cpatricia.blacknotice-第40部分

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　　I　told　him　where　I　was　and　why；　Pit　rambling　on　all　the　while；　pointing　out　all　sorts　of　furry　flash　on　a　wall。
　　〃Great。〃…　Marino　got　mad　right　away。　〃Why　don't　you　get　one　while　you're　there。〃
　　〃Maybe　another　time。〃
　　〃I　can't　believe　you　would　go　to　a　tattoo　parlor　alone。　You　got　an　idea　the　kind　of　people　who　go　in　a　place　like　that？　Drug　dealers；　assholes　out　on　parole；　motorcycle　gangs。11'41t's　all　right。〃
　　〃Oh；　no；　it　ain't　all　right！'　Marino　erupted。
　　He　was　upset　about　something　that　went　beyond　my　visiting　a　tattoo　parlor。
　　〃What's　wrong；　Marino？〃
　　〃Not　a　damn　thing　unless　you　consider　being　suspended　without　pay　something　wrong。〃
　　〃There's　no　justification　for　that；〃　I　angrily　said；　although　I'd　been　afraid　it　was　inevitable。
　　〃Bray　thinks　so。　I　guess　I　ruined　her　dinner　last　night。
　　She　says　if　I　do　one　more　thing；　I'm　fired。　The　good　news　is　I'm　having　fun　thinking　what　the　one　more　thing　is　I　might　decide　to　do。〃
　　〃Hey！　Let　me　show　you　something；〃　Pit　called　out　to　me　from　across　the　room。
　　〃We'll　do　something　about　this；〃　I　promised　Marino。
　　'Yeah。〃
　　Taxi's　eyes　followed　me　as　I　hung　up　and　picked　my　way　around　her。　I　scanned　the　flash　on　the　wall　and　only　felt　worse。　I　wanted　the　tattoo　to　be　a　wolf；　a　werewolf；　a　small　one；　when　in　fact　it　could　be　something　else　entirely　and　probably　was。　I　couldn't　tolerate　it　when　a　question　remained　unanswered；　when　science　and　rational　thinking　went　as　far　as　they　could　go　and　quit。
　　1　couldn't　remember　ever　feeling　this　discouraged　and　unsettled。　The　walls　seemed　to　move　in　on　me　and　sheets　of　flash　jumped　out　like　demons。　Daggers　through　hearts　and　skulls；　gravestones；　skeletons；　evil　animals　and　ghastly　ghouls　played　〃Ring　Around　the　Rosie〃　with　me。
　　〃Why　do　people　want　to　wear　death？〃　I　raised　my　voice　and　Taxi　raised　her　head。　〃Isn't　living　with　it　enough？　Why　would　someone　want　to　spend　the　rest　of　his　life　looking　at　death　on　his　arm？〃
　　Pit　shrugged　and　didn't　seem　bothered　in　the　least　that　I　was　questioning　his　art。
　　〃See；〃　he　said；　〃when　you　think　about　it；　Doc；　there's　nothing　to　fear　but　fear。　So　people　want　death　tattoos　so　they　won't　be　afraid　of　death。　It's　kind　of　like　people　who　are　terrified　by　snakes　and　then　touch　one　in　the　zoo。　In　a　way；　you　wear　death　every　day；　too；〃　he　said　to　me。　〃Don't　you　think　you　might　fear　it　more　if　you　didn't　look　at　it　every　day？〃
　　I　didn't　know　how　to　answer　that。
　　〃See；　you　got　a　piece　of　a　dead　person's　skin　in　that　jar　and　you're　not　afraid　of　it；〃　he　went　on。　〃But　someone　else　walking　in　here　and　seeing　that　would　probably　scream　or　puke。　Now；　I'm　no　psychologist〃…he　vigorously　chewed　gum…〃but　there's　something　real　important　behind　what　someone　chooses　to　have　permanently　drawn　on　his　body。　So　you　take　this　dead　guy？　That　owl　says　something　about　him。　What　went　on　inside　him。　Most　of　all；　。what　he　was　scared　of；　which　may　have　more　to　do　with　whatever's　under　that　owl。〃
　　〃It　would　seem　that　quite　a　lot　of　your　clients　are　afraid　of　voluptuous　naked　women；〃　I　mented。
　　Pit　chewed　his　gum　as　if　it　were　trying　to　get　away；　and　he　pondered　what　I'd　said　for　a　moment。
　　〃Hadn't　thought　about　that　one；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　fits。　Most　of　these　guys　with　nudies　all　over　them　are　really　scared　of　women。　Scared。　of　the　emotional　part。〃
　　Chuck　had　turned　on　the　TV　and　was　watching　Rosie　O'Donnell；　the　volume　low。　I　had　seen　thousands　of　tattoos　on　bodies；　but　I　had　never　thought　of　them　as　a　symbol　of　fear。　Pit　tapped　the　lid　of　the　jar　of　formaliü。
　　〃Ibis　guy　was　afraid　of　something；〃　he　said。　〃Looks　like　he　might　have　had　a　good　reason　to　be。〃
　　　
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　　I'd　been　home　only　long　enough　to　hang　up　my　coat　and　drop　my　briefcase　by　the　door　when　the　telephone　rang。　It　was　twenty　minutes　past　eight；　and　my　first　thought　was　Lucy。　The　only　update　I'd　gotten　was　that　Jo　would　be　transferred　to　MCV　sometime　this　weekend。
　　I　was　frightened　and　being　resentful。　No　matter　what　policies；　protocols　or　judgment　dictated；　Lucy　could　contact　me。　She　could　let　me　know　she　and　Jo　were　all　right。　She　could　tell　me　where　she　was。
　　I　quickly　grabbed　the　phone　and　was　both　surprised　and　uneasy　when　former　Deputy　Chief　Al　Carson's　voice　came　over　the　line。　I　knew　he　would　not　contact　me；　especially　at　home；　unless　it　was　very　important；　the　news　very　bad。
　　〃I'm　not　supposed　to　be　doing　this　but　someone　has　to；〃　he　said　right　off。　〃There's　been　a　homicide　at　the　Quik　Cary。　That　convenience　store　off　Cary；　near　Libbie。　You　know　which　one　I　mean？　Kind　of　a　neighborhood　market？〃
　　He　was　talking　rapidly　and　nervously。　He　sounded　scared。
　　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃It's　close　to　my　house。〃
　　I　picked　up　a　clipboard　and　began　writing　notes　on　a　call　sheet。
　　〃An　apparent　robbery。　Somebody　came　in；　cleaned　out　the　drawer　and　shot　the　clerk。　A　female。〃
　　I　thought　of　the　videotape　I　had　looked　at　yesterday。
　　〃When　did　this　happen？〃　I　asked。
　　〃We　think　she　got　shot　not　more　than　an　hour　ago。　I'm　calling　you　myself　because　your　office　doesn't　know　yet。〃
　　I　paused；　not　quite　sure　what　he　meant。　In　fact；　what　he'd　just　said　couldn't　possibly　be　right。
　　〃I　called　Marino；　too；〃　he　went　on。　〃I　guess　there's　nothing　more　they　can　do　to　me　anymore。〃
　　〃What　do　you　mean　my　office　doesn't　know　yet？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Police　aren't　supposed　to　be　calling　the　M。E。　anymore　until　we　finish　with　the　scene。　Until　the　crime　techs　do；　and　they're　just　now　getting　there。　So　it　could　be　hours　。　。　。〃
　　〃Where　the　hell　is　this　ing　from？〃　I　asked；　although　I　knew。
　　〃Dr。　Scarpetta；　I　was　pretty　much　forced　to　resign；　but　I　would　have　anyway；〃　Carson　told　me。　〃There　are　changes　I　can't　live　with。　You　know　my　guys　have　always　gotten　along　really　well　with　your　office。　But　Bray's　put　in　all　these　new　people…what　she　did　to　Marino；　that　was　enough　to　make　me　quit　right　there。　But　what　matters　right　now　is　this　makes　two　convenience　store　killings　in　a　month。　I　don't　want　anything　messed　up。　If　it's　the　same　guy；　he's　gonna　do　it　again。〃
　　I　called　Fielding　at　home　and　told　him　what　was　going　on。
　　〃You　want　me　to　。　。　。　？〃　he　started　to　say。
　　〃No；〃　I　cut　him　off。　〃I'm　going　right　now。　We're　getting　goddamn　screwed；　Jack。〃
　　I　drove　fast。　Bruce　Springsteen　was　singing　〃Santa　Claus　Is　ing　to　Town；〃　and　I　thought　of　Bray。　I　had　never　really　hated　anyone　before。　Hate　was　poison。　I　had　always　resisted　it。　To　hate　was　to　lose；　and　it　was　all　I　could　do　right　now　to　resist　the　heat　of　its　flames。
　　The　news　came　on；　the　homicide　the　lead　story；　covered　live　at　the　scene。
　　〃。　。　。　in　what　is　the　second　convenience　store　murder　in　three　weeks。　Deputy　Chief　Bray；　what　can　you　tell　us？〃
　　〃Details　are　sketchy　at　this　time；〃　her　voice　sounded　inside　my　car。　〃We　do　know　that　several　hours　earlier；　an　unknown　suspect　entered　the　Quik　Cary　here　and　robbed　it　and　shot　the　clerk。〃
　　My　car　phone　rang。
　　〃Where　are　you？〃　Marino　said。
　　〃Getting　close　to　Libbie。°'
　　〃I'm　going　to　pull　into　the　Cary　Town　parking　lot。　I　need　to　tell　you　what's　going　on　because　nobody's　gonna　tell　you　the　time　of　day　when　you　get　there。〃
　　〃We'll　see　about　that。〃
　　Minutes　later；　I　turned　into　the　small　shopping　center　and　parked　in　front　of　Schwarzchild　Jewelers；　where　Marino　was　sitting　in　his　truck。　Then　he　was　inside　my　car；　wearing　jeans　and　boots；　and　a　scuffed　leather　coat　with　a　broken　zipper　and　fleece　lining　as　bald　as　his　head。　He　had　splashed　on　a　lot　of　cologne；　meaning　he　had　been　drinking　beer。　He　tossed　a　cigarette　butt　and　red　ashes　sailed　through　the　night。
　　〃Everything's　under　control；〃　he　sardonically　said。　〃Anderson's　at　the　scene。〃
　　〃And　Bray。〃
　　〃She's　holding　a　goddamn　press　conference　outside　the　convenience　store；〃　Marino　said　with　disgust。　〃Let's　go。〃
　　I　drove　back　out　to　Cary　Street。
　　〃Start　with　this；　Doc；〃　he　began。　〃The　asshole　shoots　her　at　the　counter；　in　the　head。　Then　it's　looking　like　he　puts　out　the　closed；　sign；　locks　the　door　and　drags　her　to　the　back；　into　the　storeroom；　and　beats　the　holy　shit　out　of　her。〃
　　〃He　shot　her　and　then　beat　her　up？'
　　：Yeah：〃
　　'How　were　the　police　notif