cpatricia.blacknotice-第68部分

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　　〃You　also　said　it　was　too　dangerous　for　any　of　you　to　show　up　here；〃　I　said　accusatorially。　〃So　I　go　in　and　do　my　dirty　work；　and　here　you　are；　sitting　in　the　damn　park　right　at　the　Institut's　damn　front　door。〃
　　I　angrily　blew　out　smoke　and　got　to　my　feet。　I　grabbed　my　briefcase。
　　〃Just　what　kind　of　game　are　you　playing　with　me？〃　I　asked　him。
　　He　dipped　into　another　pocket　and　pulled　out　a　cellular　phone。
　　〃I　thought　you　might　need　a　ride；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　not　playing　a　game。　Let's　go。〃
　　He　pressed　numbers　on　his　phone　and　said　something　in　French　to　whoever　was　at　the　other　end。
　　〃Now　what？　Is　the　Man　from　U。N。C。L。E。　ing　to　pick　us　up？〃　I　bitterly　said。
　　〃I　just　called　a　taxi。　I　believe　the　Man　from　U。N。C。L。E。　retired　a　few　years　ago。〃
　　We　walked　out　to　one　of　the　quiet　side　streets；　and　minutes　later　a　taxi　pulled　over。　We　climbed　in　and　Talley　stared　at　the　briefcase　in　my　lap。
　　〃Yes；〃　I　answered　his　unspoken　question。
　　When　we　reached　my　hotel；　I　took　him　up　to　my　room；　because　there　was　no　other　place　we　could　talk　without　the　risk　of　being　overheard。　I　tried　Marino；　and　he　didn't　answer。
　　〃I　need　to　get　back　to　Virginia；〃　I　said。
　　〃That's　easy　enough　to　arrange；〃　he　said。　〃Whenever　you　want。〃
　　He　hung　the　do　not　disturb　sign　outside　the　door　and　fastened　the　burglar　chain。
　　〃First　thing　in　the　morning。〃
　　We　settled　in　the　sitting　area　by　the　window；　a　small　table　between　us。
　　〃I　take　it　Madame　Stvan　opened　up　to　you；〃　he　said。　〃That　was　the　harder　nut　to　crack；　if　you　must　know。　By　now　the　poor　woman's　so　paranoid…and　for　good　reason…we　didn't　think　she'd　tell　the　truth　to　anyone。　I'm　glad　my　instincts　were　right。〃
　　〃Your　instincts？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Yes。〃　His　eyes　stayed　on　mine。　〃I　knew；　if　anyone　could　get　through　to　her；　it　would　be　you。　Your　reputation　precedes　you　and　she　can't　have　anything　but　the　utmost　respect　for　you。　But　it　helps　just　a　little　that　I　have　personal　insight　about　you；　too。〃　He　paused。　〃Because　of　Lucy。〃
　　〃You　know　my　niece？〃　I　didn't　believe　him。
　　〃We　were　in　various　training　programs　at　the　same　time　in　Glynco；〃　he　replied；　referring　to　the　national　academy　in　Glynco；　Georgia；　where　ATF；　Customs；　Secret　Service；　Border　Patrol　and　some　sixty　other　law　enforcement　agencies　did　their　basic　training。　〃I　used　to　feel　kind　of　song　for　her；　in　a　way。　Her　presence　always　managed　to　generate　a　lot　of　talk　about　you；　as　if　she　didn't　have　any　talents　on　her　own。〃
　　〃I　can't　do　a　tenth　of　what　she　can；〃　I　said。
　　〃Most　people　can't。〃
　　〃What　does　any　of　this　have　to　do　with　her？〃　I　wanted　to　know。
　　〃I　think　she　has　to　be　Icarus　and　fly　too　close　to　the　sun　because　of　you。　I　hope　she　doesn't　push　that　myth　too　far　and　fall　from　the　sky；〃
　　The　ment　shot　fear　through　me。　I　had　no　idea　what　Lucy　was　doing　right　now。　Talley　was　right　about　what　he　said；　too。　My　niece　always　had　to　do　everything　bigger；　better；　faster　and　riskier　than　I　did；　as　if　peting　against　me　would　finally　win　the　love　she　didn't　believe　she　deserved。
　　〃Hair　transferred　from　the　killer　to　his　victims　in　the　Paris　cases　is　definitely　not　the　hair　of　the　unidentified　man　in　my　cooler；〃　I　said；　and　I　explained　the　rest　to　him。
　　〃But　this　weird　hair　was　on　his　clothes？〃　Talley　tried　to　understand。
　　〃On　the　inside　of　them。　Just　think　of　this　as　a　hypothetical。　Let's　say　the　clothing　was　worn　by　the　killer　and　his　body　is　covered　with　this　dense；　long　baby…fine　hair。　Só　it　transfers　to　the　inside　of　his　clothing；　which　he　takes　off　and　makes　his　victim　put　on　before　he　drowns　him。〃
　　〃The　victim　being　the　guy　in　the　container。　Thomas。〃　Talley　paused。　'This　hair's　all　over　Loup…Garou's　body？　Then　he　obviously　doesn't　shave　it：'
　　〃It　wouldn't　be　easy　shaving　your　entire　body　on　a　regular　basis。　Most　likely；　he　shaves　only　those　areas　people　might　see：'
　　〃And　there's　no　effective　treatment。　No　drug　or　anything。〃
　　〃Lasers　are　being　used　with　some　success。　But　he　may　not　know　that。　Or　more　likely；　his　family　wasn't　going　to　permit　him　to　show　up　at　a　clinic；　especially　after　he　started　killing。〃
　　〃Why　do　you　think　he　exchanged　clothes　with　the　man　you　found　in　the　container？　With　Thomas。〃
　　〃If　you're　going　to　escape　on　a　ship；〃　I　surmised；　〃you　wouldn't　want　to　be　in　designer　clothes；　assuming　your　theory　about　the　hand…me…downs　is　true。　It　could　also　be　spite；　contempt。　Getting　in　the　last　word。　We　could　speculate　all　day　long；　but　there's　never　a　formula；　only　the　damage　left　behind：'
　　〃Can　I　get　you　anything？〃　he　asked。
　　〃An　answer；〃　I　said。　〃Why　didn't　you　tell　me　Dr。　Stvan　was　the　one　who　survived？　You　and　the　secretary…general　sat　there　telling　me　this　story　when　you　knew　all　along　it　was　she　you　were　talking　about：'
　　Talley　was　silent。
　　〃You　were　afraid　it　would　scare　me　off；　weren't　you？〃　I　said。　〃The　Loup…Garou　sees　her　and　tries　to　kill　her；　so　maybe　he　would　see　me　and　try　to　kill　me；　too？〃
　　〃Various　people　involved　were　doubtful　you　would　go　see　her　if　you　knew　the　whole　story。〃
　　〃Well；　then　these　various　people　don't　know　me　very　well；〃　I　said。　〃In　fact；　I　would　be　more　likely　to　go　if　I　knew　something　like　that。　The　'hell　with　how　well　you　think　you　know　me　and　can　predict　this　and　that　after　having　met　Lucy　one　or　two　times。〃
　　〃Kay；　it　was　because　of　Dr。　Stvan's　insistence。　She　wanted　to　tell　you　herself　for　a　very　good　reason。　She'd　never　divulged　all　of　the　details　to　anyone；　not　even　the　detective　who　is　her　friend。　He　was　only　able　to　supply　us　with　a　rough　sketch。〃　；
　　〃Why？〃
　　〃Again；　the　people　protecting　the　killer。　If　they　somehow　found　out　and　thought　she　might　have　gotten　a　good　look　at　him；　she　was　afraid　they　might　do　something　to　her。　Or　to　her　husband…　or　two　children。　She　believed　you　wouldn't　betray　her　by　talking　to　anyone　who　might　place　her　in　a　vulnerable　position。　But　in　terms　of　how　much　she　told　you；　she　said　she　wanted　to　make　that　decision　when　she　was　with　you。〃
　　〃In　case　she　didn't　trust　me　after　all。〃
　　〃I　knew　she　would。〃
　　〃I　see。　So　mission　acplished。〃
　　〃Why　are　you　so　angry　with　me？〃　he　asked。
　　〃Because　you're　so　presumptuous。〃
　　〃I　don't　mean　to　be；〃　he　said。　〃I　just　want　us　to　stop　this　werewolf…freak　before　he　kills　and　mutilates　anybody　else。　I　want　to　know　what　makes　him　tick：〃
　　〃Fear　and　avoidance；〃　I　said。　〃Suffering　and　rage　because　he　was　punished　for　something　that　wasn't　his　fault。　He　anguished　alone。　Imagine　being　intelligent　enough　to　prehend　all　that。〃
　　〃He　would　hate　his　mother　most；〃　Talley　said。　〃He　might　even　blame　her。〃
　　Sunlight　polished　his　hair　like　ebony　and　caught　his　eyes　at　the　edge；　flecking　them　with　gold。　I　saw　his　feelings　before　he　could　rush　them　back　into　hiding。　I　got　up　and　looked　out　the　window　because　I　did　not　want　to　look　at　him。
　　〃He　would　hate　women　he　sees；〃　Talley　said。　〃Women　he　could　never　have。　Women　who　would　scream　in　horror　if　they　saw　him；　saw　his　body。〃
　　〃Most　of　all；　he　would　hate　himself；〃　I　said。
　　〃I　know　I　would。〃
　　〃You　paid　for　this　trip；　didn't　you；　Jay？〃
　　He　got　up　and　leaned　against　the　window　frame。
　　〃Not　some　big　corporation　after　this　One…Sixty…Fiver　cartel；〃　I　went　on。
　　I　looked　at　him。
　　〃You　got　Dr。　Stvan　and　me　together。　You　facilitated　everything。　You　set　all　of　it　up　and　paid　for　it；〃　I　said　as　I　became　more　convinced　and　my　incredulity　grew。　〃You　could　do　that　because　you're　very　rich。　Because　your　family's　very　rich：　That's　why　you　went　into　law　enforcement；　isn't　it。　To　get　away　from　being　rich。　And　then　you　act　rich；　look　rich；　anyway。〃
　　For　an　instant；　he　was　caught。
　　〃You　don't　like　it　when　you're　not　the　one　doing　the　interrogating；　do　you？〃　I　said。
　　〃It's　true　I　didn't　want　to　be　like　my　father。　Princeton；　crewing；　marrying　into　the　proper　family；　kids　all　proper；　everything　proper。〃
　　We　were　side　by　side　now；　looking　down　at　the　street　as　if　something　interesting　was　going　on　in　the　world　outside　our　window。
　　〃I　don't　think　you've　bucked　your　father；〃　I　said。　〃I　think　you　fool　yourself　by　being　contraire。　And　certainly　getting　a　badge　and　carrying　a　gun　and　piercing　your　ear　is　contraire　if