preston&child.thecabinetofcuriosities-第55部分

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　one　out。　He　might　even　decide　to　throw　his　weight　behind　the　other　fellow　who's　running。〃
　〃I　understand；　sir。〃
　〃Good。　Now　we've　got　a　psychopath　out　there；　this　so…called　Surgeon；　carving　people　up。　If　you'd　focus　your　talents　on　that；　Custer；　I'd　appreciate　it。　Good　day。〃
　There　was　a　click　as　the　line　went　abruptly　dead。
　Custer　sat　up　in　his　chair；　gripping　the　phone；　his　porcine　frame　trembling。　He　swallowed；　brought　his　shaking　voice　under　control；　and　pressed　the　buzzer　on　his　desk。　〃Get　O'Shaughnessy　on　the　line。　Try　whatever　you　need；　radio；　emergency　frequency；　cell；　home　number；　whatever。〃
　〃He's　off　duty；　Captain；〃　Noyes　said。
　〃I　don't　give　a　rat's　ass　what　he　is。　Get　him。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　And　the　speaker　crackled　back　into　silence。
　
　SIX
　　
　NORA　TOOK　HER　trowel；　knelt；　and　began　prying　up　one　of　the　old　bricks　that　made　up　the　ancient　floor。　It　was　rotten　and　waterlogged；　and　it　crumbled　under　the　trowel。　She　quickly　plucked　out　the　pieces；　then　began　prying　up　its　neighbors；　one　after　the　other。　O'Shaughnessy　stood　above　her；　watching。　They　had　worked　through　the　night；　and　past　noon　of　the　following　day；　widening　the　excavation　to　eight　square　meters。　She　felt　weary　beyond　description。　But　this　was　still　one　task　she　wanted　to　do　herself。
　Once　he'd　gotten　wind　of　their　progress；　Pendergast　had　forced　himself　out　of　his　hospital　bed…despite　the　fearful　protests　of　the　doctors　and　nurses…and　made　the　journey　down　to　Doyers　Street　himself。　Now　he　lay　near　the　digsite　on　an　orthopedic　mattress；　newly　delivered　from　Duxiana。　He　remained　there；　arms　across　his　chest；　eyes　closed；　moving　infrequently。　With　his　black　suit　and　pallid　face；　he　looked　alarmingly　like　a　corpse。　At　Pendergast's　request　Proctor；　his　chauffeur；　had　delivered　a　variety　of　items　from　the　Dakota　apartment：　a　small　table；　a　Tiffany　lamp；　and　an　array　of　medicines；　unguents；　and　French　chocolates；　along　with　a　stack　of　obscure　books　and　maps。
　The　soil　beneath　the　floor　of　Leng's　old　laboratory　was　waterlogged　and　foul…smelling。　Nora　cleared　a　one…meter　square　of　the　floor　bricks；　then　began　digging　a　diagonal　test　trench　with　her　trowel。　Anything　under　the　floor　would　not　be　deep。　There　wasn't　much　farther　to　go。　She　was　almost　in　the　water　table。
　She　struck　something。　A　deft　bit　of　brushwork　revealed　a　rusted；　rotten　nineteenth…century　umbrella；　only　its　whalebone　skeleton　intact。　She　carefully　cleared　around　it；　photographed　it　in　situ；　then　removed　it　and　laid　its　rotting　pieces　on　a　sheet　of　acid…free　specimen　paper。
　〃You've　found　something？〃　Pendergast　asked；　eyes　still　closed。　A　long　white　hand　removed　a　chocolate　from　a　box　and　placed　it　in　his　mouth。
　〃The　remains　of　an　umbrella。〃　She　worked　more　quickly。　The　dirt　was　looser；　muddier。
　Fourteen　inches　down；　in　the　left…hand　corner　of　the　grid；　her　trowel　struck　heavily　against　something。　She　began　clearing　away　the　sodden　dirt　around　it。　Then　her　brush　hand　jerked　aside　reflexively。　It　was　a　circlet　of　hair　about　a　smooth　dome　of　brown　bone。
　A　distant　rumble　of　thunder　pierced　the　silence。　The　storm　was　still　upon　them。
　She　heard　a　faint　intake　of　breath　from　O'Shaughnessy。
　〃Yes？〃　Pendergast's　voice　came　instantly。
　〃We've　got　a　skull　here。〃
　〃Keep　digging；　if　you　please。〃　Pendergast　didn't　sound　surprised。
　Working　carefully　with　the　brush；　heart　pounding　unfortably　in　her　chest；　Nora　cleared　away　more　dirt。　The　frontal　bone　came　slowly　into　view；　then　two　eye　sockets；　slimy；　sticky　matter　still　clinging　inside。　A　foul　smell　rose　and　she　gagged　involuntarily。　This　was　no　clean　Anasazi　skeleton　that　had　been　buried　a　thousand　years　in　dry　sand。
　Plucking　her　T…shirt　up　over　her　nose　and　mouth；　she　continued。　A　bit　of　nasal　bone　became　exposed；　the　opening　cradling　a　twisted　piece　of　cartilage。　Then；　as　the　maxilla　was　exposed；　came　a　flash　of　metal。
　〃Please　describe。〃　Again　Pendergast's　weak　voice　broke　the　silence　of　the　room。
　〃Give　me　another　minute。〃
　Nora　brushed；　working　down　the　craniofacial　bones。　When　the　face　was　exposed；　she　sat　back　on　her　heels。
　〃All　right。　We　have　a　skull　of　an　older　adult　male；　with　some　hair　and　soft　matter　remaining；　probably　due　to　the　anaerobic　environment　of　the　site。　Just　below　the　maxilla　there　are　two　silver　teeth；　partly　fallen　from　the　upper　jaw；　attached　to　some　old　bridgework。　Below　that；　just　inside　the　jaws；　I　see　a　pair　of　gold　spectacles；　one　lens　of　which　has　black　opaque　glass。〃
　〃Ah。　You　have　found　Tinbury　McFadden。〃　There　was　a　pause　and　Pendergast　added；　〃We　must　keep　going。　Still　to　be　found　are　James　Henry　Perceval　and　Dumont　Burleigh；　members　of　the　Lyceum　and　colleagues　of　our　Dr。　Leng。　Two　people　unlucky　enough　to　have　also　received　J。　C。　Shottum's　confidences。　The　little　circle　is　plete。〃
　〃That　reminds　me；〃　Nora　said。　〃I　remembered　something；　while　I　was　digging　last　night。　The　first　time　I　asked　Puck　to　show　me　the　Shottum　material；　he　said　in　passing　that　Shottum　was　quite　popular　these　days。　I　didn't　pay　much　attention　to　it　then。　But　after　what　happened；　I　began　to　wonder　who　had…〃　She　stopped。
　〃Who　had　made　that　particular　journey　ahead　of　us；〃　Pendergast　finished　the　thought　for　her。
　Suddenly　there　was　the　rattle　of　the　doorknob。
　All　eyes　turned。
　The　knob　rattled；　turned；　turned　again。
　There　was　a　series　of　concussive　raps　on　the　door；　which　reverberated　through　the　small　apartment。　A　pause　followed；　then　a　second　volley　of　frantic　pounding。
　O'Shaughnessy　looked　up；　hand　dropping　to　his　automatic。　〃Who's　that？〃
　A　shrill　female　voice　sounded　outside　the　door。　〃What　go　on　here？　What　that　smell？　What　you　do　in　there？　Open　up！〃
　〃It's　Mrs。　Lee；〃　Nora　said　as　she　rose　to　her　feet。　〃The　landlady。〃
　Pendergast　lay　still。　His　pale　cat's　eyes　flitted　open　for　a　moment；　then　closed　again。　He　looked　as　if　he　was　settling　in　for　a　nap。
　〃Open　up！　What　go　on　in　there？〃
　Nora　climbed　out　of　the　trench；　moved　to　the　door。　〃What's　the　problem？〃　she　said；　keeping　her　voice　steady。　O'Shaughnessy　joined　her。
　〃Problem　with　smell！　Open　up！〃
　〃There's　no　smell　in　here；〃　said　Nora。　〃It　must　be　ing　from　somewhere　else。〃
　〃It　e　from　here；　up　through　floor！　I　smell　all　night；　it　much　worse　now　when　I　e　out　of　apartment。　Open　up！〃
　〃I'm　just　cooking；　that's　all。　I've　been　taking　a　cooking　class；　but　I　guess　I'm　not　very　good　yet；　and…〃
　〃That　no　cooking　smell！　Smell　like　shit！　This　nice　apartment　building！　I　call　police！〃　Another　furious　volley　of　pounding。
　Nora　looked　at　Pendergast；　who　lay　still；　wraith…like；　eyes　closed。　She　turned　to　O'Shaughnessy。
　〃She　wants　the　police；〃　he　said　with　a　shrug。
　〃But　you're　not　in　uniform。〃
　〃I've　got　my　shield。〃
　〃What　are　you　going　to　say？〃
　The　pounding　continued。
　〃The　truth；　of　course。〃　O'Shaughnessy　slid　toward　the　door；　undid　the　locks；　and　let　the　door　fall　open。
　The　squat；　heavyset　landlady　stood　in　the　door。　Her　eyes　darted　past　O'Shaughnessy；　saw　the　gigantic　hole　in　the　living　room　floor；　the　piles　of　dirt　and　bricks　beyond；　the　exposed　upper　half　of　a　skeleton。　A　look　of　profound　horror　blossomed　across　her　face。
　O'Shaughnessy　opened　his　wallet　to　display　his　shield；　but　the　woman　seemed　not　to　notice。　She　was　transfixed　by　the　hole　in　the　floor；　the　skeleton　grinning　up　at　her　from　the　bottom。
　〃Mrs。…Lee；　was　it？　I'm　Sergeant　O'Shaughessy　of　the　New　York　Police　Department。〃
　Still　the　lady　stared；　slack…jawed。
　〃There's　been　a　murder　in　this　apartment；〃　O'Shaughnessy　said　matter…of…factly。　〃The　body　was　buried　under　the　floor。　We're　investigating。　I　know　it's　a　shock。　I'm　sorry；　Mrs。　Lee。〃
　Finally；　the　woman　seemed　to　take　notice　of　him。　She　turned　slowly；　looking　first　at　his　face；　then　at　his　badge；　then　at　his　gun。　〃Wha…？〃
　〃A　murder；　Mrs。　Lee。　In　your　apartment。〃
　She　looked　back　at　the　huge　hole。　Within　it；　the　skeleton　lay　peacefully；　wrapped　in　its　mantle　of　earth。　Above；　in　the　bed；　Pendergast　lay　still；　arms　crossed　over　his　chest；　in　a　similar　attitude　of　repose。
　〃Now；　Mrs。　Lee；　I'm　going　to　ask　you　to　go　back　quietly　to　your　apartment。　Tell　no　one　about　this。　Call　no　one。　Lock　and　bolt　your　door。　Do　not　let　anyone　in　unless　they　show　you　one　of　these。〃