cpatricia.blacknotice-第59节

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　　〃I　don't。　This　is　just　a　detour。　One　that's　lasted　about　a　year。　Do　you　know　who　sent　me；　Dr。　Stvan？〃
　　〃Someone　with　enough　influence　to　get　you　here　almost　instantly。　Beyond　that；　I　don't　know。〃
　　I　thought　of　Senator　Lord。
　　〃I'm　worn　down　by　what　Loup…Garou　brings　to　me。　Eight　women　now；〃　she　said；　staring　off；　a　glazed；　pained　look　in　her　eyes。
　　〃What　can　I　do；　Dr。　Stvan？〃
　　〃There's　no　evidence　they　were　raped　vaginally；〃　she　said。　〃Or　sodomized。　I　took　swabs　of　the　bite　marks；　very　strange　bite　marks　with　missing　molars；　occlusion　and　tiny　teeth　widely　spaced。　I　collected　hairs　and　all　the　rest　of　it。　But　let's　go　back　to　the　first　case；　when　everything　got　strange。
　　〃As　you　might　expect；　the　magistrate　instructed　me　to　submit　all　evidence　to　the　lab。　Weeks　went　by；　months　went　by；　no　results　ever　came　back。　From　then　on；　I　learned。　With　subsequent　cases　believed　to　be　LoupGarou；　I　didn't　ask　to　submit　anything。〃
　　She　was　silent　for　a　moment；　her　thoughts　elsewhere。
　　Then　she　said；　〃He's　a　strange　one；　this　Loup…Garou。　Biting　the　palms；　the　soles　of　the　feet。　It　must　mean　something　to　him。　I've　never　seen　anything　like　it。　And　now　you　must　contend　with　him　as　I　have。〃
　　She　paused；　as　if　what　she　had　to　say　next　was　very　hard。
　　〃Please　be　very　careful；　Dr。　Scarpetta。　He　will　came　after　you　as　he　did　me。　You　see；　I'm　the　one　who　survived。〃
　　I　was　too　stunned　to　speak。
　　〃My　husband　is　a　chef　at　Le　Dome。　He　is　almost　never　home　at　tight；　but　as　God　would　have　it；　he　was　sick　in　bed　when　this　creature　came　to　my　door　several　weeks　ago。　It　was　raining。　He　said　his　car　had　just　been　in　an　accident　and　needed　to　call　the　police。　Of　course；　my　first　thought　was　to　help。　I　wanted　to　make　certain　he　wasn't　injured。　I　was　very　concerned。
　　〃That　was　my　vulnerability；〃　she　went　on。　〃I　think　physicians　have　a　savior　plex；　you　know？　We　can　take　care　of　problems；　no　matter　what　they　are；　and　that's　the　impulse　he　counted　on；　in　retrospect；　where　I　was　concerned。　There　was　nothing　suspicious　about　him　in　the　least；　and　he　knew　I　would　let　him　in；　and　I　would　have。　But　Paul　lard　voices　and　wanted　to　know　who　was　there。　The　man　ran　off。　I　never　got　a　good　look　at　him。　My　house　light　was　out；　you　see；　because　he'd　unscrewed　it；　I　found　out　later。〃
　　〃Did　you　call　the　police？〃
　　〃Only　a　detective　I　trust。〃
　　〃Why？〃
　　〃One　has　to　be　careful。〃
　　〃How　did　you　know　it　was　the　killer？〃
　　She　sipped　her　coffee。　By　now；　it　was　cold；　and　she　added　a　little　to　both　of　ours　to　warm　them　up：
　　〃I　could　feel　it。　I　remember　smelling　a　wet　animal　smell；　but　I　think　now　I　must　have　imagined　it。　I　could　feel　the　evil；　the　lust　in　his　eyes。　And　he　wouldn't　show　himself。　I　never　saw　his　face；　just　the　glint　of　his　eyes　as　light　spilled　out　the　open　door。〃
　　〃Wet　animal　smell？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Different　from　a　body　odor。　A　dirty　odor；　like　a　dog　that　needs　to　be　bathed。　That's　what　I　remember。　But　all　of　it　happened　so　fast；　and　I　can't　be　sure。　Then　the　next　day　I　received　a　note　from　him。　Here。　Let　me　show　you。〃
　　She　got　up　and　unlocked　a　drawer　of　a　metal　filing　cabinet；　where　files　were　squeezed　so　tightly　together　she　had　difficulty　pulling　one　out。　It　was　not　labeled；　and　inside　was　a　torn　piece　of　blood…speckled　brown　paper　protected　by　a　transparent　plastic　evidence　bag。
　　〃Pas　la　police。　iVa　va；　ga　va。　Pas　de　probléme；　tout　va　bien。　Le　Loup…Garou；〃　she　read。　〃It　means　No　police。　It's　all　right。　It's　okay。　Everything's　fine。　The　werewolf。〃
　　I　stared　at　the　familiar　block　letters。　They　were　mechanical　and　almost　childish。
　　〃The　paper　looks　like　a　piece　of　a　torn　bag　from　the　market；〃　she　said。　〃I　can't　prove　it's　from　him；　but　who　elsewould　it　be　from？　I　don't　know　whose　blood　it　is；　becauseagain；　I　can　do　no　tests；　and　only　my　husband　knows　I　got　this。〃
　　〃Why　you？〃　I　asked。　〃Why　would　he　e　after　you？〃
　　〃I　can　only　suppose　it's　because　he　saw　me　at　the　crime　scenes。　So　I　know　he　watches。　When　he　kills；　he's　out　there　in　the　dark　somewhere；　watching　what　people　like　us　do。　He's　very　intelligent；　cunning。　I　have　no　doubt　he　knows　exactly　what　happens　when　his　bodies　e　to　me。〃
　　I　tilted　the　note　in　lamplight；　looking　for　hidden　strokes　that　might　have　been　pressed　into　the　paper　by　the　force　of　someone　writing　on　whatever　had　been　on　top　of　it。　I　saw　none。
　　〃When　I　read　the　note；　the　corruption　became　so　plain　to　me；　as　if　there　had　been　any　doubt；〃　Dr。　Stvan　was　saying。　〃Loop…Garou　knew　it　would　do　no　good　to　submit　his　note　to　the　police；　to　the　labs。　He　was　telling　me；　even　warning　me；　not　to　bother；　and　it's　very　odd；　but　I　feel　he　was　also　telling　me　he　won't　try　again。〃
　　〃I　wouldn't　be　so　quick　to　assume　that；〃　I　said。
　　〃As　if　he　needs　a　friend。　The　lonely　beast　needs　a　friend。　I　suppose　in　his　fantasies　he　matters　to　me　because　I　saw　him　and　didn't　die。　But　who　can　know　a　mind　like　that？〃
　　She　got　up　from　her　desk　and　unlocked　another　drawer　in　another　filing　cabinet。　She　lifted　out　an　ordinary　shoe　box；　peeled　off　tape　and　removed　the　lid。　Inside　were　eight　small；　ventilated　paper　boxes　and　just　as　many　small　manila　envelopes；　each　labeled　with　case　numbers　and　dates。
　　〃It's　unfortunate　no　impressions　were　made　of　the　bite　marks；〃　she　said。　〃But　to　do　that　I　would　have　to　call　in　a　dentist；　and　I　knew　that　wouldn't　be　permitted。　But　I　did　swab　them；　and　maybe　that　will　help。　Maybe　it　won't〃
　　〃He　tried　to　eradicate　the　bite　marks　in　Kim　Luong's　murder；〃　I　told　her。　〃We　can't　cast　them。　Even　photographs　would　do　no　good。〃
　　〃I'm　not　surprised。　He　knows　there's　no　one　to　protect　him　now。　He's…how　do　you　say…on　your　turf？　And　I'll　tell　you；　it　wouldn't　be　hard　to　identify　him　by　his　dentition。　He　has　very　strange　pointed　teeth；　widely　spaced。　Like　some　sort　of　animal。〃
　　I　began　to　get　a　strange　sensation。
　　〃I　recovered　hair　from　all　of　the　bodies；〃　she　was　saying。　〃Catlike　hair。　I've　wondered　if　he　breeds　angora　cats；　something　like　that。〃
　　I　leaned　forward　in　my　chair。
　　〃Catlike？〃　I　said。　〃Did　you　save　it？〃
　　She　peeled　tape　off　a　flap　and　retrieved　a　pair　of　forceps　from　a。drawer　in　her　desk。　She　dipped　into　an　envelope；　withdrawing　several　hairs。　They　were　so　fine　they　floated　like　down　as　she　lowered　them　to　the　ink　blotter。
　　〃All　the　same；　you　see？　Nine　or　ten　centimeters　long；　pale　blond。　Very　fine；　baby…fine。〃
　　〃Dr。　Stvan；　this　isn't　cat　hair。　It's　human　hair。　It　was　on　the　clothing　of　the　unidentified　man　We　found　in　the　cargo　container。　It　was　on　the　body　of　Kim　Luong。〃
　　Her　eyes　widened。
　　〃When　you　submitted　evidence　in　the　first　case；　did　you　submit　some　of　these　hairs？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃And　you　heard　nothing　back？〃
　　〃To　my　knowledge　the　labs　never　analyzed　what　I　sent：'
　　〃Oh；　I　bet　they　analyzed　it；　all　right；〃　I　said。　〃I　bet　they　know　damn　well　these　hairs　are　human　and　are　too　long　for　baby　hair。　They　know　what　the　bite　marks　mean　and　may　even　have　recovered　DNA　from　them。〃
　　〃Then　we　should　get　DNA；　too；　from　the　swabs　I'm　giving　you；〃　she　said；　getting　increasingly　unsettled。
　　I　didn't　care。　It　no　longer　mattered。
　　〃Of　course；　you　can't　do　much　with　the　hairs；〃　she　rambled。　〃Hirsute；　no　pigmentation。　They　would　simply　be　consistent　with　each　other；　wouldn't　they　。　。　。　？〃
　　I　wasn't　listening。　I　was　thinking　of　Kaspar　Hauser。　He　spent　the　first　sixteen　years　of　his　life　in　a　dungeon　because　Prince　Charles　of　Baden　wanted　to　make　sure　Kaspar　didn't　have　any　claims　to　the　crown：
　　〃。　。　。　no　DNA　without　roots；　I　suppose　。　。　。〃　Dr。　Stvan　went　on。　'
　　At　age　sixteen　he　was　found　by　a　gate；　a　note　pinned　to　him。　He　was　pale　like　a　cave　fish；　nonverbal　like　an　animal。　A　freak。　He　couldn't　even　write　his　name　without　someone's　guiding　his　hand。
　　〃The　mechanical；　block　letters　of　a　beginner；〃　I　thought　out　loud。　〃Someone　shielded；　never　exposed　to　others；　never　schooled　except　at　home。　Maybe　even　self…taught。〃。
　　Dr。　Stvan　stopped　talking。
　　〃Only　a　family　could　shield　someone　from　the　time　he　was　born。　Only　a　very　powerful　family　could　circumvent　the　legal　system；　allowing　this　anomaly　to　keep　on　killing　without　being　caught。　Without　embarrassing　them；　drawing　unwanted　attention　to　them。〃
　　Dr。　Stvan　was　silent　as　every　word　I　said　torqued　what　she　believed　and　aroused　a　new；　more　pervasive　fear。
　　〃The　Chandonne　family　knows　exactly　what　these　hairs；　the　abnormal　teeth；　all　of　it　means；〃　I　said。　〃And　he　knows。　Of　course　he　does；　and　he　would　have　to　suspect　you　know；　even　if　the　labs　tell　you　nothing；　Dr。　Stvan。　I　think　he　came　to　your　house　because　you　saw　his　reflection　in　what　he　did　to　the　bodies。　You　saw　his　shame；　or　he　thought　you　did。〃
　　〃Shame。。　。　？〃
　　〃I　don't　think　the　purpose　of　that　note　was　to　assure　you　he　wouldn't　try　again；〃　I　continued。　〃I　think　it　was　mocking　you；　telling　you　he　could　do　what　he　wanted　with　sovereign　immunity。　That　he　would　be　back　and　wouldn't　fail　next　time。〃
　　〃But　it　would　appear　he's　not　here　anymore；〃　Dr。　Stvan　answered　me。
　　〃Obviously；　something　changed　his　plans。〃
　　〃And　the　shame　he　thinks　I　saw？　I　never　got　a　good　look　at　him。〃
　　〃What　he　did　to　his　victims　is　the　only　look　at