cpatricia.blacknotice-第65节

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　　〃That　would　be　fine；〃　Mrs。　Sanders　said。
　　〃Now；　Jo；　you　do　what　the　doctor　says；〃　Mr。　Sanders　told　his　daughter　in　a　dispirited　way。
　　They　went　out　and　the　instant　I　shut　the　door；　Jo's　eyes　filled　with　tears。　I　bent　over　and　kissed　her　week。
　　〃You've　had　all　of　us　worried　sick；〃　I　said。
　　〃How's　Lucy？〃　she　whispered　as　sobs　began　to　shake　her　and　tears　flowed。
　　I　placed　tissues　in　a　hand　that　was　tethered　by　IV　tubes。
　　〃I　don't　know。　I　don't　know　where　she　is；　Jo。　Your　parents　told　her　you　didn't　want　to　see　her　and　。　。　：'
　　Jo　started　shaking　her　head。
　　〃I　knew　they'd　do　that；〃　she　said　in　a　dark；　depressed　tone。　〃I　knew　they　would。　They　told　me　she　didn't　want　to　see　me。　She　was　too　upset；　because　of　what　happened。　I　didn't　believe　them。　I　know　she　would　never　do　something　like　that。　But　they　ran　her　off　and　now　she's　gone。　And　maybe　she　believes　what　they　said。〃
　　〃She　feels　what　happened　to　you　is　her　fault；〃　I　said。　〃It's　very　possible　the　bullet　in　your　leg　came　from　her　gun：〃
　　〃Please　bring　her　to　me。　Please。〃
　　〃Do　you　have　any　idea　where　she　might　be？〃　I　asked。　〃Is　there　any　place　she　might　go　when　she's　upset　like　this？　Maybe　back　to　Miami？〃
　　〃I'm　sure　she　wouldn't　go　there。〃
　　I　sat　down　in　a　chair　by　the　bed　and　blew　out　a　long；　exhausted　breath。
　　〃A　hotel　maybe？〃　I　asked。　〃A　friend？〃
　　〃Maybe　New　York；〃　Jo　said。　〃There's　a　bar　in　Greenwich　Village。　Rubyfruit。〃
　　〃You　think　she　went　to　New　York？〃　I　asked；　dismayed。
　　〃The　owner's　name　is　Ann；　a　former　cop；〃　her　voice　shook。　〃Oh；　I　don't　know。　I　don't　know。　She　scares　me　when　she　runs　away。　She　doesn't　think　right　when　she　gets　like　that。〃
　　〃I　know。　And　with　all　that's　gone　on；　she　can't　be　thinking　right　anyway。　Jo；　you　should　be　getting　out　of　here　in　another　day　or　so　if　you　behave；〃　I　said　with　a　smile。　〃Where　do　you　want　to　go？〃
　　〃I　don't　want　to　go　home。　You'll　find　her；　won't　you？〃
　　〃Would　you　like　to　stay　with　me？〃　I　asked。
　　〃My　parents　aren't　bad　people；〃　she　muttered　as　morphine　dripped。　〃They　don't　understand。　They　think　。　。　。　Why　is　it　wrong　。　。　。　？〃
　　〃It's　not；〃　I　said。　〃Love　is　never　wrong。〃
　　I　left　the　room　as　she　drifted。
　　Her　parents　were　outside　the　door。　Both　looked　exhausted　and　sad。
　　〃How　is　she？〃　Mr。　Sanders　asked。
　　〃Not　too　well；〃　I　said。
　　Mrs。　Sanders　began　to　cry。
　　〃You　have　a　right　to　believe　the　way　you　do；〃　I　said。　〃But　preventing　Lucy　and　Jo　from　seeing　each　other　is　the　last　thing　your　daughter　needs　right　now。　She　doesn't　need　more　fear　and　depression。　She　doesn't　need　to　lose　her　will　to　live；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Sanders。〃
　　Neither　of　them　replied。
　　〃I'm　Lucy's　aunt；〃　I　said。
　　〃She's　about　back　in　this　world　anyway；　I　guess；〃　Mr。　Sanders　said。。　〃Can't　keep　anybody　from　her。　We　were　just　trying　to　do　what's　best：'
　　〃Jo　knows　that；〃　I　replied。　〃She　loves　you。〃
　　They　didn't　say　good…bye　but　watched　me　as　I　got　on　the　elevator。　I　called　Rubyfruit　the　minute　I　got　…home　and　asked　for　Ann　over　the　loud　noise　of　voices　and　a　band。
　　〃She's　not　in　great　shape；〃　Ann　said　to　me；　and　I　knew　what　that　meant。
　　〃Will　you　take　care　of　her？〃　I　asked。
　　〃I　already　am；〃　she　said。　〃Hold　on。　Let　me　get　her。〃
　　〃I　saw　Jo；〃　I　said　when　Lucy　got　on　the　phone。
　　〃Oh；〃　was　all。　she　said；　and　it　was　obvious　from　one　word　that　she　was　drunk。
　　〃Lucy！〃
　　〃I　don't　want　to　talk　right　now；〃　she　said。
　　〃Jo　loves　you；〃　I　said。　〃e　home。〃
　　〃Then　what　do　I　do？〃
　　〃We　bring　her　to　my　house　from　the　hospital　and　you　take　care　of　her；〃　I　said。　〃That's　what　you　do。〃
　　I　barely　slept。　At　2：00　A。M。　I　finally　got　up　and　went　into　the　kitchen　to　fix　a　cup　of　herbal　tea。　It　was　still　raining　hard；　water　running　off　the　roof　and　splashing　on　the　patio；　and　I　couldn't　seem　to　get　warm。　I　thought　about　the　swabs　and　hair　and　photographs　of　bite　marks　locked　inside　my　briefcase；　and　it　almost　seemed　the　killer　was　inside　my　house。
　　I　could　feel　his　presence；　as　if　those　parts　of　him　emanated　evil。　I　thought　about　the　awful　irony。　Interpol　summoned　me　to　France　and　after　all　was　said　and　done；　the　only　legal　evidence　I　had　was　an　Advil　bottle　filled　with　water　and　silt　from　the　Seine。
　　When　it　got　to　be　3：00　A。M。；　I　sat　up　in　bed　writing　draft　after　draft　of　a　letter　to　Talley。　Nothing　sounded　right。　I　was　frightened　by　how　much　I　missed　him　and　what　I　had　done　to　him。　Now　he　was　striking　back　and　it　was　exactly　what　I　deserved。　。
　　I　crumpled　another　sheet　of　stationery　and　looked　at　the　phone。　I　calculated　what　time　it　was　in　Lyon　and　imagined　him　at　his　desk　in　one　of　his　fine　suits。　I　thought　of　him　on　the　phone　and　in　meetings　or　maybe　escorting　someone　else　around　and　not　giving　me　a　thought。　I　thought　of　his　hard；　smooth　body　and　I　wondered　where　he　had　learned　to　be　such　a　lover。
　　I。　went　on　to　work。　When　it　was　almost　two　in　the　afternoon　in　France；　I　decided　to　call　Interpol。
　　〃。　。　。　Bonjour；　hello　。　。　。〃
　　〃Jay　Talley；　please；〃　I　said。
　　I　was　transferred。
　　〃HIDTA；〃　a　man　answered。
　　I　paused；　confused。　〃Is　this　Jay　Talley's　extension？〃
　　〃Who　is　this？〃
　　I　told　him。　。
　　〃He's　not　here；〃　the　man　said。
　　Fear　shot　through　me。　I　didn't　believe　him。
　　〃And　to　whom　am　I　speaking？〃　I　inquired。
　　〃Agent　Wilson。　I'm　the　FBI　liaison。　We　didn't　meet　the　other　day。　Jay's　out。〃
　　〃Do　you　know　when　he'll　be　back？〃
　　〃I'm　not　really　sure。〃　…〃I　see；〃　I　said。　〃Is　it　possible　for　me　to　reach　him？　Or　can　you　ask　him　to　call　me？〃
　　I　knew　I　sounded　nervous。
　　〃I　really　don't　know　where　he　is；〃　he　replied。　〃But　if　he　checks　in；　I'll　let　him　know　you　called。　Is　there　something　I　can　help　you　with？〃
　　〃No；〃　I　said。
　　I　hung　up　and　felt　panicky。　I　was　certain　Talley　didn't　want　any　contact　with　me　and　had　instructed　people　that　if　I　called；　he　wasn't　there。
　　〃Oh；　God；　oh；　God；〃　I　whispered　as　I　walked　past　Rose's　desk。　〃What　have　I　done？〃
　　〃Are　you　talking　to　me？〃　She　looked　up　from　her　keyboard；　peering　at　me　over　her　glasses。　〃Did　you　lose　something　again？〃
　　〃Yes；〃　I　said。
　　At　half　past　eight；　I　walked　into　the　staff　meeting　and　took　my　usual　place　at　the　head　of　the　table。
　　〃What　have　we　got？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Black　female；　thirty…two　years　old；　from　Albemarle　County；〃　Chong　began。　〃Ran　off　the　road　and　flipped　her　car。　Apparently　she　just　veered　off　the　road　and　lost　control。　She　has　a　fracture　of　the　right　leg；　a　basilar　skull　fracture；　and　the　M。E。　for　Albemarle　County；　Dr。　Richards；　wants　to　us　to　do　a　post。〃　He　looked　up　at　me。　〃I'm　just　wondering　why？　Her　cause　and　manner　seem　pretty　clear。〃
　　〃Because　the　code　says　we　supply　services　to　the　local　M。E。；〃　I　replied。　〃They　ask；　we　do　it。　We　can　take　an　hour　to　post　her　now；　or　we　can　take　ten　hours　later　on　to　sort　it　out　if　there's　a　problem。〃
　　〃Next　is　an　eighty…year…old　white　female　last　seen　yesterday　morning　around　nine　A。m。　Her　boyfriend　found　her　last　night　at　six…thirty　。　。　。〃
　　I　had　to　work　very　hard　not　to　tune　in　and　out。
　　〃。　。　。　no　known　drug　abuse　or　foul　play；〃　Chong　droned　ón。　〃Nitroglycerin　present　at　scene。〃
　　Talley　made　love　as　if　he　were　starving。　I　couldn't　believe　I　was　having　erotic　thoughts　in　the　middle　of　a　staff　meeting。
　　〃She　needs　a　look…see　for　injury；　and　toxicology；〃　Fielding　was　saying。　〃Needs　a　view。〃
　　〃Anybody　know　what　I'm　teaching　at　the　Institute　next　week？〃　toxicologist　Tim　Cooper　asked。
　　〃Toxicology；　probably。〃
　　〃Really。〃　Cooper　sighed　〃I　need　a　secretary。〃
　　〃I've　got　three　court　appearances　today；〃　Assistant　Chief　Riley　was　saying。　〃Which　is；　impossible　since　they're　all　over　the　place。〃
　　The　door　opened　and　Roae　stuck　her　head　inside　and　motioned　to　me　to　e　out　into　the　hall。
　　〃Larry　Posner's　got　to　leave　in　a　little　while；〃　she　said。　〃And　he's　wondering　if　you　could　stop　by　his　lab　right　now？〃
　　〃On　my　way；〃　I　said。
　　When　I　walked　in；　he　was　making　a　permanent　slide；　using　a　pipette　to　touch　a　drop　of　Cargille　melt　mount　on　the　edge　of　a　cover　slip　while　other　slides　warned　up　on　a　hot　plate。
　　〃I　don't　know　if　it　adds　up　to　much；〃　he　said　right　off。　〃Take　a　look　in　the　scope。　Diatoms　from　your　un…I。D：　d　guy。　Keep　in　mind　the　only　thing　an　individual　diatom　will　tell　you；　with　rare　exception；　is　if　it's　saltwater；　brackish　or　fresh。〃
　　I　peered　into　the　lens　at　little　organisms　that　looked　as　if　they　were　made　of　clear　glass；　in　all　sorts　of　shapes　that　brought　to　mind　boats；　chains　and　zigzags　and　slivered　moons　and　tiger　stripes　and　crosses　and　even　stacks　of　poker　chips。　There　were　pieces　and　parts　that　reminded　me　of　confetti　and　grains　of　sand　and　other　particles　of　different　colors　that　probably　were　minerals。
　　Posner　removed　the　slide　from　the　stage　and　replaced　it　with　another。
　　〃The　sample　you　brought　back　from　the　Seine；〃　he　said。　〃Cymbella；　Melosira；　Navicula；　Fragilaria。　On　and　ón。　mon　as　dust。　All　freshwater；　so　at　least　that's　good；　but　they　really　tell　us　nothing　in　and　of　themselves。〃
　　I　leaned　back　in　the　chair　and　looked　at　him。
　　〃You　ordered　me　here　to　tell　me　that？〃　I　said；　disappointed。
　　〃Well；　I'm　no　Robert　McLaughlin；〃　he　dryly　said；　referring　to　the　world…renowned