demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第86部分

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er　casts　until　I　got　a　hernia。　I　can't　find　any　further　evidence　that　Colonel　Kent　was　at　the　scene　earlier　than　he　says　he　was。　I　figured；　since　we　know　what　we're　looking　for　now；　I　could　have　the　footprint　team　do　it　again　tomorrow；　but　this　rain　is　a　washout。〃
　〃Did　you　leave　the　tarps　and　pavilion　there？〃
　〃No。　Maybe　I　should　have；　but　Colonel　Kent　said　he'd　take　care　of　scene　security　and　cover　the　whole　area　with　rolled　canvas。　But　I　was　out　there　a　little　while　ago；　and　there's　no　canvas　down；　and　not　even　an　MP　to　secure　the　scene。　The　crime　scene　is　ruined；　polluted。〃
　〃Yup。　Sure　is。〃
　〃Sorry。〃
　〃No　problem。　Did　you　get　the　cast　off　to　Oakland？〃
　〃Yeah。　Chopper　to　Gillem；　and　they'll　find　a　military　flight　to　the　left　coast。　I'll　hear　something　by　morning。〃
　〃Fine。〃
　〃You　still　want　the　latent…footprint　team？〃
　〃What　do　you　think？〃
　〃I　think　it's　all　muck　out　there。〃
　〃Okay；　forget　it。　We　got　lucky　enough　for　one　case。　Where's　Grace？〃
　〃Glued　to　her　screen。　She　wanted　me　to　tell　you　that　she　pulled　up　a　recent　letter　from　the　deceased　to　Mrs。　William　Kent…you　were　interested　in　Kent。〃
　〃Still　am。　What　did　the　letter　say？〃
　〃Basically；　it　said　that　Colonel　Kent　was　making　more　of　a　platonic　friendship　than　he　should；　and　would　Mrs。　Kent　be　so　kind　as　to　speak　to　her　husband　before　she…Captain　Campbell…had　to　make　an　official　plaint。　Captain　Campbell　suggested　counseling　for　the　Kents。〃　He　added；　〃Wouldn't　want　one　of　those　to　go　to　my　wife。〃
　〃What　was　the　date　of　the　letter？〃
　〃Hold　on。〃
　I　watched　Cynthia　separating　underwear　from　toilet　articles。　That　bastard　Yardley。
　Cal　came　back　on　the　line。　〃Ten　August。〃
　That　would　be　eleven　days　ago；　and　I　assumed　that　Mrs。　Kent　had　decamped　Bethany　Hill　upon　receipt　of　that　letter。　Obviously；　too；　the　letter　was　written　as　a　result　of　Kent's　unscheduled　visit　to　Ann　Campbell's　house；　not　to　mention　his　bad　manners　in　throwing　her　boyfriend　of　the　evening　out；　and　raping　his　hostess。　My　goodness。　So　Ann　Campbell　had　decided　to　do　something　about　Kent；　but　she　was　handling　unstable　explosives；　and　that　letter　was　the　detonator。　I　said　to　Cal；　〃Need　a　printout　of　that。　Hold　it　for　me。〃
　〃Right。　Also；　three　gentlemen　of　the　Federal　Bureau　of　investigation　arrived　about　a　half　hour　after　you　left。〃
　〃Were　they　charming？〃
　〃Couldn't　have　been　nicer。　plimenting　me　on　the　setup　here；　congratulating　me　on　every　fucking　fingerprint　I　took。　They　poked　around　and　grilled　me　for　about　an　hour。　Grace　played　possum　on　a　cot。　One　of　the　guys　was　messing　with　the　puter；　but　the　disk　was　in　the　cot　with　Grace。〃　He　added；　〃They　said　they'd　be　back　in　the　morning　with　their　own　forensic　people。〃
　〃Okay。　Turn　it　all　over　to　them　at　noon。　Anything　else？〃
　〃Nope。　It's　late；　raining；　too　wet　to　plow；　and　I'm　too　tired　to　dance。〃
　〃Right。　Get　on　the　footprint　guy　in　Oakland。　This　case　is　hanging　on　the　question　of　who　stepped　on　whose　bootprint。　Talk　to　you　tomorrow。〃　I　hung　up　and　briefed　Cynthia　while　I　helped　her　get　me　straightened　out。
　I've　had　live…in　friends　on　occasion；　and　I　enjoy　the　presence　of　a　woman　in　the　house　for　brief　periods　of　time。　They　fall　into　two　categories：　the　organizers　and　the　slobs。　There's　probably　a　third　category…the　naggers；　who　try　to　get　you　to　do　things；　but　I've　never　run　into　one　of　those。　Oddly；　I　have　no　preference　regarding　organizers　or　slobs；　as　long　as　they　don't　try　to　pick　my　clothes　for　me。　Basically；　all　women　are　nurturers　and　healers；　and　all　men　are　mental　patients　to　varying　degrees。　It　works　fine　if　people　stick　to　their　fated　roles。　But　nobody　does；　so　you　have　six　or　seven　good　months；　then　you　discover　exactly　what　it　is　you　hate　about　each　other；　then　you　run　the　moving…in　and　unpacking　tape　in　reverse　and　watch　the　door　slam。
　Cynthia　folded　the　last　pair　of　socks　and　said　to　me；　〃Who　does　your　laundry　and　ironing？〃
　〃Oh；　I　have　a　sort　of　housekeeper。　Farm　woman；　keeps　an　eye　on　things　when　I'm　gone。〃
　〃Are　you　the　helpless　type？〃
　〃Well；　yes；　with　fabrics　and　stuff；　and　needles　and　thread；　but　I　can　field…strip　an　M…16　rifle　blindfolded　and　have　it　together　again　within　three　minutes。〃
　〃So　can　I。〃
　〃Good。　I　have　one　at　home　you　can　clean　for　me。〃
　The　phone　rang；　and　I　motioned　to　Cynthia　to　answer　it。　It　was　Kiefer；　and　I　went　into　the　bathroom　and　dried　my　hair　with　a　towel。　Cynthia　had　laid　out　my　toilet　articles；　and　I　bed　my　hair；　brushed　my　teeth；　and　slipped　my　shorts　off　under　my　robe。　Second　greatest　feeling　in　the　world。
　I　ditched　the　shorts　in　the　trash　can　and　went　back　into　the　bedroom。　Cynthia　was　sitting　at　the　edge　of　the　bed；　listening　on　the　phone；　her　legs　crossed；　rubbing　her　foot　with　her　free　hand。　Cynthia；　I　noted　in　passing；　had　good　legs。
　She　looked　up　and　smiled　at　me；　then　said　into　the　phone；　〃Okay；　thanks。　Good　work。〃　She　hung　up　and　stood。　〃Well；　Kiefer　turned　up　one　interesting　tidbit。　Seems　that　Mrs。　Kent　drives　a　black　Jeep　Cherokee；　and　that　Mrs。　Kent　is　known　in　MP　radio　circles　as　the　Bat　Lady；　and　the　Jeep　is　called　the　Batmobile。　Kiefer　heard　one　reference　on　the　master　radio　tape　to　the　Batmobile。　An　unidentified　MP　on　mobile　patrol　said；　'Niner…niner；　Batmobile　with　Randy　Six　parked　in　library　lot。　Heads　up。'　〃　Cynthia　added；　〃That's　a　typical　officer…in…the…area　kind　of　warning　to　the　troops。　Also；　in　case　you　never　noticed；　the　library　is　across　the　road　from　Post　Headquarters。〃
　〃Right。　What　time　was　that？〃
　〃At　0032。　And　at　about　0100；　Ann　Campbell　left　Post　Headquarters；　got　into　the　humvee；　and　drove　out　to　rifle　range　six。〃　Cynthia　asked　me；　〃What　was　Kent　doing　in　his　wife's　car　across　the　street？〃
　〃What　every　lovesick　jerk　does。　Just　sitting　there　watching　the　light　in　the　window。〃
　〃Maybe　he　had　something　more　malevolent　in　mind。〃
　〃Maybe。　Could　be；　though；　that　he　was　just　trying　to　decide　if　he　should　go　into　the　building　and　say　hello。　Or　he　was　waiting　for　St。　John　to　leave　on　some　business。　Or　he　was　waiting　for　the　object　of　his　desire　to　do　the　same；　which　she　in　fact　did。〃
　Cynthia　tucked　her　feet　under　her；　sort　of　like　the　lotus　position。　I　don't　know　how　people　can　sit　like　that。　I　sat　in　the　only　chair；　which　faced　the　bed；　and　noticed　that　she'd　kept　her　panties　on。　She　modestly　adjusted　her　kimono。　I　said；　〃If　my　wife　had　gotten　a　letter　like　that　from　my　girlfriend；　I'd　be　damned　angry；　and　I'd　keep　my　distance　from　the　girlfriend。　On　the　other　hand；　if　my　wife　had　left　town　because　of　the　letter；　and　my　girlfriend　was　working　late；　I　might　not　be　able　to　resist　the　temptation　to　try　to　make　contact。〃
　〃Sounds　like　you've　been　there。〃
　〃Hey；　we've　all　been　there。〃
　〃Not　I；〃　said　Cynthia；　〃except　there　was　this　guy　once　in　Brussels；　and　I　would　make　sure　I　bumped　into　him　wherever　he　went；　and　the　jerk　finally　figured　it　out。〃
　〃The　jerk　probably　figured　it　out　sooner　than　you　think；　but　you　looked　like　trouble。〃
　〃No　ment。〃　She　thought　a　moment…I　guess　the　lotus　position　lends　itself　to　contemplation…then　said；　〃He　followed　her；　obviously。〃
　〃Right。　But　he　may　also　have　confronted　her　in　the　headquarters　parking　lot　first。　We　don't　know。〃
　〃But　how　could　he　follow　her　without　her　seeing　his　vehicle　on　the　range　road？〃
　〃It　was　his　wife's　vehicle。〃
　〃Would　Ann　know　Mrs。　Kent's　vehicle？〃
　I　replied；　〃Every　girlfriend　knows　every　wife's　car。　But　there're　enough　Jeep　Cherokees　on　this　post　to　transport　a　battalion；　so　it　wouldn't　stand　out。　Fact　is；　the　Fowlers　own　a　Cherokee；　though　it's　red。〃
　〃Still；　Paul；　how　far　down　Rifle　Range　Road　could　Kent　follow　her　without　her　being　concerned　about　the　headlights　behind　her？〃
　〃Not　too　far。　But　far　enough。〃　I　stood　and　rummaged　around　in　a　side　pocket　of　my　overnight　bag；　ing　up　with　a　marking　pen。　There　was　a　blank　expanse　of　white　wall　between　the　windows；　and　I　began　drawing。　〃Okay；　the　road　goes　south　from　main　post　and　dead…ends　at　the　last　rifle　range；　a　distance　of　about　ten　miles。　There　are　only　two　turnoffs…the　first；　here；　is　General　Pershing　Road；　ing　off　to　the　left；　the　second；　a　mile　farther　down　to　the　right；　is　Jordan　Field　Road；　here。〃　I　drew　a　road　on　the　wall。　〃Okay；　he　follows　her　at　a　normal　distance　with　his　hea