cpatricia.blacknotice-第4部分

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　goodlooking　blond　woman　in　a　black　Mercedes。　Maybe　you　should　borrow　my　car。〃
　　My　bodybuilding　deputy　chief　had　just　finalized　a　divorce　and　celebrated　by　trading　in　his　Mustang　for　a　red　Corvette。
　　〃Actually；　that's　a　good　idea；〃　I　dryly　said。　〃If　you　don't　mind。　As　long　as　it's　a　V…eight〃
　　Yeah；　yeah。　I　hear　ya。　Call　me　if　you　need　me。　You　know　the　way；　right？〃
　　〃I　do。〃
　　His　directions　led　me　south；　and　I　was　almost　to　Petersburg　when　I　turned　off　and　drove　past　the　back　of　the　Philip　Morris　manufacturing　plant　and　over　railroad　tracks。　The　narrow　road　led　me　through　a　vacant　land　of　weeds　and　woods　that　ended　abruptly　at　a　security　checkpoint。　I　felt　as　if　I　were　crossing　the　border　into　an　unfriendly　country。Beyond　was　a　train　yard　and　hundreds　of　boxcar…size　orange　containers　stacked　three　and　four　high。　A　guard　who　took　his　job　very　seriously　stepped　outside　his　booth。　I　rolled　down　my　window。
　　〃May　I　help　you；　ma'am？〃　he　asked　in　a　flat　military　tone。
　　〃I'm　Dr。　Kay　Scarpetta；〃　I　replied。
　　〃And　who　are　you　here　to　see？〃
　　〃I'm　here　because　there's　been　a　death；〃　I　explained。　〃I'm　the　medical　examiner。〃
　　I　showed　him　my　credentials。　He　took　them　from　me　and　studied　them　carefully。　I　had　a　feeling　he　didn't　know　what　a　medical　examiner　was　and　wasn't　about　to　ask。
　　〃So　you're　the　chief；〃　he　said；　handing　the　worn　black　wallet　back　to　me。　〃The　chief　of　what？〃
　　〃I'm　the　chief　medical　examiner　of　Virginia；〃　I　replied。　〃The　police　are　waiting　for　me。〃
　　He　stepped　back　inside　his　booth　and　got　on　the　phone　as　my　impatience　grew。　It　seemed　every　time　I　needed　to　enter　a　secured　area；　I　went　through　this。　I　used　to　assume　my　being　a　woman　was　the　reason；　and　in　earlier　days　this　was　probably　true…at　least　some　of　the　time。　Now　I　believed　the　threats　of　terrorism；　crime　and　lawsuits　were　the　explanation。　The　guard　wrote　down　a　description　of　my　car　arid　the　plate　number。　He　handed　me　a　clipboard　so　I　could　sign　in　and　gave　me　a　visitor's　pass；　which　I　didn't　clip　on。
　　〃See　that　pine　tree　down　there？〃　he　said；　pointing。
　　〃I　see　quite　a　few　pine　trees。〃
　　〃The　little　bent　one。　Take　a　left　at　it　and　just　head　on　towards　the　water；　ma'am；〃　he　said。　〃Have　a　nice　day。〃
　　I　moved　on；　passing　huge　tires　parked　here　and　there　and　several　red　brick　buildings　with　signs　out　front　to　identify　the　U。S。　Customs　Service　and　Federal　Marine　Terminal。　The　port　itself　was　rows　of　huge　warehouses　with　orange　containers　lined　up　at　loading　docks　like　animals　feeding　from　troughs。
　　Moored　off　the　wharf　in　the　James　River　were　two　container　ships；　the　Euroclip　and　the　Sirius；　each　almost　twice　as　long　as　a　football　field。　Cranes　hundreds　of　feet　high　were　poised　above　open　hatches　the　size　of　swimming　pools。
　　Yellow　crime…scene　tape　anchtired　by　traffic　cones　circled　a　container　that　was　mounted　on　a　chassis。　No　one　was　nearby。　In　fact；　I　saw　no　sign　of　police　except　for　an　unmarked　blue　Caprice　at　the　edge　of　the　dock　apron；　the　driver；　apparently；　behind　the　wheel　talking　through　the　window　to　a　man　in　a　white　shirt　and　a　tie。　Work　had　stopped。　Stevedores　in　hard　hats　and　reflective　vests　looked　bored　as　they　drank　sodas　or　bottled　water　or　smoked。
　　I　dialed　my　office　and　got　Fielding　on　the　phone。
　　〃When　were　we　notified　about　this　body？〃　I　asked　him。
　　〃Hold　on。　Let　me　check　the　sheet：〃　Paper　rustled。　〃At　exactly　ten　fifty…three。〃
　　〃And　when　was　it　found？〃
　　〃Uh；　Anderson　didn't　seem　to　know　that。〃
　　〃How　the　hell　could　she　not　know　something　like　that？〃
　　〃Like　I　。said；　I　think　she's　new。〃
　　〃Fielding；　there's　not　a　cop　in　sight　except　for　her；　or　at　least　I　guess　that's　her。　What　exactly　did　she　say　to　you　when　she　called　in　the　case？〃
　　〃DOA；　deposed；　asked　for　you　to　e　to　the　scene。〃
　　〃She　specifically　requested　me？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Well；　hell。　You're　always　everybody's　first　choice。　That's　noticing　new。　But　she　said　Marino　told　her　to　get　you　to　the　scene。〃
　　〃Marino？〃　I　asked；　surprised。　〃He　told　her　to　tell　me　to　respond？〃
　　〃Yeah；　I　thought　it　was　a　little　ballsy　of　him。〃
　　I　remembered　Marino's　telling　me　he　would　drop　by　the　scene；　and　I　got　angrier。　He　gets　some　rookie　to　basically　give　me　an　order；　and　then　if　Marino　can　fit；　it　in；　he　might　swing　by　and　see　how　we're　doing？〃Fielding；　when's　the　last　time　you　talked　to　him？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Weeks。　Pissy　mood；　too。〃
　　〃Not　half　as　pissy　as　mine's　going　to　be　if　and　when　he　finally　decides　to　show　up；〃　I　promised。
　　Dockworkers　watched　me　climb　out　of　my　car　and　pop　open　the　trunk。　I　retrieved　my　scene　case；　jumpsuit　and　shoes；　and　felt　eyes　crawl　all　over　me　as　I　walked　toward　the　unmarked　car　and　got　more　annoyed　with　each　labored　step；　the　heavy　case　bumping　against　my　leg。
　　The　man　in　the　shirt　and　tie　looked　hot　and　unhappy　as　he　shielded　his　eyes　to　gaze　up　at　two　television　news　helicopters　slowly　circling　the　port　at　about　four　hundred　feet。
　　〃Darn　reporters；〃　he　muttered；　turning　his　eyes　to　me。
　　〃I'm　looking　for　whoever's…　in　charge　of　this　crime　scene；〃　I　said。
　　〃That　would　be　me；〃　came　a　female　voice　from　inside　the　Caprice。
　　I　bent　over　and　peered　through　the　window　at　the　young　woman　sitting　behind　the　wheel。　She　was　darkly　tanned；　her　brown　hair　cut　short　and　slicked　back；　her　nose　and　jaw　strong。　Her　eyes　were　hard；　and　she　was　dressed　in　relaxed…leg　faded　jeans；　lace…up　black　…　leather　boots　and　white　T…shirt。　She　wore　her　gun　on　leer　hip；　her　badge　on　a　ball　chain　tucked　into　her　collar。　Air…conditioning　was　blasting；　light　rock　on　the　radio　surfing　over　the　cop　talk　on　the　scanner。
　　〃Detective　Anderson；　I　presume；〃　I　said。
　　〃Rene　Anderson。　The　one　and　only。　And　you　must　be　the　doc　I've　heard　so　much　about；〃　she　said　with　the　arrogance　I　associated　with　most　people　who　didn't　know　what　the　hell　they　were　doing。
　　〃I'm　Joe　Shaw；　the　port　director；〃　the　man　introduced　himself　to　me。　〃You　must　be　who　the　security　guys　just　called　me　about〃
　　He　wasj　about　my　age；　with　blond　hair；　bright　blue　eyes　and　skin　lined　from　years　of　too　much　sun。　I　could　tell　by　the　look　on　his　face　that　he　detested　Anderson　and　everything　about　this　day。
　　〃Might　you　have　anything　helpful　to　pass　along　to　me　before　I　get　started？〃　I　said　to　Anderson　over　loud　blowing　air　and　rotating　helicopter　blades。　〃For　example；　why　there　are　no　police　securing　the　scene？〃
　　〃Don't　need　'em；'　Anderson　said；　pushing　open　her　door　with　her　knee。　〃It's　not　like　just　anybody　can　drive　right　on　back　here；　as　you　found　out　when　you　tried。〃
　　I　set　the　aluminum　case　on　the　ground。　Anderson　came　around　to　my　side　of　the　car。　I　was　surprised　by　how　small　she　was。
　　〃Not　much　I　can　tell　you；〃　she　said　to　me。　〃What　you　see　is　what　we　got。　A　container　with　a　real　stinker　inside。〃
　　〃No；　there's　a　lot　more　you　can　tell　me；　Detective　Anderson；〃　I　said。　〃How　was　the　body　discovered　and　at　what　time？　Have　you　seen　it？　Has　anybody　gotten　near　it？　Has　the　scene　been　contaminated　in　any　way？　And　the　answer　to　the　last　one　had　better　be　no；　or　I'm　holding　you　responsible。〃
　　She　laughed。　I　began　pulling　the　jumpsuit　over　my　clothes。
　　〃Nobody's　even　gotten　close；〃　she　told　me。　〃No　volunteers　for　that　one。〃
　　〃You　don't　have　to　go　inside　the　thing　to　know　what's　there；〃　Shaw　added。
　　I　changed　into　the　black　Reeboks　and　put　on　the　baseball　cap。　Anderson　was　staring　at…my　Mercedes。；
　　〃Maybe　I　should　go　work　for　the　state；〃　she　said。
　　I　looked　her　up　and　down。
　　〃I　suggest　you　cover　up　if　you're　going　in　there；〃　I　said　to　her。
　　〃I　gotta　make　a　couple　calls；〃　she　said；　walking　off。
　　〃I　don't　mean　to　tell　people　how　to　do　their　jobs；〃　Shaw　said　to　me。　〃But　what　the　hell's　going　on　here？　We　got
　　a　dead　body　right　over　there　and　the　cops　send　in　a　little　shit　like　that？〃
　　His　jaw　muscles　were　clenching；　his　face　bright　red　and　dripping　sweat。
　　〃You　know；　you　don't　make　a　dime　in　this　business　unless　things　are　moving；〃　he　went　on。　〃And　not　a　darn　thing's　moved　for　more　than　two　and　a　half　hours：〃
　　He　was　working　so　hard　not　to　swear　around　me。
　　〃Not　that　I'm　not　sorry　about　someone　being　dead；〃　he　went　on。　〃But　I　sure　would　like