cpatricia.blacknotice-第59部分

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y…haired　man　seated　behind　a　black　leather　desk　amid　walls　of　antique　guns　and　medals　and　gifts　from　other　countries。　Mirot　got　up　and　shook　our　hands。
　　〃Let's　be　fortable；〃　he　said。
　　He　showed　us　to　…a　sitting　area　before　a　window　overlooking　the　Rh8ne　while　Talley　collected　a　thick　accordion　file　from　a　table。
　　〃I　know　this　has　been　quite　an　ordeal　and　I'm　sure　you　must　be　exhausted；〃　he　said　in　precise　English。　〃I　can't　thank　you　enough　for　ing。　Especially　on　such　short　notice。〃
　　His　inscrutable　face　and　military　bearing　revealed　nothing；　and　his　presence　seemed　to　make　everything　around　him　smaller。　He　settled　into　a　wing　chair　and　crossed　his　legs。　Marino　and　I　chose　the　couch　and　Talley　sat　across　from　me；　setting　the　file　on　the　rug。
　　〃Agent　Talley；〃　Mirot　said；　〃I'll　let　you　start。　You'll　excuse　me　if　I　get　right　to　the　point？〃　He　directed　this　at　us。　〃We　have　very　little　time。〃
　　〃First；　I　want　to　explain　why　ATF's　involved　in　your　unidentified　case；〃　Talley　said　to　Marino　and　me。　〃You're　familiar　with　HIDTA。　Because　of　your　niece　Lucy；　perhaps？〃
　　〃This　has　nothing　to　do　with　her；〃　I　assumed　uneasily。
　　〃As　you　probably　know；　HIDTA　has　violent　crimesfugitive　task　forces；〃　he　said　instead　of　answering　my　question。　〃FBI；　DEA；　local　law　enforcement；　and　of　course　ATF；　bining　resources　in　high　priority；　especially　difficult　cases。〃
　　He　pulled　up　a　chair　and　sat　across　from　me。
　　〃About　a　year　ago；〃　he　went　on；　〃we　formed　a　squad　to　work　murders　in　Paris　we　believed　are　being　mitted　by　the　same　individual：'
　　〃I'm　not　aware　of　any　serial　murders　in　Paris；〃　I　said。
　　〃In　France；　we　control　the　media　better　than　you　do；〃　the　secretary…general　mented。　〃You　must　understand；　the　murders　have　been　in　the　news；　Dr。　Scarpetta；　but　in　very　little　detail；　no　sensationalizing。　Parisians　know　there's　a　murderer　out　there；　and　women　have　been　warned　not　to　open　their　doors　to　strangers；　and　so　on。　But　that's　all。　We　believe　it　serves　no　good　purpose　to　reveal　the　gore；　the　shattered　bones；　torn　clothes；　bite　marks；　sexual　deviations。〃
　　〃Where　did　the　name　Loup…Garou　e　from？〃　I　asked。
　　〃From　him；〃　Talley　said　as　his　eyes　almost　touched　my　body　and　flew　off　like　a　bird。
　　〃From　the　killer？〃　I　asked。　〃You　mean；　he　calls　himself　a　werewolf？〃
　　Yes。
　　〃How　the　hell　can　you　know　something　like　that？〃　Marino　elbowed　his　way　in；　and　I　knew　by　his　body　language　that　he　was　about　to　cause　trouble。
　　Talley　hesitated　and　glanced　at　Mirot。
　　〃What's　the　son　of　a　bitch　been　doing？〃　Marino　continued。　〃Leaving　his　nickname　on　little　notes　at　the　scenes？　Maybe　he　pins　them　to　the　bodies　like　in　the　movies；　huh？　That's　what　I　hate　about　big　organizations　getting　involved　in　crap　like　this。
　　〃The　best　people　to　work　crimes　is　the　schmucks　like　me　out。there　walking　around　getting　our　boots　muddy。　Once　you　get　these　big…shot　task　forces　and　puter　systems　involved；　the　whole　thing　gets　off　in　the　ozone。　It　gets　too　smart；　when　what　started　the　whole　ball　rolling　ain't　smart　in　the　college　sense　of　the　word　。　。　。〃
　　〃That's　where　you're　quite　mistaken；〃　Mirot　cut　him　off。　〃Loup…Garou　is　very　smart。　He　had　his　self…serving　reasons　to　let　us　know　his　name　in　a　letter。〃
　　〃A　letter　to　who？〃　Marino　wanted　to　know。
　　〃To　me；〃　Talley　said。
　　〃When　was　this？〃　I　asked。
　　〃About　a　year　ago。　After　his　fourth　murder。〃
　　He　untied　the　file　and　pulled　out　a　letter　protected　by　plastic。　He　handed　it　to　me；　his　fingers　brushing　against　mine。　The　letter　was　in　French。　I　recognized　the　handwriting　as　the　same　strange　boxlike　style　I'd　found　on　the　carton　inside　the　container。　The　stationery　was　engraved　with　a　woman's　name；　the　paper　smeared　with　blood。
　　〃It　says；〃　Talley　translated；　〃For　the　sins　of　one　shall　they　all　die。　The　werewolf。　The　stationery　belonged　to　the　victim　and　it's　her　blood。　But　what　mystified　me　at　the　time　was　how　he　knew　I　was　involved　in　the　investigation。　And　this　all　moves　us　closer　to　a　theory　that's　the　root　of　why　you're　here。　We　have　ample　reason　to　believe　the　killer　is　from　a　powerful　family；　the　son　of　people　who　know　exactly　what　he's　doing　and　have　made　certain　he　doesn't　get　caught。　Not　necessarily　because　they　give　a　damn　about　him；　but　because　they　must　do　whatever's　necessary　to　protect　themselves。〃
　　〃Including　shipping　him　off　in　a　container？〃　I　asked。　〃Dead　and　unidentified；　thousands　of　miles　from　Paris　because　they've　had　enough？〃
　　Mirot　studied　me；　leather　creaking　as　he　shifted　his　position　in　his　chair　and　stroked　a　silver　pen。
　　〃Probably　not；〃　Talley　said　to　me。　〃At　first；　yes。　That's　what　we　thought；　because　every　indicator　pointed　to　the　dead　man　in　Richmond　as　this　killer：　Loup…Garou　written　on　the　carton；　the　physical　description　as　best　you　could　tell；　considering　the　state　the　body　was　in。　The　expensive　way　he　was　dressed。　But　when　you　supplied　us　with　further　information　about　the　tattoo　with；　quote；　yellow　eyes　that　might　have　been　altered　in　an　attempt　to　make　them　smaller。　。　。〃
　　〃Whoa；　whoa；　whoa；〃　Marino　cut　in。　〃You　saying　this　Garou　guy's　got　a　tattoo　with　yellow　eyes？〃
　　〃No；〃　Talley　replied。　〃We're　saying　his　brother　did。〃
　　〃Did？〃　I　asked。
　　〃We'll　get　to　that；　and　maybe　you'll　begin　to　pick　up　on　why　what　happened　tó　your　niece　is　tangentially　connected　with　all　this；〃　Talley　said；　filling　me　〃No；〃　Talley　replied。　〃We're　saying　his　brother　did。〃
　　with　torment　again。　〃Are　you　familiar　with　an　international　criminal　cartel　we've　e　to　call　the　One…Sixty…Fivers？〃
　　〃Oh；　God；〃　I　said。
　　〃Named　such　because　they　seem　to　be　very　fond　of　onesixty…five…grain　Speer　Gold　Dot　ammo；〃　Talley　explained。　〃They　smuggle　the　stuff。　They　use　it　exclusively　in　their　own　guns　and　we　can　generally　tell　their　hits　because　Gold　Dot's　going　to　be　the　bullet　recovered。〃
　　I　thought　of　the　Gold　Dot　cartridge　case　recovered　from　the　Quik　Cary。
　　〃When　you　sent　us　information　about　Kim　Luong's　murder…and　thank　God　you　did…pieces　began　to　fit　together；〃　Talley　said。
　　Then　Mirot　spoke。　〃All　members　of　this　cartel　are　tattooed　with　two　bright　yellow　dots。〃
　　He　drew　them　on　a　legal　pad。　They　were　the　size　of　dimes。
　　〃A　symbol　of　membership　in　a　powerful；　violent　club；　and　a　reminder　that　once　in；　you're　in　for　life；　because　tattoos　don't　e　off。　The　only　way　out　of　the　One…SixtyFiver　cartel　is　death。〃
　　〃Unless　you　are　able　to　make　the　gold　dots　smaller　and　turn　them　into　eyes。　A　small　owl's　eyes…so　simple　and　so　quick。　Then　escape　to　some　place　where　nobody　will　think　to　look　for　you。〃　。
　　〃Like　a　niche　port　in　the　unlikely　city　of　Richmond；　Virginia；〃　Talley　added。
　　Mirot　nodded。　〃Exactly。〃
　　〃What　for？〃　Marino　asked。　〃Why　suddenly　does　this　guy　freak　out　and　run？　What's　he　done？〃
　　〃He's　crossed　the　cartel；〃　Talley　replied。　〃He'd　betrayed　his　family；　in　other　words。　We　believe　this　dead　man　in　your　morgue；〃　he　said　to　me；　〃is　Thomas　Chandonne。　His　father　is　the　godfather；　for　lack　of　a　better　term；　of　the　OneSixty…Fivers。　Thomas　made　the　small　mistake　of　deciding　to　make　his　own　dope　and　do　his　own　gun　trafficking　and　cheat　the　family。〃
　　〃Mind　you；〃　Mirot　said；　〃the　Chandonne　family　has　lived　on　the　fie　Saint…Louis　since　the　seventeenth　century；　one　of　the　oldest；　wealthiest　parts　of　Paris。　The　people　there　call　themselves　Louisiens；　and　are　very　proud；　very　elitist。　Many　don't　consider　the　island　part　of　Paris；　even　though　it's　in　the　middle　of　the　Seine　in　the　heart　of　the　city。
　　〃Balzac；　Voltaire；　Baudelaire；　Cézanne；〃　he　said。　〃Just　a　few　of　its　better…known　residents。　And　it　is　where　the　Chandonne　family　has　been　hiding　behind　their　noblesse　facade；；　their　visible　philanthropy　and　high　place　in　politics　while　they　run　one　of　the　biggest；　bloodiest　organized　crime　cartels　in　the　world。〃
　　〃We've　never　been　able　to　get　enough　on　them　to　nail　them；〃　Talley　said。　〃With　your　help；　we　might　have　a　chance。〃
　　〃How？〃　I　asked；　although　I　wanted　nothing　to　do　with　a　murderous　family　like　that。
　　〃Verification；　to　start　with。　We　need　to　prove　the　body　is　Thomas。　I　have　no　doubt。　But　there　are　those　little　legal　nuisances　we　law　enforcers　have　to　put　up　with。〃　He　smiled　at　me。