cb.coldheart canyon-第32部分

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re　on　life…support；　his　life　slipping　away；　while　all　the　sons　of　bitches　who'd　made　fortunes　off　his　talent　were　lying　to　themselves　and　anyone　who'd　listen；　pretending　it　was　going　to　be　okay？　Things　like　that　happened　all　the　time；　especially　in　Hollywood。　Everyone　lied　there；　it　was　a　way　of　life。
　 Her　thoughts　circled　on　these　terrible　images　for　an　hour　or　more；　while　she　sat　amongst　her　treasures。　At　last；　she　came　to　a　momentous　decision。　She　could　do　nothing　to　solve　this　mystery　sitting　here　in　Sacramento。　She　needed　to　go　out　to　California；　and　confront　some　of　these　people。　It　was　easy　to　tell　somebody　a　lie　on　the　telephone。　It　was　harder　to　do　when　you　were　face　to　face　with　someone；　when　you　were　looking　into　their　eyes。
　 She　took　one　last　look　through　the　sequence　of　photographs；　lingering　on　the　last　of　the　fourteen；　the　one　in　which　Todd's　gaze　was　closest　to　making　contact　with　the　camera。　Another　shot；　and　he　would　have　been　looking　directly　at　her。　Their　eyes；　as　it　were；　would　have　met。　She　smiled　at　him；　kissed　his　picture；　then　put　the　photographs　away；　tucked　the　box　out　of　sight　and　went　through　to　the　kitchen　to　call　Arnie　at　the　airport；　and　tell　him　what　she　planned　to　do。　He　was　in　the　middle　of　his　shift；　and　couldn't　e　to　the　phone。　She　left　a　message　for　him　to　call　her；　then　she　made　a　reservation　on　Southwest　for　the　flight　to　Los　Angeles；　and　booked　a　room　in　a　little　hotel　on　Wilshire　Boulevard；　which　she'd　stayed　in　once　before　when　she'd　e　into　LA　for　a　Todd　Pickett　convention。
　 The　flight　was　scheduled　at　3：10　that　afternoon；　and　was　to　get　into　Los　Angeles　at　4：15；　but　the　departure　was　delayed　for　almost　two　hours；　and　then　they　circled　over　LAX　for　almost　three　quarters　of　an　hour　before　they　could　land；　so　it　wasn't　until　half…past　seven　that　she　stepped　out　of　the　airport　into　the　warm；　sweet…smog　air　of　her　beloved's　city。
　 She　didn't　know　what　she　was　going　to　do；　now　she　was　here；　how　or　where　she　was　going　to　begin。　But　at　least　she　wasn't　sitting　at　home　brooding。　She　was　closer　to　him；　here；　whatever　Maxine　Frizelle　had　said　about　him　being　off　in　some　faraway　place。　That　was　a　lie；　Tammy　knew　it　in　her　bones。　He　was　here。　And　if　he　was　any　in　any　trouble；　then　by　God　she　would　do　her　best　to　help　him；　because　whatever　anybody　might　say　she　knew　one　thing　for　certain：　there　wasn't　a　soul　on　earth　who　cared　for　the　well…being　of　Todd　Pickett　more　than　she。　And　somewhere；　tucked　away　in　a　shameful　corner　of　her　head　she　almost　hoped　that　there　was　some　conspiracy　here；　because　that　would　give　her　a　chance　to　e　to　his　rescue；　to　save　him　from　people　like　Frizelle；　and　make　him　understand　who　really　cared　about　him。　Oh；　wouldn't　that　be　something！　She　didn't　dare　think　about　it　too　much；　it　made　her　sick　with　guilt　and　anticipation。　She　shouldn't　be　wishing　anything　but　the　best　for　her　Todd。　And　yet　the　same　thought　kept　creeping　back：　that　somewhere　in　this　city　he　was　waiting　for　her…even　if　he　didn't　know　it　yet；　waiting　to　be　saved　and　forted。　Yes；　she　dared　think　it：　perhaps　even　loved。
　
　
　EIGHT
　 Todd　and　Marco　had　settled　into　life　at　the　Hideaway　in　the　Canyon　quite　easily。　Todd　occupied　the　enormous　master　bedroom　which　had　（as　Maxine　had　boasted）　an　extraordinary　view　down　the　canyon。　On　clear　days；　of　which　there　were　many　in　that　early　March；　Todd　could　sit　at　his　window　and　watch　the　ocean；　glittering　beyond　the　towers　of　Century　City。　On　exceptional　days；　he　could　even　make　out　the　misty　shape　of　Catalina　Island。
　 Marco　had　taken　a　much　smaller　bedroom　on　the　floor　below；　with　an　adjacent　silting　room；　and　did　much　as　he　had　in　the　Bel　Air　home：　that　is；　served　with　uncanny　prescience　the　needs　of　his　boss；　and　having　provided　such　services　as　were　required；　then　retreated　into　near…invisibility。
　 The　area　was　much　quieter　than　Bel　Air。　There　seemed　to　be　no　through　traffic　on　the　single　road　that　wound　up　through　the　Canyon；　so　apart　from　the　occasional　sound　of　a　police　helicopter　passing　over；　or　a　siren　drifting　up　from　Sunset；　Todd　heard　nothing　from　the　city　that　lay　such　a　short　distance　below。　What　he　did　hear；　at　night；　were　coyotes；　who　seemed　to　haunt　the　slopes　of　the　canyon　in　significant　numbers。　On　some　nights；　standing　on　one　of　the　many　balconies　of　his　new　mansion　nursing　a　drink　and　a　cigarette；　he　would　hear　a　lone　animal　begin　its　urgent　yapping　on　the　opposite　slope　of　the　canyon；　only　to　hear　its　call　answered　from　another　spot；　then　another；　the　din　rising　into　a　whooping　chorus　from　the　darkness　all　around　him；　so　that　it　seemed　the　entire　canyon　was　alive　with　them。　They'd　had　coyotes　up　in　Bel　Air　too；　of　course。　Their　proximity　to　the　house　would　always　send　Dempsey　into　a　frenzy　of　deep…chest　barking；　as　though　to　announce　that　the　dog　of　the　house　was　much　larger　than　he　was；　in　reality。
　 〃I'm　surprised　we've　got　so　many　coyotes　up　here；〃　Marco　said；　after　one　particularly　noisy　night。　〃You'd　think　they'd　go　somewhere　with　a　lot　more　garbage。　I　mean；　they're　scavengers；　right？〃
　 〃Maybe　they　like　it　here；〃　Todd　observed。
　 〃Yeah；　I　guess。〃
　 〃There's　no　people　to　fuck　with　them。〃
　 〃Except　us。〃
　 〃We　won't　be　here　long；〃　Todd　said。
　 〃You　don't　sound　too　happy　about　that。〃
　 〃Well　I　guess　I　could　get　used　to　it　here。〃
　 〃Have　you　been　up　on　the　ridge　yet？〃
　 〃No。　I　haven't　had　the　energy。〃
　 〃You　should　go　up　there。　Take　a　look。　There's　quite　a　view。〃
　 The　exchange；　brief　as　it　was；　put　the　thought　of　a　trip　up　the　hill　into　Todd's　head。　He　needed　to　start　exercising　again；　as　Maxine　had　pointed　out；　or　he　was　going　to　find　that　his　face　was　all　nicely　healed　up　and　his　body　had　gone　to　fat。　He　didn't　believe　for　a　minute　that　his　face　was　anywhere　near　being　healed；　but　he　took　her　point。　He　was　drinking　too　much　and　eating　too　many　Elvis　Midnight　Specials　（peanut　butter；　jelly；　crispy　bacon　and　sliced　banana　on　Wonder　Bread　sandwiches；　deep　fried　in　butter）　for　the　good　of　his　waistline。　His　pants　were　feeling　tight；　and　his　ass…when　he　glimpsed　it　in　the　mirror…was　looking　fleshy。
　 In　a　while　he'd　have　to　get　back　to　some　serious　training：　start　running　every　morning；　maybe　have　his　gym　equipment　brought　over　from　the　Bel　Air　house　and　installed　in　the　guest…house。　But　in　the　meantime　he'd　ease　back　into　the　swing　of　things　with　a　few　exploratory　walks：　one　of　which；　he　promised　himself；　would　be　up　the　top　of　the　hill；　to　see　what　the　view　was　like　when　you　got　to　the　end　of　the　road。
　
　 Burrows　and　Nurse　Karyn　came　every　other　day　to　change　the　dressings　and　assess　the　condition　of　his　face。　Though　Burrows　claimed　that　the　healing　process　was　going　well；　Burrows　claimed；　his　manner　remained　subdued　and　cautious：　it　was　clear　that　the　whole　sorry　business　had　taken　a　toll　upon　his　confidence。　His　sun…bed　tan　could　not　conceal　a　certain　sickliness　in　his　pallor；　and　the　skin　around　his　eyes　and　mouth；　taut　from　a　series　of　tucks　and　tightenings；　had　an　unnatural　rigidity　to　it；　like　a　teak　mask　under　which　another；　more　fragile　man；　was　trapped。　Superficially；　he　remained　unfailingly　optimistic　about　Todd's　prognosis；　he　was　certain　there　would　be　no　permanent　scarring。　Indeed　he　was　even　willing　to　chance　the　opinion　that　things　were　going　to　work　out　'as　planned'；　and　that　Todd　was　going　to　emerge　from　the　whole　experience　looking　ten　years　younger。
　 〃So　how　long　is　it　going　to　be　before　I　can　take　off　the　bandages？〃
　 〃Another　week；　I'd　say。〃
　 〃And　after　that。。。how　long　before　I'm　back　to　normal　again？〃
　 〃I　don't　want　to　make　any　promises；〃　Burrows　said；　〃but　inside　a　month。　Is　there　some　great　urgency　here？〃
　 〃Yeah；　I　want　people　to　see　me。　I　want　them　to　know　I'm　not　dead。〃
　 〃Surely　nobody　believes　that；〃　Burrows　said。
　 Todd　summoned　Marco。　〃Where　are　those　tabloids　you　brought　in？〃　he　asked。　〃The　doctor's　not　been　reading　the　trash　in　his　waiting…room　recently。〃
　 Marco　left　the　room　and　reappeared　with　five　magazines；　dropping　them　on　the　table　beside　Burrows。　The　top　one　had　a　blurred；　black　and　white　photograph　of　a　burial　procession；　obviously　taken　with　an　extremely　long…distance　lens。　The　headline　read：　Superstar　Todd　Pickett　Buried　in　Secret　Cere