cpatricia.blacknotice-第48部分

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ike　him　to　resist。　Like　the　cops　who　can't　resist　pocketing　wads　of　cash　at　drug　busts　and　shit　like　that。　Hell；　drugs　like　Lortabs；　Lorcet；　not　to　mention　Percocet；　can　go　for　two　to　five　bucks　a　pop　on　the　street。　What　I'm　curious　about　is　where　he's　unloading　the　stuff〃
　　〃Maybe　you　can　find　out　from　his　wife　if　he's　out　a　lot　at　night；〃　Rose　suggested。
　　〃Honey；〃　Marino　replied；　〃bad　people　do　stuff　like　this　in　broad　daylight。〃
　　Rose　looked　dejected　and　somewhat　embarrassed；　as　if　afraid　that　her　being　so　upset　had　sent　her　spinning　threads　of　truth　into　a　tapestry　of　conviction。　Marino　got　up　to　pour　more　coffee。
　　〃You're　thinking　he's　following　you　because　you're　suspicious　of　his　drug　dealing？〃　he　asked　Rose。
　　〃Oh；　I　guess　it　sounds　so　far…fetched　when　I　hear　myself　say　it。〃
　　〃Might　be　someone　involved　with　Chuck；　if　we　want　to　keep　going　down　this　path。　And　I　don't　think　we　should　dismiss　anything　right　now；〃　Marino　added。　〃If　Rose　knows；　then　you　do；〃　he　said　to　me。　'Chuck　sure　as　hell　knows　that：'
　　〃If　this　is　tied　in　with　drugs；　then　what's　the　motive　if　Chuck's　involved　in　our　being　followed？　To　hurt　us？　To　intimidate　us？〃　I　asked。
　　〃This　much　I　can　guarantee；〃　Marino　replied　from　the　kitchen。　〃He's　mixed　up　with　people　who　are　way　out　of　his　league：　And　we're　not　talking　small　amounts　of　money。　Think　how　many　pills　e　in　with　some　of　these　bodies。　Cops　have　to　turn　in　every　bottle　they　find。　Think　of　all　the　leftover　pain　medication　or　who…knows…what　in　your　average　person's　medicine　cabinet〃
　　He　came　back　into　the　living　room　and　sat　down；　blowing　into　the　cup　as　if　that　really　would　cool　his　coffee　in　a　hurry。
　　〃Add　that　to　the　shitload　of　other　stuff　they're　actively　taking　or　supposed　to　be　taking　and　what　do　you　get？〃　he　went　on。　〃That　the　only　reason　Chuckie…boy　needs　his　job　in　the　morgue　is　to　steal　drugs。　Hell；　he　doesn't　need　the　pay；　and　that　may　have　something　to　do　with　why　he's　been　doing　such　a　shitty　job　over　the　last　few　months。〃
　　〃He　could　be　taking　in　thousands　of　dollars　a　week；〃　I　said。
　　〃Doc；　you　got　any　reason　to　think　he　might　be　hooked　up　with　your　other　officers；　getting　somebody　to　do　the　same　thing？　They　get　him　the　pills；　he　gives　them　a　small　cut'
　　I　have　no　idea。〃
　　〃You　got　four　district　offices。　You　steal　drugs　from　all　of　them；　you're　getting　into　really　big　bucks　now；〃　Marino　said。　〃Hell；　the　little　shit　may　even　be　involved　in　organized　crime；　just　one　more　drone　bringing　stuff　to　the　hive。　Problem　is；　this　ain't　shopping　at　Wal…Mart。　He　thinks　it's　so　easy　making　deals　with　some　guy　in　a　suit；　some　foxy　woman。　This　person　moves　the　merchandise　along　to　the　next　person　in　the　chain。　Maybe　it's　eventually　traded　for　guns　that　end　up　in　New　York。〃
　　Or　Miami；　I　thought。
　　〃Thank　God　you　alerted　us；　Rose；〃　I　said。　〃rhe　last　thing　I　want　is　anything　flowing　out　of　the　office　and　ending　up　in　the　hands　of　people　who　will　hurt　others　or　even　kill　them。〃
　　〃Not　to　mention；　Chuck's　days　are　probably　going　to　be　numbered；　too；〃　Marino　said。　〃People　like　him　usually　don't　live　too　long。〃
　　He　got　up　and　moved　to　the　end　of　the　couch；　closer　to　Rose：
　　〃Now；　Rose？〃　he　gently　said。　〃What's　making　you　think　what　you've　just　told　us　has　anything　to　do　with　Kim　Luong's　murder？〃
　　She　took　a　deep　breath　and　turned　off　the　lamp　next　to　her　as　if　it　was　bothering　her　eyes。　Her　hands　were　shaking　so　badly　that　when　she　reached　…for　her　mug；　she　spilled　some　of　her　tea。　She　dabbed　the　wet　spot　on　her　lap　with　a　tissue。
　　〃On　my　way　home　from　the　office　last　night；　I　decided　to　pick　up　shortbreads　and　a　few　other　things；〃　she　began；　her　voice　getting　shaky　again。
　　〃Do　you　know　exactly　what　time　this　was？〃　Marino　asked。
　　〃Not　to　the　minute。　Around　ten　of　six　as　best　I　can　say。〃
　　〃Let　me　be　sure　I've　got　this　straight；〃　Marino　said；　taking　notes。　〃You　stopped　at　the　Quik　Cary　at　about　six　o'clock　P。m。　Was　it　closed？〃
　　〃Yes。　Which　irritated　me'　a　little　because　it's　not　supposed　to　close　until　six。　I　thought　ugly　thoughts；　and　now　I　feel　so　bad　about　that；　too。　Here　she　is　dead　in　there　and　I'm　mad　at　her　because　I　couldn't　get　cookies　。　。　。　！〃　she　sobbed。
　　〃Did　you　see　any　cars　in　the　lot？〃　Marino　asked。　〃Any　person　or　persons？〃
　　〃Not　a　one；〃　she　barely　said。
　　〃Think　hard；　Rose。　Was　there　anything　that　struck　you　at　all？〃
　　〃Oh；　yes；〃　she　said。　〃And　this　is　what　I've　been　trying　to　get　at。　I　could　see　from　Libbie　that　the　market　was　closed　because　the　lights　were　out；　so　I　pulled　into　the　lot　to　turn　around；　and　I　saw　the　closed　sign　on　the　door。　I　got　back　on　Libbie　and　hadn't　gone　any　farther　than　the　ABC　store　when　this　car　was　suddenly　behind　me　with　its　high　beams　on。〃
　　〃Were　you　headed　home？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Yes。　And　I　really　didn't　think　anything　until　I　turned　on　Grove　and　he　did；　too；　staying　on　my　bumper　with　those　darn　lights　about　to　blind　me。　Cars　going　the　other　way　were　flicking　their　lights　up　and　down　to　tell　him　his　high　beams　were　on；　in　case　he　didn't　know。　But　he　clearly　intended　for　them　to　be　on。　By　now　I　was　getting　frightened。〃
　　〃Any　idea　what　kind　of　car？　Could　you　see　anything？〃　Marino　asked。
　　〃I　was　practically　blinded；　and　then　I　was　so　confused。　Immediately　I　thought　of　the　car　in　my　parking　lot　on　Tuesday　night　when　you　came　by；〃　she　said　to　me。　〃And　then　your　telling　me　you'd　been　followed。　And　I　started　thinking　about　Chuck　and　drugs　and　the　sort　of　horrible　people　who　get　involved　in　that。〃
　　〃So　you're　driving　along　Grove；〃　Marino　got　her　back　on　track。
　　〃Of　course；　I　drove　right　on　past　my　Apartment　building；　trying　to　figure　out　where　to　go　to　get　away　with　him。　And　I　don't　know　how　I　thought　of　it；　but　I　suddenly　cut　over　to　the　left　and　did　a　U…turn。　Then　I　drove　to　where　Grove　ends　at　Three　Chopt　and　took　a　left；　him　still　behind　me。　The　next　right　was　the　Country　Club　of　Virginia；　and　I　turned　in　there　and　drove　straight　to　the　entrance　where　the　valets　were。　Needless　to　say；　whoever　it　was　vanished。〃
　　〃That　was　damn　smart　of　you；〃　Marino　said。　〃Damn　smart。　But　why　didn't　you　call　the　police？〃
　　〃It　wouldn't　have　done　any　good。　They　wouldn't　have　believed　me　and　I　couldn't　have　described　a　thing；　anyway。〃
　　〃Well；　you　should　have　called　me；　at　least；〃　Marino　said。
　　〃I　know。〃
　　〃After　this　where　did　you　go？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Here。〃
　　〃Rose；　you're　scaring　me；〃　I　said。　〃What　if　he　was　waiting　for　you　somewhere？〃
　　〃I　couldn't　stay　out　all　night；　and　I　went　a　different　route　home。〃
　　〃Any　idea　what　time　it　was　when　he　vanished？〃　Marino　asked。
　　〃Somewhere　between　six　and　six…fifteen。　Oh；　dear　Lord；　。　I　just　can't　believe　when　I　pulled　up　to　that　store　she　was　in　there。　And　what　if　he　was？　If　only　I'd　known。　I　can't　stop　thinking　there　must　have　been　something　I　should　have　noticed。　Maybe　even　when　I　was　in　there　Tuesday　night。〃
　　〃Rose；　you　couldn't　have　known　a　damn　thing　unless　you're　a　gypsy　with　a　crystal　ball；〃　Marino　told　her。
　　She　took　a　deep；　shaky。breath　and　pulled　her　robe　more　tightly　around　her。
　　〃I　can't　seem　to　get　warm；〃　she　said。　〃Kim　was　such　a　nice　girl。〃
　　She　stopped　again；　her　face　contorted　by　grief。　Tears　filled　her　eyes　and　spilled。
　　〃She　was　never　rude　to　anyone　and　worked　so　hard。　How　could　anybody　do　something　like　that！　She　wanted　to　be　a　nurse！　She　wanted　to　spend　her　life　helping　people！　I　remember　worrying　about　her　being　。alone　in　there　so　late　at　night；　oh；　God　help　me。　It　even　crossed　my　mind　when　I　was　there　on　Tuesday　but　I　didn't　say　anything！〃
　　Her　voice　tumbled　as　if　it　were　falling　down　a　steep　flight　of　stairs。　I　came　over　and　knelt　beside　her；　pulling　her　close。
　　〃It's　like　when　Sassy　wasn't　feeling　well　。　。　。　so　lethargic　and　I　just　thought　she　had　eaten　something　she　shouldn't　have　。　。　。〃
　　〃It's　okay；　Rose。　Everything's　going　to　be　okay；〃　I　said。
　　〃And　it　turned　out　she'd　somehow　gotten　hold　of　a　piece　of　glass　。　。　。　My　little　baby　was　bleeding　inside　。　。　。　And　I　didn't　do　anything。〃
　　〃You　didn't　know。　We　can't　know　everything。〃　I　felt　a　spasm　of　grief；　too。
　　〃If　only　I'd　taken　her　to　the　vet　sooner　。　。　。　I'll　never；　ever　forgive　myself　for