cpatricia.blacknotice-第36节

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　　〃It　would　seem　that　quite　a　lot　of　your　clients　are　afraid　of　voluptuous　naked　women；〃　I　mented。
　　Pit　chewed　his　gum　as　if　it　were　trying　to　get　away；　and　he　pondered　what　I'd　said　for　a　moment。
　　〃Hadn't　thought　about　that　one；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　fits。　Most　of　these　guys　with　nudies　all　over　them　are　really　scared　of　women。　Scared。　of　the　emotional　part。〃
　　Chuck　had　turned　on　the　TV　and　was　watching　Rosie　O'Donnell；　the　volume　low。　I　had　seen　thousands　of　tattoos　on　bodies；　but　I　had　never　thought　of　them　as　a　symbol　of　fear。　Pit　tapped　the　lid　of　the　jar　of　formaliü。
　　〃Ibis　guy　was　afraid　of　something；〃　he　said。　〃Looks　like　he　might　have　had　a　good　reason　to　be。〃
　　　
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　　I'd　been　home　only　long　enough　to　hang　up　my　coat　and　drop　my　briefcase　by　the　door　when　the　telephone　rang。　It　was　twenty　minutes　past　eight；　and　my　first　thought　was　Lucy。　The　only　update　I'd　gotten　was　that　Jo　would　be　transferred　to　MCV　sometime　this　weekend。
　　I　was　frightened　and　being　resentful。　No　matter　what　policies；　protocols　or　judgment　dictated；　Lucy　could　contact　me。　She　could　let　me　know　she　and　Jo　were　all　right。　She　could　tell　me　where　she　was。
　　I　quickly　grabbed　the　phone　and　was　both　surprised　and　uneasy　when　former　Deputy　Chief　Al　Carson's　voice　came　over　the　line。　I　knew　he　would　not　contact　me；　especially　at　home；　unless　it　was　very　important；　the　news　very　bad。
　　〃I'm　not　supposed　to　be　doing　this　but　someone　has　to；〃　he　said　right　off。　〃There's　been　a　homicide　at　the　Quik　Cary。　That　convenience　store　off　Cary；　near　Libbie。　You　know　which　one　I　mean？　Kind　of　a　neighborhood　market？〃
　　He　was　talking　rapidly　and　nervously。　He　sounded　scared。
　　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃It's　close　to　my　house。〃
　　I　picked　up　a　clipboard　and　began　writing　notes　on　a　call　sheet。
　　〃An　apparent　robbery。　Somebody　came　in；　cleaned　out　the　drawer　and　shot　the　clerk。　A　female。〃
　　I　thought　of　the　videotape　I　had　looked　at　yesterday。
　　〃When　did　this　happen？〃　I　asked。
　　〃We　think　she　got　shot　not　more　than　an　hour　ago。　I'm　calling　you　myself　because　your　office　doesn't　know　yet。〃
　　I　paused；　not　quite　sure　what　he　meant。　In　fact；　what　he'd　just　said　couldn't　possibly　be　right。
　　〃I　called　Marino；　too；〃　he　went　on。　〃I　guess　there's　nothing　more　they　can　do　to　me　anymore。〃
　　〃What　do　you　mean　my　office　doesn't　know　yet？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Police　aren't　supposed　to　be　calling　the　M。E。　anymore　until　we　finish　with　the　scene。　Until　the　crime　techs　do；　and　they're　just　now　getting　there。　So　it　could　be　hours　。　。　。〃
　　〃Where　the　hell　is　this　ing　from？〃　I　asked；　although　I　knew。
　　〃Dr。　Scarpetta；　I　was　pretty　much　forced　to　resign；　but　I　would　have　anyway；〃　Carson　told　me。　〃There　are　changes　I　can't　live　with。　You　know　my　guys　have　always　gotten　along　really　well　with　your　office。　But　Bray's　put　in　all　these　new　people…what　she　did　to　Marino；　that　was　enough　to　make　me　quit　right　there。　But　what　matters　right　now　is　this　makes　two　convenience　store　killings　in　a　month。　I　don't　want　anything　messed　up。　If　it's　the　same　guy；　he's　gonna　do　it　again。〃
　　I　called　Fielding　at　home　and　told　him　what　was　going　on。
　　〃You　want　me　to　。　。　。　？〃　he　started　to　say。
　　〃No；〃　I　cut　him　off。　〃I'm　going　right　now。　We're　getting　goddamn　screwed；　Jack。〃
　　I　drove　fast。　Bruce　Springsteen　was　singing　〃Santa　Claus　Is　ing　to　Town；〃　and　I　thought　of　Bray。　I　had　never　really　hated　anyone　before。　Hate　was　poison。　I　had　always　resisted　it。　To　hate　was　to　lose；　and　it　was　all　I　could　do　right　now　to　resist　the　heat　of　its　flames。
　　The　news　came　on；　the　homicide　the　lead　story；　covered　live　at　the　scene。
　　〃。　。　。　in　what　is　the　second　convenience　store　murder　in　three　weeks。　Deputy　Chief　Bray；　what　can　you　tell　us？〃
　　〃Details　are　sketchy　at　this　time；〃　her　voice　sounded　inside　my　car。　〃We　do　know　that　several　hours　earlier；　an　unknown　suspect　entered　the　Quik　Cary　here　and　robbed　it　and　shot　the　clerk。〃
　　My　car　phone　rang。
　　〃Where　are　you？〃　Marino　said。
　　〃Getting　close　to　Libbie。°'
　　〃I'm　going　to　pull　into　the　Cary　Town　parking　lot。　I　need　to　tell　you　what's　going　on　because　nobody's　gonna　tell　you　the　time　of　day　when　you　get　there。〃
　　〃We'll　see　about　that。〃
　　Minutes　later；　I　turned　into　the　small　shopping　center　and　parked　in　front　of　Schwarzchild　Jewelers；　where　Marino　was　sitting　in　his　truck。　Then　he　was　inside　my　car；　wearing　jeans　and　boots；　and　a　scuffed　leather　coat　with　a　broken　zipper　and　fleece　lining　as　bald　as　his　head。　He　had　splashed　on　a　lot　of　cologne；　meaning　he　had　been　drinking　beer。　He　tossed　a　cigarette　butt　and　red　ashes　sailed　through　the　night。
　　〃Everything's　under　control；〃　he　sardonically　said。　〃Anderson's　at　the　scene。〃
　　〃And　Bray。〃
　　〃She's　holding　a　goddamn　press　conference　outside　the　convenience　store；〃　Marino　said　with　disgust。　〃Let's　go。〃
　　I　drove　back　out　to　Cary　Street。
　　〃Start　with　this；　Doc；〃　he　began。　〃The　asshole　shoots　her　at　the　counter；　in　the　head。　Then　it's　looking　like　he　puts　out　the　closed；　sign；　locks　the　door　and　drags　her　to　the　back；　into　the　storeroom；　and　beats　the　holy　shit　out　of　her。〃
　　〃He　shot　her　and　then　beat　her　up？'
　　：Yeah：〃
　　'How　were　the　police　notified？〃　I　asked。
　　〃At　seven…sixteen　the　burglar　alarm　went　off；〃　he　replied。　〃The　back　door's　armed　even　when　the　joint's　open　for　business。　Cops　get　there　and　find　the　front　door　locked；　closed　sign　out；　like　I　said。　They　go　around　back；　find　that　door　wide　open。　They　go　in；　she's　on　the　floor；　blood　everywhere。　Tentatively　identified　as　Kim　Luong；　thirty…year…old　Asian　female。〃
　　Bray　continued　to　dominate　the　news。
　　〃You　said　something　earlier　about　a　witness；〃　a　reporter　was　asking　her。
　　〃Only　that　a　citizen　reported　seeing　a　male　in　dark　clothing　in　the　area　around　the　time　we　believe　the　homicide　took　place；〃　Bray　replied。　〃He　was　ducking　into　an　alleyway　right　down　the　block　there。　The　person　who　reported　this　did　not　get　a　good　look。　We're　hoping　if　someone　else　did；　he'll　call　us。　No　detail　is　too　small。　It　takes　all　of　us　to　protect　our　munity。〃
　　〃What's　she　doing？　Running　for　office？〃　Marino　said。
　　〃Is　there　a　safe　somewhere　inside　the　store？〃　I　asked　him。
　　〃In　the　back　where　her　body　was　found。　It　hadn't　been　opened。　So　I've　been　told。〃
　　〃Video　camera？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Nope。　Maybe　he　learned　after　whacking　Gant　and　is　hitting　joints　that　aren't　doing　the　Candid　Camera　number　on　him。〃
　　〃Maybe。〃
　　He　and　I　both　knew　he　was　making　assumptions；　pushing　hard　because　he　wasn't　about　to　let　go　of　his　job。
　　〃Carson　tell　you　all　this？〃　I　asked。
　　〃It　ain't　the　cops　who've　suspended　me；〃　he　answered。　〃And　already　I　know　you're　thinking　the　M。O。's　a　little　different。　But　it　ain't　a　science；　Doc。　You　know　that〃
　　Benton　used　to　toss　that　line　at　us　with　that　wry　smile　of　his。　He　was　a　profiler；　an　expert　in　modus　operandi　and　patterns　and　predicting。　But　each　crime　had　its　own　special　choreography　because　every　victim　was　different。　Circumstances　and　moods　were　different；　even　the　weather　was　different；　and　the　killer　often　modified　his　routine。　Benton　used　to　plain　about　Hollywood　renditions　of　what　behavioral　scientists　could　do。　He　wasn't　clairvoyant；　and　violent　people　weren't　driven　by　software。
　　〃Maybe　she　pissed　him　off　or　something；〃　Marino　went　on。　〃Maybe　he'd　just　had　a　bad　conversation　with　his　mother；　who　the　hell　knows？〃
　　〃What's　going　to　happen　when　people　like　Al　Carson　don't　call　you　anymore？〃
　　〃It's　my　damn　case；〃　he　said　as　if　he　hadn't　heard　me。　〃Gant　was　my　case；　and　this　one　is　too；　any　way　you　look　at　it。　Even　if　it's　not　the　same　killer；　who's　gonna　figure　that　out　before　I　do；　since　I'm　the　one　who　knows　everything　there　is　about　it？〃
　　〃You　can't　always　barge　in　with　both　barrels　going；〃　I　said。　〃That's　not　going　to　work　with　Bray。　You've　got　to　find　a　way　to　make　it　worth　her　while　to　tolerate　you；　and　you　better　figure　that　out　in　the　next　five　minutes。〃
　　He　was　silent　as　I　turned　onto　Libbie　Avenue。
　　〃You're　smart；　Marino；〃　I　added。　〃Use　your　head。　This　isn't　about　turf　or　egos。　This　is　about　a　woman　who's　dead：'
　　〃Shit；〃　he　said。　〃What　the　fuck's　wrong　with　people？〃
　　The　Quik　Cary　was　a　small　market　that　had　neither　a　plate…glass　front　nor　gas　pumps。　It　wasn't　brightly　lit　up　or　located　in　a　spot　that　attracted　customers　either　ing　off　or　getting　on　heavily　traveled　roads。　Except　during　the　holidays；　it　stayed　open　only　until　six。
　　The　parking　lot　throbbed　red　and　blue；　and　in　the　midst　of　rumbling　engines；　cops　and　an　awaiting　rescue　crew；　Bray　gloried　in　an　aura　of　television　lights　that　floated　around　her　like　a　flotilla　of　small　suns。　She。　was　dressed　in　a　long　red　wool　cape；　heels；　and　diamond　earrings　that　flashed　with　each　turn　of　her　beautiful；　head。　By　all　appearances　she　had　just　rushed　out　of　a　black…tie　party。
　　It　was　beginning　to　sleet　as　I　lifted　my　crime　case　out　of　the　trunk。　Bray　spotted　me　before　the　media　did；　and　then　her　eyes　found　Marino　and　anger　touched　her　face。
　　〃。　。　。　will　not　release　that　until　her　family　has　been　notified；〃　she　was　saying　to　the　press。
　　〃Watch　this；〃　Marino　said　under　his　breath。
　　He　walked　with　a　s