preston&child.thecabinetofcuriosities-第31部分

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　This　was　weird。　Seriously　weird。
　He　peered　closer　and　began　describing　the　wound　for　the　benefit　of　the　camera；　trying　to　keep　the　surprise　out　of　his　voice。
　〃Superficially；　this　does　not　resemble　the　random　knife　slashing；　stabbing；　or　cutting　described　in　the　report。　It　has　the　appearance　of…of　a　dissection。　The　incision…if　it　is　one…begins　about　ten　inches　below　the　scapula　and　seven　inches　above　the　belt　line。　It　appears　as　if　the　entire　cauda　equina　has　been　dissected　out；　starting　at　L1　and　terminating　at　the　sacrum。〃
　At　this；　the　FBI　agent　looked　at　him　abruptly。
　〃The　dissection　includes　the　filum　terminale。〃　Dowson　bent　closer。　〃Nurse；　sponge　along　here。〃
　The　nurse　removed　some　of　the　debris　around　the　wound。　The　room　had　fallen　silent　except　for　the　whirr　of　the　camera；　and　there　was　a　clattering　sound　as　twigs　and　leaves　slid　into　the　table's　drainage　channel。
　〃The　spinal　cord…more　precisely；　the　cauda　equina…is　missing。　It　has　been　removed。　The　dissection　extends　peripherally　to　the　neuroforamen　and　out　to　the　transverse　processes。　Nurse；　irrigate　L1　to　L5。〃
　The　nurse　quickly　irrigated　the　requested　area。
　〃The；　er；　dissection　has　stripped　off　the　skin；　the　subcutaneous　tissue；　and　paraspinous　musculature。　It　appears　as　if　a　self…retaining　retractor　was　used。　I　can　see　the　marks　of　it　here；　and　here；　and　here。〃　He　carefully　indicated　the　areas　for　the　benefit　of　the　video。
　〃The　spinous　processes　and　laminae　have　been　removed；　along　with　the　ligamentum　flavum。　The　dura　is　still　present。　There　is　a　longitudinal　incision　in　the　dura　from　L1　to　the　sacrum；　allowing　full　removal　of　the　cord。　It　has　the　appearance　of　a　。　。　。　of　a　very　professional　incision。　Nurse；　the　stereozoom。〃
　The　nurse　rolled　over　a　large　microscope。　Quickly；　Dowson　inspected　the　spinous　processes。　〃It　looks　as　if　a　rongeur　has　been　used　to　remove　the　processes　and　laminae　from　the　dura。〃
　He　straightened　up；　running　a　gowned　arm　across　his　forehead。　This　was　not　a　standard　dissection　one　would　do　in　medical　school。　It　was　more　like　the　kind　of　thing　neurosurgeons　practiced　in　advanced　neuroanatomy　classes。　Then　he　remembered　the　FBI　agent；　Pendergast。　He　glanced　at　him；　to　see　how　he　was　taking　it。　He　had　seen　a　lot　of　shocked　people　at　autopsies；　but　nothing　like　this：　the　man　looked；　not　shocked　exactly；　so　much　as　grim　Death　himself。
　The　man　spoke。　〃Doctor；　may　I　interrupt　with　a　few　questions？〃
　Dowson　nodded。
　〃Was　this　dissection　the　cause　of　death？〃
　This　was　a　new　thought　to　Dowson。　He　shuddered。　〃If　the　subject　were　alive　when　this　was　done；　yes；　it　would　have　caused　death。〃
　〃At　what　point？〃
　〃As　soon　as　the　incision　was　made　in　the　dura；　the　cerebrospinal　fluid　would　have　drained。　That　alone　would　have　been　enough　to　cause　death。〃　He　examined　the　wound　again。　It　looked　as　if　the　operation　had　caused　a　great　deal　of　bleeding　from　the　epidural　veins；　and　some　of　them　had　retracted…an　indication　of　live　trauma。　Yet　the　dissector　had　not　worked　around　the　veins；　as　a　surgeon　on　a　live　patient　would　have　done；　but　had　cut　right　through　them。　The　operation；　while　done　with　great　skill；　had　also　apparently　been　done　with　haste。　〃A　large　number　of　veins　have　been　cut；　and　only　the　largest…whose　bleeding　would　have　interfered　with　the　work…have　been　ligated。　The　subject　might　have　bled　to　death　before　the　opening　of　the　dura；　depending　on　how　fast　the；　er；　person　worked。〃
　〃But　was　the　subject　alive　when　the　operation　began？〃
　〃It　seems　she　was。〃　Dowson　swallowed　weakly。　〃However；　it　seems　no　effort　was　made　to　keep　the　subject　alive　while　the；　ah；　dissection　was　progressing。〃
　〃I　would　suggest　some　blood　and　tissue　work　to　see　if　the　subject　had　been　tranquilized。〃
　The　doctor　nodded。　〃It's　standard。〃
　〃In　your　opinion；　Doctor；　how　professional　was　this　dissection？〃
　Dowson　did　not　answer。　He　was　trying　to　order　his　thoughts。　This　had　the　potential　of　being　big　and　unpleasant。　For　the　time　being；　no　doubt　they'd　try　to　keep　a　low　profile　on　this；　try　to　fly　it　as　long　as　possible　beneath　the　radar　of　the　New　York　press。　But　it　would　e　out…it　always　did…and　then　there　would　be　a　lot　of　people　second…guessing　his　actions。　He'd　better　slow　down；　take　it　one　step　at　a　time。　This　was　not　the　run…of…the…mill　murder　the　police　report　indicated。　Thank　God　he　hadn't　actually　begun　the　autopsy。　He　had　the　FBI　agent　to　thank　for　that。
　He　turned　to　the　nurse。　〃Get　Jones　up　here　with　the　large…format　camera　and　the　camera　for　the　stereozoom。　And　I　want　a　second　ME　to　assist。　Who's　on　call？〃
　〃Dr。　Lofton。〃
　〃I　need　him　within　the　half…hour。　I　also　want　to　consult　with　our　neurosurgeon；　Dr。　Feldman。　Get　him　up　here　as　soon　as　possible。〃
　〃Yes；　Doctor。〃
　He　turned　to　Pendergast。　〃I'm　not　sure　I　can　let　you　stay　without　some　kind　of　official　sanction。〃
　To　his　surprise；　the　man　seemed　to　accept　this。　〃I　understand；　Doctor。　I　believe　this　autopsy　is　in　good　hands。　I；　personally；　have　seen　enough。〃
　So　have　I；　thought　Dowson。　He　now　felt　sure　that　a　surgeon　had　done　this。　The　thought　made　him　feel　sick。
　　
　O'Shaughnessy　stood　in　the　lounge。　He　debated　whether　to　buy　a　cup　of　coffee　from　a　vending　machine；　then　decided　against　it。　He　felt　distinctly　embarrassed。　Here　he　was；　supposed　to　be　a　tough；　sardonic　New　York　City　cop；　and　he'd　wimped　out。　All　but　tossed　his　cookies　right　there　on　the　examining　room　floor。　The　sight　of　that　poor　chubby　naked　girl　on　the　table；　blue　and　dirty；　her　young　face　all　puffed　up；　eyes　open；　leaves　and　sticks　in　her　hair　。　。　。　he　shuddered　afresh　at　the　image。
　He　also　felt　a　burning　anger　for　the　person　who　had　done　it。　He　wasn't　a　homicide　cop；　had　never　wanted　to　be　one；　even　in　the　early　days。　He　hated　the　sight　of　blood。　But　his　own　sister…in…law　lived　in　Oklahoma。　About　this　girl's　age；　too。　Now；　he　felt　he　could　stand　whatever　it　took　to　catch　that　killer。
　Pendergast　glided　through　the　stainless　steel　doors　like　a　wraith。　He　barely　glanced　at　O'Shaughnessy。　The　sergeant　fell　into　step　behind　him；　and　they　left　the　building　and　climbed　into　the　waiting　car　in　silence。
　Something　had　definitely　put　Pendergast　into　a　black　mood。　The　guy　was　moody；　but　this　was　the　darkest　he　had　ever　seen　him。　O'Shaughnessy　still　had　no　idea　why　Pendergast　was　suddenly　so　interested　in　this　new　murder；　interrupting　his　work　on　the　nineteenth…century　killings。　But　somehow；　this　didn't　seem　to　be　the　time　to　ask。
　〃We　will　drop　the　sergeant　off　at　the　precinct　house；〃　said　Pendergast　to　his　chauffeur。　〃And　then　you　may　take　me　home。〃
　Pendergast　settled　back　in　the　leather　seat。　O'Shaughnessy　looked　over　at　him。
　〃What　happened？〃　he　managed　to　ask。　〃What　did　you　see？〃
　Pendergast　looked　out　his　window。　〃Evil。〃　And　he　spoke　no　more。
　
　THREE
　　
　WILLIAM　SMITHBACK　JR。；　in　his　best　suit　（the　Amani；　recently　dry…cleaned）；　crispest　white　shirt；　and　most　business…like　tie；　stood　on　the　corner　of　Avenue　of　the　Americas　and　Fifty…fifth　Street。　His　eyes　strayed　upward　along　the　vast　glass…and…chrome　monolith　that　was　the　Moegen…Fairhaven　Building；　rippling　blue…green　in　the　sunlight　like　some　vast　slab　of　water。　Somewhere　in　that　hundred…million…dollar　pile　was　his　prey。
　He　felt　pretty　sure　he　could　talk　his　way　into　seeing　Fairhaven。　He　was　good　at　that　kind　of　thing。　This　assignment　was　a　lot　more　promising　than　that　tourist　murder　in　the　Ramble　his　editor　had　wanted　him　to　cover　today。　He　conjured　up　the　grizzled　face　of　his　editor；　red　eyes　bug…big　behind　thick　glasses；　smoke…cured　finger　pointing；　telling　him　that　this　dead　lady　from　Oklahoma　was　going　to　be　big。　Big？　Tourists　were　getting　smoked　all　the　time　in　New　York　City。　It　was　too　bad；　but　there　it　was。　Homicide　reporting　was　hackwork。　He　had　a　hunch　about　Fairhaven；　the　Museum；　and　these　old　killings　Pendergast　was　so　interested　in。　He　always　trusted　his　hunches。　His　editor　wouldn't　be　disappointed。　He　was　going　to　cast　his　fly　onto　the　water；　and　by　God　Fairhaven　might　just　bite。
　Taking　one　more　deep　breath；　he　crossed　the　street…giving　the　finger　to　a　cabbie　that　shot　past　inches　away；　horn　blaring…and　approached　the　granite　and　titanium　entry。　Another　vast　acreage　of　granite　greeted　him　upon　ent