cc.vixen03-第42部分

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　Pitt　stared　back　across　the　room　but　remained　discreetly　silent。
　Sandecker　left　Pitt　stewing　for　a　moment　while　he　rubbed　his　eyes。　Then　he　said；　〃All　right；　against　my　better　judgment　I'll　take　the　gam…ble。〃
　〃You'll　go　along；　then？〃
　Sandecker　caved　in。　〃You've　got　five　days；　Pitt。　But　heaven　help　us　if　you　e　up　empty…handed。〃
　He　hit　the　switch　to　the　holograph　and　Pitt's　image　faded　and　disap…peared。
　
　43
　
　It　was　just　before　sunset　when　Maxine　Raferty　turned　from　her　clothesline　and　spied　Pitt　walking　up　the　road。　She　continued　her　chore；　pinning　up　the　last　of　her　husband's　shirts　before　waving　a　greeting。
　〃Mr。　Pitt；　how　nice　to　see　you。〃
　〃Mrs。　Raferty。〃
　〃Loren　with　you　up　to　the　cabin？〃
　〃No；　she　had　to　remain　in　Washington。〃　Pitt　looked　around　the　yard。　〃Is　Lee　at　home？〃
　〃In　the　house；　fixing　the　kitchen　sink。〃　A　brisk　breeze　was　sweeping　down　the　mountains　from　the　west　and　Maxine　thought　it　odd　that　Pitt　was　carrying　his　Windbreaker　over　his　right　hand　and　arm。　〃Just　go　on　in。〃
　Lee　Raferty　was　sitting　at　the　kitchen　table；　filing　burrs　from　a　length　of　plumbing　pipe。　He　looked　up　as　Pitt　entered。
　〃Mr。　Pitt。　Hey；　sit　down；　you're　just　in　time。　I　was　about　to　open　a　bottle　of　my　private　stock　of　grape　squeezin's。〃
　Pitt　pulled　up　a　chair。　〃You　make　wine　as　well　as　beer？〃
　〃Gotta　be　self…sufficient　up　here　in　the　high　country；〃　Lee　said；　grinning；　and　pointing　a　cigar　stub　at　the　pipe。　〃Take　this。　Cost　me　a　fortune　to　get　a　plumber　up　here　from　Leadville。　Cheaper　to　do　it　myself。　Leaky　gasket。　Any　kid　could　fix　it。〃
　Raferty　laid　the　rusty　pipe　on　an　old　newspaper；　rose　from　the　table；　and　produced　two　glasses　and　a　ceramic　jug　from　under　a　cupboard。
　〃I　wanted　to　talk　with　you；〃　Pitt　said。
　〃Sure　thing。〃　Lee　poured　the　glasses　to　their　brims。　〃Hey；　what　do　you　think　about　all　that　motion　up　at　the　lake？　I　hear　tell　they　found　an　old　airplane。　Could　it　be　the　one　you　was　askin'　about？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Pitt　answered；　sipping　from　the　wineglass；　which　he　held　in　his　left　hand。　He　was　mildly　surprised　to　find　the　wine　quite　smooth。　〃That's　part　of　the　reason　I'm　here。　I　was　hoping　you　might　enlighten　me　as　to　why　you　murdered　Charlie　Smith。〃
　The　only　reaction　was　the　slight　lift　of　one　gray　eyebrow。　〃Me　。。。　murder　old　Charlie？　What　on　earth　are　you　talking　about？〃
　〃A　falling…out　of　partners　who　thought　they'd　discovered　a　pot　of　gold　deep　in　a　mountain　lake。〃
　He　stared　at　Pitt　and　tilted　his　head　questioningly。　〃You're　talking　like　a　crazy　man。〃
　〃The　last　thing　you　expected　was　a　stranger　appearing　on　your　doorstep　asking　questions　about　a　lost　airplane。　You'd　already　made　a　mistake　by　not　disposing　of　the　oxygen　tank　and　nose　gear。　I　pay　homage　to　you　and　your　wife's　theatrical　talents。　I　swallowed　your　country…bumpkin　act　with　all　the　gullibility　of　a　tourist。　After　I　left；　you　covered　my　every　move；　and　when　you　saw　me　dive　in　the　lake；　you　were　dead　certain　I　had　discovered　the　aircraft　and　Charlie　Smith's　bones。　At　that　point　you　made　an　irreversible　blunder：　you　panicked　and　removed　Charlie；　in　all　probability　burying　his　bones　deep　in　the　mountains。　If　you'd　left　him　strapped　to　that　sunken　cargo　floor；　the　sheriff　would　have　been　hard　pressed　to　tie　you　to　a　three…year…old　murder。〃
　〃You'll　pay　hell　proving　anything；〃　Lee　said；　calmly　relighting　his　cigar　stub；　〃without　a　body。〃
　〃Not　in　a　court　of　law；〃　Pitt　said　casually。　〃Innocent　until　proven　guilty；　but　the　story　is　a　worn　classic。　Kill　thy　neighbor　for　profit；　there's　your　title。　Suppose　we　begin　at　chapter　one　with　an　eccentric　inventor　named　Charlie　Smith　who　was　testing　his　latest　brainstorm；　an　automat…ic　fishing…pole　caster。　On　one　cast　the　sinkers　took　the　hook　deep　and　it　snagged　on　an　object。　Charlie；　an　experienced　angler；　thought　he　had　hooked　a　submerged　log　and　expertly　worked　the　line　until　the　tension　gave　and　it　pulled　free。　But　he　felt　a　drag；　something　was　surfacing　with　the　hook。　And　then　he　saw　it：　an　aircraft　oxygen　tank。　Its　mounts　had　torn　loose；　eroded　over　the　years　of　submersion；　and　Charlie's　tugs　were　all　the　tank　needed　to　break　away　and　rise　to　the　lake's　surface。
　〃The　practical　course　would　have　been　to　call　the　sheriff。　Unluckily　for　Charlie；　he　was　the　curious　sort。　He　had　to　prove　to　himself　there　was　a　plane　down　there；　so　he　scrounged　a　rope　and　grappling　iron　and　began　dragging　the　lake　bottom。　On　one　pass　he　must　have　caught　and　yanked　up　the　shattered　nose　gear；　which　must　have　broken　out　of　its　housing。　Suspicions　confirmed；　Charlie　then　became　greedy　and　sniffed　the　sweet　smell　of　treasure。　So　instead　of　playing　Honest　John　Citizen　and　report…ing　his　discovery；　he　headed　straight　for　Lee　Raferty。〃
　〃Why　would　Charlie　e　to　me？〃
　〃A　retired　Navy　man；　a　deep…water　diver；　you　were　made　to　order。　I　venture　to　guess　the　diving　equipment　and　air　pressor　you　and　Charlie　scrounged　are　sitting　in　your　garage　right　now。　A　hundred…and…forty…foot　dive　must　have　been　child's　play　for　a　man　of　your　experience；　wearing　hard…hat　gear。　The　strange　cargo　in　the　aircraft　stirred　the　juices　of　your　imagination。　What　did　you　expect　to　find　inside　the　canisters？　Old　atomic　bombs；　perhaps？　I　can　only　envision　the　backbreaking　work　it　took　for　two　men　nearing　seventy　to　dive　in　frigid　waters　and　wrench　weights　of　two　thousand　pounds　from　the　lake　depths　to　shore。　I　give　you　both　credit　for　guts。　I　can　only　hope　I'm　in　half　the　physical　shape　when　I　reach　your　age。〃
　〃Not　so　tough。〃　Lee　smiled；　he　seemed　to　have　no　fear　of　Pitt　at　all。　〃Once　Charlie　devised　a　small　explosive　charge　to　enlarge　the　already　cracked　opening　on　the　fuselage；　it　was　a　simple　matter　for　me　to　attach　a　cable　to　a　canister　while　he　towed　it　to　shore　with　the　four…wheel…drive。〃
　〃Where　there's　a　will；〃　Pitt　said。　〃What　then；　Lee？　Once　the　canister　was　removed；　it　was　obvious　to　an　ex…Navy　man　and　a　former　de…molitions　expert　that　you　were　looking　at　a　prize　that　could　have　only　warmed　the　cockles　of　an　old　battleship　admiral's　heart。　But　what　was　the　value　at　today's　prices？　What　was　the　demand　for　an　outdated　naval　shell；　except　for　scrap？〃
　Lee　Raferty　casually　resumed　filing　the　rough　edges　of　the　pipe。　〃Pretty　slick　guesswork；　Mr。　Pitt。　I　admit　it。　Not　one　hundred　percent；　mind　you；　but　a　passing　grade。　You　underestimated　a　pair　of　foxy　veterans；　though。　Hell；　we　knew　them　things　in　the　canisters　weren't　armor…piercing　projectiles　the　minute　we　laid　eyes　on　one。　Took　Charlie　all　of　ten　minutes　to　peg　it　as　a　poison…gas　carrier。〃
　Pitt　was　stunned。　Two　old　men　had　made　fools　of　them　all。　〃How？〃　he　asked　tersely。
　〃Outwardly　it　looked　like　standard　naval　ordnance；　but　we　saw　it　was　rigged　the　same　as　a　star　shell。　You　know　the　kind：　after　reaching　a　preset　altitude；　a　parachute　is　released　while　a　small　explosive　charge　splits　the　head；　igniting　a　wad　of　phosphorus。　Except　this　devil　was　set　to　unleash　a　bundle　of　tiny　bomblets　filled　with　lethal　gas　instead。〃
　〃Charlie　figured　they　contained　gas　merely　by　looking　at　it？〃
　〃He　discovered　the　parachute…escape…hatch　cover。　That　gave　him　his　first　clue。　Then　he　came　around　front；　dismantled　the　head；　discon…nected　the　charge；　and　peeked　inside。〃
　〃Dear　God！〃　Pitt　murmured　in　near　despair。　〃Charlie　opened　the　warhead？〃
　〃So　what's　the　big　deal？　Charlie　was　a　master　at　demolitions。〃
　Pitt　took　a　deep　breath　and　pitched　the　obvious　question。　〃What　did　you　do　with　the　warheads？〃
　〃The　way　I　saw　it；　it　was　finders；　keepers。〃
　〃Where　are　they？〃　Pitt　demanded。
　〃We　sold　them。〃
　〃You　what？〃　he　gasped。　〃To　whom？〃
　〃The　Phalanx　Arms　Corporation；　in　Newark；　New　Jersey。　They　buy　and　sell　weapons　on　an　international　front。　I　contacted　the　vice…president；　a　screwy　sort　of　duck；　looks　more　like　a　hardware　peddler　than　a　death　merchant。　Name's　Orville　Mapes。　Anyway；　he　flew　out　to　Colorado；　checked　over　the　projectile；　and　offered　us　five　thousand　bucks　for　every　one　we　could　ship　to　his　warehouse。　No　questions　asked。〃
　〃I　can　guess　the　rest；〃　Pitt　said。　〃It　occurred　to　Charlie　that　if　those　shells　were　detonated；　he　would　be　responsible　for　thousands；　possibly　hundreds　of　thousands　of　deaths。　You　were　more　callous；　Lee。　The　money　meant　more　to　you