　signed　it…I　hate　confinement　release　forms…then　I　walked　out　to　the　corridor　where　Cynthia　was　waiting　for　me。
　I　said；　〃He's　free；　but　restricted　to　post。〃
　〃Good。　It　was　the　right　thing。〃
　〃We　don't　know　that。〃
　〃Paul　。。。　anger　is　not　going　to　change　anything　that　happened；　and　vindictiveness　is　not　going　to　bring　justice。　That's　the　lesson　you　should　learn　from　this。　Ann　Campbell　never　did。　But　what　happened　to　her　should　at　least　be　a　useful　example　of　that。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃
　We　walked　to　our　office；　and　I　sat　at　the　desk；　dividing　the　diary　printouts　between　Cynthia　and　myself。　Before　we　began　to　read；　I　said　to　her；　〃What　happened　to　the　bayonet？〃
　She　replied；　〃I　don't　know。　If　General　Campbell　never　approached　his　daughter；　then　he　never　saw　it；　and　never　knew　that　he　could　have　cut　her　loose。　He　told　us　two　versions　of　that　story…one　was　that　he　tried　to　get　her　free　by　pulling　at　the　stakes；　the　other　that　he　couldn't　bring　himself　to　get　that　close。〃　She　added；　〃He　actually　never　got　that　close。〃
　〃Right。　So　the　next　person　on　the　scene…let's　say　it　was　Kent…saw　the　bayonet；　and　Kent　had　the　same　choice…if　it　was　Kent。　Then　came　the　Fowlers；　who　had　their　own　knife　。。。　but　she　was　already　dead。　Then　came　Sergeant　St。　John；　then　MP　Casey　。。。　I　don't　know；　but　it's　interesting　that　whoever　pulled　the　bayonet　out　of　the　ground　kept　it　。。。〃　I　noodled　this　awhile；　then　said；　〃If　we　accept　the　general's　second　version；　that　he　never　went　near　her；　then　it　wasn't　him。　The　killer　had　no　reason　to　take　the　bayonet。　Neither　did　St。　John　or　MP　Casey。〃
　〃Are　you　saying　the　Fowlers　took　it？〃
　〃I'm　saying　that　when　the　Fowlers　found　her　dead；　and　saw　that　the　means　of　freeing　her　was　right　there　between　her　legs；　if　you　will；