ericlustbader.the ninja-第80部分

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　'Don't　you　worry　none；'　the　big　man　said　softly。　'We　look　out　for　each　other；　don't　we？　I　don't　give　a　rat's　ass　for　anyone　around　here；　you　know　that？　They're　all　a　bunch　of　goddamned
　hypocrites。　I　got　my　job　to　do；　I　do　it。　The　rest　of　them；　well；　they　all　got　an　axe　to　grind；　one　way　or　another。　There's　always　an　angle　to　play　out　here；　ain't　that　right。　War's　a　perfect　place　for　angles；　you　know　that。　The　smart　make　out　in　wars。　They　ain't　got　no　conscience；　they　ain't　got　no　emotion。　All　they　got　to　worry　about　is　keeping　their　tails　on　straight；　after　that；　they　got　all　the　time　in　the　world　to　look　for　the　gravy　rollin'　in　under　the　dirt　and　the　scum　and　the　…'　Vegas　stopped　abruptly；　aware　that　his　grip　had　tightened　painfully　on　his　friend's　flesh。　He　shook　his　head　like　a　wounded　animal。　'Sorry；　Soldier；　it's　been　a　heavy　day。'　He　smiled　ruefully。　'Real　heavy　duty。'
　'It's　okay；　Spook。'　They　had　given　each　other　nicknames　long　ago　when　they　had　first　met；　it　gave　them　both　a　forting　feeling　of　privacy　amid　the　openness　of　their　days　and　nights　on　the　force。　At　times；　Croaker　thought　that　this　was　the　falsest　feeling　in　the　world；　on　those　days　when　he　felt　pletely　invaded　by　his　job。　'We're　two　fucking　heroes　who　think　that　shovellin'　shit　is　heroic。'　He　laughed。　'But　cheer　up。　What　the　hell；　it　could　be　worse。　We　could　be　the　ones　ma1（in'　the　shit。'
　Vegas　threw　back　his　head　and　laughed；　the　rich　sound　rolling　off　the　high　walls。　'Now；　look；　here's　the　dope；'　he　said。　'We　been　working；　like　I　said；　on　this　Scarsdale　bust　for　three　months；　no　less。　We　get　a　tip　to　move。　We　move。　Lots　of　stuff　there　…　enough　pills　to　keep　the　goddamned　Chinese　Army　awake　for　a　year；　a　whole　lotta　horse；　carload　o'　coke　an'　about　a　half　a　ton　of　reefer　madness。　Okay；　not　so　bad。　That's　going　on　in　the　back　of　the　place。　In　the　front　they　got　a　party　going　on　and　everyone　gets　busted；　you　know？　That's　when　I　saw　her。　Thought　I'd　bring　her　in　myself；　just　in　case。　I　think　she's　clean　but'　…　he　shrugged　…　'you　know　how　that　is　sometimes。　Anyway；　she's　yours　if　you　want　her　…　I　can　straighten　them　out　upstairs。'
　'How　can　I　know　if　I　want　her；'　Croaker　said；　'if　I　don't
　know　who　she　is？'
　Vegas　transferred　his　hand　from　Croaker's　shoulder　to　the　lever　of　the　back　door　to　the　van。　'Sittin'　in　the。　dark　right　in　here；　man；　is　Raphael's　elder　daughter；　Gelda　Tomkin。'
　Croaker　felt　a　jolt　race　through　him　just　as　if　he　had　been　doused　with　ice　water。
　Vegas　leaned　on　the　lever；　grinning；　the　reinforced…steel　door　swung　outward　and　Croaker　stepped　in。　The　door　slammed　shut　behind　him。
　He　stood　for　a　moment　in　the　dimness　unmoving；　letting　his　eyes　adjust　to　the　low　light　seeping　in　through　the　windshield；　washed　to　a　pale　grey　by　the　mesh　screen　dividing　the　blessed　from　the　damned。
　She　sat　on　one　of　the　plain　metal　benches　riveted　along　either　side　of　the　van。　Her　head　was　tilted　back；　resting　against　the　wall。　This　put　her　profile　into　prominence　so　that　he　could　see　the　arch　of　her　long　forehead；　the　straight　patrician　nose；　the　flair　of　the　highly　sensual　lips；　the　long　cool　sweep　of　her　curving　throat。　He　knew　without　having　to　see　them　now　the　dark　sparks　of　her　eyes；　the　rather　heavy　torso　with　its　thrusting　breasts　and　ample　hips。　Knew；　too；　the　long　sweep　of　the　perfect　legs　from　thigh　to　calf　to　slim　exquisite　ankle　palely　outlined　as　they　stretched　out　before　her；　those　magnificent　legs　which；　quite　inexplicably；　made　her　heaviness　an　overwhelm…iogasset。
　'Well　。。。'　He　felt　a　great　weight　about　his　body　and　an　inarticulateness　that　obliged　him　to　clear　his　throat　and　begin　again。　'Well；　Gelda；　what　have　you　been　up　to　now？'
　The　sharply　delineated　profile　dissolved　into　sweeping　shadow　as　she　turned　her　head　to　look　in　his　direction。
　'Who　the　hell　are　you？'　Even　in　anger　there　was　a　rich　lustre；　a　〃silkine^s　to　her　voice　that　made　it　seem　as　if　he　had　spoken　to　her　yesterday　instead　of　several　months　ago。　Even　alarm　could　not　diminish　its　effectiveness。
　'Croaker；'　he　said；　moving　towards　her。　'Lieutenant。　Remember　me？'
　'Should　I？'　The　tone　had　turned　aqueous；　soft　and　languid。　The　air　between　them　seemed　to　tremble。
　'Maybe。　I　met　you　once　before。'　He　stood　over　her　now；　not　seeing　anything　in　the　twilight　except　the　pale　sheen　from　the　whites　of　her　large　eyes。　But　he　felt　her　presence　acutely　and　it　gave　him　pleasure　to　stand　thus。　'I　interviewed　you　at　the　beginning　of　the　summer　regarding　the　Angela　Didion　murder；　we　talked　about　your　father。'
　'That　shit！'　Even　though　she　spat　it　out；　there　remained　an
　elegance　to　it。　He　heard　her　take　a　breath。　'Yeah。　I　remember
　you。　Big　dude　with　a　face　like　Robert　Mitchum's。'　His　laugh　was　a　brief　bark。　'How　flattering！　Thanks。'　'Don't　get　cocky。　His　face　looks　like　it's　waged　World　War
　Three。　So　does　yours。'
　He　waited　for　a　moment；　then　said；　'Mind　if　I　sit　down？'　'You　mean　I've　got　a　choice？'　When　he　didn't　answer；　he
　felt　her　shrug。　'Suit　yourself。　This　isn't　my　house。'
　'That'd　be　on　Sutton　Place；　right？'　he　said；　sitting　down　next
　to　her。
　Abruptly　her　head　came　away　from　the　wall。　'What　the　hell's　going　on；　anyway？'　she　snapped。　'Am　I　going　to　be　booked？'
　'That　depends。'　'
　'On　what？'
　But　his　hand；　having　dipped　into　his　suit　jacket　pocket；　was　a　blur　and　he　was　already　moving。　His　left　hand　reached　across　the　space　between　them。　He　grasped　her　wrists　together；　pulled。　At　the　same　time；　he　flicked　on　the　pocket　flash；　searching　the　pale　flesh　on　the　inside　of　her　elbows。　He　tried　not　to　think　of　the　softness　of　the　skin　here。
　He　let　her　go；　sat　back。　'I　could　check　the　insides　of　your　thighs；　too；'　he　said　softly。　'Or　you　could　tell　me。〃　He　had　used　a　fair　amount　of　pressure　and　her　wrists　must　hurt　but　she　made　no　move　to　rub　them；　he　liked　that。　She　had　a　great　deal　of　pride。
　'I　shoot　up　through　the　eyeballs；'　she　said　acidly。　'You've　heard　of　that；　I'm　sure。　Leaves　no　tracks。'　Her　head　turned　then　and　her　cheek　lit　up　as　a　grillwork　of　grey　and　black　fell　obliquely　'across　her　face。　She　looked　like　a　heroine　out　of　a　fifties'　film　noir。　Some　of　the　air　seemed　to　go　out　of　her　all　at　once。　'I　don't　do　anything　any　of　you　guys　don't　do。　Probably　a　good　deal　less。　I　don't　blow　coke；　for　instance。'
　He　said　nothing；　sat　beside　her　smelling　her　scent　silently　until　she　turned　her　head　and　she　was　in　absolute　darkness　again。　He　felt　like　a　blind　man；　wanting　badly；　irrationally　to　see　her　again。　'Do　you　believe　me　？'　Her　voice　had　turned　small　and　he　wondered　how　much　of　an　act　she　was　promoting。
　He　decided　to　be　honest　with　her；　anything　less　would　be　useless　and　potentially　dangerous。　'Yes；'　he　said　slowly。　'I　believe　you。'
　Then　I'm　free　to　go？'
　'In　a　minute。'　He　didn't　realize　how　gentle　his　voice　had　bee。　'Why　the　hell　are　you　involved　in　all　this？'
　'What；　you　mean　break　my　poor　old　father's　heart？'　She　laughed　sardonically。　'e　on；　what　do　you　want　me　for？'
　'I'm　just　talking　to　you；'　he　said　reasonably。
　'Yeah；　sure。　In　a　police　van；　home　from　a　bust。'
　'That　was　your　choice；　not　mine。'
　She　was　silent　for　a　moment　and；　though　he　couldn't　see　her；　he　knew　that　she　was　studying　him。　It　could　all　break　apart　now；　he　knew；　and　held　his　breadi。
　She　laughed　again；　a　bell…like　sound；　slightly　echoey　within　the　confines　of　the　metal　van。　'All　right；'　she　said　softly；　'I'll　tell　you　why　I　do　it。　I　like　it；　it's　as　simple　as　that。　It's　fun　to　get　paid　to　fuck。　I'm　an　actress；　a　model；　selling　things；　just　like　Angela　Didion　was。　It's　all　e　on；　there's　no　involvement。'
　'Never？'
　Her　head　tossed　like　a　bridling　horse's　and　he　saw　a　flash　of　light　across　her　eyes。　'Sometimes；'　she　said　truthfully；　'with　a　woman。'　She　was　thinking　of　Dare。　'Does　that　shock　you？'
　'Not　really；'　he　said。　'Did　you　think　it　would？'
　'I　don't　know　what　kind　of　man　you　are。'
　'I'm　just　your　plain　ordinary　New　York　slob。'
　'Yeah；　I　can　see　that。'　She　had　hurt　him　and　she　knew　it；　she　felt　he　had　asked　for　it。
　'What　about　the　booze？'　Croaker　asked　her。
　'What　about　it？〃　He　could　hear　her　voice　go　hard　as　her　defences　came　up。
　'Still　hitting　the　bottle　hard　？'
　Perversely；　she　felt　herself　wanting　to　tell