cpatricia.blacknotice-第17部分

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　　He　was　busy　stuffing　a　Vicks　inhaler　up　each　nostril。
　　〃Now　that's　a　little　hypocritical；〃　I　mented　as　the　doors　slid　open　again　and　Chuck　Ruffin　walked　in　with　X　rays。
　　〃It's　not　a　good　idea　to　escort　someone　in　here　and　just　disappear；〃　I　let　Ruffin　know　with　far　more　reserve　than　I　felt。　〃Especially　a　rookie　detective。〃
　　〃I　didn't　know　she　was　a　rookie；'　Ruffin　replied。
　　〃Whad'd　you　think　she　was？〃　Marino　said。　〃She's　never　been　down　here　before　and　looks　about　thirteen。〃
　　〃Damn　sure　is　flat…chested。　Not　the　way　I　like　'em；　let　me　tell　you。〃　Ruffin's　words　swaggered。　〃Lesbo　alert！　RWIRR…RWIRR…RWIRR！〃　He　imitated　a　siren；　flashing　his　hands　like　emergency　lights。
　　〃We　don't　leave　unauthorized　people　alone　with　unexamined　bodies。　That　includes　cops。　Experienced　or　not。〃　I　wanted　to　fire　him　on　the　spot。
　　〃I　know。〃　He　tried　to　be　cute。　〃O。　J。　and　the　planted　leather　glove　again。〃
　　Ruffin　was　a　tall；　slender　young　man　with　sleepy　brown　eyes　and　undisciplined　blond　hair　that　seemed　to　grow　in　many　different　directions；　giving　him　a　tousled；　just…outof…bed　look　that　women　seemed　to　find　irresistible。　He　could　not　charm　me　and　no　longer　tried。
　　〃What　time　did　Detective　Anderson　show　up　this　morning？〃　I　asked　him。
　　His　answer　was　to　go　around　flipping　on　light　boxes。　They　glowed　blankly　along　the　upper　walls。
　　〃Sorry　I'm　late。　I　was　on　the　phone。　My　wife's　sick；〃　he　went　on。
　　He　had　used　his　wife　as　an　excuse　so　many　times　by　now　that　she　was　chronically　ill　or　a　hypochondriac；　had　Munchausen　syndrome；　or　was　almost　dead。
　　〃I　guess　Rene　decided　not　to　stay　。　。　。〃　he　said；　referring　to　Anderson。
　　〃Rene？〃　Marino　interrupted　him。　〃Didn't　know　the　two　of　you　was　close。〃
　　Ruffin　began　slipping　films　out　of　their　big　manila　envelopes。
　　〃Chuck；　what　time　did　Anderson　get　here？〃　I　tried　again。
　　〃To　be　exact？〃　He　thought　for　a　moment。　〃I　guess　she　got　here　about　quarter　after。〃
　　〃After　eight；〃　I　said。
　　。。Yup；　；
　　〃And　you　let　her　in　the　morgue　when　you　knew　everybody　would　be　in　staff　meeting？〃　I　said　as　he　slapped　films　on　the　light　boxes。　〃When　you　knew　the　morgue　would　be　deserted。　Paperwork；　personal　effects　and　bodies　all　over　the　place。〃
　　〃She'd　never　seen　all　of　it；　so　I　gave　her　the　quick　tour。　。　：　'　He　talked　on。　〃Plus；　I　was　here。　Trying　to　catch　up　on…counting　pills。〃
　　He　referred　to　the　endless　supply　of　prescription　drugs　that　came　in　with　most　of　our　cases。　Ruffin　had　the　tedious　chore　of　counting　pills　and　disposing　of　them　down　the　sink。
　　〃Wow；　look　at　that；〃　he　said。
　　X　rays　of　different　angles　of　the　skull　showed　metal　sutures　in　the　left　side　of　the　jaw。　They　were　as　vivid　as　the　stitches　in　a　baseball。
　　〃The　Container　Man's　got　a　busted　jaw；〃　Ruffin　said。　〃That　right　there's　enough　to　I。D。　him；　isn't　it；　Dr。　Scar…〃If　we　can　ever　get　hold　of　his　old　films；〃　I　replied。
　　〃That's　always　the　big　if；〃　Ruffin　said；　and　he　was　doing　all　he　could　to　distract　me　because　he　knew　he　was　in　trouble。
　　I　scanned　the　radio…opaque　shadows　and　shapes　of　sinus　and　bone　and　saw　no　other　fractures；　no　deformities　or　oddities。　However；　when　I　cleaned　off　the　teeth；　there　was　an　accessory　cusp　of　the　Carabelli。　All　molars　have　four　cusps；　or　protrusions。　This　one　had　had　five。
　　〃What's　a　Carabelli？〃　Marino　wanted　to　know。
　　〃Some　person。　I　don't　know　who。〃　I　pointed　out　the　tooth　in　question。　〃Upper　maxilla。　Lingual　and　mesial　or　towards　the　tongue　and　forward。〃
　　〃I　guess　that's　good；〃　Marino　said。　〃Not　that　I　have　a　friggin'　clue　what　you　just　said。〃
　　〃An　unusual　feature；〃　I　said。　〃Not　to　mention　his　sinus　configuration；　fractured　jaw。　We　got　enough　to　I。D。　him　about　half　a　dozen　times　if　we　find　something　premortem　for　parison。〃
　　〃We　say　that　all　the　time；　Doc；〃　Marino　reminded　me。　〃Hell；　you've　had　people　in　here　with　glass　eyes；　artificial　legs；　plates　in　their　heads；　signet　rings；　braces　on　their　teeth；　you　name　it；　and　we　still　never　figure　out　who　the　hell　they　are　because　they're　never　reported　missing。　Or　maybe　they　were　and　the　case　got　lost　in　space。　Or　else　eve　couldn't　find　a　single　damn　X　ray　or　medical　record。〃
　　〃Dental　restorations　here　and　here；〃　I　said；　pointing　to　several　metal　fillings　that　showed　up　brilliant　white　on　the　opaque　shapes　of　two　molars。　〃Looks　like　he　had　pretty　good　dental　care。　Fingernails　neatly　trimmed。　Let's　get　him　on　the　table。　We　need　to　move　along。　He's　only　getting　worse。〃
　　　
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　　Eyes　bulged　froglike；　and　the　scalp　and　beard　were　sloughing　off　with　the　outer　layer　of　darkening　skin。　His　head　lolled　and　he　leaked　what　little　fluid　was　left　in　him　as　I　grabbed　him　around　the　knees　and　Ruffin　got　him　under　the　arms。　We　struggled　to　lift　him　onto　the　portable　table　as　Marino　steadied　the　gurney。
　　〃The　whole　point　of　these　new　tables；〃　I　gasped；　〃is　so　we　don't　have　to　do　this！〃
　　Not　all　removal　services　and　funeral　homes　had　caught　on　yet。　They　still　clattered　in　with　their　stretchers　and　transferred　the　body　to　whatever　old　gurney　they　found　instead　of　one　of　the　new　autopsy　tables　that　we　could　roll　right　up　to　the　sink。　So　far；　my　efforts　to　save　our　backs　hadn't　amounted　to　much。
　　〃Yo；　Chuckie…boy；〃　Marino　said。　〃I　hear　you　want　to　sign　on　with　us。〃
　　〃Who　says？〃　Ruffin　was　clearly　startled　and　instantly　on　the　defensive。
　　The　body　thudded　on　stainless　steel。
　　〃That's　the　word　on　the　street；〃　Marino　said。
　　Ruffin　didn't　reply　as　he　hosed　off　the　gurney。　He　mopped　it　dry　with　a　towel；　then　covered　it　and　a　countertop　with　clean　sheets　while　I　took　photographs。
　　〃Well；　let　me　just　tell　you；〃　Marino　said；　〃it　ain't　all　it's　cut　out　to　be。〃
　　〃Chuck；〃　I　said。　〃We　need　some　more　Polaroid　film。〃
　　〃ing　up。〃
　　〃Reality's　always　a　little　different；〃　Marino　went　on　in　his　condescending　tone。　〃It's　driving　around　all　night　with　nothing　going　on；　bored　out　of　your　friggin'　mind。　It's　being　spat　at；　cussed；　unappreciated；　driving　piece…of…shit　cars　while　little　assholes　play　politics　and　kiss　ass　and　get　nice　offices　and　play　golf　with　the　brass。〃
　　Air　blew；　water　drummed　and　flowed。　I　sketched　the　metal　sutures　and　accessory　cusp　and　wished　the　heaviness　inside　me　would　lift。　Despite　all　I　knew　about　how　the　body　worked；　I　didn't　understand…not　really…how　grief　could　begin　in　the　brain　and　spread　through　the　body　like　a　systemic　infection；　eroding　and　throbbing；　inflaming　and　numbing；　and　ultimately　destroying　careers　and　families；　or　in　some　sad　cases；　a　person's　physical　life。
　　〃Nice　threads；〃　Ruffin　was　saying。　〃Ar…man…i。　Never　seen　it　up　close　before。〃
　　〃His　crocodile　shoes　and　belt　alone　probably　cost　a　thousand　dollars；〃　I　said。
　　〃No　shit？〃　Marino　mented。　〃That's　probably　what　killed　him。　His　wife　buys　it　for　his　birthday；　he　finds　out　what　it　cost　and　has　a　heart　attack。　You　care　if　I　light　up　in　here；　Doc？〃
　　〃Yes；　I　do。　What　about　the　temperature　in　Antwerp　when　the　ship　left？　Did　you　ask　Shaw　about　that？〃
　　〃Low　of　forty…nine；　high　of　sixty…eight；〃　Marino　answered。　〃Same　weird　warm　weather　everybody　else's　been　having。　May　as　well　spend　Christmas　with　Lucy　in　Miami　if　the　weather　stays　like…　this。　Either　that　or　put　up　a　palm　tree　in　my　living　room。〃
　　The　mention　of　Lucy's　name　squeezed　my　heart　with　a　hard；　cold　hand。　She　had　always　been　difficult　and　plicated。　Very　few　people　knew　her；　even　if　they　thought　they　did。　Crouched　behind　her　bunker　of　intelligence；　overachievement　and　risk…taking　was　a　furious；　wounded　child　who　went　after　dragons　the　rest　of　us　feared。　She　was　terrified　of　abandonment；　imagined　or　not。　Lucy　always　did　the　rejecting　first。
　　〃You　ever　notice　how　most　people　don't　seem　to　be　dressed　very　nice　when　they　die；〃　Chuck　said。　〃Wonder　why　that　is。〃
　　〃Look；　I'll　put　on　clean　gloves　and　stand　in　the　corner；〃　Marino　said。　〃I　need　a　cigarette　bad。〃
　　〃Except　last　spring　when　those　kids　got　killed　on　their　way　home　from　the　prom；〃　Chuck　went　on。　〃The　guy's　in　this　blue　tux　and　es　in　with　the　flower　in　his　lapel。〃
　　The　waistband　of　the　jeans　was　wrinkled　inside　the　belt。
　　〃Pants　are　too　big　in　the　waist；〃　I　said；　sketching　it　on　a　form。　〃Maybe　by　a　size　or　two。　He　may