pbien.jaws-第5部分

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　　　　　　　Mr。　Cassidy；　let's　you　and　I　go　west。　You　got　your　whistle；　Leonard？　Just　in　case。〃
　　　　　　　〃I've　got　it；〃　said　Hendricks。　〃You　care　if　I　take　my　shoes　off？　It's　easier　walking　on　the　hard　sand；　I　don't　want　to　get　them　wet。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　don't　care；〃　said　Brody。　〃Technically　you're　off　duty。　You　can　take　your　pants　off　if　you　want。　Of　course；　then　I'll　arrest　you　for　indecent　exposure。〃
　　　　　　　Hendricks　started　eastward。　The　wet　sand　felt　crisp　and　cool　on　his　feet。　He　walked　with　his　head　down　and　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　looking　at　the　tiny　shells　and　tangles　of　seaweed。　A　few　bugs　…　they　looked　like　little　black　beetles　…　skittered　out　of　his　path；　and　when　the　wave　wash　receded；　he　saw　minute　bubbles　pop　above　the　holes　made　by　sandworms。　He　enjoyed　the　walk。　It　was　a　funny　thing；　he　thought；　that　when　you　live　all　your　life　in　a　place；　you　almost　never　do　the　things　that　tourists　go　there　to　do　…　like　walk　on　the　beach　or　go　swimming　in　the　ocean。　He　couldn't　remember　the　last　time　he　went　swimming。　He　wasn't　even　sure　he　still　owned　a　bathing　suit。　It　was　like　something　he　had　heard　about　New　York　…　that　half　the　people　who　live　in　the　city　never　go　to　the　top　of　the　Empire　State　Building　or　visit　the　Statue　of　Liberty。
　　　　　　　Every　now　and　then；　Hendricks　looked　up　to　see　how　much　closer　he　was　to　the　point。　Once　he　turned　back　to　see　if　Brody　and　Cassidy　had　found　anything。　He　guessed　that　they　were　nearly　half　a　mile　away。
　　　　　　　As　he　turned　back　and　started　walking　again；　Hendricks　saw　something　ahead　of　him；　a　clump　of　weed　and　kelp　that　seemed　unusually　large。　He　was　about　thirty　yards　away　from　the　clump　when　he　began　to　think　the　weed　might　be　clinging　to　something。
　　　　　　　When　he　reached　the　clump；　Hendricks　bent　down　to　pull　some　of　the　weed　away。
　　　　　　　Suddenly　he　stopped。　For　a　few　seconds　he　stared；　frozen　rigid。　He　fumbled　in　his　pants　pocket　for　his　whistle；　put　it　to　his　lips；　and　tried　to　blow；　instead；　he　vomited；　staggered　back；　and　fell　to　his　knees。
　　　　　　　Snarled　within　the　clump　of　weed　was　a　woman's　head；　still　attached　to　shoulders；　part　of　an　arm；　and　about　a　third　of　her　trunk。　The　mass　of　tattered　flesh　was　a　mottled　blue…gray；　and　as　Hendricks　spilled　his　guts　into　the　sand；　he　thought　…　and　the　thought　made　him　retch　again　…　that　the　woman's　remaining　breast　looked　as　flat　as　a　flower　pressed　in　a　memory　book。　〃Wait；〃　said　Brody；　stopping　and　touching　Cassidy's　arm。　〃I　think　that　was　a　whistle。〃　He　listened；　squinting　into　the　morning　sun。　He　saw　a　black　spot　on　the　sand；　which　he　assumed　was　Hendricks；　and　then　he　heard　the　whistle　more　clearly。　〃e　on；〃　he　said；　and　the　two　men　began　to　trot　along　the　sand。
　　　　　　　Hendricks　was　still　on　his　knees　when　they　got　to　him。　He　had　stopped　puking；　but　his　head　still　hung；　mouth　open；　and　his　breathing　rattled　with　phlegm。
　　　　　　　Brody　was　several　steps　ahead　of　Cassidy；　and　he　said；　〃Mr。　Cassidy；　stay　back　there　a　second；　will　you？〃　He　pulled　apart　some　of　the　weeds；　and　when　he　saw　what　was　inside；　he　felt　bile　rise　in　his　throat。　He　swallowed　and　closed　his　eyes。　After　a　moment　he　said；　〃You　might　as　well　look　now；　Mr。　Cassidy；　and　tell　me　if　it's　her　or　not。〃
　　　　　　　Cassidy　was　terrified。　His　eyes　shifted　between　the　exhausted　Hendricks　and　the　mass　of　weed。　〃That？〃　he　said；　pointing　at　the　weed。　Reflexively；　he　stepped　backward。
　　　　　　　〃That　thing？　What　do　you　mean　it's　her？〃　Brody　was　still　fighting　to　control　his　stomach。
　　　　　　　〃I　think；〃　he　said；　〃that　it　may　be　part　of　her。〃
　　　　　　　Reluctantly；　Cassidy　shuffled　forward。　Brody　held　back　a　piece　of　weed　so　Cassidy　could　get　a　clear　look　at　the　gray　and　gaping　face。　〃Oh；　my　God！〃　said　Cassidy；　and　he　put　a　hand　to　his　mouth。
　　　　　　　〃Is　it　her？〃
　　　　　　　Cassidy　nodded；　still　staring　at　the　face。　Then　he　turned　away　and　said；　〃What　happened　to　her？〃
　　　　　　　〃I　can't　be　sure；〃　said　Brody。　〃Offhand；　I'd　say　she　was　attacked　by　a　shark。〃
　　　　　　　Cassidy's　knees　buckled；　and　as　he　sank　to　the　sand；　he　said；　〃I　think　I'm　going　to　be　sick。〃　He　put　his　head　down　and　retched。
　　　　　　　The　stink　of　vomit　reached　Brody　almost　instantly；　and　he　knew　he　had　lost　his　struggle。
　　　　　　　〃Join　the　crowd；〃　he　said；　and　he　vomited　too。　
Chapter　3
　　　　　　　Several　minutes　passed　before　Brody　felt　well　enough　to　stand；　walk　back　to　his　car；　and　call　for　an　ambulance　from　the　Southampton　Hospital；　and　it　was　almost　an　hour　before　the　ambulance　arrived　and　the　truncated　corpse　was　stuffed　into　a　rubber　bag　and　hauled　away。
　　　　　　　By　eleven　o'clock；　Brody　was　back　in　his　office；　filling　out　forms　about　the　accident。　He　had　pleted　everything　but　〃cause　of　death〃　when　the　phone　rang。
　　　　　　　〃Carl　Santos；　Martin；〃　said　the　voice　of　the　coroner。
　　　　　　　〃Yeah；　Carl。　What　have　you　got　for　me？〃
　　　　　　　〃Unless　you　have　any　reason　to　suspect　a　murder；　I'd　have　to　say　shark。〃
　　　　　　　〃Murder？〃　said　Brody。
　　　　　　　〃I'm　not　suggesting　anything。　All　I　mean　is　that　it's　conceivable　…　just　barely　…　that　some　nut　could　have　done　this　job　on　the　girl　with　an　ax　and　a　saw。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　don't　think　it's　a　murder；　Carl。　I've　got　no　motive；　no　murder　weapons；　and　…　unless　I　want　to　go　off　into　left　field　…　no　suspect。〃
　　　　　　　〃Then　it's　a　shark。　And　a　big　bastard；　too。　Even　the　screw　on　an　ocean　liner　wouldn't　have　done　this。　It　might　have　cut　her　in　two；　but。。。〃
　　　　　　　〃Okay；　Carl；〃　said　Brody。　〃Spare　me　the　gore。　My　stomach's　none　too　hot　already。〃
　　　　　　　〃Sorry；　Martin。　Anyway；　I'm　going　to　put　down　shark　attack。　I'd　say　that　makes　the　most　sense　for　you　too；　unless　there　are。。。　you　know。。。　other　considerations。〃
　　　　　　　〃No；〃　said　Brody。　〃Not　this　time。　Thanks　for　calling；　Carl。〃　He　hung　up；　typed　〃shark　attack〃　in　the　〃cause　of　death〃　space　on　the　forms；　and　leaned　back　in　his　chair。
　　　　　　　The　possibility　that　〃other　considerations〃　might　be　involved　in　this　case　hadn't　occurred　to　Brody。　Those　considerations　were　the　touchiest　part　of　Brody's　job；　forcing　him　constantly　to　assess　the　best　means　of　protecting　the　mon　wealth　without　promising　either　himself　or　the　law。
　　　　　　　It　was　the　beginning　of　the　summer　season；　and　Brody　knew　that　on　the　success　or　failure　of　those　twelve　brief　weeks　rested　the　fortunes　of　Amity　for　a　whole　year。　A　rich　season　meant　prosperity　enough　to　carry　the　town　through　the　lean　winter。　The　winter　population　of　Amity　was　about　1；000；　in　a　good　summer　the　population　jumped　to　nearly　10；000。　And　those　9；000　summer　visitors　kept　the　1；000　permanent　residents　alive　for　the　whole　year。
　　　　　　　Merchants　…　from　the　owners　of　the　hardware　store　and　the　sporting　goods　store　and　the　two　gas　stations　to　the　local　pharmacist　…　needed　a　boom　summer　to　support　them　through　the　winter；　during　which　they　never　broke　even。　The　wives　of　carpenters；　electricians；　and　plumbers　worked　during　the　summer　as　waitresses　or　real　estate　agents；　to　help　keep　their　families　going　over　the　winter。　There　were　only　two　year…round　liquor　licenses　in　Amity；　so　the　twelve　weeks　of　summer　were　critical　to　most　of　the　restaurants　and　pubs。　Charter　fishermen　needed　every　break　they　could　get：　good　weather；　good　fishing；　and；　above　all；　crowds。
　　　　　　　Even　after　the　best　of　summers；　Amity　winters　were　rough。　Three　of　every　ten　families　went　on　relief。　Dozens　of　men　were　forced　to　move　for　the　winter　to　the　north　shore　of　Long　Island；　where　they　scratched　for　work　shucking　scallops　for　a　few　dollars　a　day。
　　　　　　　Brody　knew　that　one　bad　summer　would　nearly　double　the　relief　rolls。　If　every　house　was　not　rented；　there　wouldn't　be　enough　work　for　Amity's　blacks；　most　of　whom　were　gardeners；　butlers；　bartenders；　and　maids。　And　two　or　three　bad　summers　in　a　row　…　a　circumstance　that；　fortunately；　hadn't　occurred　in　more　than　two　decades　…　could　create　a　cycle　that　could　wreck　the　town。　If　people　didn't　have　enough　money　to　buy　clothes　or　gas　or　ample　food　supplies；　if　they　couldn't　afford　to　have　their　houses　or　their　appliances　repaired；　then　the　merchants　and　service　firms　would　fail　to　make　enough　to　tide　them　over　until　the　next　summer。　They　would　close　down；　and　Amity's　citizens　would　start　shopping　elsewhere。　The　town　would　lose　tax　revenue。　Municipal　services　would　deteriorate；　and　people　would　begin　to　move　away。