cpike.thelastvampire-第13部分

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n。　I　slip　in　the　second　diskette。
　〃Sita；〃　Ray　calls。　〃It's　me。　There　was　no　one　there。〃
　I　speak　from　the　back　office。　〃You　want　me　to　open　the　door　for　you？　I　locked　it　like　you　said。〃
　〃Never　mind；　I　have　the　key。〃　He　inserts　the　key　into　the　lock。　But　the　door　does　not　open。　〃Sita；　it　won't　open。　Have　you　thrown　the　latch？〃
　I　approach　the　door　slowly　so　that　my　voice　will　sound　closer；　but　I　have　turned　the　monitor　around　so　that　I　can　keep　an　eye　on　it。　The　bytes　accumulate　quickly；　but　so；　I　suppose；　do　Ray's　suspicions。
　〃There　is　no　latch；〃　I　say。　〃Try　the　key　again。〃
　He　tries　a　few　times。　〃Open　the　door　for　me。〃
　I　give　the　appearance　of　trying　real　hard　to　open　it。　〃It's　stuck。〃
　〃It　opened　a　few　minutes　ago。〃
　〃Ray；　I'm　telling　you　it's　stuck。〃
　〃Is　the　lock　latch　turned　up？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Turn　it　sideways。〃
　〃I　can't　get　it　to　turn。　Am　I　going　to　be　stuck　in　here　all　night？〃
　〃No。　There's　got　to　be　a　simple　solution　to　this。〃　He　thinks　a　moment。　〃Look　in　my　father's　desk。　See　if　you　can　find　a　pair　of　pliers。〃
　I　am　happy　to　return　to　the　desk。　In　a　minute　I　have　to　remove　my　second　diskette　and　exit　the　files。　I　open　and　close　the　drawers　while　I　wait　for　the　copying　to　finish。　When　it　is　plete；　I　jump　into　the　file；　scan　the　first　page；　then　highlight　the　remainder　of　the　file…which　is　several　hundred　pages　long…and　delete　it。　Now　the　Alisa　Perne　file　contains　only　the　first　page；　which　holds　nothing　of　vital　importance。　I　return　to　the　screen　that　requests　the　password。　I　put　both　diskettes　in　my　back　pocket。　Striding　back　to　the　door；　I　pull　out　the　paper　clips　and　slip　them　in　my　back　pocket　as　well。　I　open　the　door　for　Ray。
　〃What　happened？〃　he　asks。
　〃It　just　came　unstuck。〃
　〃That's　weird。〃
　〃Are　you　sure　there's　no　one　outside？〃
　〃I　didn't　see　anyone。〃
　I　yawn。　〃I'm　getting　tired。〃
　〃You　were　full　of　energy　a　few　minutes　ago。　You　want　me　to　take　you　home　now？　I　can　e　back　later　and　study　the　file。〃
　〃You　may　as　well　look　at　it　while　you're　here。〃
　Ray　returns　to　the　puter。　I　lounge　around　the　reception　area。　Ray　lets　out　a　sound　of　surprise。　I　peek　in　the　door　at　him。
　〃What　is　it？〃　I　ask。
　〃There　isn't　much　in　this　file。〃
　〃Does　it　say　who　Alisa　Feme　is？〃
　〃Not　really。　It　just　gives　some　background　information　on　who　contacted　my　dad　to　investigate　her。〃
　〃That　should　be　helpful。〃
　〃It's　not；　because　even　that　information　is　cut　off　in　midsentence。〃　Ray　frowns。　〃This　is　an　odd　file　for　my　dad　to　create。　I　wonder　if　it's　been　tampered　with。　I　could　have　sworn　。。。〃　He　looks　at　me。
　〃What？〃　I　ask。
　He　glances　back　at　the　screen。　〃Nothing。〃
　〃No；　Ray；　tell　me。　You　could　have　sworn　what？〃　I　worry　he　may　have　registered　how　big　the　file　was　when　he　first　started　on　the　puter。　Certainly　it　is　much　smaller　now。　Ray　shakes　his　head。
　〃I　don't　know；〃　he　says。　〃I'm　tired；　too。　I'm　going　to　look　at　this　stuff　tomorrow。〃　He　exits　the　files　and　turns　off　the　puter。　〃Let's　get　out　of　here。〃
　〃OK。〃
　Half　an　hour　later　I　am　at　home；　my　real　home；　the　mansion　on　the　hill　overlooking　the　ocean。　I　have　e　with　the　diskettes　because　I　need　my　puter。　My　good　night　kiss　to　Ray　was　brief。　His　emotions　were　difficult　for　me　to　read。　He　is　clearly　suspicious　of　me；　but　that　is　not　his　dominant　feeling。　There　is　something　in　him　that　feels　like　a　mixture　of　fear　and　attachment　and　gladness…very　strange。　But　he　is　worried　about　his　father；　more　than　he　was　before　we　went　to　the　office。
　I　have　a　variety　of　word　processors　and　have　no　trouble　loading　the　Alisa　Perne　file　and　bringing　it　up　on　the　screen。　A　glance　at　the　information　shows　me　that　Mr。　Riley　investigated　me　for　approximately　three　months　before　calling　me　into　his　office。　The　data　he　dug　up　on　me　is　interspersed　with　personal　notes　and　ments　on　his　correspondence　with　someone　named　〃Mr。　Slim。〃　There　is　a　fax　number　for　Slim；　but　no　phone　number。　The　number　indicates　an　office　in　Switzerland。　I　memorize　it　and　then　proceed　through　the　file　more　carefully。　Riley's　initial　contact　note　is　interesting。　Nowhere　in　the　file　are　copies　of　Mr。　Slim's　faxes；　just　ments　on　them。
　Aug。　8th
　This　morning　I　received　a　fax　from　a　gentleman　named　Mr。　Slim。　He　introduces　himself　as　an　attorney　for　a　variety　of　wealthy　European　clients。　He　wants　me　to　investigate　a　young　woman　named　Alisa　Perne；　who　lives　here　in　Mayfair。　He　has　little　information　on　the　woman…I　have　the　impression　that　she　is　but　one　of　many　people　he　or　his　group　is　investigating。　He　also　mentioned　a　couple　of　other　women　that　he　might　have　me　look　into　in　this　part　of　the　country；　but　he　did　not　give　me　their　names。　He　is　particularly　interested　in　Miss　Perne's　financial　situation；　her　family　situation；　and　also…and　this　is　surprising…whether　anyone　she　has　been　associated　with　has　died　violently　recently。　When　I　faxed　back　and　asked　if　this　woman　was　dangerous；　he　indicated　that　she　was　far　more　dangerous　than　she　appeared；　and　that　I　was　not　to　contact　her　directly　under　any　circumstances。　He　said　she　appears　to　be　only　eighteen　to　twenty　years　of　age。
　I　am　intrigued；　especially　since　Mr。　Slim　has　agreed　to　deposit　ten　thousand　dollars　in　my　account　to　start　me　on　my　investigation。　I　have　already　faxed　back　that　I　will　take　the　case。　I　have　the　young　woman's　address　and　Social　Security　number。　I　do　not　have　a　picture　but　intend　to　take　one　for　my　records；　even　though　I　have　been　warned　to　keep　my　distance。　How　dangerous　can　she　be；　at　that　age？
　There　followed　an　account　of　Riley's　preliminary　investigation　into　me。　Apparently　he　had　a　contact　at　TRW　that　gave　him　access　to　information　not　usually　available　to　a　mon　investigator。　I　suspect　Mr。　Slim　knew　of　this　contact　and　hired　Riley　for　that　reason。　Almost　immediately　Riley　discovered　that　I　was　rich；　and　that　apparently　I　had　no　family。　The　more　he　found　out；　the　more　eager　he　was　to　pursue　the　investigation；　and　the　less　information　he　faxed　back　to　Mr。　Slim。　At　one　point　Riley　made　what　to　him　was　a　major　decision；　to　use　a　contact　on　the　New　York　Stock　Exchange。　By　going　to　the　man　he　was　using　up　a　valuable　favor。　But　I　suppose　he　thought　I　was　worth　it。
　Sept。　21st
　Miss　Perne　has　gone　to　extremes　to　hide　her　financial　holdings；　and　not　just　from　the　IRS。　She　has　numerous　accounts　at　various　brokerage　houses　set　up　under　different　corporations；　some　off　shore。　Yet　they　appear　to　be　coordinated　by　a　single　law　firm　in　New　York　City…Benson　and　Sons。　I　tried　to　contact　the　firm　directly；　speaking　as　a　rich　investor；　but　they　rebuffed　my　inquiries；　making　me　suspect　they　handle　Perne's　account　and　no　other。　If　that　is　true　it　is　another　example　of　this　woman's　wealth；　for　Benson　and　Sons　has　investments　in　the　range　of　half　a　billion　dollars。
　Yet　I　have　seen　her…this　girl…and　she　is　as　young　as　Mr。　Slim　says　and　very　attractive。　But　her　age　confuses　me；　and　I　wonder　if　she　has　a　mother　somewhere　who　has　the　same　name。　Because　many　of　her　business　dealings　go　back　two　decades；　and　they　can　all　be　traced　to　the　name　Alisa　Perne。　I　am　tempted　to　talk　to　her　directly；　despite　Mr。　Slim's　warning。
　Mr。　Slim　is　not　happy　with　me；　and　the　feeling　is　mutual。　He　has　the　impression　I　have　been　withholding　information　from　him　and　he's　correct。　But　he　has　done　the　same　with　me。　He　still　refuses　to　tell　me　the　reason　for　his　interest　in　this　young　lady；　although　I　can　imagine　several　scenarios。　But　his　initial　ment　about　her　dangerous　nature　keeps　ing　back　to　me。　Who　is　Alisa　Perne？　One　of　the　richest　people　in　the　world　obviously。　But　where　did　she　get　her　wealth？　By　violent　means？　From　her　nonexistent　family？　I　must；　before　I　give　up　this　case；　ask　her　these　questions　myself。
　I　have　been　thinking　that　Mr。　Slim　has　been　paying　me　well；　but　that　Alisa　Perne　may　want　to　pay　me　more。　I　see　already；　though；　that　it　would　be　unwise　to　let　Mr。　Slim　know　I　have　gone　behind　his　back。　There　is　a　certain　ruthless　tone　to　his　faxes。　I　don't　think　I　ever　want　to　meet　the　man。　Yet　I　find　myself　looking　forward　to　talking　to　Alisa。
　Late　September　and　he　is　on　a　first…name　basis　with　me。　But　he　did　not　contact　me　till　November。　What　did　he　do　during　that　time？　I　read　farther　and　learned　that　he　investig