cpatricia.blacknotice-第76部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　〃We　got　too　damn　many　people　in　here！〃　Marino　announced。　〃Cooper；　Jenkins；　go　find　something　useful　to　do。；
　　He　jerked　his　thumb　at　the　open　doorway。　They　stared　at　him。　One　of　them　started　to　say　something。
　　〃Swallow　it；　Cooper；〃　Marino　told　him。　〃And　give　me　the　camera。　And　maybe　you　followed　orders　by　securing　the　scene；　but　you　weren't　told　to　work　the　damn　scene。　What？　Couldn't　resist　seeing　your　deputy　chief　like　this？　That　the　deal？　How　many　other　assholes　been　in　here　gawking？〃
　　〃Wait　a　minute　。　。　。〃　Jenkins　protested。
　　Marino　snatched　the　Nikon　out　of　his　hands。
　　〃Give　me　your　radio；〃　Marino　snapped。
　　Jenkins　reluctantly　detached　it　from　his　duty　belt　and　handed　that　over　to　him；　too。
　　〃Go；〃　Marino　said。
　　〃Captain；　I　can't　leave　without　my　radio。〃
　　〃I　just　gave　you　permission。〃
　　No　one　dared　remind　Marino　that　he　had　been　suspended。　Jenkins　and　Cooper　left　in　a　hurry。
　　〃Sons　of　bitches；〃　Marino　declared　in　their　wake。
　　I　turned　Bray's　body　on　its　side。　Rigor　mortis　was　plete；　suggesting　she　had　been　dead　at　least　six　hours。　I　pulled　down　her　pants　and　swabbed　her　rectum　for　seminal　fluid　before　inserting　the　thermometer。
　　〃I　need　a　detective　and　some　crime…scene　techs；〃　Marino　was　saying　on　the　air。
　　〃Unit　nine；　what's　the　address？〃
　　〃The　one　in　progress；〃　Marino　cryptically　replied。
　　〃Ten…four；　unit　nine；〃　said　the　dispatcher；　a　woman。
　　〃Minny；〃　Marino　said　to　me。
　　I　waited　for　an　explanation。
　　〃We　go　way　back。　She's　my　radio　room　snitch；〃　he　said。
　　I　withdrew　the　thermometer　and　held　it　up。
　　〃Eighty…eight…point…one；〃　I　said。　〃The　body　usually　cools　about　one　and　a　half　degrees　an　hour　for　the　first　eight　hours。　But　she's　going　to　cool　a　little　quicker　because　she's　partially　unclothed。　It's　what？　Maybe　seventy　degrees　in　here？〃
　　〃I　don't　know。　I'm　burning　up；〃　he　said。　〃For　sure　she　was　murdered　last　night；　that　much　we　know。〃
　　〃Her　stomach　contents　may　tell　us　more；〃　I　said。　〃Do　we　have　any　idea　how　the　killer　got　in？〃
　　〃I'm　gonna　check　out　the　doors　and　windows　after　we　finish　up　in　here。〃
　　〃Long　linear　lacerations；〃　；I　said；　touching　her　wounds　and　looking　for　any　trace　evidence　that　might　not　make　it　to　the　morgue。　〃Like　a　tire　iron。　Then　there　are　these　punched…out　areas；　too。　Everywhere。〃
　　〃Could　be　the　end　of　the　tire　iron；〃　Marino　said；　looking　on。
　　〃But　what　made　this？〃　I　asked。
　　In　several　places　on　the　mattress；　blood　had　been　transferred　from　some　object　that　left　a　striped　pattern　reminiscent　of　a　plowed　field。　The　stripes　were　approximately　an　inch　and　a　half　long　with　maybe　an　eighth　of　an　inch　of　space　between　them；　the　total　surface　area　of　each　transfer　about　the　size　of　my　palm。
　　〃Make　sure　we　check　the　drains　for　blood；〃　I　said　as　voices　sounded　down　the　hall。
　　〃Hope　that's　the　Breakfast　Boys；〃　Marino　said；　referring　to　Ham　and　Eggleston。
　　They　showed　up　carrying　large　Pelican　cases。
　　〃You　got　any　idea　what　the　hell's　going　on？〃　Marino　asked　them。
　　The　two　crime…scene　technicians　stared。
　　〃Mother　of　God；〃　Ham　finally　said。
　　〃Does　anyone　have　any　idea　what　happened　here？〃　Eggleston　asked；　his　eyes　fixed　on　what　was　left　of　Bray　on　the　bed。
　　〃You　know　about　as　much　as　we　do；〃　Marino　replied。　〃Why　weren't　you…called　earlier？〃
　　〃I'm　surprised　you　found　out；〃　Ham　said。　〃No　one　told　us　until　now。〃
　　〃I　got　my　sources；〃　Marino　said。
　　〃Who　tipped　the　media？〃　I　asked。　。
　　〃I　guess　they　got　their　sources；　too；〃　said　Eggleston。
　　He　and　Ham　began　opening　the　cases　and　setting　up　lights。　Marino's　unit　number　blared　from　his　purloined　radio；　startling　both　of　us。
　　〃Shit；〃　he　mumbled。　〃Nine；〃　he　said　over　the　air。
　　Ham　and　Eggleston　put　on　gray　binocular　magnifiers；　or　〃Luke　Skywalkers；〃　as　the　cops　called　them。
　　〃Unit　nine；　ten…five　three…fourteen；〃　the　radio　came　back。
　　Three…fourteen；　you　out　there？〃　Marino　said。
　　〃Need　you　to　step　outside；〃　a　voice　returned。
　　〃That's　a　ten…ten；'　Marino　said；　refusing。
　　The　techs　began　taking　measurements　in　millimeters　with　additional　magnifiers　that　looked　rather　much　like　jeweler's　lenses。　The　binocular　headsets　alone　could　magnify　only　three…and…a…half；　and　some　blood　spatters　were　too　small　for　that。
　　〃There's　someone　who　needs　to　see　you。　Now；〃　the　radio　went　on。
　　〃Man；　there's　castoff　all　over　the　place。〃　Eggleston　was　referring　to　blood　thrown　off　during　the　backswing　of　a　weapon；　creating　uniform　trails　or　lines　on　whatever　surface　it　impacted。
　　〃Can't　do　it；〃　Marino　answered　the　radio。
　　Three…fourteen　…didn't　respond；　and　I　unhappily　suspected　what　this　was　all　about；　and　I　was　right。　In　minutes；　more　footsteps　sounded　in　the　hall；　and　then　Chief　Rodney　Harris　was　standing　in　the　doorway；　his　face　stone。
　　〃Captain　Marino；〃　Harris　said。
　　〃Yes；　sir；　Chief。〃　Marino　studied　an　area　of　floor　near　the　bathroom。
　　Ham　and　Eggleston　in　their　black　fatigues；　latex　gloves　and　binocular　headsets　only　added　to　the　cold　horror　of　the　scene　as　they　worked　with　angles　and　axes　and　points　of　convergence　to　reconstruct；　through　geometry；　where　in　space　each　blow　was　struck。
　　〃Chief；〃　they　both　said。
　　Harris　stared　at　the　bed；　jaw　muscles　bunching。　He　was　short　and　homely；　with　thinning　red　hair　and　an　ongoing　battle　with　his　weight。　Maybe　these　misfortunes　had　shaped　him。　I　didn't　know。　But　Hams　had　always　been　a　tyrant。　He　was　aggressive　and　made　it　obvious　he　didn't　like　women　who　strayed　from　their　proper　place；　which　was　why　I'd　never　understood　his　hiring　Bray；　unless　it　was　simply　that　he　thought　she'd　make　him　look　good。
　　〃With　all　due　respect；　Chief；〃　Marino　said；　〃don't　step　one　damn　inch　closer。〃
　　〃I　want　to　know；　did　you　bring　the　media；　Captain？〃　Harris　said　in　a　tone　that　would　have　frightened　most　people　I　knew。　〃Are　you　responsible　for　that；　too？　Or　did　you　just　directly　counter　my　orders？〃
　　〃I　guess　it's　the　latter；　Chief。　I　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　media。　They　was　already　here　when　the　doc　and　I　pulled　up。〃
　　Harris　looked　at　me…as　if　he'd　just　now　noticed　I　was　in　the　room。　Ham　and　Eggleston　climbed　up　on　their　stepladders；　hiding　behind　their　task。
　　〃What　happened　to　her？〃　Harris　asked　me；　and　his　voice　faltered　a　little。　〃Christ：'
　　He　closed　his　eyes　and　shook　his　head。
　　〃Beaten　to　death　with　some　sort　of　instrument；　maybe　a　tool。　We　don't　know；〃　I　said。
　　〃I　mean；　is　there　anything　。　。　。　？〃　he　started　to　say；　and　his　iron　facade　was　rapidly　slipping　away。　〃Well　。　。　。〃　He　cleared　his　throat；　his　eyes　pinned　to　Bray's　body。　〃Why　would　someone　do　this？　Who？　Anything？〃
　　〃That's　what　we're　working　on；　Chief；〃　Marino　said。　〃Don't　have　a　single　damn　answer　right　now；　but　maybe　you　can　answer　a　few　questions　for　me。〃
　　The　crime…scene　techs　had　begun　painstakingly　taping　bright　pink　surveyor's　string　above　droplets　of　blood　spattered　on　the　white　ceiling。　Harris　looked　ill。
　　〃You　know　anything　about　her　personal　life？〃　Marino　asked。
　　〃No；〃　Harris　said。　〃In　fact；　I　didn't　know　she　had　one。〃
　　〃She　had　someone　over　last　night。　They　ate　pizza；　maybe　drank　a　little。　Appears　her　guest　smoked；'　Marino　said。
　　〃I　never　heard　her　say　anything　about　going　out　with　someone。〃　Harris　tore　his　attention　away　from　the　bed。　〃We　weren't　really　what　I'd　call　friendly　with　each。　other。〃
　　Ham　stopped　what　he　was　doing；　the　string　he　held　connected　only　to　air。　Eggleston　peered　up　through　his　Optivisor　at　blood　droplets　on　the　ceiling。　He　moved　a　measuring　magnifier　over　them　and　wrote　down　millimeters。
　　〃What　about　neighbors？〃　Harris　then　asked。　〃Did　anyone　hear　anything；　see　anything？〃
　　〃Sorry；　but　we　ain't　had　time　to　canvas　the　neighborhood　yet；　especially　since　nobody　called　any　detectives　or　techs　until　I　finally　did；〃　Marino　said。
　　Harris　abruptly　walked　off。　I　looked　at　Marino　and　he　avoided　my　eyes。　I　was　certain　he　had　just　lost　what　was　left　of　his　job。
　　〃How're　we　doing　here？〃　he　asked　Ham。
　　〃Already　running　out　of　shit　to　hang　this　on。〃　Ham　taped　one　end　of　string　over　a　blood　droplet　the　size　and　shape　of　a　ma。　〃Okay；　so　where　do　I　tape　the　other　end？　How　about　you　move　that　floor　l