cpatricia.blacknotice-第24节

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　　〃But　how　can　two　play　when　you　don't　even　know　who　Chief　Kay　number　two　is？〃　Marino　asked。
　　〃Maybe　I　can't　do　anything　about　that　goddamn　chat　room；　but　there's　always　e…mail。〃
　　〃What　kind　of　e…mail？〃　Marino　warily　asked。
　　〃Itwo　can　play　this　game。　Just　wait　and　see。　Now。　How　about　we　check　on　our　suspicious　car。〃
　　Marino　slipped　his　portable　radio　off　his　belt　and　switched　to　the　service　channel。
　　〃What'd　you　say　it　was　again？〃　he　asked。
　　〃RGG…7112；〃　I　recited　it　from　memory。
　　〃Virginia　tags？〃
　　〃Sorry；〃　I　replied。　〃I　didn't　get　that　good　of　a　look。〃
　　〃Well；　we'll　start　there。〃
　　He　relayed　the　tag　number　to　the　Virginia　Criminal　Information　Network；　or　VCIN；　and　asked　for　a　10…29。　By　now　it　was　after　ten　o'clock。
　　〃Any　way　you　could　make　me　a　sandwich　or　something　before　I　leave？〃　Marino　asked。　〃I'm　about　to　die　of　hunger。　VCIN's　been　a　little　slow　tonight。　I　hate　that。〃
　　He　requested　bacon；　lettuce　and　tomato　with　Russian　dressing　and　thick　slices　of　onion；　and　I　cooked　the　bacon　well　in　the　microwave　instead　of　frying　it。
　　〃Ali　gee；　Doc；　why'd　you　have　to　do　that？〃　he　said；　holding　up　a　crispy；　non…greasy　strip　of　bacon。　〃It　ain't　good　unless　it's　chewy　and　got　some　flavor　left　that　wasn't　soaked　up　in　all　those　paper　towels。〃
　　〃It　will　have　plenty　of　flavor；〃　I　said。　〃And　the　rest　is　up　to　you。　I'm　not　going　to　be　blamed　for　clogging　up　your　arteries　any　worse　than　they　probably　already　are。〃
　　Marino　toasted　rye　bread　and　slathered　it　with　butter　and　Russian　dressing　he　conjured　up　from　Miracle　Whip；　ketchup　and　chopped　butter　pickles。　He　topped　this　with　lettuce；　tomato　liberally　dashed　with　salt　and　thick　slices　of　raw　sweet　onion。
　　He　made　two　of　these　healthy　creations　and　wrapped　them　in　aluminum　foil　as　the　radio　got　back　to　him。　The　car　was　not　a　Ford　Taurus；　but　a　1998　Ford　Contour。　It　was　dark　blue　and　registered　to　Avis　Leasing　Corporation。
　　〃That's　kinda　interesting；〃　Marino　said　〃Usually　in　Richmond　all　rental　cars　begin　with　an　R；　and　you　have　to　request　a　plate　that　doesn't。　They　started　doing　that　so　it　wasn't　so　obvious　to　carjackers　that　someone　was　from　out　of　town。〃
　　There　were　no　outstanding　warrants　and　the　car　wasn't　listed　as　stolen。
　　　
　　　17
　　At　eight　o'clock　the　next　morning；　Wednesday；　I　squeezed　into　a　metered　space。　Across　the　street；　the　eighteenth…century　capitol　of　the　monwealth　was　pristine　behind　wrought　iron　and　fountains　in　the　fog。
　　Dr。　Wagner；　other　cabinet　members　and　the　attorney　general　worked　in　the　Ninth　Street　Executive　Office　Building；　and　security　had　gotten　so　extreme　that　I'd　begun　to　feel　like　a　criminal　when　I　came　here。　Just　inside　the　door　was　a　table；　where　a　capitol　police　officer　checked　my　satchel。
　　〃If　you　find　anything　in　there；〃　I　said；　〃let　me　know；　because　I　can't〃
　　The　smiling　officer　looked　very　familiar；　a　short；　fleshy　man　I　guessed　to　be　in　his　mid…thirties。　He　had　thinning　brown　hair　and　the　face　of　one　who　had　been　boyishly　cute　before　advancing　years　and　added　weight　had　begun　to　have　their　way　with　him。
　　I　held　out　my　credentials　and　he　barely　gave　them　a　glance。
　　〃Don't　need　those；〃　he　cheerfully　said。　〃You　remember　me？　I　had　to　respond　to　your　building　a　couple　times　when　you　used　to　be　over　there。〃
　　He　pointed　in　the　direction　of　my　old　building　on　Fourteenth　Street；　which　was　only　five　short　blocks　east。
　　〃Rick　Hodges；〃　he　said。　〃That　time　they　had　the　uranium　scare。　'Member　that？〃
　　〃How　could　I　not？〃　I　said。　〃Not　one　of　our　finer　moments。〃
　　〃And　me　and　Wingo　used　to　hang　out　sometimes。　During　lunch　I'd　e　down　when　nothing　much　was　going　on。〃
　　A　shadow　crossed　his　face。　Wingo　was　the　best；　most　sensitive　morgue　supervisor　I'd　ever　had。　Several　years　ago　he　died　of　smallpox。　I　squeezed　Hodges's　shoulder。
　　〃I　still　miss　him；〃　I　said。　〃You　have　no　idea　how　much。〃
　　He　looked　around　and　leaned　closer　to　me。
　　〃You　keep　up　with　his　family　any？〃　he　asked　in　a　low　voice。
　　〃From　time　to　time。〃
　　He　knew　from　the　way　I　said　it　that　his　family　didn't　want　to　talk　about　their　gay　son；　nor　did　they　want　me　calling。　Certainly；　they　didn't　want　Hodges　or　any　of　Wingo's　friends　calling；　either。　Hodges　nodded；　pain　dimming　his　eyes。　He　tried　to　smile　it　away。
　　〃That　boy　sure　was　crazy　about　you；　Doc；〃　he　said　to　me。　〃I've　been　wanting　to　tell　you　that　for　a　long　time。〃
　　〃That　means　a　lot；〃　I　said　to　him　with　feeling。　〃Thank　you；　Rick。〃
　　I　passed　through　the　scanner　without　incident；　and　he　handed　me　my　satchel。
　　〃Don't　stay　away　so　long；〃　he　said。
　　〃I　。　won't；〃　I　said；　meeting　his　young；　blue　eyes。　〃It　makes　me　feel　safer　having　you　around。〃
　　〃You　know　where　you're　going？〃
　　〃Think　so；'　I　said。
　　〃Well；　just　remember　the　elevator　has　a　mind　of　its　own。〃
　　I　took　worn；　granite　steps　to　the　sixth　floor；　where　Sinclair　Wagner's　office　overlooked　Capitol　Square。　On　this　dark；　rainy　morning；　I　could　barely　see　the　statue　of　George　Washington　astride　his　horse。　The　temperature　had　plummeted　twenty　degrees　during　the　night；　and　rain　was　small　and　hard　like　shotgun　pellets。
　　The　waiting　area　of　the　Secretary　of　Health　and　Human　Services　was　handsomely　arranged　with　graceful　colonial　furniture　and　flags　that　were　not　Dr。　Wagner's　style。　His　office　was　cramped　and　cluttered。　It　bespoke　a　man　who　worked　extremely　hard　and　understated　his　power。
　　Dr。　Wagner　was　born　and　raised　in　Charleston；　South　Carolina；　where　his　first　name；　Sinclair；　was　pronounced　Sinkler　He　was　a　psychiatrist　with　a　law　degree；　and　oversaw　person…service　agencies　such　as　mental　health；　substance　abuse；　social　services　and　Medicare。　He　had　been　on　the　faculty　of　the　Medical　College　of　Virginia；　or　MCV；　before　his　appointment　to　a　cabinet…level　position；　and　I'd　always　respected　him　enormously　and　knew　he　respected　me；　too。
　　〃Kay。〃　He　rolled　back　his　chair　and　got　up　from　his　desk。　〃How　are　you？〃
　　He　motioned　for　me　to　sit　on　the　couch；　and　he　closed　the　door　and　returned　to　the　barrier　of　his　desk；　which　was　not　a　good　sign。
　　〃I'm　pleased　with　how　everything's　going　at　the　Institute；　aren't　you？〃　he　asked。
　　〃Very　much　so；〃　I　replied。　〃Daunting；　but　better　than　I　ever　hoped。〃
　　He　picked　up　his　pipe　and　pouch　of　tobacco　from　an　ashtray。
　　〃I've　been　wondering　what's　been　going　on　with　you；〃　he　said。　〃You　seem　to　have　vanished　off　the　face　of　the　earth　‘？I　don't　know　why　you'd　say　that；〃　I　answered　him。　〃I'm　doing　as　many　cases　as　always；　if　not　more。〃
　　〃Oh；　yes。　Of　course；　I　keep　up　with　you　through　the　news。〃
　　He　began　tamping　tobacco　into　the　pipe。　There　was　no　smoking　of　any　sort　in　the　building　and　Wagner　tended　to　suck　on　a　cold　pipe　when　he　was　ill　at　ease。　He　knew　I　hadn't　e　here　to　talk　about　the　Institute　or　tell　him　how　busy　I'd　been。
　　〃I　certainly　know　how　busy　you　are；〃　he　went　on；　〃since　you　don't　even　have　time　to　see　me。〃
　　〃I　just　found　out　today；　Sinclair；　that　you　tried　to　see　me　last　week；〃　I　replied。
　　He　held　my　gaze；　sucking　on　the　pipe。　Dr。　Wagner　was　in　his　sixties　but　looked　older　than　that；　as　if　bearing　the　painful　secrets　of　patients　for　so　many　years　had　finally　begun　to　erode　him。　He　had　kind　eyes；　and　it　was　greatly　to　his　advantage　that　people　tended　to　forget　he　also　had　the　shrewdness　of　a　lawyer。
　　〃If　you　didn't　get　my　message　that　I　wanted　to　see　you；　Kay；〃　he　said；　〃then　it　would　seem　to　me　you　have　a　staffing　problem。〃
　　His　slow；　low　tone　nudged　words　along；　always　taking　the　long　way　around　a　thought。
　　〃I　do；　but　not　of　the　sort　you　might　imagine。〃
　　〃I'm　listening。〃
　　〃Someone's　been　getting　into　my　e…mail；〃　I　flatly　replied。　〃Apparently　this　person　got　into　the　file　where　our　passwords　are　kept　and　got　hold　of　mine。〃
　　〃So　much　for　security。　。　。〃
　　I　held　up　my　hand　to　stop　him。
　　〃Sinclair；　security's　not　the　problem。　I'm　being　hurt　from　within　my　own　ranks。　It's　clear　to　me　that　someoneor　perhaps　more　than　one　person…is　trying　to　cause　me　trouble。　Perhaps　even　get　me　fired。　Your　secretary　e…mailed　mine　to　let　her　know　you　wanted　to　see　me。　My　secretary　passed　this　along　to　me；　and　I　allegedly　replied　that　I　was　too　busy　to　see　you　at　that　time。〃
　　I　could　tell　Dr。　Wagner　found　this　confusing；　if　not　ridiculous。
　　〃There　are　other　things；〃　I　went　on；　getting　increasingly　unfortable　with　the　sound　of　my　own　voice　spinning　what　seemed　such　a　fantastic　web。　〃E…mails　asking　calls　to　be　rolled　over　to　my　deputy　chief；　and　worst　of　all；　this　socalled　chat　room　I'm　doing　on　the　Internet。〃
　　〃I　know　about　that；〃　he　grimly　said。　〃And　you're　telling　me　that　whoever　is　doing　this　Dear　Dr。　Kay　stuff　is　the　same　person　using　your　password？〃
　　〃It's　definitely　someone　using　my　password　and　posing　as　me。〃
　　He　was　silent；　sucking　his　pipe。
　　〃I'm　very　suspicious　that　my　morgue　supervisor　is　connected　with　all　this；〃　I　added。
　　〃Why？〃
　　〃Erratic　behavior；　hostility；　disappearing　acts。　He's　disgruntled　and　up　to　something。　I　could　go　on。〃　。
　　Silence。
　　〃When　I　can　prove　his　involvement；〃　I　said；　〃I'll　take　care　of　the　problem。〃
　　Dr。　Wagner　returned　the　pipe　to　the　ashtray。　He　got　up　from　his　desk　and　came　around　to　wh