cpatricia.blacknotice-第64部分

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　　〃Please　sit；〃　he　said。
　　Reluctantly；　I　did。
　　〃If　you　do　something　Dr。　Stvan　asks　and　should　get　caught；　we'll　intercede；'　he　said。　〃Just　as　we　did　with　what　I　was　sure　Marino　would　have　packed　in　his　suitcase。〃
　　〃I'm　supposed　to　believe　that？〃　I　asked；　incredulous。　〃French　police　with　their　machine　guns　snatch　me　in　the　airport　and　I　say；　。It's　all　right。　I'm　on　a　secret　mission　for　Interpol？〃
　　〃All　we're　doing　is　getting　you　and　Dr。　Stvan　together。〃
　　〃Bullshit。　I　know　exactly　what　you're　doing。　And　if　I　get　in　trouble；　you　guys　will　be　like　every　other　agency　in　the　goddamn　world。　You'll　say　you　don't　even　know　me。〃
　　〃I　would　never　say　that。〃
　　He　held　my　gaze；　and　the　room　was　so　hot　I　needed　fresh　sir。
　　〃Kay；　we　would　never　say　that。　Senator　lord　would　never　say　that。　Please；　trust　me。〃
　　〃Well；　I　don't〃
　　〃When　would　you　like　to　return　to　Paris？〃
　　I　had　to　stop　to　think。　He　had　me　so　befuddled　and　furious。
　　〃You're　scheduled　on　the　late　afternoon　train；〃　he　reminded　me。　〃But　if　you'd　like　to　stay　for　the　night；　I　know　of　a　wonderful　little　hotel　on　the　rue　du　Boeuf。　It's　called　La　Tour　Rose。　You'd　love　it。〃
　　〃No；　thank　you；〃　I　said。
　　He　sighed；　getting　up　from　the　table　and　collecting　both　our　trays。
　　〃Where's　Marino？〃　It　occurred　to　me　that。he　had　been　gone　for　a　long　time。
　　〃I　was　beginning　to　wonder　that　myself；〃　Talley　said　as　we　walked　through　the　cafeteria。　〃I　don't　think　he　likes　me　very　much：'
　　〃That's　the　most　brilliant　deduction　you've　made　all　day；〃　I　said。
　　〃I　don't　think　he　likes　it　when　another　man　pays　attention　to　you。〃　 …I　didn't　know　how　to　answer　that。
　　He　slid　the　trays　into　a　rack。
　　〃Will　you　make　the　phone　call？〃　Talley　was　relentless。　〃Please？〃
　　He　stood　perfectly　still　in　the　middle　of　the　cafeteria　and　touched　my　shoulder；　almost　boyishly；　as　he　asked　me　again。
　　〃I　hope　Dr。　Stvan　still　speaks　English；〃　I　said。
　　　
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　　When　I　got　Dr。　Stvan　on　the　phone；　she　remembered　me　without　hesitation；　which　reinforced　what　Talley　had　told　me。　She　was　expecting　my　call　and　wanted　to　see　me。
　　〃I　teach　at　the　university　tomorrow　afternoon；〃　she　told　me　in　English　that　sounded　as　if　it　had　not　been　practiced　in　a　while。　〃But　you　can　e　by　in　the　morning。　I　get　in　at　eight。〃
　　〃Will　eight…fifteen　give　you　enough　time　to　get　settled？〃
　　〃Of　course。　Is　there　something　I　can　help　you　with　while　you're　in　Paris？〃　she　asked　in　a　tone　that　made　me　suspect　others　could　hear。
　　〃I'm　interested　in　how　your　medical　examiner　system　works　in　France。〃　I　followed　her　cue。
　　〃Not　very　well　some　of　the　time；〃　she　replied。　〃We're　near　the　Gare　de　Lyon；　off　the　Quai　de　la　Rapée。　If　you　drive　yourself；　you　can　park　in　back　where　the　bodies　are　received。　Otherwise；　e　in　to　the　front。〃
　　Talley　looked　up　from　telephone　messages　he　was　sifting　through。
　　〃Thanks；〃　he　said　when　I　hung　up。
　　〃Where　do　you　suppose　Marino　has　wandered　off　to？〃　I　asked。
　　I　was　getting　anxious。　I　didn't　trust　Marino　on　his　own。　No　doubt　he　was　offending　someone。
　　〃There　are　but　so　many　places　he　can　go；〃　Talley　replied。
　　We　found　him　downstairs　in　the　lobby；　sitting　glumly　by　a　potted　palm。　It　seemed　he　had　wandered　through　too　many　doors　and　had　locked　himself　out　of　every　floor。　So　he　had　taken　the　elevator　down　and　hadn't　bothered　to　ask　for　assistance　from　security。
　　I　hadn't　seen　him　this　petulant　in　a　while；　and　he　was　so　surly　on　our　way　back　to　Paris　that　I　finally　moved　to　another　seat　and　turned　my　back　to　him。　I　closed　my　eyes　and　dozed。　I　wandered　to　the　dining　car　and　bought　a　Pepsi　without　asking　him　if　he　wanted　one。　I　bought　my　own　pack　of　cigarettes　and　offered　him　nothing。
　　When　we　walked　into　the　lobby　of　our　hotel；　I　finally　broke　down。
　　〃How　about　I　buy　you　a　drink？〃　I　said。
　　〃I　gotta　go　to　my　room。〃
　　〃What's　wrong　with　you？〃
　　〃Maybe　I　should　ask　you　that；〃　he　retorted。
　　〃Marino；　I　don't　have　any　idea　what　you're　talking　about。　Let's　relax　in　the　bar　for　a　minute　and　figure　out　what　to　do　next　about　this　mess　we've　gotten　ourselves　into。〃
　　〃Only　thing　I'm　doing　next　is　going　to　my　room。　And　it　ain't　me　who's　gotten　us　into　a　mess。〃
　　I　let　him　step　inside　the　elevator　alone　and　watched　his　stubborn　face　disappear　behind　closing　brass　doors。　I　climbed　the　long；　curved　flights　of　carpeted　stairs　and　was　reminded　how　bad　smoking　was　for　my　health。　I　unlocked　my　door　and　was　not　prepared　for　what　I　saw。　Cold　fear　seized　me　as　I　walked　over　to　the　fax　machine　and　stared　at　what　the。　chief　medical　examiner　of　Philadelphia；　Dr。　Harston；　had　sent。　I　sat　down　on　the　bed；　paralyzed。
　　The　lights　of　the　city　were　bright；　the　sign　for　the　Grand　Marnier　distillery　was　huge　and　high；　and　the　Café　de　la　Paix　was　busy　below。　I　collected　the　paper　off　the　fax　machine；　my　hands　shaking；　my　nerves　jumping　as　if　I　had　some　awful　disease。　I　got　three　Scotches　from　the　minibar　and　poured　all　of　them　at　once。　I　didn't　bother　to　get　ice。　I　didn't　care　if　I　felt　like　hell　the　next　day　because　I　knew　I　was　going　to　anyway。　There　was　a　cover　sheet　from　Dr。　Harston。
　　Kay　I　was　wondering　when　you'd　ask。　Knew　you　would　when　you　were　ready。　Let　me　know　if　you　have　further　questions。　I'm　here　for　you。
　　Vance。
　　Time　numbly　passed；　as　if　I　were　catatonic；　as　I　read　the　medical　examiner's　report　of　initial　investigation；　the　description　of　Benton's　body；　what　was　left　of　it；　in　situ；　in　the　gutted　building　where　he　died：　Phrases　floated　past　my　eyes　like　ashes　on　the　air。　Charred　body　with　bum　fractures　of　the　wrists　and　hands　absent　and　skull　shows　laminar　peeling　burn　fractures　and　charred　down　to　muscle　over　the　chest　and　abdomen。
　　The　entrance　of　the　gunshot　wound　to　his　head　had　left　a　half…inch　hole　in　the　skull　that　showed　internal　beveling　of　the　bony　fracture。　It　had　entered　behind　the　right　ear　causing　radial　fractures　and　impacting　and　terminating　in　the　right　petrous　region。
　　He　had　a　slight　diastema　between　the　maxillary　centrals。　I　had　always　loved　that　subtle　space　between　his　front　teeth。　It　made　his　smile　more　endearing　because　he　was　so　precise　in　every　other　way；　his　teeth　otherwise　perfect　because　his　perfect；　proper　New　England　family　had　made　sure　he　wore　braces　。
　　。　。　。　Suntan　pattern　of　swimming　trunks。　lie　had　left　for　Hilton　Head　without　me　because　I　was　called　to　a　scene。　If　only　I'd　said　no　and　gone　with　him。　If　only　I'd　refused　to　work　the　first　in　what　would　prove　to　be　a　series　of　horrendous　crimes　that　would　eventually　claim　him　as　the　final　victim。
　　None　of　what　I　was　looking　at　was　manufactured。　It　couldn't　be。　Only　Benton　and　I　knew　about　the　two…inch　linear　scar　on　his　left　knee。　He　had　cut　himself　on　glass　in　Black　Mountain；　North　Carolina；　where　we　had　first　made　love。　That　scar　had　always　seemed　a　stigma　of　adulterous　love。　How　odd　it　was　spared　because　soggy　insulation　from　the　roof　had　fallen　on　it。
　　That　scar　had　always　seemed　a　reminder　of　a　sin。　And　now　it　seemed　to　turn　his　death　into　a　punishment　that　culminated　in　my　envisioning　everything　the　reports　described　because　I　had　seen　it　all　before；　and　those　images　knocked　me　to　the　floor；　where　I　sat　crying　and　mumbling　his　name。
　　I　did　not　hear　the　knocking　of　the　door　until　it　turned　to　pounding。
　　〃Who　is　it？〃　I　called　out　in　a　husky；　ruined　voice。
　　〃What's　wrong　with　you？〃　Marino　said　loudly　through　the　door。
　　I　weakly　got　up　and　almost　lost　my　balance　as　I　let　him　in。
　　〃I　been　knocking　for　five　minutes　。　。　。〃　he　started　to　say。　〃Jesus…fucking…Christ。　What　the　hell's　the　matter？〃
　　I　turned　my'back　to　him　and　walked　over　to　the　window。
　　〃Doc；　what　is　it？　What　is　it？〃　He　sounded　frightened。　〃Did　something　happen？〃
　　He　came　over　and　put　his　hands　on　my　shoulders；　and　it　was　the　first　time　he'd　ever　done　that　in　all　the　years　I'd　known　him。
　　〃Tell　me。　What　are　all　these　body　diagrams　and　shit　on　the　bed。　Is　Lucy　okay？〃
　　〃Leave　me　alone；〃　I　said。
　　〃Not　until　you　tell　me　what's　wrong！〃
　　〃Go　away。〃
　　He　removed　his　hands　and　I　felt　coolness　where　they　had　been。　I　felt　our　space。　He　walked　across　the　room。　I　heard　him　pick　up　the　faxes。　He