demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第88部分

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　〃Right。　He's　moving　very　quickly；　maybe　with　his　sidearm　drawn；　ready　for　anything…rape；　romance；　reconciliation；　or　murder。〃
　We　sat　a　moment；　she　on　the　bed；　me　in　the　chair；　listening　to　the　rain　outside。　I　was　wondering；　and　I'm　sure　Cynthia　was；　too；　if　we'd　just　fashioned　a　noose　for　an　innocent　man　in　the　privacy　of　our　own　room。　But　even　if　we　didn't　have　the　details　just　right；　the　man　himself　had　as　much　as　told　us；　or　signaled　to　us；　that　he'd　done　it。　There　was　no　mistaking　his　tone；　his　manner；　and　his　eyes。　But　what　he　was　also　saying　is　that　she　deserved　it；　and　we'd　never　prove　he　did　it。　He　was　wrong　on　both　counts。
　Cynthia　got　out　of　the　lotus　position　and　let　her　legs　dangle　over　the　foot　of　the　bed。　She　said；　〃And　Kent　finds　Ann　Campbell　staked　out　on　the　range；　probably　still　crying；　and　he　can't　figure　out　if　she's　been　raped；　or　just　waiting　for　the　next　friend　to　keep　his　appointment。〃
　〃Well　。。。　who　knows　at　that　point？　But　he　definitely　walked　out　to　her；　slowly；　as　Cal　Seiver　said；　and　he　definitely　kneeled　beside　her；　and　she　was　not　happy　to　see　him。〃
　〃She　was　frightened　out　of　her　mind。〃
　〃Well　。。。　she's　not　the　type。　But　she's　at　a　disadvantage。　He　says　something；　she　says　something。　She；　thinking　her　father　has　abandoned　her；　may　have　settled　in　for　a　long　wait；　knowing　that　the　guard　truck　would　be　by　at　about　0700　hours；　and　she's　considered　this　possibility；　and　she　thinks　this　would　be　a　good　payback　for　Daddy's　second　betrayal。　General's　daughter　found　naked　by　twenty　guards。〃
　Cynthia　nodded。　She　said；　〃But　she　knows　that　her　father　will　eventually　realize　the　same　thing；　and　will　have　to　e　back　in　order　to　avoid　that　disgraceful　occurrence。　So　in　either　case；　she　wants　Kent　gone。〃
　〃Probably。　He's　interfering　with　her　script。　He　sees　the　bayonet　stuck　in　the　ground…assuming　the　general　didn't　take　it…and　offers　to　cut　her　loose。　Or　he　figures　that　she　can't　walk　away　from　a　conversation　with　him　under　the　circumstances；　and　he　asks　her　what's　going　on；　or　asks　her　to　marry　him；　or　whatever；　and　the　dialogue　develops；　and　Ann；　who's　been　tied　to　the　bedposts　many　times　in　her　basement；　is　not　so　much　frightened　or　embarrassed　as　she　is　annoyed　and　impatient。　We　just　don't　know　what　was　said；　what　went　on。〃
　〃No；　we　don't；　but　we　know　how　the　conversation　ended。〃
　〃Right。　He　may　have　twisted　the　rope　to　get　her　undivided　attention；　he　may　even　have　sexually　stimulated　her　while　he　was　causing　sexual　asphyxia；　a　trick　he　may　have　learned　from　her　。。。　but　at　some　point；　he　twisted　the　rope　and　didn't　stop　twisting。〃
　We　sat　there　a　full　minute；　playing　it　over　again　in　our　minds；　then　Cynthia　stood　and　said；　〃That's　about　what　happened。　Then　he　walked　back　to　the　road；　realized　what　he'd　done；　and　ran　all　the　way　back　to　his　Jeep。　He　may　have　reached　the　Jeep　before　the　Fowlers　even　started　out；　and　he　sped　out　of　there　and　reached　Bethany　Hill　as　the　Fowlers　were　leaving　their　house。　He　may　even　have　passed　them　on　one　of　the　streets。　He　went　home；　parked　his　wife's　Jeep　in　the　garage；　went　inside；　probably　cleaned　up；　and　waited　for　the　phone　call　from　his　MPs。〃　She　added；　〃I　wonder　if　he　slept。〃
　I　don't　know；　but　when　I　saw　him　a　few　hours　later；　he　looked　posed；　though　now　that　I　think　about　it；　he　was　a　little　distracted。〃　I　added；　〃He　disassociated　himself　from　the　crime；　as　criminals　usually　do　after　the　first　few　hours；　but　it's　ing　back　to　him　now。〃
　〃Can　we　prove　any　of　this？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃So　what　do　we　do？〃
　〃Confront　him。　The　time　has　e。〃
　〃He'll　deny　it　all；　and　we'll　be　looking　for　work　in　the　civilian　sector。〃
　〃Probably。　And　you　know　what？　We　may　be　wrong。〃
　Cynthia　was　pacing　now；　having　a　debate　with　herself。　She　stopped　and　said；　〃How　about　finding　the　place　where　he　pulled　the　Jeep　off　the　road？〃
　〃Yes；　first　light　is　at　0536。　Should　I　call　you　or　nudge　you？〃
　She　ignored　this　and　said；　〃The　tire　tracks　will　be　washed　out。　But　if　he　broke　brush；　we　can　see　where　the　vehicle　left　the　road。〃
　〃Right。　This　will　remove　some　of　our　doubts。　But　it　still　leaves　reasonable　doubt；　and　we　need　beyond　a　reasonable　doubt。〃
　She　said；　〃There　might　be　brush　or　pine　needles　stuck　on　his　vehicle　that　can　be　matched　to　the　vegetation　that　was　broken。〃
　〃There　might　be　if　the　guy　was　an　idiot；　but　he's　not。　That　Jeep　is　as　clean　as　a　humvee　waiting　for　an　IG　inspection。〃
　〃Damn　it。〃
　〃We　have　to　confront　him；　and　we　have　to　do　it　at　the　right　psychological　moment　。。。　tomorrow；　after　the　funeral　service。　That's　our　first；　last；　and　only　chance　to　get　a　confession。〃
　Cynthia　nodded。　〃If　he's　going　to　talk；　he'll　do　it　then。　If　he　wants　to　get　it　off　his　chest；　he'll　do　it　with　us；　not　the　FBI。〃
　〃Correct。〃
　〃Time　for　bed。〃　She　picked　up　the　phone　and　asked　the　CQ　to　ring　us　at　0400　hours；　which　would　give　me　three　hours　sleep　if　I　passed　out　in　the　next　ten　seconds。　But　I　had　another　idea。　I　said；　〃Let's　shower　now　and　save　time。〃
　〃Well　。。。〃
　Bad　response。　As　my　father　once　said；　〃Women　control　seventy　percent　of　the　wealth　in　this　country；　and　a　hundred　percent　of　the　pussy。〃　Cynthia　and　I　were　a　little　shy；　I　think；　the　way　ex…lovers　are　when　they　try　it　again。　And　all　the　rape　talk　didn't　help　set　the　mood。　I　mean；　there　was　no　music　here；　no　candles；　no　champagne。　The　only　thing　here　was　the　ghost　of　Ann　Campbell；　the　thought　of　her　murderer　sleeping　in　his　bed　on　Bethany　Hill；　and　two　exhausted　people　far　from　home。　I　said；　〃Maybe　it　wouldn't　be　appropriate。〃
　〃No；　it　wouldn't　be。　Let's　wait　until　we　can　make　it　special。　This　weekend　at　your　place。　We'll　be　glad　we　waited。〃
　Right；　I'm　absolutely　fucking　thrilled　to　wait。　But　I　wasn't　in　the　mood　to　argue；　and　not　clever　enough　to　seduce。　So　I　yawned　and　threw　back　the　covers　of　my　bed。　〃Bon　soir；　as　we　say　in　Brussels。〃
　〃Good　night　。。。〃　She　moved　toward　the　bathroom　door；　then；　as　she　did　last　time；　she　turned　back。　She　said；　〃Something　to　look　forward　to。〃
　〃Right。〃　I　turned　off　the　lamp；　shucked　my　robe；　and　crawled；　naked；　into　bed。
　I　heard　the　shower　running　in　the　bathroom；　heard　the　rain　outside；　heard　a　couple　giggling　in　the　hallway。
　I　never　heard　the　phone　ring　at　0400。
　
　CHAPTER　THIRTY…FOUR
　
　Cynthia　was　dressed；　the　sun　was　ing　in　the　window；　and　I　smelled　coffee。　She　sat　on　the　side　of　my　bed；　I　sat　up；　and　she　handed　me　a　plastic　mug。　〃They　have　a　coffee　bar　downstairs。〃
　I　asked；　〃What　time　is　it？〃
　〃A　little　after　seven。〃
　〃Seven？〃　I　started　to　get　out　of　bed；　but　remembered　I　was　buck　naked。　〃Why　didn't　you　wake　me？〃
　〃How　many　people　does　it　take　to　look　at　broken　bush？〃
　〃You　were　out　there？　Did　you　find　anything？〃
　〃Yes。　A　vehicle　definitely　went　off　Jordan　Field　Road；　fifty　meters　from　Rifle　Range　Road。　Left　ruts；　though　the　tread　marks　are　washed　out；　but　there's　broken　bush；　including　a　freshly　skinned　pine　tree。〃
　I　sipped　on　the　coffee　as　I　tried　to　clear　my　head。　Cynthia　was　dressed　in　blue　jeans　and　a　white　tennis　shirt；　and　looked　good。　I　asked；　〃Skinned　a　tree？〃
　〃Yes。　So　I　went　over　to　Jordan　Field　and　woke　up　poor　Cal。　He　and　another　guy　went　back　with　me　to　the　place；　and　cut　off　the　damaged　section　of　the　tree。〃
　〃And？〃
　〃Well；　we　went　back　to　the　hangar；　and　under　magnification　we　could　see　flecks　of　paint。　Cal　is　sending　the　wood　sample　to　Fort　Gillem。　I　told　him　we　suspected　a　black　Jeep　Cherokee；　and　he　says　that　they　can　confirm　that　with　the　manufacturer；　or　through　their　on…file　samples　of　car　paint。〃
　〃Right。　And　we'll　find　the　scrape　on　Mrs。　Kent's　Jeep。〃
　〃I　hope　so。　Then　we'll　have　the　evidence　we　need　to　support　your　reconstruction　of　Kent's　movements。〃
　〃Right。〃　I　yawned　and　cleared　my　throat。　〃Unfortunately；　if　the　paint　is　from　a　black　Jeep　Cherokee；　it　only　proves　that　a　black　Jeep　Cherokee　scraped　that　tree。　Still；　it　settles　it　in　my　mind。〃
　〃Me；　too。〃
　I　finished　the　coffee　and　put　the　mug　on　the　nightstand。　〃I　wanted　to　be　woken。　Did　you　try　to　wake　me？〃
　〃No。　You　looked　dead。〃
　〃Well　。。。　okay。　Good　job。〃
　〃Thanks。　I　also　took　your　boots　to　Cal　Seiver；　and　he　matched　your　prints　to　unidentified　plaster　casts　and　was　able　to　post　your　prints　on　his　chart。〃
　〃Thank　you。　Am