preston&child.thecabinetofcuriosities-第50部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


York。
　He　remained　in　his　seat；　calm；　legs　folded；　tape　recorder　loaded；　and　shotgun　mike　poised；　while　pandemonium　raged　around　him。　To　his　professional　nose；　it　smelled　different　today。　There　was　an　undertone　of　fear。　More　than　fear；　actually：　closer　to　ill…suppressed　hysteria。　He'd　seen　it　as　he'd　ridden　the　subway　downtown　that　morning；　walked　the　streets　around　City　Hall。　These　three　copycat　killings；　one　on　top　of　another；　were　just　too　strange。　People　were　talking　of　nothing　else。　The　whole　city　was　on　the　verge　of　panic。
　Off　to　one　side　he　caught　sight　of　Bryce　Harriman；　expostulating　with　a　policeman　who　refused　to　let　him　move　closer　to　the　front。　All　that　fine　vocational　training　at　Columbia　journalism　school；　wasted　on　the　New　York　Post。　He　should　have　taken　a　nice　quiet　professorship　at　his　old　alma　mater；　teaching　callow　youth　how　to　write　a　flawless　inverted　pyramid。　True；　the　bastard　had　scooped　him　on　the　second　murder；　on　the　copycat　angle；　but　surely　that　was　just　luck。　Wasn't　it？
　There　was　a　stir　in　the　crowd。　The　wing　doors　of　the　press　room　belched　out　a　group　of　blue　suits；　followed　by　the　mayor　of　New　York　City；　Edward　Montefiori。　The　man　was　tall　and　solid；　very　much　aware　that　all　eyes　were　upon　him。　He　paused；　nodding　to　acquaintances　here　and　there；　his　face　reflecting　the　gravity　of　the　moment。　The　New　York　City　mayoral　race　was　in　full　swing；　being　conducted　as　usual　at　the　level　of　two…year…olds。　It　was　imperative　that　he　catch　this　killer；　bring　the　copycat　murders　to　an　end；　the　last　thing　the　mayor　wanted　was　to　give　his　rival　yet　more　fodder　for　his　nasty　television　advertisements；　which　had　been　decrying　the　city's　recent　upsurge　in　crime。
　More　people　were　ing　onto　the　stage。　The　mayor's　spokesperson；　Mary　Hill；　a　tall；　extremely　poised　African…American　woman；　the　fat　police　captain　Sherwood　Custer；　in　whose　precinct　this　whole　mess　had　started；　the　police　missioner；　Rocker…a　tall；　weary…looking　man…and；　finally；　Dr。　Frederick　Collopy；　director　of　the　Museum；　followed　by　Roger　Brisbane。　Smithback　felt　a　surge　of　anger　when　he　saw　Brisbane；　looking　urbane　in　a　neatly　tailored　gray　suit。　Brisbane　was　the　one　who　had　screwed　up　everything　between　him　and　Nora。　Even　after　Nora's　horrible　discovery　of　Puck's　murdered　corpse；　after　being　chased　and　nearly　caught　herself　by　the　Surgeon；　she　had　refused　to　see　him；　to　let　him　fort　her。　It　was　almost　as　if　she　blamed　him　for　what　happened　to　Puck　and　Pendergast。
　The　noise　level　in　the　room　was　being　deafening。　The　mayor　mounted　the　podium　and　raised　his　hand。　At　the　gesture；　the　room　quickly　fell　silent。
　The　mayor　read　from　a　prepared　statement；　his　Brooklyn　accent　filling　the　room。
　〃Ladies　and　gentlemen　of　the　press；〃　he　began。　〃From　time　to　time　our　great　city；　because　of　its　size　and　diversity；　has　been　stalked　by　serial　killers。　Thankfully；　it　has　been　many　years　since　the　last　such　plague。　Now；　however；　it　appears　we　are　faced　with　a　new　serial　killer；　a　true　psychopath。　Three　people　have　been　murdered　in　the　space　of　a　week；　and　in　a　particularly　violent　way。　While　the　city　is　now　enjoying　the　lowest　murder　rate　of　any　major　metropolitan　area　in　the　country…thanks　to　our　vigorous　enforcement　efforts　and　zero　tolerance　for　lawbreaking…this　is　clearly　three　murders　too　many。　I　called　this　press　conference　to　share　with　the　public　the　strong　and　effective　steps　we　are　taking　to　find　this　killer；　and　to　answer　as　best　we　can　questions　you　might　have　about　this　case　and　its　somewhat　sensational　aspects。　As　you　know；　openness　has　always　been　a　top　priority　of　my　administration。　I　therefore　have　brought　with　me　Karl　Rocker；　the　police　missioner；　Sherwood　Custer；　precinct　captain；　Director　Frederick　Collopy　and　Vice　President　Roger　Brisbane　of　the　New　York　Museum　of　Natural　History；　where　the　latest　homicide　was　discovered。　My　spokesperson；　Mary　Hill；　will　field　the　questions。　But　first；　I　will　ask　missioner　Rocker　to　give　you　a　briefing　on　the　case。〃
　He　stepped　back　and　Rocker　took　the　microphone。
　〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Mayor。〃　His　low；　intelligent　voice；　dry　as　parchment；　filled　the　room。　〃Last　Thursday；　the　body　of　a　young　woman；　Doreen　Hollander；　was　discovered　in　Central　Park。　She　had　been　murdered；　and　a　peculiar　kind　of　dissection　or　surgical　operation　performed　on　her　lower　back。　While　the　official　autopsy　was　in　progress　and　the　results　were　being　evaluated；　a　second　killing　took　place。　Another　young　woman；　Mandy　Eklund；　was　found　in　Tompkins　Square　Park。　Forensic　analysis　indicated　that　her　manner　of　death；　and　the　violence　done　to　her　person；　matched　the　killing　of　Doreen　Hollander。　And　yesterday；　the　body　of　a　fifty…four…year…old　man；　Reinhart　Puck；　was　discovered　in　the　Archives　of　the　New　York　Museum。　He　was　the　Museum's　head　archivist。　The　body　showed　mutilations　identical　to　Ms。　Eklund's　and　Ms。　Hollander's。〃
　There　was　a　flurry　of　raised　hands；　shouts；　gestures。　The　missioner　quelled　them　by　holding　up　both　hands。　〃As　you　know；　a　letter　was　discovered　in　these　same　Archives；　referring　to　a　nineteenth…century　serial　killer。　This　letter　described　similar　mutilations；　conducted　as　a　scientific　experiment　by　a　doctor　named　Leng；　in　lower　Manhattan；　one　hundred　and　twenty　years　ago。　The　remains　of　thirty…six　individuals　were　discovered　at　a　building　site　on　Catherine　Street；　presumably　the　spot　where　Dr。　Leng　did　his　depraved　work。〃
　There　was　another　flurry　of　shouts。
　Now；　the　mayor　broke　in　again。　〃An　article　about　the　letter　appeared　in　last　week's　New　York　Times。　It　described；　in　detail；　the　kind　of　mutilations　Leng　had　performed　on　his　victims　more　than　a　century　ago；　as　well　as　the　reason　why　he　had　carried　them　out。〃
　The　mayor's　eyes　roved　the　crowd　and　paused　momentarily　on　Smithback。　The　journalist　felt　a　shiver　of　pride　at　the　implied　recognition。　His　article。
　〃That　article　appears　to　have　had　an　unfortunate　effect：　it　appears　to　have　stimulated　a　copycat　killer。　A　modern　psychopath。〃
　What　was　this？　Smithback's　smugness　vanished　before　a　quickly　rising　sense　of　outrage。
　〃I　am　told　by　police　psychiatrists　this　killer　believes；　in　some　twisted　way；　that　by　killing　these　people　he　will　acplish　what　Leng　tried　to　acplish　a　century　ago…that　is；　extend　his　life　span。　The；　er；　sensationalistic　approach　of　the　Times　article　we　believe　inflamed　the　killer　and　stimulated　him　to　act。〃
　This　was　outrageous。　The　mayor　was　blaming　him。
　Smithback　looked　around　and　saw　that　many　eyes　in　the　room　were　on　him。　He　stifled　his　first　impulse　to　stand　up　and　protest。　He　had　been　doing　his　job　as　a　reporter。　It　was　just　a　story。　How　dare　the　mayor　make　him　the　scapegoat？
　〃I　am　not　blaming　anyone　in　particular；〃　Montefiori　droned　on；　〃but　I　would　ask　you；　ladies　and　gentlemen　of　the　press；　to　please　show　restraint　in　your　coverage。　We　already　have　three　brutal　killings　on　our　hands。　We　are　determined　not　to　allow　any　more。　All　leads　are　being　followed　up　vigorously。　Let　us　not　inflame　the　situation　further。　Thank　you。〃
　Mary　Hill　stepped　forward　to　take　questions。　There　was　a　roar；　an　instant　outcry；　as　everyone　stood　up；　gesturing　madly。　Smithback　remained　seated；　flushing　deeply。　He　felt　violated。　He　tried　to　collect　his　thoughts；　but　his　shock　and　outrage　made　him　unable　to　think。
　Mary　Hill　was　taking　the　first　question。
　〃You　said　the　murderer　performed　an　operation　on　his　victims；〃　somebody　asked。　〃Can　you　elaborate？〃
　〃Basically；　the　lower　portion　of　the　spinal　cord　had　been　removed　in　all　three　victims；〃　the　missioner　himself　answered。
　〃It's　being　said　that　the　latest　operation　was　actually　performed　in　the　Museum；〃　shouted　another　reporter。　〃Is　that　so？〃
　〃It　is　true　that　a　large　pool　of　blood　was　discovered　in　the　Archives；　not　far　from　the　victim。　It　appears　the　blood　was；　in　fact；　from　the　victim；　but　more　forensic　tests　are　underway。　Whether　the；　er；　operation　was　actually　performed　there　must　await　further　lab　work。〃
　〃I　understand　that　the　FBI　have　been　on　the　scene；〃　a　young　woman　shouted。　〃Could　you　tell　us　the　nature　of　their　involvement？〃
　〃That　is　not　entirely　correct；〃　Rocker　answered。　〃An　FBI　agent　has　taken　an　unofficial　interest　in　the　nineteenth…century　serial　killings。　But　h