dk.nightchills-第42节

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　MRS。　PETERSON：　Oh；　yes。　Oh；　I　should　say。　From　the　time
　that　Ogden　was　old　enough　to　walk；　he　was　a　target　for　her。　That　woman！　The　least　little　thing　he　did…whup！　she　beat　him　black　and　blue。
　AGENT：　Spanked　him？
　MRS。　PETERSON：　No；　no。　She　hardly　ever　spanked。　Had　she　only　spanked！　That　wouldn't　have　been　so　horrid。　But　that　woman！　She　started　out　hitting　him　with　her　open　hands。　On　the　head　and　all　about　his　sweet　little　face。　As　he　got　older　she'd　sometimes　use　her　fists。　She　was　a　big　woman；　you　know。　She'd　use　her　fists。　And　she'd　pinch。　Pinch　his　little　arms　。　。　。　I　cried　many　the　time。　He'd　e　over　to　play　with　my　foster　children；　and　he'd　be　a　mess。　His　little　arms　would　be　spotted　with　bruises。　Just　spotted　all　over　with　bruises。
　AGENT：　Vas　she　an　alcoholic？
　MRS。　PETERSON：　She　drank。　Some。　But　she　wasn't　addicted　to　gin　or　anything。　She　was　just　mean。　Naturally　mean。　And　I　don't　think　she　was　too　smart。　Sometimes；　very　dim…witted　people；　when　they　get　frustrated；　they　take　it　out　on　children。　I've　seen　it　before。　Too　often。　Suffer　the　little　children。　Oh；　they　suffer　so　much；　I　tell　you。
　AGENT：　She　had　a　great　many　lovers？
　MRS。　PETERSON：　Dozens。　She　was　a　vile　woman。　Very　mon…looking　men。　Always　very　mon…looking。　Dirty。　Crude　laborers。　Her　men　drank　a　lot。　Sometimes　they'd　stay　with　her　as　much　as　a　year。　More　often　it　was　a　week　or　two；　a　month。
　AGENT：　This　Howard　Parker…　
　MRS。　PETERSON：　Him！
　AGENT：　How　long　was　he　with　Mrs。　Salsbury？
　MRS。　PETERSON：　Nearly　six　months；　I　think；　before　the　crime。　What　a　horrible　man。　Horrible！
　AGENT：　Did　you　know　what　was　happening　in　the　Salsbury　house　when　Parker　was　there？
　MRS。　PETERSON：　Of　course　not！　I'd　have　called　the　police　at　once！　Of　course　the　night　of　the　crime…Ogden　came　to　me。　And　then　I　did　call　the　police。
　AGENT：　Do　you　mind　talking　about　the　crime？
　MRS。　PETERSON：　It　still　upsets　me。　To　think　of　it。　What　a　horrible　man！　And　that　woman。　To　do　that　to　a　child。
　AGENT：　Parker　was…bisexual？
　MRS。　PETERSON：　He　was　what？
　AGENT：　He　customarily　had　relations　with　both　sexes。　Is　that　right？
　MRS。　PETERSON：　He　raped　a　little　boy！　It's　。　。　。　I　don't　know。　I　just　don't　know。　Why　did　God　make　some　people　so　wicked？　I　love　children。　Have　all　my　life。　Love　them　more　than　anything。　I　can't　understand　a　man　like　that　Parker。
　AGENT：　Does　it　embarrass　you　to　talk　about　the　crime？
　MRS。　PETERSON：　A　little　bit。
　AGENT：　If　you　can　bear　with　me。　。　。　It's　really　important　that　you　answer　a　few　more　questions。
　MRS。　PETERSON：　If　it's　for　Ogden's　sake；　like　you　said；　I　surely　can。　For　Ogden's　sake。　Although　he　never　es　back　to　see　me。　You　know　that？　After　I　took　him　in　and　raised　him　from　the　age　of　eleven。　He　just　never　es　back。
　AGENT：　The　court　records　of　that　time　were　not　properly　explicit。　Either　that　or　the　judge　had　some　of　the　testimony　altered　to　protect　the　boy's　reputation。　I　am　not　certain　whether　Mr。　Parker　subjected　the　boy　to…you'll　excuse　me；　but　it　has　to　be　said…to　oral　or　anal　intercourse。
　MRS。　PETERSON：　That　horrible　man！
　AGENT：　Do　you　know　which　it　was？
　MRS。　PETERSON：　Both。
　AGENT：　I　see。
　MRS。　PETERSON：　With　the　mother　watching。　His　mother　watched！　Can　you　imagine　such　a　thing？　Such　a　rotten　thing？　To　do　that　to　a　defenseless　child。　。　。　What　monsters　they　were！
　AGENT：　I　didn't　mean　to　make　you　cry。
　MRS。　PETERSON：　I'm　not　crying。　Just　a　tear　or　two。　It's　so　sad。　Don't　you　think？　So　terribly　sad。　Suffer　the　little　children。
　AGENT：　There's　no　need　to　continue　with…　
　MRS。　PETERSON：　Oh；　but　you　said　this　was　for　Ogden's　sake；　that　you　needed　to　ask　all　of　this　for　Ogden's　sake。　He　was　one　of　my　children。　Foster　children。　But　I　felt　like　they　were　my　own。　I　loved　them　dearly。　Loved　all　of　them。　Little　dears；　every　one。　So　if　it's　for　Ogden's　sake　。　。　。　Well　。　。　。　For　months；　without　anyone　at　all　knowing；　with　poor　little　Ogden　too　afraid　to　tell　any…one；　that　terrible　Howard　Parker　。　。　。　was　using　the　boy。　。　。　using。　。　。　his　mouth。　And　the　mother　watching！　She　was　a　vicious　woman。　And　sick。　Very　sick。
　AGENT：　And　the　night　of　the　crime…　MRS。　PETERSON：　Parker　used　the　boy。。　。　he　used　。　。　。　the
　boy's　rectum。　Hurt　him　terribly。　You　can't　know　the　pain　that　boy　suffered。
　AGENT：　Ogden　came　to　you　that　night。
　MRS。　PETERSON：　I　lived　right　next　door　to　them。　He　came　to　me。　Shaking　like　a　leaf。　Scared　out　of　his　wits。　The　poor；　poor　baby。　。　。　Crying　his　heart　out；　he　was。　That　awful　Parker　had　beat　him　up。　His　lips　were　cracked。　One　eye　was　puffed　and　black。　At　first　I　thought　that　was　all　that　was　wrong　with　him。　But　I　soon　discovered。　。　。　the　other。　We　rushed　him　to　the　hospital。　He　needed　eleven　stitches。　Eleven！　AGENT：　Eleven…rectal　stitches？
　MRS。　PETERSON：　That's　right。　He　was　in　such　pain。　And　he　was　bleeding。　He　had　to　stay　in　the　hospital　for　nearly　a　week。
　AGENT：　And　eventually　you　became　his　foster　mother。
　MRS。　PETERSON：　Yes。　And　never　sorry　for　it。　He　was　a　fine　boy。　A　dear　boy。　Very　bright　too。　At　school　they　said　he　was　a　genius。　He　won　all　of　those　scholarships　and　went　up　to　Harvard。　You'd　think　he'd　e　to　see　me；　wouldn't　you？　After　all　I　did　for　him？　But　no。　He　never　es。　He　never　es　around。　And　now　the　social
　workers　won't　let　me　have　any　more　children。　Not　since　my　second　husband　died。　They　say　there　have　to　be　two　parents　in　a　foster　home。　And　besides　they　say　that　I'm　too　old。　Well；　that's　craziness。　I　love　children；　and　that's　all　that　should　count。　I　love　each　and　every　one　of　them。　Haven't　I　dedicated　my　life　to　foster　children？　I'm　not　too　old　for　them。　And　when　I　think　of　all　the　suffering　children；　I　could　just　cry。
　The　last　half　of　that　report　was　a　transcription　of　a　long　and　rambling　conversation　with　the　man　to　whom　Mrs。　Peterson　had　been　married　at　the　time　that　she　took　the　eleven…year…old　Ogden　Salsbury　into　her　home。
　This　interview　was　conducted　with　Mr。　Allen　J。　Barger　（now　eighty…three　years　old）　in　the　Evins…Maebry　Nursing　Home　in　Huntington；　Long　Island；　on　the　afternoon　of　Friday；　January　24；　1975。　The　subject　is　supported　at　the　home　by　the　three　children　from　his　second　marriage。　The　subject；　who　suffers　from　senility；　was　alternately　lucid　and　incoherent。　The　subject　was　not　aware　that　he　was　being　recorded。
　Dawson　leafed　ahead　to　the　passage　he　bad　marked。
　AGENT：　Do　you　remember　any　of　the　foster　children　that　you　took　in　while　you　were　married　to　Carrie？
　MR。　BARGER：　She　took　them　in。　Not　me。
　AGENT：　Do　you　remember　any　of　them？
　MR。　BARGER：　Oh；　Christ。
　AGENT：　What's　the　matter？
　MR。　BARGER：　I　try　not　to　remember　them。
　AGENT：　You　didn't　enjoy　them　like　she　did？
　MR。　BARGER：　All　those　dirty　little　faces　when　I　came　home　from　work。　She　tried　to　say　we　needed　the　extra　money；　the　few　dollars　the　government　gave　us　for　keeping　the　kids。　It　was　the　Depression。　But　she　drank　up　the　money。
　AGENT：　She　was　an　alcoholic？
　MR。　BARGER：　Not　when　I　married　her。　But　she　was　sure　on　her　way　to　being　one。
　AGENT：　Do　you　remember　a　child　named…　
　Mr。　BARGER：　My　trouble　was　I　didn't　many　her　for　her　mind。
　AGENT：　Excuse　me？
　MR。　BARGER：　I　married　my　second　wife　for　her　mind；　and　that　worked　out　swell。　But　when　I　got　hitched　to　Carrie　。　。　。　Well；　I　was　forty　years　old　and　still　single　and　sick　to　death　of　going　to　whores。　Carrie　came　along；　twenty…six　and　fresh　as　a　peach；　so　much　younger　than　me　but　interested　in　me；　and　I　let　my　balls　do　my　thinking　for　me。　Married　her　for　her　body　with　no　thought　as　to　what　was　in　her　head。　That　was　a　big　mistake。
　AGENT：　I'm　sure　it　was。　'Well　。　。　。　Now；　could　you　tell　me　if　you　can　remember　a　child　named…　MR。　BARGER：　She　had　magnificent　jugs。
　AGENT：　I　beg　your　pardon？
　MR。　BARGER：　Jugs。　Boobs。　Carrie　had　a　magnificent　set。
　AGENT：　Oh。　Yes。　Uh。。。
　MR。　BARGER：　She　was　pretty　good　in　bed　too。　When　you　could　get　her　away　from　those　goddamned　kids。　Those　kids！　I　don't　know　why　I　ever　agreed　to　take　the　first　one　in。　After　that　we　never　had　less　than　four　and　usually　six　or　seven。　She　had　always　wanted　a　big　family。　But　she　wasn't　able　to　have　children　of　her　own。　I　guess　maybe　that　made　her　want　them　even　more。　But　she　didn't　really　want　to　be　a　mother。　It　was　just　a　dream；　a　sort　of　sentimental　thing　with　her。
　AGENT：　What　do　you　mean？
　MR。　BARGER：　Oh；　she　liked　the　idea；　of　having　children　more　than　she　liked　really　having　them。
　AGENT：　I　see。
　MR。　BARGER：　She　couldn't　discipline　them　worth　a　damn。　They　walked　right　over　her。　And　I　wasn't　about　to　take　over　that　chore。　No；　sir！　I　worked　hard；　long　hours　in　those　days。　When　I　came　home　I　didn't　want　to　do
　anything　but　relax。　I　didn't　spend　my　time　chasing　after　a　pack　of　brats。　So　long　as　they　left　me　alone；　they　could　do　what　they　wanted。　They　knew　that；　and　they　never　bothered　me。　Hell；　they　weren't　my　kids。
　AGENT：　Do　you　remember　one　of　them　named　Ogden　Salsbury？
　MR。　BARGER：　No。
　AGENT：　His　mother　lived　next　door　to　you。　She　had　a　lot　of
　lovers。　One　of　them；　a　man　named　Parker；　raped　the　boy。
　Homosexual　rape。
　MR。　BARGER：　e　to　think　of　it；　I　do　remember　him。　Ogden。　Yeah。　He　came　to　the　house　at　a　bad　time。
　AGENT：　A　bad　time？　How's　that？
　MR。　BARGER：　It　was　all　girls　then。
　AGENT：　All　girls？