cpatricia.blacknotice-第62部分

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erted。〃
　　〃Then　some　Microsoft…pany…type　paid　for　all　this？〃　Marino　asked。
　　Talley's　patience　was　being　tried。　He　didn't　answer　him。
　　〃I'm　asking　you。　I　want　to　know　who　paid　for　my　ticket。　I　want　to　know　who　the　hell　went　through　my　suitcase。　Some　Interpol　agent？〃　Marino　persisted。
　　〃Interpol　doesn't　have　agents。　It　has　liaisons　from　various　law　enforcement　agencies。　ATF；　FBI；　the　postal　service；　police　departments。　and　so　on。〃
　　〃Yeah；　right。　Just　like　the　CIA　doesn't　snuff　people。〃
　　〃For　God's　sake；　Marino；〃　I　said。
　　〃I　want　to　know　who　fucking　went　through　my　suitcase；〃　Marino　said　as　his　face　turned　a　deeper　red。　〃That　pisses　me　off　more　than　anything　has　in　a　hell　of　a　long　time。〃
　　〃I　can　see　that；〃　Talley　replied。　〃Maybe　you　should　plain　to　the　Paris　police。　But　my　guess　is；　if　they　had　anything　to　do　with　it；　it　was　for　your　own　good。　In　the　event　you　might　have　brought　a　gun　over　here；　for　example？〃
　　Marino　didn't　say　anything。　He　picked　through　what　was　left　of　his　ribs。
　　〃You　didn't；〃　I　said　to　him　in　disbelief。
　　〃If　someone　isn't　familiar　with　international　travel；　well；　innocent　mistakes　can　be　made；〃　Talley　added。　〃Especially　American　police　who　are　used　to　carrying　guns　everywhere　and　perhaps　don't　understand　what　serious　trouble　they　could　get　into　over　here。〃
　　Still；　Marino　was　silent。
　　〃I　suspect　the　only　motivation　was　to　prevent　any　inconveniences　for　either　of　you；〃　Talley　added；　tapping　an　ash。
　　〃All　right；　all　right；〃　Marino　grumbled。
　　〃Dr。　Scarpetta；〃　Talley　then　said；　〃are　you　familiar　with　our　magistrate　system　over　here？〃
　　〃Enough　to　know　that　I'm　glad　we　don't　have　one　in　Virginia。〃
　　〃The　magistrate's　appointed。　for　life。　The　forensic　pathologist　is　appointed　by　the　magistrate；　and　it's　the　magistrate　who　decides　what　evidence　is　submitted　to　the　labs　and　even　what　the　manner　of　death　is；〃　Talley　explained。
　　〃Like　our　coroner　system　at　its　worst；〃　I　said。　〃Whenever　politics　and　votes　are　involved…〃
　　〃Power；〃　Talley　cut　in。　〃Corruption。　Politics　and　criminal　investigation　should　never　be　in　the　same　room。〃
　　〃But　they　are。　All　the　time；　Agent　Talley。　Maybe　even　here；　in　your　organization；〃　I　said。
　　〃Interpol？〃　He　seemed　to　find　this　very　amusing。　〃There's　really　no　motivation　for　Interpol　to　do　the　wrong　thing；　as　sanctimonious　as　that　might　sound。　We　don't　take　credit。　We　don't　want　publicity；　cars；　guns　or　uniforms；　we　don't　fight　over　jurisdictions。　We　have　a　surprisingly　small　budget　for　what　we　do。　To　most　people　we　don't　even　exist。〃
　　〃You　say　this　we　shit　like　you're　one　of　them；〃　Marino　mented。　〃I'm　confused。　One　minute　you're　ATF；　the　next　minute　you're　a　secret　squirrel。〃
　　Talley　raised　an　eyebrow　and　blew　out　smoke。　〃Secret　squirrel？〃　he　asked。
　　〃How'd　you　end　up　over　here　anyway？〃　Marino　wouldn't　relent。
　　〃My　father's　French；　my　mother　American。　I　spent　most　of　my　childhood　in　Paris；　then　my　family　moved　to　Los　Angeles。〃
　　〃Then　what？〃
　　〃Law　school；　didn't　like　it；　ended　up　with　ATE〃
　　〃For　how　long？〃　Marino　continued　his'interrogation。
　　〃I've　been　an　agent　about　five　years。〃
　　〃Yeah？　And　how　much　of　that's　been　over　here？〃　Marino　was　getting　more　belligerent　with　each　question。
　　〃Two　years。〃
　　〃That's　kinda　cushy。　Three　years　on　the　street；　then　you　end　up　over　here　drinking　wine　and　hanging　out　in　this　big　glass　castle　with　all　these　hot…shit　people。〃
　　〃I've　been　extremely　fortunate。〃　Talley's　graciousness　carried　a　sting。　〃You're　absolutely　right。　I　suppose　it　helps　somewhat　that　I　speak　four　languages　and　have　traveled　extensively。　I　also　got　into　puters　and　international　studies　at　Harvard。〃
　　〃I'm　hitting　the　john。〃　Marino　abruptly　got　up。
　　〃It's　the　Harvard　part　that　really　got　him；〃　I　said　to　Talley　as　Marino　stalked　off。
　　〃I　didn't　mean　to　piss　him　off；〃　he　said。
　　〃Of　course　you　did。〃
　　〃Oh。　Such　a　bad　impression　you　have　of　me　so　quickly。〃
　　〃He's　usually　not　quite　this　bad；〃　I　went　on。　〃There's　a　new　deputy　chief　who's　thrown　him　back　in　uniform；　suspended　him　and　tried　everything　short　of　a　bullet　to　destroy　him。。；
　　〃What's　his　name？〃　Talley　asked。
　　〃It's　a　her；〃　I　answered。　〃Sometimes　the　hers　are　worse　than　hims；　it's　been　my　experience。　More　threatened；　more　insecure。　Women　tend　to　do　each　other　in　when　we　should　be　helping　each　other　along。〃
　　〃You　don't　seem　to　be　like　that。〃　He　studied　me。
　　〃Sabotage　takes　too　much　time。〃
　　He　wasn't　sure　how　to　take　that。
　　〃You'll　find　I'm　very　direct；　Agent　Talley；　because　I　have　nothing　to　hide。　I'm　focused　and　I　mean　business。　I'll　fight　you　or　I　won't。　I'll　confront　you　or　I　won't；　and　I'll　do　it　strategically　but　mercifully　because　I　have　no　interest　in　watching　anybody　suffer。　Unlike　Diane　Bray。　She　poisons　people　and　sits　back　and　watches；　enjoying　the　show　as　the　person　slowly　and　in　agony　wastes　away。〃
　　〃Diane　Bray。　Well；　well；〃　Talley　said；　〃toxic　waste　in　tight　clothes。〃
　　〃You　know　her？〃　I　asked；　surprised。
　　〃She　finally　left　D。C。　so　she　could　ruin　some　other　police　department。　I　was　at　headquarters　briefly　before　getting　assigned　here。　She　was　always　trying　to　coordinate　what　her　cops　were　doing　with　what　the　rest　of　us　were　doing。　You　know；　FBI；　Secret　Service；　us。　Not　that　there's　anything　wrong　with　people　working　together；　but　that　wasn't　her　agenda。　She　just　wanted　to　get　in　thick　with　the　power　brokers；　and　damn　if　she　didn't。〃
　　〃I　don't　want　to　waste　energy　talking　about　her；〃　I　said。　〃She's　taken　far　too　much　of　my　energy　already。〃
　　〃Would　you　like　dessert？〃
　　〃Why　has　no　evidence　been　tested　in　the　Paris　cases？〃　I　got　back　to　that。
　　〃How　about　coffee？'
　　What　I'd　liked　is　an　answer；　Agent　Talley。〃
　　。Jay。
　　〃Why　am　I　here？〃
　　He　hesitated；　glancing　toward　the　door　as　if　worried　that　someone　he　didn't　want　to　see　might　walk　in。　I　decided　he　was　thinking　about　Marino。
　　〃If　the　killer　is　this　Chandonne　wacko；　as　we　very　much　suspect；　then。　his　family　would　prefer　that　his　nasty　habit　of　slashing；　beating　and　biting　women　isn't　made　public：　In　fact〃…he　paused；　his　eyes　digging　into　mine…〃it　would　seem　his　family　hasn't　wanted　it　known　that　he　was　ever　on　this　planet。　Their　dirty　little　secret。〃
　　〃Then　how　do　you　know　he　exists？〃
　　〃His　mother　gave　birth　to　two　sons。　There's　no　record　of　one　dying。〃
　　〃Sounds　like　there's　no　record　of　anything；〃　I　said。
　　〃Not　on　paper。　There　are　other　ways　of　finding　out　things。　Police　have　spent　hundreds　of　hours　interviewing　people；　especially　those　on　Ile　Saint…Louis。　In　addition　to　what　Thomas's　former　classmates　allege；　it　has　also　bee　rather　much　a　legend　that　there　is　a　man　who's　sometimes　seen　walking　along　the　shore　of　the　island　at　night　or　in　the　early　morning；　when　it's　dark。〃
　　〃Does　this　mysterious　character　swim　or　just　walk　around？〃　I　asked。　I　was　thinking　of　the　freshwater　diatoms　inside　the　dead　man's　clothes。
　　Talley　gave　me　a　surprised　look。
　　〃It's　funny　you　should　say　that。　Yes。　There　have　been　reports　of　a　white　male　swimming　nude　in　the　Seine　off　the　shore　of　Ile。　Saint…Louis。　Even　in　very　cold　weather。　Always　when　it's　dark。〃
　　〃And　you　believe　these　rumors？〃　I　asked。
　　〃It's　not　my　job　to　believe　or　not　believe。〃
　　〃What's　that　supposed　to　mean？〃
　　〃Our　role　here　is　to　facilitate　and　get　all　the　troops　thinking　and　working　together；　no　matter　where　they　are　or　who　they　are。　We're　the　only　organization　in　the　world　able　to　do　that。　I'm　not　here　to　play　detective。〃
　　He　paused　for　a　long　moment；　his　eyes　reaching　into　mine　to　find　places　I　was　afraid　to　share　with　him。
　　〃I　don't　pretend　to　be　a　profiler；　Kay；〃　he　said。
　　He　knew　about　Benton。　Of　course　he　would。
　　〃I　don't　have　those　skills；　and　I　certainly　don't　have　the　experience；〃　he　added。　〃So　I　won't　even　begin　to　paint　some　sort　of　portrait　of　the　guy　who's　doing　this。　I　have　no　feeling　for　what　he　looks　like；　walks　like；　talks　likeexcept　I　know　he　speaks　French　and　maybe　other　languages　as　well。
　　〃One　of　his　victims　was　Italian；〃　he　went　on。　〃She　spoke　no　English。　One　has　to　wonder　if　he　may　have　spoken　Italian　to　her　to　get　inside　her　door。〃
　　Talley