dk.intensity-第58节

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　Chyna　suspected　that　Vess　was　set　up　to　enter　the　Internet；　but　there　was　no　phone　or　modem　in　sight。　She　spotted　two　unused　phone　jacks　in　the　baseboard。　His　meticulous　security　procedures　had　served　him　well　again；　she　was　stymied。
　What　did　he　do　here？　On　one　of　the　tables　were　six　or　eight　ring…bound　notebooks　with　colorful　covers；　and　she　opened　the　nearest。　The　binder　was　divided　into　five　sections；　each　with　the　name　of　an　agency　of　the　federal　government。　The　first　was　the　Social　Security　Administration。　The　pages　were　filled　with　what　seemed　to　be　notes　from　Vess　to　himself　regarding　the　trial…and…error　method　by　which　he　had　hacked　his　way　into　the　administration's　data　files　and　had　learned　to　manipulate　them。　The　second　divider　was　labeled　U。S。　DEPT　OF　STATE　（PASSPORT　AGENCY）；　and　judging　by　the　following　notes；　Vess　was　engaged　in　an　inplete　experiment　to　determine　if；　by　a　byzantine　route；　he　might　be　able　to　enter　and　control　the　Passport　Agency's　puterized　records　without　being　detected。
　Part　of　what　he　was　doing；　evidently；　was　preparing　for　the　day　when　he　slipped　up　in　his　〃homicidal　adventuring〃　and　required　new　identities。
　Chyna　didn't　believe；　however；　that　Vess's　only　projects　were　the　altering　of　his　public　records　and　the　obtaining　of　fake　ID。　She　was　troubled　by　the　feeling　that　this　room　contained　information　about　Vess　that　could　be　of　vital　importance　to　her　own　survival　if　only　she　knew　where　to　look　for　it。
　She　put　down　the　notebook　and　swiveled　in　the　chair　to　face　the　second　puter。　Under　one　end　of　this　table　stood　a　two…drawer　file　cabmet。　She　opened　the　top　drawer　and　saw　Pendaflex　hanging　files　with　blue　tags；　each　tag　featured　a　person's　name；　with　the　surname　first。
　Each　folder　contained　a　two…sheet　dossier　on　a　different　lawenforcement　officer；　and　after　a　couple　of　minutes　of　investigation；　Chyna　decided　that　they　were　deputies　with　the　sheriffs　department　in　the　very　county　in　which　Vess's　house　was　located。　These　dossiers　provided　all　vital　statistics　on　the　officers　plus　information　about　their　families　and　their　personal　lives。　A　Xerox　of　each　deputy's　official　ID　photo　was　also　attached。
　Did　the　freak　see　some　advantage　in　collecting　information　on　all　the　local　cops　as　insurance　against　the　day　when　he　might　find　himself　in　a　standoff　with　them？　This　effort　seemed　excessive　even　for　one　as　meticulous　as　Edgler　Vess；　on　the　other　hand；　excess　was　his　philosophy。
　The　lower　drawer　of　the　filing　cabinet　contained　manila　folders　as　well。　The　tabs　of　these　also　featured　names；　like　those　in　the　upper　drawer；　but　only　surnames。
　In　the　first　folder；　labeled　ALmEs；　Chyna　found　a　full…page　enlargement　of　the　California　driver's　license　of　an　attractive　young　blonde　named　Mia　Lorinda　Almes。　Judging　by　the　exceptional　clarity；　it　wasn't　a　Xerox　blow…up　of　the　original　license　but　a　digitized　data　transmission　received　on　a　phone　line；　through　a　puter；　and　reproduced　on　a　high…quality　laser　printer。
　The　only　other　items　in　the　folder　were　six　Polaroid　photographs　of　Mia　Lorinda　Almes。　The　first　two　were　close…ups　from　different　angles。　She　was　beautiful。　And　terrified。
　This　file　drawer　was　Edgler　Vess's　equivalent　of　a　scrapbook。　Four　more　Polaroids　of　Mia　Almes。　Don't　look。　The　next　two　were　full…body　shots。　The　young　woman　was　naked　in　both。　Manacled。
　Chyna　closed　her　eyes。　But　opened　them。　She　was　pelled　to　look；　perhaps　because　she　was　determined　not　to　hide　from　anything　any　more。
　In　the　fifth　and　sixth　photos；　the　young　woman　was　dead；　and　in　the　last　her　beautiful　face　was　gone　as　if　it　had　been　blown　off　or　sheared　away。
　The　folder　and　the　photographs　fluttered　from　Chyna's　hands　to　the　floor；　where　they　clicked　*against　the　wood　and　spun　and　were　still。　She　hid　her　face　in　her　hands。
　She　wasn't　trying　to　block　from　her　mind　the　gruesome　image　on　the　snapshot。　Instead；　she　was　striving　to　repress　a　nineteen…year…old　memory　of　a　farmhouse　outside　New　Orleans；　two　visitors　with　a　Styrofoam　cooler；　a　gun　taken　from　the　refrigerator；　and　the　cold　accuracy　with　which　a　woman　named　Memphis　had　fired　two　rounds。
　Memory；　however；　always　has　its　way。　The　visitors；　who'd　done　business　with　Zack　and　Memphis　before；　had　been　there　to　make　a　drug　purchase。　The　cooler　had　been　filled　with　packets　of　hundred…dollar　bills。　Maybe　Zack　didn't　have　the　promised　shipment；　or　maybe　he　and　Memphis　just　needed　more　money　than　they　could　get　from　a　sale；　whatever　the　reason；　they　had　decided　to　rip　off　the　two　men。
　After　the　gunfire；　Chyna　had　hidden　in　the　barn　loft；　certain　that　Memphis　would　kill　them　all。　When　Memphis　and　Anne　found　her；　she　fought　them　bitterly。　But　she　was　only　seven　years　old　and　no　match　for　them。　With　owls　hooting　in　alarm　and　taking　flight　from　the　rafters；　the　women　dragged　Chyna　out　of　the　mice…infested　hay　and　carried　her　to　the　house。
　Zack　had　been　gone　by　then；　having　taken　the　bodies　elsewhere；　and　Memphis　had　cleaned　up　the　blood　in　the　kitchen　while　Anne　had　forced　Chyna　to　drink　a　shot　of　whiskey。　Chyna　didn't　want　the　whiskey；　sealed　her　lips　against　it；　but　Anne　said；　〃You're　a　wreck；　for　Christ's　sake；　you　can't　stop　blubbering；　and　one　shot　isn't　going　to　hurt　you。　This　is　what　you　need；　kiddo；　trust　Mama；　this　is　what　you　need。　A　shot　of　good　whiskey　will　break　a　fever；　you　know；　and　what　you've　got　now　is　a　kind　of　fever。　e　on；　you　little　wuss；　it's　not　poison。　Jesus；　you　can　be　a　whiny　little　shit　sometimes。　Either　you　drink　it　quick；　or　I'll　hold　you　down　and　pinch　your　nose　shut；　and　Memphis　will　pour　it　in　when　you　open　your　mouth　to　breathe。　That　how　you　want　it？〃　So　Chyna　drank　the　whiskey；　and　then　took　a　second　shot　with　a　few　ounces　of　milk　when　her　mother　decided　that　she　needed　it。　The　booze　made　her　dizzy　and　strange　but　did　not　calm　her。
　She　had　appeared　calmer　to　them　because；　good　little　fisher　that　she　was；　she'd　caught　her　fear　and　reeled　it　inside；　where　they　could　not　see　it。　Even　by　the　age　of　seven；　she　had　begun　to　understand　that　a　show　of　fear　was　dangerous；　because　others　interpreted　it　as　weakness；　and　there　was　no　place　in　this　world　for　the　weak。
　Later　that　night；　Zack　had　returned　with　whiskey　on　bis　breath　too。　He　was　exuberant；　in　a　raucous　and　celebratory　mood。　He　came　straight　to　Chyna　and　hugged　her；　kissed　her　on　the　cheek；　took　her　by　the　hands　and　tried　to　make　her　dance　with　him。
　〃That　bastard　Bobby；　the　last　time　he　was　here；　1　knew　by　the　way　he　couldn't　take　his　eyes　off　Chyna　that　he　was　hot　for　little　girls；　a　genuine　sicko；　so　tonight　he　walks　in　and　his　tongue　just　about　uncurls　to　his　knees　when　tie　sees　nen　You　couia；ve　snot　tne　geek　11alt　a　dozen　times；　Memphis；　before　he　might've　noticed！〃
　　Bobby　had　been　the　man　sitting　at　the　kitchen　table；　talking　to　Chyna；　his　beautiful　gray　eyes　fixed　intently　on　her；　speaking　directly　to　her　in　a　way　that　few　adults；　ever　spoke　to　kids；　asking　whether　she　liked　kittens　or　puppies　best　and　did　she　want　to　grow　up　to　be　a　famous　movie　star　or　a　nurse　or　a　doctor　or　what；　when　Memphis　shot　him　in　the　head。
　〃The　way　our　Chyna　girl　was　dressed；〃　Zack　said　excitedly；　〃Bobby　just　about　totally　forgot　anyone　else　was　here。〃
　The　night　was　hot　and　swamp…humid；　and　before　the　visitors　arrived；　Chyna's　mother　made　her　change　out　of　her　shorts　and　T…shirt　into　a　brief　yellow　bikini　swimsuit：　〃But　only　the　bottoms　because；　child；　you're　going　to　get　heatstroke　in　this　weather。〃　Although　only　seven；　Chyna　was　old　enough　to　feel　peculiar　about　going　bare…chested；　even　if　she　didn't　quite　know　why　she　felt　that　way。　She'd　gone　bare…chested　when　she　was　younger；　even　just　the　previuas　summer；　when　she　was　six；　and　it　was　an　awfully　hot；　sticky　night。　When　Zack　said　that　the　way　she　was　dressed　had　something　to　do　with　Bobby's　forgetting　that　anyone　else　was　in　the　room；　Chyna　didn't　uriderstand　what　he　meant。　Years　later；　when　she　did　understand；　she　bad　confronted　her　mother　with　it。
　　Anne　had　laughed　and　said；　〃Oh；　baby；　don't　get　self…righteous　on　me。　We　get　along　by　using　what　we've　got；　and　one　sure　thing　we　girls　have　is　our　bodies。　You　were　the　perfect　distraction。　Anyway；　poor　dumb　old　Bobby　never　touched　you；　did　he？　He　just　got　to　gawk　at　you　a　little；　that's　all；　while　Memphis　went　for　the　gun。　Don't　forget；　sweetie；　we　were　cut　in　for　a　piece　of　that　pie　and　lived　well　on　it　for　a　while。〃
　　And　Chyna　had　wanted　to　say；　but　you　used　me；　you　put　me　right　there　in　front　of　him　where　I'd　see　his　head　e　apart；　and　I　was　only　seven！
　All　these　years　later；　in　Edgler　Vess's　study；　she　could　still　hear　the　crash　of　the　shot　and　see　Bobby's　face　explode；　the　memory　was　as　vivid　as　ever　it　had　been。　She　didn't　know　what　gun　Memphis　used；　but　the　ammunition　must　have　been　high…caliber　hollow…point　lead　wadcutters　that　expanded　on　impact；　because　the　damage　they　inflicted　had　been　tremendois。
　She　lowered　her　hands　from　her　face　and　looked　at　the　open　file　cabinet。　Vess　bad　used　three　formats　of　folders；　with　staggered　tab　placement；　so　it　was　easy　for　Chyna　to　see　all　the　names　along　the　length　of　the　drawer。　Much　farther　back　from　the　Almes　file　was　one　labeled　TEMPLETON。
　She　pushed　the　drawer　shut　with　her　foot。　She'd　found　too