cpatricia.blacknotice-第17节

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　　I　knew　where　he　was　going　with　this　and　my　silence　told　him　to　stay　away　from　the　subject　of　werewolves。
　　〃So　what　happened；　Marino？　The　two　of　you　arm…wrestle　over　your　job？〃　Ruffin　asked；　cutting　the　twine　around　a　bale　of　towels。
　　Marino's　eyes　were　double　barrels　pointed　at　him。
　　〃And　I　guess　we　know　who　won　since　she's　the　detective　now　and　you're　back　in　uniform；〃　Ruffin　said；　smirking：
　　〃You　talking　to　me？〃
　　〃You　heard　me。〃　Ruffin　slid　open　a　glass　cabinet　door。
　　〃You　know；　it　must　be　I'm　getting　old：〃　Marino　snatched　off　his　surgical　cap　and　slammed　it　into　the　trash。　〃My　hearing　ain't　what　it　used　to　be。　But　if　I'm　not　mistaken；　I　believe　you　just　pissed　me　off。〃
　　〃What　do　you　think　of　those　iron　women　on　TV？　What　about　women　wrestlers？〃　Ruffin　kept　going。
　　〃Shut　the　fuck　up；〃　Marino　told　him。
　　〃You're　single；　Marino。　Would　you　go　out　with　a　woman　like　that？〃
　　Ruffin　had　always　resented。　Marino；　and　now　he　had　a　chance　to　do　something　about　it；　or　so　he　thought；　because　Ruffin's　egocentric　world　turned　on　a　very　weak　axis。　In　his　dim　way　of　seeing　things；　Marino　was　down　and　wounded。　It　was　a　good　time　to　kick　him　around。
　　〃Question　is；　would　a　woman　like　that　go　out　with　you？〃　Ruffin　didn't　have　sense　enough　to　run　out　of　the　room。　〃Or　would　any　woman　go　out　with　you？〃
　　Marino　walked　up　to　him。　He　got　so　close　to　Ruffin；　they　were　face　shield　to　face　shield。
　　〃I　got　a　few　little　words　of　advice　for　you；　asshole；〃　Marino　said；　fogging　up　the　plastic　protecting　his　dangerous　face。　〃Zip　those　sissy　lips　of　yours　before　they　kiss　my　fist。　And　put　that　tiny　dick　back　in　its　holster　before　you　hurt　yourself　with　it。〃
　　Chuck's　face　turned　scarlet；　all　this　going　on　while　the　doors　slid　open　and　Neils　Vander　walked　in　carrying　ink；　a　roller　and　ten　print　cards。
　　〃Straighten　up；　and　I　mean　now；〃　I　ordered　Marino　and　Ruffin。　〃Or　I'm　throwing　both　of　you　out　of　here。〃
　　〃Good　morning；〃　Vander　said；　as　if　it　were。
　　〃His　skin's　slipping　badly；〃　I　told　him。
　　〃Just　makes　it　easier。〃
　　Vander　was　the　section　chief　of　the　fingerprints　and　impression　lab；　and　wasn't　bothered　by　much。　It　wasn't　unmon　for　him　to　shoo　maggots　away　while　he　fingerprinted　deposed　bodies；　and　he　didn't　flinch　in　burn　cases　when　it　was　necessary　to　cut　off　the　victim's　fingers　and　carry　them　upstairs　in　ajar。
　　I　had　known　him　since　the　beginning　of　my　time　here；　and　he　never　seemed　to　get　any　older　or　change　at　all。　He　was　still　bald；　tall　and　gangly　and　always　lost　in　oversized　lab　coats　that　swirled　and　flapped　around　him　as　he　hurried　up　and　down　halls。
　　Vander　put　on　a　pair　of　latex　gloves　and　lightly　held　the　dead　man's　hands；　studying　them；　turning　them　this　way　and　that。
　　〃Easiest　thing's　gonna　be　to　slide　off　the　skin；〃　he　decided。
　　When　a　body　was　as　deposed　as　this　one；　the　hand's　top　layer　of　skin　slips　off　like　a　glove　and；　in　fact；　is　called　a　glove。　Vander　worked　fast；　sliding　off　the　gloves　intact　from　each　hand　and　working　his　own　latex…sheathed　hands　inside　them：　Wearing　the　dead　man's　hands；　in　a　sense；　he　inked　each　finger　and　rolled　it　onto　a　ten…print　card。　He　removed　the　skin　gloves　and　left　them　neatly　on　a　surgical　tray；　then　popped　off　his　latex　ones；　before　heading　back　upstairs。
　　〃Chuck；　put　those　in　formalin；〃　I　said。　〃We'll　want　to　save　them。〃
　　He　was　sullen；　screwing　the　lid　off　a　plastic　quart　jar。
　　〃Let's　turn　him；〃　I　said。
　　Marino　helped　us　flip　the　body　facedown。　I　found　more　dirt；　mostly　on　the　buttocks；　and　got　swabs　of　that；　too。　I　saw　no　injuries；　only　an　area　over　the　right　upper　back　that　seemed　darker　than　the　skin　around　it。　I　looked　at　it　through　a　lens；　staring；　blanking　out　my　thought　process　as　I　always　did　when　looking　for　pattern　injuries；　bite　marks　or　other　elusive　evidence。　It　was　like　scuba　diving　in　water　with　almost　no　visibility。　All　I　could　make　out　were　shades　and　shapes　and　wait　until　I　bumped　into　something。
　　〃Do　you　see　this；　Marino？　Or　is　it　just　my　imagination？〃　I　asked。
　　He　sniffed　more　Vicks　vapors　up　his　nose　and　leaned　against　the　table。　He　looked　and　looked。
　　〃Maybe；〃　he　said。　〃I　don't　know。〃
　　I　wiped　off　the　skin　with　a　wet　towel；　and　the　outer　layer；　or　epidermis；　slipped　right　off。　The　flesh　beneath；　or　dermis；　looked　like　soggy　brown　corrugated　paper　stained　with　dark　ink。
　　〃A　tattoo。〃　I　was　pretty　sure。　〃The　ink　penetrated　to　the　dermis；　but　I　can't　make　out　anything。　Just　a　big　splotch。〃
　　〃Like　one　of　those　purple　birthmarks　some　people　have；〃　Marino　offered。
　　I　leaned　closer　with　the　lens　and　adjusted　a　surgical　lamp　to　its　best　advantage。　Ruffin　was　obsessively　polishing　a　stainless　steel　countertop　and　pouting。
　　〃Let's　try　UV；〃　I　decided。
　　The　multiband　ultraviolet　lamp　was　very　simple　to　use　and　looked　rather　much　like　the　handheld　scanners　in　airports。　We　dimmed　the　lights　and　I　tried　longwave　UV　first；　holding　the　lamp　close　to　the　area　I　was　interested　in。　Nothing　fluoresced；　but　a　hint　of　purple　seemed　to　feather　out　in　a　pattern；　and　I　wondered　if　this　might　mean　we　were　picking　up　white　ink。　Under　UV　light；　anything　white；　such　as　the　sheet　on　the　nearby　gurney；　will　radiate　like　snow　in　moonlight　and　possibly　pick　up　a　blush　of　violet　from　the　lamp。　I　slid　the　selector　down　and　tried　shortwave　next。　I　could　see　no　difference　between　the　two。
　　〃Lights；〃　I　said。
　　Ruffin　turned　them　up。
　　〃I　would　think　tattoo　ink　would　light　up　like　neon；〃　Marino　said。
　　〃Fluorescent　inks　do；〃　I　replied。　〃But　since　high　concentrations　of　iodine　and　mercury　aren't　so　great　for　your　health；　they're　not　used　anymore。〃
　　It　was　past　noon　when　I　finally　began　the　autopsy；　making　the　Y　incision　and　removing　the　breastplate　of　ribs。　I　found　pretty　much　what　I　expected。　The　organs　were　soft　and　friable。　They　virtually　fell　apart　at　the　touch　and　I　had　to　be　very　careful　when　weighing　and　sectioning　them。　I　couldn't　tell　much　about　the　coronary　arteries　except　that　they　were　not　occluded。　There　was　no　blood　left；　only　the　putrefied　fluid　called　oily　effusate　that　I　collected　from　the　pleural　cavity。　The　brain　was　liquefied。
　　〃Samples　of　the　brain　and　the　effusate　go　to　tox　for　a　STAT　alcohol；〃　I　said　to　Ruffin　as　I　worked。
　　Urine　and　bile　had　seeped　through　the　cells　of　their　hollow　organs　and　were　gone；　and　there　。was　nothing　left　of　the　stomach。　But　when　I　reflected　back　flesh　from　the　skull；　I　thought　I　had　my　answer。　He　had　staining　of　the　petrous　ridge　of　the　temporal　bones　and　mastoid　air　cells；　bilaterally。
　　Although　I　couldn't　diagnose　anything　with　certainty　until　all　toxicology　results　were　back；　I　was　fairly　certain　this　man　had　drowned。
　　〃What？〃　Marino　was　staring　at　me。
　　〃See　the　staining　here？〃　I　pointed　it　out。　〃Tremendous　hemorrhaging；　probably　while　he　struggled　as　he　was　drowning：〃
　　The　phone　rang　and　Ruffin　trotted　over　to　answer　it。
　　〃When's　the　last　time　you　dealt　with　Interpol？〃　I　asked　Marino。
　　〃Five；　maybe　six　years　ago；　when　that　fugitive　from　Greece　ended　up　over　here　and　got　in　a　fight　in　a　bar　off　Hull　Street。〃
　　〃There　certainly　are　international　connections　in　this　one。　And　if　he's　missing　in　France；　England；　Belgium　or　God　knows　where；　if　he's　some　sort　of　international　fugitive；　we're　never　going　to　know　it　here　in　Richmond　unless　Interpol　can　link　him　with　someone　in　their　puter　system。〃
　　〃You　ever　talked　to　them？〃　he　asked　me。
　　〃No。　That's　for　you　guys　to　do。〃
　　〃You　ought　to　hear　all　these　cops　hoping　they　get　a　case　that　involves　Interpol；　but　if　you　ask　'em　what　Interpol　is；　they　ain't　got　a　clue；'　Marino　said。　〃You　want　to　know　the　truth；　I　got　no　interest　in　dealing　with　Interpol。　They　scare　me　like　the　CIA。　I　don't　even　want　people　like　that　knowing　I　exist。〃
　　〃That's　ridiculous。　You　know　what　Interpol　means；　Marino？〃
　　〃Yeah。　Secret　Squirrels。〃
　　〃It's　a　contraction　of　international　police。　The　point　is　to　get　police　in　member　countries　to　work　together；　talk　to　each　other。　Sort　of　what　you　wish　people　in　your　department　would　do。〃
　　〃Then　they　must　not　have　a　Bray　working　for　them。〃
　　I　was　watching　Ruffin　on　the　phone。　Whomever　he　was　talking　to；　he　was　trying　to　keep　it　private。
　　〃Telemunication；　a　restricted　worldwide　law　enforcement　web　。　。　。　You　know；　I　don't　know　how　much　more　I　can　stand　this。　He　not　only　counters　me；　he　flaunts　it；〃　I　muttered；　staring　at。　Ruffin　as　he　hung　up。
　　Marino　glared　at　him。
　　〃Interpol　circulates　color…coded　notices　for　wanted　and　missing　people；　warnings；　inquiries；〃　I　went　on　in　a　distracted　way　as　Ruffin　stuffed　a　towel　in　the　back　pocket　of　his　scrubs　and　got　a　pill　counter　out　of　a　cabinet。
　　He　sat　on　a　stool　in　front　of　a　steel　sink；　his　back　to　me。　He　opened　a　brown　paper　bag　marked　with　a　case　number　and　pulled　out　three　bottles　of　Advil　and　two　bottles　of　prescription　drugs。
　　〃An　unidentified　body　is　a　black　notice；〃　I　said。　〃Usually　suspected　fugitives　with　international　ties。　Chuck；　why　are　you　doing　that　in　here？〃
　　〃Like　I　told　you；　I'm　behind　on　it。　Never　seen　so　many　damn　pills　e　in　with　bodies；　Dr。　Scaipetta。　I　can't　keep　up　anymore。　And　I　get　up　tó　sixty　or　seventy　or　something；