dk.coldfire-第53部分

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　Las　Vegas。　
　Niagara　Falls。　They　seemed　to　have　been　everywhere。　
　In　every　case；　no　matter　who　was　holding　the　camera　or　where　they　were；　those　in　the　shot　looked　genuinely　happy。　Not　one　face　in　one　print　was　frozen　in　an　insincere　smile；　or　caught　with　one　of　those　snap…the…damn…picture　expressions　of　impatience　that　could　be　found　in　abundance　in　most　family　photo　albums。　Often；　they　were　laughing　instead　of　merely　smiling；　and　in　several　instances　they　were　caught　in　the　middle　of　horseplay　of　one　kind　or　another。　All　three　were　touchers；　too；　not　simply　standing　side　by　side　or　in　brittle　poses。　
　They　were　usually　shown　with　their　arms　around　one　another；　sometimes　hugging；　occasionally　kissing　one　another　on　the　cheek　or　casually　expressing　affection　in　some　fashion。　
　The　boy　in　the　photographs　revealed　no　hint　of　the　sometimes　moody　adult　he　would　bee；　and　Holly　could　see　that　the　untimely　death　of　his　parents　had　changed　him　profoundly。　The　carefree；　grinning　boy　in　the　photographs　had　been　lost　forever。　
　One　black…and…white　particularly　arrested　her。　It　showed　Mr。　
　Ironheart　sitting　on　a　straight…backed　chair。　Jim；　maybe　seven　years　old；　was　on　his　father's　lap。　They　were　in　tuxedos。　Mrs。　Ironheart　stood　behind　her　husband；　her　hand　on　his　shoulder；　wearing　a　slinky　sequined　cocktail　dress　that　emphasized　her　wonderful　figure。　They　faced　the　camera　directly。　
　Unlike　the　other　shots；　this　one　was　carefully　posed；　with　nothing　but　a　piece　of　artfully　draped　cloth　as　a　backdrop；　obviously　set　up　by　a　professional　photographer。　
　〃They　were　wonderful；〃　Jim　said　from　the　doorway。　She　had　not　heard　him　approaching。　〃No　kid　ever　had　better　folks　than　them。〃　
　〃You　traveled　a　lot。〃　
　〃Yeah。　They　were　always　going　somewhere。　They　loved　to　show　me　new　places；　teach　me　things　firsthand。　They　would've　made　wonderful　schoolteachers；　let　me　tell　you。〃　
　〃What　work　did　they　do？〃　〃My　dad　was　an　accountant　at　Warner　Brothers。〃　
　〃The　movie　studio？〃　〃Yeah。〃　Jim　smiled。　〃We　lived　in　L。A。　Mom…she　wanted　to　be　an　actress；　but　she　never　got　a　lot　of　jobs。　So　mostly　she　was　a　hostess　at　a　restaurant　on　Melrose　Avenue；　not　far　from　the　Paramount　lot。〃　
　〃You　were　happy；　weren't　you？〃　〃Always。〃　
　She　pointed　to　the　photo　in　which　the　three　of　them　were　dressed　with　glittery　formality。　〃Special　occasion？〃　〃Times　just　the　two　of　them　should　have　celebrated；　like　wedding　anniversaries；　they　insisted　on　including　me。　
　They　always　made　me　feel　special；　wanted；　loved。　I　was　seven　years　old　when　that　photo　was　taken；　and　I　remember　them　making　big　plans　that　night。　They　were　going　to　be　married　a　hundred　years；　they　said；　and　be　happier　each　year　than　the　one　before；　have　lots　more　children；　own　a　big　house；　see　every　corner　of　the　world　before　they　died　together　in　their　sleep。　But　just　three　years　later　they　were。　。　。　gone。〃　
　〃I'm　sorry；　Jim。〃　
　He　shrugged。　〃It's　a　long　time　ago。　Twenty…five　years。〃　He　looked　at　his　wristwatch。　〃e　on；　let's　go。　It'll　take　us　four　hours　to　reach　the　farm；　and　it's　already　nine　o'clock。〃　
　At　the　Laguna　Hills　Motor　Inn；　Holly　quickly　changed　into　jeans　and　a　blue…checkered　blouse；　then　packed　the　rest　of　her　belongings。　
　Jim　put　her　suitcase　in　the　trunk　of　his　car。　
　While　she　returned　her　room　key　and　paid　her　bill　at　the　front　desk　in　the　motel　office；　she　was　aware　of　him　watching　her　from　behind　the　wheel　of　his　Ford。　She　would　have　been　disappointed；　of　course；　if　he　had　not　liked　to　watch　her。　But　every　time　she　looked　through　the　plate…glass　window　at　him；　he　was　so　motionless；　so　cool　and　expressionless　behind　his　heavily　tinted　sunglasses；　that　his　undivided　attention　was　disconcert。　
　She　wondered　if　she　was　doing　the　right　thing　by　going　with　him　to　the　Santa　Ynez　Valley。　When　she　walked　out　of　the　office　and　got　in　the　car　with　him；　he　would　be　the　only　person　in　the　world　who　knew　where　she　was。　All　of　her　notes　about　him　were　in　her　suitcase；　they　could　disappear　with　her。　Then　she　would　be　just　a　woman；　alone；　who　had　vanished　while　on　vacation。　
　As　the　clerk　finished　filling　out　the　credit…card　form；　Holly　considered　phoning　her　parents　in　Philadelphia　to　let　them　know　where　she　was　going　and　with　whom。　But　she　would　only　alarm　them　and　be　on　the　phone　half　an　hour　trying　to　reassure　them　that　she　was　going　to　be　just　fine。　
　Besides；　she　had　already　decided　that　the　darkness　in　Jim　was　less　important　than　the　light；　and　she　had　made　a　mitment　to　him。　If　he　occasionally　made　her　uneasy。　。　。　well；　that　was　part　of　what　had　drawn　her　to　him　in　the　first　place。　A　sense　of　danger　sharpened　the　edge　of　his　appeal。　At　heart；　he　was　a　good　man。　
　It　was　foolish　to　worry　about　her　safety　after　she　had　already　made　love　to　him。　For　a　woman；　in　a　way　that　could　never　be　true　for　a　man；　the　first　night　of　sexual　surrender　involved　one　of　the　moments　of　greatest　vulnerability　in　a　relationship。　Assuming；　of　course；　that　she　had　surrendered　not　solely　because　of　physical　need　but　because　she　loved　him。　And　Holly　loved　him。　
　〃I'm　in　love　with　him；〃　she　said　aloud；　surprised　because　she　had　convinced　herself　that　his　appeal　was　largely　the　result　of　his　exceptional　male　grace；　animal　magnetism；　and　mystery。　
　The　clerk；　ten　years　younger　than　Holly　and　therefore　more　inclined　to　think　that　love　was　everywhere　and　inevitable；　grinned　at　her。　〃It's　great；　isn't　it？〃　Signing　the　charge　slip；　Holly　said；　〃Do　you　believe　in　love　at　first　sight？〃　〃Why　not？〃　〃Well；　it's　not　first　sight；　really。　I've　known　the　guy　since　August　twelfth；　which　is。　。　。　sixteen　days。〃　
　〃And　you're　not　married　yet？〃　the　clerk　joked。　
　When　Holly　went　out　to　the　Ford　and　got　in　beside　Jim；　she　said；　〃When　we　get　where　we're　going；　you　won't　carve　me　up　with　a　chainsaw　and　bury　me　under　the　windmill；　will　you？〃　Apparently　he　understood　her　sense　of　vulnerability　and　took　no　offense　；　for　he　said　with　mock　solemnity；　〃Oh；　no。　It's　full…up　under　the　mill。　
　I'll　have　to　bury　pieces　of　you　all　over　the　farm。〃　
　She　laughed。　She　was　an　idiot　for　fearing　him。　
　He　leaned　over　and　kissed　her。　It　was　a　lovely；　lingering　kiss。　
　When　they　parted；　he　said；　〃I'm　taking　as　big　a　risk　as　you　are。〃　
　〃Let　me　assure　you；　I've　never　hacked　anyone　to　bits　with　an　axe。〃　
　〃I　mean　it。　I　haven't　been　lucky　in　love。〃　
　〃Me　neither。〃　
　〃This　time　will　be　different　for　both　of　us。〃　
　He　gave　her　another　kiss；　shorter　and　sweeter　than　the　first　one；　then　started　the　car　and　backed　out　of　the　parking　space。　
　In　a　determined　attempt　to　keep　the　dying　cynic　in　her　alive；　Holly　reminded　herself　that　he　had　not　actually　said　he　loved　her。　His　mitment　had　been　carefully　and　indirectly　phrased。　He　might　be　no　more　reliable　than　other　men　she　had　trusted　over　the　years。　
　On　the　other　hand；　she　had　not　actually　said　that　she　loved　him；　either。　
　Her　mitment　had　been　no　more　effusively　stated　than　his。　
　Perhaps　because　she　still　felt　the　need　to　protect　herself　to　some　extent；　she　had　found　it　easier　to　reveal　her　heart　to　the　motel　clerk　than　to　Jim。　
　Washing　down　blueberry　muffins　with　black　coffee；　for　which　they　had　stopped　at　a　convenience　store；　they　traveled　north　on　the　San　Diego　Freeway。　The　Tuesday…morning　rush　hour　had　passed；　but　at　some　places　traffic　still　clogged　all　lanes　and　moved　like　a　snail　herd　being　driven　'；　toward　a　gourmet　restaurant。　
　I　fortably　ensconced　in　the　passenger　seat；　Holly　told　Jim　about　her　four　nightmares；　as　promised。　She　started　with　the　initial　dream　of　blindness　on　Friday　night；　concluding　with　last　night's　spookshow；　which　had　been　the　most　bizarre　and　fearful　of　all。　
　He　was　clearly　fascinated　that　she　had　dreamed　about　the　mill　without　even　knowing　of　its　existence。　And　on　Sunday　night；　after　surviving　the　crash　of　Flight　246；　she　had　dreamed　of　him　at　the　mill　as　a　ten　year…old　boy；　when　she　could　not　yet　have　known　either　that　the　mill　was　a　familiar　place　to　him　or　that　he　had　spent　a　lot　of　time　there　when　he　was　ten。　
　But　the　majority　of　his　questions　related　to　her　most　recent　nightmare。　
　Keeping　his　eyes　on　the　traffic　ahead；　he　said；　〃Who　was　the　woman　in　the　dream　if　she　wasn't　you？〃　〃I　don't　know；〃　Holly　said；　finishin