cpatricia.blacknotice-第42部分

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aper　towels；　toilet　paper　and　other　household　needs。
　　〃Jesus　Christ；〃　Marino　said　as　the　significance　hit　him。　〃He's　dragging　her　while　she's　spurting　blood　everywhere？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃How　long　would　she　have　survived；　bleeding　like　that？〃
　　〃Minutes；〃　I　said。　〃Ten　at　the　most。〃
　　She　had　left　no　other　bloody　wake　except　the　faint　fringed　and　narrow　parallel　impressions　made　by　her　hair　and　fingers　as　they　dragged　through　her　blood。　I　envisioned　him　pulling　her　feet　first；　her　arms　opening　like　wings　filled　with　air；　her　hair　trailing　like　feathers。
　　〃He　had　her　by　the　ankles；〃　I　said。　〃She　has　long　hair。〃
　　Anderson　had　stepped　back　inside　and　was　watching　us；　and　I　hated　it　when　I　had　to　guard　every　word　I　said　around　the　police。　But　it　happened。　Over　the　years；　I　had　worked　with　cops　who　were　terrible　leaks　and　I　had　no　choice　but　to　treat　them　like　the　enemy。
　　〃She　sure　as　hell　didn't　die　right　away；〃　Marino　added。
　　〃A　hole　in　your　carotid　isn't　immediately　disabling；〃　I　told　him。　〃You　can　have　your　throat　cut　and　still　call　nineone…one。　She　shouldn't　have　been　immediately　immobilized；　but　clearly　she　was。〃
　　The　systolic　sweeps　got　lower　and　fainter　the　further　down　the　aisle　we　went；　and　I　noted　that　small　blood　spatters　were　dry　while　larger　amounts　of　blood　were　congealing。　We　followed　streaks　and　smears　past　coolers　full　of　beer；　then　through　the　doorway　leading　into　the　storeroom　where　crime…scene　technician　Gary　Ham　was　on　his　knees　while　another　officer　took　photographs；　their　backs　to　me；　blocking　my　view。
　　When　I　stepped　around　them；　I　was　stunned。　Kim　Luong's　blue　jeans　and　panties　had　been　pulled　down　to　her　knees；　a　chemical　thermometer　inserted　into　her　rectum。　Ham　looked　up　at　me　and　he　froze　like　someone　caught　stealing。　We　had　worked　together　for　years。
　　〃What　the　hell　do　you　think　you're　doing？〃　I　said　to　him　in　a　hard　tone　he　had　never　heard　from　me。
　　〃Getting　her　temp；　Doc；〃　Ham　said。
　　〃Did　you　swab　lair　before　inserting　the　thermometer？　In　the　event　she　was　sodomized？〃　I　demanded　in　the　same　angry　voice　as　Marino　made　his　way　around　me　and　stared　at　the　body。
　　Ham　hesitated　〃No；　ma'am；　I　didn't：〃
　　〃Way　to　fucking　go；〃　Marino　said　to　him。
　　Ham　was　in　his　late　thirties；　a　tall；　nice…looking　man　with　dark　hair　and　big　brown　eyes　and　long　lashes。　It　wasn't　unmon　for　a　little　experience　to　begin　seducing　someone　like　him　into　believing　he　could　do　the　forensic　scientist's　and　medical　examiner's　work。　But　Ham　had　always　stayed　in　bounds。　He　had　always　been　respectful。
　　〃And　just　how　do　I　interpret　the　presence　of　any　injury；　now　that　you've　introduced　a　hard　object　into　one　of　her　orifices？〃　I　said　to　him。
　　He　swallowed　hard。
　　〃If　I　find　a　contusion　inside　her　rectum；　can　I　swear　in　court　that　the　thermometer　didn't　do　it？　And　unless　you　can　somehow　vouch　for　the　sterility　of　your　equipment；　any　DNA　recovered　will　be　in　question；　too；〃　I　said。
　　Ham's　face　was　red。
　　〃Do　you　have　any　idea　how　many　artifacts　you've　just　introduced　to　this　crime　scene；　Officer　Ham？〃　I　asked　him。
　　〃I've　been　very　careful。〃
　　〃Please　move　out　of　the　way。　Now。〃
　　I　opened　my　case　and　angrily　pulled　on　gloves；　stretching　my　fingers　and　snapping　latex　all　in　one　motion。　I　handed　Marino　a　flashlight　and　studied　my　surroundings　before　I　did　another　thing。　The　storeroom　was　dimly　lit；　hundreds　of　six…packs　of　sodas　and　beer　as　far　as　twenty　feet　away　were　spattered　with　blood。　Inches…　from　the　body　were　Tampax　and　paper　towels；　the　bottom　of　the　cartons　soggy　with　blood。　So　far；　there　was　no　sign　the　killer　had　been　interested　in　anything　back　here　except　his　victim。
　　I　squatted　and　studied　the　body；　taking　in　every　shade　and　texture　of　flesh　and　blood；　every　stroke　of　the　killer's　hellish　art。　I　did　not　touch　anything　at　first。
　　〃God；　he　really　beat　the　hell　out　of　her；　didn't　he；〃　said　the　cop　who　was　taking　photographs。
　　It　was　as　if　a　wild　animal　had　dragged　her　dying　body　off　to　its　lair　and　mauled　it。　Her　sweater　and　bra　had　been　ripped　open；　her　shoes　and　socks　removed　and　tossed　nearby。　She　was　a　fleshy　woman　with　matronly　hips　and　breasts；　and　the　only　way　I　had　a　clue　about　what　she　had　looked　like　was　the　driver's　license　I　was　shown。　Kim　Luong　had　been　pretty　with　a　shy。　smile　and　shiny　long　black　hair。
　　〃Were　her　pants　on　when　she　was　found？〃　I　asked　Ham。
　　〃Yes；　ma'am。〃
　　〃What　about　shoes　and　socks？〃
　　〃They　were　off。　Exactly　like　you　see　them。　We　didn't　touch　them。〃
　　I　didn't　have　to　pick　up　her　shoes　and　socks　to　see　they　were　very　bloody。
　　〃Why　would　he　take　off　her　shoes　and　socks　but　not　her　pants？〃　one　of　the　cops　asked。
　　〃Yeah。　Why　would　someone　do　something　weird　like　that？〃
　　I　took　a　look。　There　was　dried　blood　on　the　bottom　of　her　feet；　too。
　　〃I'll　have　to　get　her　under　a　better　light　when　we　get　her　to　the　morgue；〃　I　said。
　　The　gunshot　wound　in　the　front　of　her　neck　was　plain　to　see。　It　was　an　entrance　wound；　and　I　turned　her　head　just　enough　to　see　the　exit　in　the　back；　angled　to　the　left。　It　was　this　bullet　that　had　hit　her　carotid　artery。
　　〃Did　you　recover　a　bullet？〃　I　asked　Ham：
　　〃Dug　one　out　of　the　wall　behind　the　counter；〃　he　said；　barely　able　to　look　at　me。　〃No　shell　so　far；　if　there　is　one。〃
　　There　wouldn't　be　if　she　was　shot　with　a　revolver。　Pistols　ejected　their　cartridge　cases；　which　was　about　the　only　helpful　thing　they　did　when　they　were　used　for　violence。
　　〃Where　in　the　Wall？〃　I　asked。
　　〃If　you're　facing　the　counter；　it　would　be　to　the　left　of　where　the　chair　would　have　been　if　she　was　sitting　at　the　cash　register。〃
　　〃The　exit　wound　is　also　off　to　the　left；〃　I　said。　〃If　they　were　face　to　face　when　she　was　shot；　you　may　be　looking　for　a　left…handed　shooter。〃
　　Kim　Luong's　face　was　severely　lacerated　and　crushed；　the　skin　split　and　torn　from　blows　that　had　been　made　by　some　sort　of　tool　or　tools　that　had　a　pattern　of　round　and　linear　wounds。　It　appeared　she　also　had　been　beaten　with　his　fists。　When　I　palpatéd　for　fractures；　bits　of　bone　crunched　beneath　my　fingertips。　Her　teeth　were　broken　and　pushed　in。
　　〃Hold　it　here；〃　I　directed　Marino。
　　He　moved　the　flashlight　as　I　directed　and　I　gently　turned　her　head　to　the　right　and　to　the　left；　palpating　her　scalp　through　her　hair　and　checking　the　back　and　sides　of　her　neck。　She　was　covered　with　more　knuckle　bruises；　and　more　of　the　round　and　linear　injuries；　and　also　striated　abrasions　here　and　there。
　　〃Except　for　pulling　down　her　pants　to　get　her　body　temp；〃　I　said　to　Ham；　because　I　had　to　be　sure；　〃she　was　just　like　this？〃
　　〃Other　than　her　jeans　being　zipped　up　and　buttoned；　yes；　ma'am；〃　he　replied。　〃Her　sweater　and　bra　were　just　exactly　like　that。〃　He　pointed。　〃Ripped　right　down　the　middle。〃
　　〃With　his　bare　hands。〃　Marino　squatted　beside　me。　〃Damn；　he's　strong。　Doe；　she　would　have　pretty　much　been　dead　by　the　time　he　got　her　back　here；　right？〃
　　〃Not　quite。　She　still　has　tissue　response　to　her　injuries。　Some　bruising。〃
　　〃But　for　all　practical　purposes；　he's　beating　the　shit　out　of　a　dead　body；〃　Marino　said。　〃I　mean；　she　sure　as　hell　wasn't　sitting　up　and　arguing　with　him。　She　wasn't　struggling。　You　can　look　around　and　see　that。　Nothing　knocked　over　or　shoved　around。　No　bloody　footprints　going　all　over　the　place。〃
　　〃He　knew　her；〃　Anderson's　voice　was　behind　me。　〃It　had　to　be　someone　she　knew。　Otherwise　he　probably　would　have　just　shot　her　and　taken　the　money　and　run：'
　　Marino　was　still　down　beside　me；　elbows　resting　on　his　big　knees；　flashlight　dangling　from　one　hand。　He　looked　up　at　Anderson　as　if　she　had　the　intelligence　of　a　banana。
　　〃I　didn't　know　you　was　a　profiler；　too；〃　he　said。　〃You　take　some　classes　or　something？〃
　　〃Marino；　if　you　can　shine　it　right　there；〃　I　said。　〃It's　hard　to　see：'　 …The　light　illuminated　a　blood　pattern　on　the　body　that　I　hadn't　noticed　at　first　because　I　was　too　preoccupied　with　injuries。　Virtually　every　inch　of　exposed　flesh　was　smeared　with　bloody　swirls　and　strokes；　as　if　she　had　been　fingerpainted。　The　blood　was　drying　and　beginning　to　crack。　And　there　were　hairs；　the　same　long；　pale　hairs　stuck　to　her　blood。I　pointed　this