preston&child.thecabinetofcuriosities-第15部分

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blown　out　of　proportion；　you　know？　He's　gonna　have　to　rent　those　apartments。　You　get　my　drift？　And　when　Mr。　Fairhaven　gets　concerned；　he　calls　the　mayor。　The　mayor　calls　missioner　Rocker。　The　missioner　calls　the　mander。　And　the　mander　calls　me。　Which　means　that　now　I'm　concerned。〃
　O'Shaughnessy　nodded。　Which　means　now　I'm　supposed　to　be　concerned；　which　I'm　not。
　〃Very　concerned；〃　said　Noyes。
　O'Shaughnessy　allowed　his　face　to　relax　into　the　most　unconcerned　of　looks。
　〃So　here's　what's　going　to　happen。　I'm　going　to　assign　you　to　be　this　guy's　NYPD　liaison。　You　stick　to　him　like　a　fly　to；　er；　honey。　I　want　to　know　what　he's　doing；　where　he　goes；　and　especially　what　he's　up　to。　But　don't　get　too　friendly　with　the　guy。〃
　〃No；　sir。〃
　〃His　name　is　Pendergast。　Special　Agent　Pendergast。〃　Custer　turned　over　a　piece　of　paper。　〃Christ；　they　didn't　even　give　me　his　first　name　here。　No　matter。　I've　set　up　a　meeting　with　you　and　him　tomorrow；　two　P。M。　After　that；　you　stay　with　him。　You're　there　to　help　him；　that's　the　official　line。　But　don't　be　too　helpful。　This　guy's　ticked　off　a　lot　of　people。　Here；　read　for　yourself。〃
　O'Shaughnessy　took　the　proffered　file。　〃Do　you　want　me　to　remain　in　uniform；　sir？〃
　〃Hell；　that's　just　the　point！　Having　a　uniformed　cop　sticking　to　him　like　a　limpet　is　going　to　cramp　his　style。　You　get　me？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　The　captain　sat　back　in　his　chair；　looking　at　him　skeptically。　〃Think　you　can　do　this；　Patrick？〃
　O'Shaughnessy　stood　up。　〃Sure。〃
　〃Because　I've　been　noticing　your　attitude　recently。〃　Custer　put　a　finger　to　the　side　of　his　nose。　〃A　friendly　word　of　advice。　Save　it　for　Agent　Pendergast。　Last　thing　you；　of　all　people；　need　is　more　attitude。〃
　〃No　attitude；　sir。　I'm　just　here　to　protect　and　serve。〃　He　pronounced　sairve　in　his　best　Irish　brogue。　〃Top　of　the　mornin'　to　you；　Captain。〃
　As　O'Shaughnessy　turned　and　left　the　office；　he　heard　Custer　mutter　〃wise　ass〃　to　Noyes。
　
　THREE
　　
　〃A　PERFECT　AFTERNOON　to　take　in　a　museum；〃　said　Pendergast；　looking　up　at　a　lowering　sky。
　Patrick　Murphy　O'Shaughnessy　wondered　if　it　was　some　kind　of　joke。　He　stood　on　the　steps　of　the　Elizabeth　Street　precinct　house；　staring　off　into　nowhere。　The　whole　thing　was　a　joke。　The　FBI　agent　looked　more　like　an　undertaker　than　a　cop；　with　his　black　suit；　blond…white　hair；　and　movie…cliché　accent。　He　wondered　how　such　a　piece　of　work　ever　got　his　ass　through　Quantico。
　〃The　Metropolitan　Museum　of　Art　is　a　cultural　paradigm；　Sergeant。　One　of　the　great　art　museums　of　the　world。　But　of　course　you　knew　that。　Shall　we　go？〃
　O'Shaughnessy　shrugged。　Museums；　whatever；　he　was　supposed　to　stay　with　this　guy。　What　a　crappy　assignment。
　As　they　descended　the　steps；　a　long　gray　car　came　gliding　up　from　where　it　had　been　idling　at　the　corner。　For　a　second　O'Shaughnessy　could　hardly　believe　it。　A　Rolls。　Pendergast　opened　the　door。
　〃Drug　seizure？〃　O'Shaughnessy　asked。
　〃No。　Personal　vehicle。〃
　Figures。　New　Orleans。　They　were　all　on　the　take　down　there。　Now　he　had　the　guy　pegged。　Probably　up　here　on　some　kind　of　drug　business。　Maybe　Custer　wanted　in。　That's　why　he　put　him；　of　all　the　cops　in　the　precinct；　on　this　guy's　ass。　This　was　looking　worse　by　the　minute。
　Pendergast　continued　holding　the　door。　〃After　you。〃
　O'Shaughnessy　slid　in　the　back；　sinking　immediately　into　creamy　white　leather。
　Pendergast　ducked　in　beside　him。　〃To　the　Metropolitan　Museum；〃　he　told　the　driver。　As　the　Rolls　pulled　away　from　the　curb；　O'Shaughnessy　caught　a　glimpse　of　Captain　Custer　standing　on　the　steps；　staring　after　them。　He　resisted　the　impulse　to　flip　him　the　bird。
　O'Shaughnessy　turned　to　Pendergast　and　gave　him　a　good　look。　〃Here's　to　success；　Mister　FBI　Agent。〃
　He　turned　away　to　look　out　the　window。　There　was　a　silence　on　the　other　side。
　〃The　name　is　Pendergast；〃　came　the　soft　voice；　finally。
　〃Whatever。〃
　O'Shaughnessy　continued　to　look　out　the　window。　He　allowed　a　minute　to　pass；　and　then　he　said：　〃So　what's　at　the　museum？　Some　dead　mummies？〃
　〃I　have　yet　to　meet　a　live　mummy；　Sergeant。　However；　it　is　not　the　Egyptian　Department　we　are　going　to。〃
　A　wise　guy。　He　wondered　how　many　more　assignments　he'd　have　like　this。　Just　because　he　made　a　mistake　five　years　ago；　they　all　thought　he　was　Mister　Expendable。　Any　time　there　was　something　funny　ing　down　the　pike；　it　was　always：　We've　got　a　little　problem　here；　O'Shaughnessy；　and　you're　just　the　man　to　take　care　of　it。　But　it　was　usually　just　penny…ante　stuff。　This　guy　in　the　Rolls；　he　looked　big…time。　This　was　different。　This　looked　illegal。　O'Shaughnessy　thought　of　his　long…gone　father　and　felt　a　stab　of　shame。　Thank　God　the　man　wasn't　around　to　see　him　now。　Five　generations　of　O'Shaughnessys　in　the　force；　and　now　everything　gone　to　shit。　He　wondered　if　he　could　hack　the　eleven　more　years　required　before　an　early　severance　package　became　available。
　〃So　what's　the　game？〃　O'Shaughnessy　asked。　No　more　sucker　work：　he　was　going　to　keep　his　eyes　open　and　his　head　up　on　this　one。　He　didn't　want　any　stray　shit　to　fall　when　he　wasn't　looking　up。
　〃Sergeant？〃
　〃What。〃
　〃There　is　no　game。〃
　〃Of　course　not。〃　O'Shaughnessy　let　out　a　little　snort。　〃There　never　is。〃　He　realized　the　FBI　agent　was　looking　at　him　intently。　He　continued　looking　away。
　〃I　can　see　that　you're　under　a　misapprehension　here；　Sergeant；〃　came　the　drawl。　〃We　should　rectify　that　at　once。　You　see；　I　can　understand　why　you'd　jump　to　that　conclusion。　Five　years　ago；　you　were　caught　on　a　surveillance　tape　taking　two　hundred　dollars　from　a　prostitute　in　exchange　for　releasing　her。　I　believe　they　call　it　a　'shakedown。'　Have　I　got　that　right？〃
　O'Shaughnessy　felt　a　sudden　numbness；　followed　by　a　slow　anger。　Here　it　was　again。　He　said　nothing。　What　was　there　to　say？　It　would　have　been　better　if　they'd　cashiered　him。
　〃The　tape　got　sent　to　Internal　Affairs。　Internal　Affairs　paid　you　a　visit。　But　there　were　differing　accounts　of　what　happened；　nothing　was　proven。　Unfortunately；　the　damage　was　done；　and　since　that　time　you've　seen　your　career…how　should　I　put　it？…remain　in　stasis。〃
　O'Shaughnessy　continued　looking　out　the　window；　at　the　rush　of　buildings。　Remain　in　stasis。　You　mean；　go　nowhere。
　〃And　you've　caught　nothing　since　but　a　series　of　questionable　assignments　and　gray…area　errands。　Of　which　you　no　doubt　consider　this　one　more。〃
　O'Shaughnessy　spoke　to　the　window；　his　voice　deliberately　tired。　〃Pendergast；　I　don't　know　what　your　game　is；　but　I　don't　need　to　listen　to　this。　I　really　don't。〃
　〃I　saw　that　tape；〃　said　Pendergast。
　〃Good　for　you。〃
　〃I　heard；　for　example；　the　prostitute　pleading　with　you　to　let　her　go；　saying　that　her　pimp　would　beat　her　up　if　you　didn't。　Then　I　heard　her　insisting　you　take　the　two　hundred　dollars；　because　if　you　didn't；　her　pimp　would　assume　she　had　betrayed　him。　But　if　you　took　the　money；　he　would　only　think　she'd　bribed　her　way　out　of　custody　and　spare　her。　Am　I　right？　So　you　took　the　money。〃
　O'Shaughnessy　had　been　through　this　in　his　own　mind　a　thousand　times。　What　difference　did　it　make？　He　didn't　have　to　take　the　money。　He　hadn't　given　it　to　charity；　either。　Pimps　were　beating　up　prostitutes　every　day。　He　should've　left　her　to　her　fate。
　〃So　now　you're　cynical；　you're　tired；　you've　e　to　realize　that　the　whole　idea　of　protect　and　serve　is　farcical；　especially　out　there　on　the　streets；　where　there　doesn't　even　seem　to　be　right　or　wrong；　nobody　worth　protecting；　and　nobody　worth　serving。〃
　There　was　a　silence。
　〃Are　we　through　with　the　character　analysis？〃　O'Shaughnessy　asked。
　〃For　the　moment。　Except　to　say　that；　yes；　this　is　a　questionable　assignment。　But　not　in　the　way　you're　thinking。〃
　The　next　silence　stretched　into　minutes。
　They　stopped　at　a　light；　and　O'Shaughnessy　took　an　opportunity　to　cast　a　covert　glance　toward　Pendergast。　The　man；　as　if　knowing　the　glance　was　ing；　caught　his　eye　and　pinned　it。　O'Shaughnessy　almost　jumped；　he　looked　away　so　fast。
　〃Did　you；　by　any　chance；　catch　the　show　last　year；　Costuming　History？〃　Pendergast　asked；　his　voice　now　light　and　pleasant。
　〃What？〃
　〃I'll　take　that　as　a　no。　You　missed　a　splendid　exhibition。　The　Met　has　a　fine　collection　of　historical　clothing　dating　back　t