pbien.jaws-第12节

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s　in　the　United　States　in　this　century。　Dr。　Dieter　attributed　the　attacks　to　〃bad　luck；　like　a　flash　of　lightning　that　hits　a　house。　The　shark　was　probably　just　passing　by。　It　happened　to　be　a　nice　day；　and　there　happened　to　be　people　swimming；　and　he　happened　to　e　along。　It　was　pure　chance。〃
　　　　　　　Amity　is　a　summer　munity　on　the　south　shore　of　Long　Island；　approximately　midway　between　Bridgehampton　and　East　Hampton；　with　a　wintertime　population　of　1；000。　In　the　summer；　the　population　increases　to　10；000。　Brody　finished　reading　the　article　and　set　the　paper　on　the　desk。　Chance；　that　doctor　said；　pure　chance。　What　would　he　say　if　he　knew　about　the　first　attack？　Still　pure　chance？　Or　would　it　be　negligence；　gross　and　unforgivable？　There　were　three　people　dead　now；　and　two　of　them　could　still　be　alive；　if　only　Brody　had。。。
　　　　　　　〃You've　seen　the　Times；〃　said　Meadows。　He　was　standing　in　the　doorway。
　　　　　　　〃Yeah；　I've　seen　it。　They　didn't　pick　up　the　Watkins　thing。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　know。　Kind　of　curious；　especially　after　Len's　little　slip　of　the　tongue。〃
　　　　　　　〃But　you　did　use　it。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　did。　I　had　to。　Here。〃　Meadows　handed　Brody　a　copy　of　the　Amity　Leader。　The　banner　headline　ran　across　all　six　columns　of　page　one：　TWO　KILLED　BY　MONSTER　SHARK　OFF　AMITY　BEACH。　Below　that；　in　smaller　type；　a　subhead：　Number　of　Victims　of　Killer　Fish　Rises　to　Three。
　　　　　　　〃You　sure　get　your　news　up　high；　Harry。〃
　　　　　　　〃Read　on。〃
　　　　　　　Brody　read：　Two　summer　visitors　to　Amity　were　brutally　slain　yesterday　by　a　maneating　shark　that　attacked　them　as　they　frolicked　in　the　chill　waters　off　the　Scotch　Road　beach。
　　　　　　　Alexander　Kintner；　age　6；　who　lived　with　his　mother　in　the　Goose　Neck　Lane　house　owned　by　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Richard　Packer；　was　the　first　to　die　…　attacked　from　below　as　he　lay　on　a　rubber　raft。　His　body　has　not　been　found。
　　　　　　　Less　than　half　an　hour　later；　Morris　Cater；　65；　who　was　spending　the　weekend　at　the　Abelard　Arms　Inn；　was　attacked　from　behind　as　he　swam　in　the　gentle　surf　off　the　public　beach。
　　　　　　　The　giant　fish　struck　again　and　again；　savaging　Mr。　Cater　as　he　cried　for　help。　Patrolman　Len　Hendricks；　who　by　sheer　coincidence　was　taking　his　first　swim　in　five　years；　made　a　valiant　attempt　to　rescue　the　struggling　victim；　but　the　fish　gave　no　quarter。　Mr。　Cater　was　dead　by　the　time　he　was　pulled　clear　of　the　water。
　　　　　　　The　deaths　were　the　second　and　third　to　be　caused　by　shark　attack　off　Amity　in　the　past　five　days。
　　　　　　　Last　Wednesday　night；　Miss　Christine　Watkins；　a　guest　of　Mr。　and　Mr。　John　Foote　of　Old　Mill　Road；　went　for　a　swim　and　vanished。　Thursday　morning；　Police　Chief　Martin　Brody　and　Officer　Hendricks　recovered　her　body。　According　to　coroner　Carl　Santos；　the　cause　of　death　was　〃definitely　and　incontrovertibly　shark　attack。〃
　　　　　　　Asked　why　the　cause　of　death　was　not　made　public；　Mr。　Santos　declined　to　ment。　Brody　looked　up　from　the　paper　and　said；　〃Did　Santos　really　decline　to　ment？〃
　　　　　　　〃No。　He　said　nobody　but　you　and　I　had　asked　him　about　the　cause　of　death；　so　he　didn't　feel　pelled　to　tell　anybody。　As　you　can　see；　I　couldn't　print　that　response。　It　would　have　pinned　everything　on　you　and　me。　I　had　hoped　I　could　get　him　to　say　something　like；　'Her　family　requested　that　the　cause　of　death　be　kept　private；　and　since　there　was　obviously　no　crime　involved；　I　agreed；'　but　he　wouldn't。　I　can't　say　I　blame　him。〃
　　　　　　　〃So　what　did　you　do？〃
　　　　　　　〃I　tried　to　get　hold　of　Larry　Vaughan；　but　he　was　away　for　the　weekend。　I　thought　he'd　be　the　best　official　spokesman。〃
　　　　　　　〃And　when　you　couldn't　reach　him？〃
　　　　　　　〃Read。〃　It　was　understood；　however；　that　Amity　police　and　government　officials　had　decided　to　withhold　the　information　in　the　public　interest。　〃People　tend　to　overreact　when　they　hear　about　a　shark　attack；〃　said　one　member　of　the　Board　of　Selectmen。　〃We　didn't　want　to　start　a　panic。　And　we　had　an　expert's　opinion　that　the　odds　against　another　attack　were　astronomical。〃　〃Who　was　your　talkative　selectman？〃　asked　Brody。
　　　　　　　〃All　of　them　and　none　of　them；〃　said　Meadows。　〃It's　basically　what　they　all　said；　but　none　of　them　would　be　quoted。〃
　　　　　　　〃What　about　the　beaches　not　being　closed？　Did　you　go　into　that？〃
　　　　　　　〃You　did。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　did？〃　Asked　why　he　had　not　ordered　the　beaches　closed　until　the　marauding　shark　was　apprehended；　Chief　Brody　said；　〃The　Atlantic　Ocean　is　huge。
　　　　　　　Fish　swim　in　it　and　move　from　place　to　place。　They　don't　always　stay　in　one　area；　especially　an　area　like　this　where　there　is　no　food　source。　What　were　we　going　to　do？　Close　the　Amity　beaches；　and　people　would　just　drive　up　to　East　Hampton　and　go　swimming　there。　And　there's　just　as　good　a　chance　that　they'd　get　killed　in　East　Hampton　as　in　Amity。〃　After　yesterday's　attacks；　however；　Chief　Brody　did　order　the　beaches　closed　until　further　notice。　〃Jesus；　Harry；〃　said　Brody；　〃you　really　put　it　to　me。　You've　got　me　arguing　a　case　I　don't　believe；　then　being　proved　wrong　and　forced　to　do　what　I　wanted　to　do　all　along。
　　　　　　　That's　a　pretty　shitty　trick。〃
　　　　　　　〃It　wasn't　a　trick。　I　had　to　have　someone　give　the　official　line；　and　with　Vaughan　away；　you　were　the　logical　one。　You　admit　that　you　agreed　to　go　along　with　the　decision；　so　…　reluctantly　or　not　…　you　supported　it。　I　didn't　see　any　point　in　airing　all　the　dirty　laundry　of　private　disputes。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　suppose。　Anyway；　it's　done。　Is　there　anything　else　I　should　read　in　this？〃
　　　　　　　〃No。　I　just　quote　Matt　Hooper；　that　fellow　from　Woods　Hole。　He　says　it　would　be　remarkable　if　we　ever　have　another　attack。　But　he's　a　little　less　sure　than　he　was　last　time。〃
　　　　　　　〃Does　he　think　one　fish　is　doing　all　this？〃
　　　　　　　〃He　doesn't　know；　of　course；　but　offhand；　yes。　He　thinks　it's　a　big　white。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　do；　too。　I　mean；　I　don't　know　from　whites　or　greens　or　blues；　but　I　think　it's　one　shark。〃
　　　　　　　〃Why？〃
　　　　　　　〃I'm　not　sure；　exactly。　Yesterday　afternoon　I　called　the　Coast　Guard　out　on　Montauk。　I　asked　them　if　they'd　noticed　a　lot　of　sharks　around　here　recently；　and　they　said　they　hadn't　seen　a　one。　Not　one　so　far　this　spring。　It's　still　early；　so　that　isn't　too　strange。　They　said　they'd　send　a　boat　down　this　way　later　on　and　give　me　a　call　if　they　saw　anything。　I　finally　called　them　back。　They　said　they　had　cruised　up　and　down　this　area　for　two　hours　and　hadn't　seen　a　thing。　So　there　sure　aren't　many　sharks　around。　They　also　said　that　when　there　are　sharks　around；　they're　mostly　medium…sized　blue　sharks　…　about　five　to　ten　feet　…　and　sand　sharks　that　don't　generally　bother　people。　From　what　Leonard　said　he　saw　yesterday；　this　is　no　medium…sized　blue。〃
　　　　　　　〃Hooper　said　there　was　one　thing　we　could　do；〃　Meadows　said。　〃Now　that　you've　got　the　beaches　closed　down；　we　could　chum。　You　know；　spread　fish　guts　and　goodies　like　that　around　in　the　water。　If　there's　a　shark　around；　he　said；　that　will　bring　him　running。〃
　　　　　　　〃Oh；　great。　That's　what　we　need；　to　attract　sharks。　And　what　if　he　shows　up？　What　do　we　do　then？〃
　　　　　　　〃Catch　him。〃
　　　　　　　〃With　what？　My　trusty　spinning　rod？〃
　　　　　　　〃No；　a　harpoon。〃
　　　　　　　〃A　harpoon。　Harry；　I　don't　even　have　a　police　boat；　let　alone　a　boat　with　harpoons　on　it。〃
　　　　　　　〃There　are　fishermen　around。　They　have　boats。〃
　　　　　　　〃Yeah；　for　a　hundred　and　a　half　a　day；　or　whatever　it　is。〃
　　　　　　　〃True。　But　still　it　seems　to　me。。。〃　A　motion　out　in　the　hall　stopped　Meadows　in　mid…sentence。
　　　　　　　He　and　Brody　heard　Bixby　say；　〃I　told　you；　ma'am；　he's　in　conference。〃　Then　a　woman's　voice　said；　〃Bullshit！　I　don't　care　what　he's　doing。　I'm　going　in　there。〃
　　　　　　　The　sound　of　running　feet；　first　one　pair；　then　two。　The　door　to　Brody's　office　flew　open；　and　standing　in　the　doorway；　clutching　a　newspaper；　tears　streaming　down　her　face；　was　Alexander　Kintner's　mother。　Bixby　came　up　behind　her　and　said；　〃I'm　sorry；　Chief。　I　tried　to　stop　her。〃
　　　　　　　〃That's　okay；　Bixby；〃　said　Brody。　〃e　in；　Mrs。　Kintner。〃　Meadows　stood　and　offered　her　his　chair；　which　was　the　closest　one　to　Brody's　desk。　She　ignored　him　and　walked　up　to　Brody；　who　was　standing　behind　his　desk。
　　　　　　　〃What　can　I　do。。。〃　The　woman　slapped　the　newspaper　across　his　face。　It　didn't　hurt　Brody　so　much　as　startle　him　…　especially　the　noise；　a　sharp　report　that　rang　deep　into　his　left　ear。　The　paper　fell　to　the　floor。
　　　　　　　〃What　about　this？〃　Mrs。　Kintner　screamed。　〃What　about　it？〃
　　　　　　　〃What　about　what？〃　said　Brody。
　　　　　　　〃What　they　say　here。　That　you　knew　it　was　dangerous　to　swim。　That　somebody　had　already　been　killed　by　that　shark。　That　you　kept　it　a　secret。〃
　　　　　　　Brody　didn't　know　what　to　say。　Of　course　it　was　true；　all　of　it；　at　least　technically。
　　　　　　　He　couldn't　deny　it。　And　yet　he　couldn't　admit　it；　either；　because　it　wasn't　the　whole　truth。
　　　　　　　〃Sort　of；〃　he　said。　〃I　mean　yes；　it's　true；　but　it's　…　look；　Mrs。　Kintner。。。〃　He　was　pleading　with　her　to　control　herself　until　he　could　explain。
　　　　　　　〃You　killed　Alex！〃　She　shrieked　the　words；　and　Brody　was　sure　they　were　heard　in　the　parking　lot；　on　the　street；　in　the　center　of　town；　on　the　beaches；　all　over　Amity。
　　　　　　　He　was　sure　his　wife　heard　them；　and　his　children。　He　thought　to　himself：　Stop　her　before　she　says　anything　else。　But　all　he　could　say　was；　〃Ssshhht〃
　　　　　　　〃You　did！　You　kill