cpatricia.blacknotice-第79部分

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　　〃Then　why'd　you　keep　ing　here？〃　Marino　asked。
　　Anderson　fixed　on　me　as　if　she　hadn't　heard　Marino。　〃She'd　sit　right　in　that　chair　where　you　are。　And　she'd　make　me　get　her　a　drink　and　rub　her　shoulders　and　wait　on　her　hand　and　foot。　Sometimes　she　wanted　me　to　give　her　massages。〃
　　〃Did　you？〃　Marino　asked。
　　〃She'd　have　on　nothing　but　a　robe　and　lie　on　that　bed。〃
　　〃Same　one　she　was　murdered　on？　Did　she　take　her　robe　off　when　you　massaged　her？〃
　　Anderson's　eyes　were　blazing　as　they　turned　on　him。
　　〃She　always　kept　herself　covered　just　enough！　I　took　her　clothes　to　the　dry　cleaner　and　filled　her　fucking　Jaguar　with　gas　and。　。　。　She　was　so　mean　to　me！〃
　　Anderson　sounded　like　a　child　angry　with　her　mother。
　　〃She　sure　was；〃　Marino　said。　〃She　was　mean　to　a　lot　of　people。〃
　　〃But　I　didn't　kill　her；　good　God'　I　never　touched　her　except　when　she　wanted　me　to；　like　I　already　told　you！〃
　　〃What　happened　last　night？〃　Marino　asked。　〃You　stop　by　because　you　just　had　to　see　her？〃
　　〃She　was　expecting　me。　To　drop　off　some　pills；　some　money。　She　liked　Valium；　Ativan；　BuSpar。　Things　that　made　her　relax。〃
　　〃How　much　money？〃
　　〃Twenty…five　hundred　dollars。　Cash。〃
　　〃Well；　it　ain't　here　now；〃　Marino　said。
　　〃It　was　on　the　table。　The　table　in　the　kitchen。　I　don't　know。　We　ordered　pizza。　We　drank　a　little　and　talked。　She　was　in　a　bad　mood。〃
　　〃Over　what？〃
　　〃She　heard　you'd　gone　to　France；〃　she　said　to　both　of　us。　〃To　Interpol。〃
　　〃I　wonder　how　she　found　that　out？〃
　　〃Probably　your　office。　Maybe　Chuck　found　out。　Who　knows？　She　always　got　what　she　wanted；　found　out　what　she　wanted。　She　thought　she　was　the　one　who　should　have　gone　over　there。　To　Interpol；　I　mean。　That's　all　she　would　talk　about。　And　she　started　blaming　me　for　all　the　screwups。　Like　the　restaurant　parking　lot；　the　e…mail；　the　way　things　happened　at　the　Quik　Cary　scene。　Just　everything。〃
　　The　clocks　all　chimed　and　gonged。　It　was　noon。
　　〃What　time　did　you　leave？〃　I　asked　when　the　concert　stopped。
　　〃Maybe　nine。〃
　　〃Did　she　ever　shop　át　the　Quik　Cary？〃
　　〃She　may　have　dropped　in　there　before；〃　she　replied。　〃But　as　you　could　probably　tell　from　looking　around　her　kitchen；　she　wasn't　much　into　cooking　or　eating　at　home。〃
　　〃And　you　probably　brought　in　food　all　the　time；〃　Marino　added。
　　〃She　never　offered　to　pay　me　back。　I　don't　make　much　money〃
　　〃What　about　that　nice　little　allowance　from　prescription　drugs？　I'm　confused；〃　Marino　said。　〃You　saying　you　didn't　get　a　fair　cut？〃
　　〃Chuck　and　I　got　ten　percent　each。　I'd　bring　her　the　rest　once　a　week；　depending　on　what　drugs　came　in。　Into　the　morgue　or　maybe　if　I　got　some　from　a　scene。　I　never　stayed　'long　when　I　came　over　here。　She　was　always　in　a　hurry。　Suddenly；　she　had　things　to　do。　I　have　car　payments。　That's　what　my　ten　percent's　gone　to。　Not　like　her。　She　doesn't　know　what　it's　like　to　worry　about　a　car　payment。〃
　　〃You　ever　fight　with　her？〃　Marino　asked。
　　〃Sometimes。　We'd　argue。〃
　　〃Did　you　argue　last　night？〃
　　〃I　guess　so。〃
　　〃Over　what？〃
　　〃I　didn't　like　her　mood。　Same　thing。〃
　　〃Then？〃
　　〃I　left。　Like　I　said。　She　had　things　to　do。　She　always　decided　when　a　discussion　or　argument　was　over。〃
　　〃You　driving　the　rental　car　last　night？〃　Marino　wanted　to　know。
　　。〃Yes。〃
　　I　imagined　the　killer　watching　her　leave。　He　was　there；　somewhere　in　the　dark。　Both　of　them　had　been　at　the　port　when　the　Sirius　had　e　in；　when　the　killer　arrived　in　Richmond　using　the　alias　of　a　seaman　named　Pascal。　He　probably　saw　her。　He　probably　saw　Bray。　He　。would　have　been　interested　in　all　of　those　who　had　e　to　investigate　his　crime；　including　Marino　and　me。
　　〃Detective　Anderson；〃　I　said。　〃Did　you　sometimes　e　back　lure　after　you'd　left；　to　try　to　talk　to　Bray　some　more？〃
　　〃Yes；〃　she　confessed。　〃It　wasn't　fair　for　her　to　just　push　me　out　like　that。〃
　　〃You。came　back　often？〃
　　〃When　I　was　upset。〃
　　〃What　would　you　do；　ring　the　bell？　How　did　you　let　her　know　you　were　here？〃
　　〃What？〃
　　〃It　seems　the　police　always　knock；　at　least　when　they　e　to　my　house；〃　I　said。　〃They　don't　ring　the　bell。〃
　　〃'Cause　half　the　rattraps　we　go　to　don't　have　doorbells　that　work；〃　Marino　remarked。
　　〃I　knocked；〃　she　said。
　　〃And　how　would　you　do　it？〃　I　asked　as　Marino　lit　a　cigarette　and　let　me　talk。
　　〃Well　。　。　：'
　　〃Twice；　three　times？　Hard；　soft？〃　I　kept　going。
　　〃Three　times。　Loud。〃
　　〃And　she　would　always　let　you　in？〃
　　〃Sometimes　she　wouldn't。　Sometimes　she'd　just　open　the　door　and　tell　me　to　go　home。〃
　　〃Did　she　ask　who　was　there；　anything？　Or　did　she　just　open　the　door。〃
　　〃If　she　knew　it　was　me；〃　she　said；　〃she　just　opened　it。〃
　　〃If　she　thought　it　was　you；　you　mean；〃　Marino　said。
　　Anderson　picked　her　way　along　our　train　of　thought　and　then　she　stopped。　She　could　go　no　further。　She　couldn't　bear　it。
　　〃But　you　didn't　e　back　last　night；　did　you？〃　I　said。
　　Her　silence　was　her　answer。　She　hadn't　e　back。　She　hadn't　knocked　three　times；　hard。　The　killer　had；　and　Bray　opened　the　door　without　pause。　She　probably　was　already　saying　something；　resuming　the　argument　when　suddenly　the　monster　was　pushing　his　way　into　her　house。
　　〃I　didn't　do　anything　to　her；　I　swear；〃　Anderson　said。　〃It's　not　my　fault；〃　she　said　again　and　again　because　it　wasn't　her　nature　to　assume　responsibility　about　anything。
　　〃Just　a　damn　good　thing　you　didn't　e　back　last　night；'　Marino　told　her。　〃Assuming　you're　telling　the　truth：〃
　　〃I　am。　I　swear　to　God！〃
　　〃If　you'd　showed　up；　you　might　have　been　next。〃
　　〃I　had　nothing　to　do　with　it！〃
　　〃Well；　in　a　way　you　did。　She　wouldn't　have　opened　the　door。。。〃
　　〃That's　not　fair！〃　Anderson　said；　and　she　was　right。　Whatever　she　had　with　Bray；　it　wasn't　the　fault　of　either　of　them　that　the　killer　had　been　stalking　and　waiting。
　　〃So　you　go　home；〃　Marino　said。　〃You　try　to　call　her　later？　See　if　you　could　patch　things　up？〃
　　〃Yes。　She　didn't　answer　her　phone。〃
　　〃This　was　how　long　after　you　left？〃
　　〃Maybe　twenty　minutes。　I　called　several　more　times；　just　thinking　she　didn't　want　to　talk　to　me。　Then　I　started　getting　worried　when　I　tried　several　times　after　midnight　and　kept　getting　her　machine。〃
　　〃You　leave　messages？〃
　　〃Well；　a　lot　of　times　I　didn't。〃　She　paused；　swallowing　hard。　〃And　this　morning　I　came　to　check　on　her；　around　six…thirty。　I　knocked　and　there　was　no　answer。　The　door　was　unlocked　and　I　went　in。〃
　　She　started　trembling　again；　her　eyes　wide　with　horror。
　　〃And　I　went　back　there　。　。　。〃　Her　voice　went　up　and　stopped。　〃And　I　ran。　I　was　so　scared。〃
　　〃Scared？〃
　　〃Of　whoever　。　。　。　I　could　almost　feel　him；　this　horrible　presence　in　that　room；　and　I　didn't　know　if　he　was　still　somewhere　。　。　。　I　had　my　gun　in　my　hand　and　ran　and　drove　away　as　fast　as　I　could　and　stopped　at　a　pay　phone　and　called　nine…one…one。〃
　　〃Well；　I'll　give　you　this　much　credit；〃　Marino　said　in　a　tired　voice。　〃At　least　you　identified　yourself　and　didn't　try　none　of　this　anonymous…call　shit。〃
　　〃What　if　he　es　after　me　now？〃　she　asked；　and　she　looked　so　small　and　ruined。　〃I've　been　in　the　Quik　Cary　before。　I　stop　in　there　sometimes。　I　used　to　talk　to　Kim　Luong。〃
　　〃Nice　of　you　to　tell　us　now；〃　Marino　said；　and　I　realized　how　Kim　Luong　might　be　linked　to　all　this。
　　If　the　killer　had　been　watching　Anderson；　she　may　have　unwittingly　led　him　to　the　Quik　Cary；　to　his　first　Richmond　victim。　Or…　maybe　Rose　had。　Maybe　he'd　been　watching　when　Rose　and　I　had　walked　to　the　parking　lot　at　my　office；　or　even　when　I　stopped　by　her　apartment。
　　〃We　can　lock　you　up　if　that'd　make　you　feel　safer；〃　Marino　was　saying；　and　he　meant　it。
　　〃What　am　I　going　to　do？〃　she　cried：　〃I　live　alone　。　。　。　I'm　scared；　I'm　scared。〃
　　〃Conspiracy　to　distribute　and　actual　distribution　of　schedule…two　drugs；〃　Marino　thought　out　loud。　〃Plus　possession　without　a　prescription。　All　felonies。　Let's　see。　Since　you　and　Chuckie…boy　are　both　gainfully　employed　and　have　led　such　clean　lives；　bond　won't　be　set　high。　Probably　twenty…five　hundred　bucks；　which　you　can　probably　cover　with　your　drug　allowance。　So　that's　nice。〃
　　I　dug　in　my　satchel　and　got　out　my　portable　phone　and　called　Fiel