cpatricia.blacknotice-第56部分

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ine　off　the　shore　of　Ile。　Saint…Louis。　Even　in　very　cold　weather。　Always　when　it's　dark。〃
　　〃And　you　believe　these　rumors？〃　I　asked。
　　〃It's　not　my　job　to　believe　or　not　believe。〃
　　〃What's　that　supposed　to　mean？〃
　　〃Our　role　here　is　to　facilitate　and　get　all　the　troops　thinking　and　working　together；　no　matter　where　they　are　or　who　they　are。　We're　the　only　organization　in　the　world　able　to　do　that。　I'm　not　here　to　play　detective。〃
　　He　paused　for　a　long　moment；　his　eyes　reaching　into　mine　to　find　places　I　was　afraid　to　share　with　him。
　　〃I　don't　pretend　to　be　a　profiler；　Kay；〃　he　said。
　　He　knew　about　Benton。　Of　course　he　would。
　　〃I　don't　have　those　skills；　and　I　certainly　don't　have　the　experience；〃　he　added。　〃So　I　won't　even　begin　to　paint　some　sort　of　portrait　of　the　guy　who's　doing　this。　I　have　no　feeling　for　what　he　looks　like；　walks　like；　talks　likeexcept　I　know　he　speaks　French　and　maybe　other　languages　as　well。
　　〃One　of　his　victims　was　Italian；〃　he　went　on。　〃She　spoke　no　English。　One　has　to　wonder　if　he　may　have　spoken　Italian　to　her　to　get　inside　her　door。〃
　　Talley　leaned　back　in　his　chair　and　reached　for　his　water。
　　〃This　guy's　had　ample　opportunity　to　be　self…educated；〃　Talley　said。　〃He　may　dress　well；　because　certainly　Thomas　is　reputed　to　have　quite　a　penchant　for　fast　cars；　designer　clothes；　jewelry。　Maybe　the　pitiful　brother　hidden　in　the　basement　got　Thomas's　hand…me…downs。〃
　　〃The　jeans　the　unidentified　man　was　wearing　were　a　little　big　in　the　waist；〃　I　recalled。
　　〃Thomas's　weight　fluctuated；　supposedly。　He　worked　very　hard　to　be　slender；　was　very　vain　about　the　way　he　looked。　So　who　knows？〃　Talley　said；　shrugging。　〃But　one　thing's　certain；　if　his　alleged　brother's　as　weird　as　people　are　saying；　I　doubt　he　goes　shopping。〃
　　〃Do　you　really　think　this　person　es　home　after　one　of　his　slaughters　and　his　parents　wash　his　bloody　clothes　and　protect　him　〃He's　being　protected　by　someone；〃　Talley　reiterated。　〃That's　why　these　cases　in　Paris　have　stopped　at　the　morgue　door。　We　don't　know　what　went　on　in　there　beyond　what　we've　shown　you。〃
　　〃The　magistrate？〃
　　〃Someone　with　a　lot　of　influence。　That　could　be　any　number　of　people。〃
　　〃How　did　you　get　hold　of　the　autopsy　reports？〃
　　〃The　normal　route；〃　he　replied。　〃We　requested　the　records　from　the　Paris　Police。　And　what　you　see　is　what　we　got。　No　evidence　going　to　the　labs；　Kay。　No　suspects。　No　trials。　Nothing；　except　that　the　family　has　probably　gotten　a　bit　tired　of　shielding　their　psychopathic　son。　He's　not　only　an　embarrassment；　he's　a　potential　liability。〃
　　〃How　will　proving　Loup…Garou　is　the　psychopathic　son　of　the　Chandonnes　help　you　take　down　this　One…SixeyFiver　cartel？〃
　　〃For　one　thing；　we　hope　Loup…Garou　will　talk。　He　gets　nailed　for　a　string　of　murders；　especially　the　one　in　Virginia　。　。　。　Well；　we　will　have　leverage。　Not　tó　mention〃…he　smiled…〃we　I。D。　Monsieur　Chandonne's　sons；　we　get　probable　cause　to　search　their　lovely　three…hundred…yearold　he　Saint…Louis　home　and　offices　and　bills　of　lading　and　on　and　on　and　on。〃
　　〃Assuming　we　catch　Loup…Garou；〃　I　said。
　　〃We　have　to。〃
　　His　eyes　met　mine　and　held　them　for　a　long；　tense　moment。
　　〃Kay；　we　need　you　to　prove　the　killer's　Thomas's　brother。〃
　　He　held　the　pack　of　cigarettes　out　to　me。　I　didn't　touch　it。
　　〃You　may　be　our　only　hope；〃　he　added。　〃It's　the　best　chance　we've　had　so　far。〃
　　〃Marino　and　I　could　be　in　serious　danger　if　we　get　anywhere　near　this；〃　I　said。
　　〃Police　can't　go　inside　the　Paris　morgue　and　start　asking　questions；〃　he　said。　〃Not　even　undercover　cops。　And　it　goes　without　saying　that　no　one　here　at　Interpol　can。〃
　　〃Why　not？　Why　can't　Paris　police　go　in　there？〃
　　〃Because　the　medical　examiner　who　did　the　cases　won't　talk　to　them。　She　trusts　no　one；　and　I　can't　say　I　blame　her。　But　it　seems　she　trusts　you。〃
　　I　was　silent。
　　〃You　should　be　motivated　by　what　happened　to　Lucy　and　Jo。〃
　　〃That's　not　fair。〃
　　〃It's　fair；　Kay。　That's　how　bad　these　people　are。　They　tried　to　blow　your　niece's　brains　out。　Then　they　tried　to　blow　her　up。　It's　not　an　abstraction　to　you；　now　is　it？〃
　　〃Violence　is　never　an　abstraction　to　me。〃　Cold　sweat　was　sliding　down　my　sides。
　　〃But　it's　different　when　it's　someone　you　love；〃　Talley　said。　〃Right？〃
　　〃Don't　tell　me　how　I　feel。〃
　　〃Abstraction　or　not；　you　feel　the…cruet；　cold　jaws　of　it　when　it　crushes　someone　you　love。〃　Talley　wouldn't　let　it　go。　〃Don't　let　these　assholes　crush　anyone　else。　You　have　a　debt　to　pay。　Lucy　was　spared。〃
　　〃I　should　be　home　with　her；〃　I　said。
　　〃Your　being　here　will　help　her　more。　It　will　help　Jo　more。〃
　　〃I　don't　need　you　to　tell　me　'what's　best　for　my　niece　or　her　friend。　Or　for　me；　for　that　matter。〃
　　〃To　us；　Lucy　is　one　of　our　finest　agents。　To　us；　she's　not　your　niece。〃
　　〃I　suppose　I　should　feel　good　about　that。〃
　　〃You　certainly　should。〃
　　His　attention　drifted　down　my　neck。　I　felt　his　eyes　like　a　breeze　that　stirred　nothing　but　me；　and　then　he　stared　at　my　hands。
　　〃God；　they're　strong；〃　he　said；　and　he　reached　for　one。　〃The　body　that　turned　up　in　the　container。　Kim　Luong。　They　are　your　cases；　Kay〃…he　studied　my　fingers；　my　palm。　〃You　know　all　the　details。　You　know　the　questions　to　ask；　what　to　look　for。　It　makes　sense　for　you　to　drop　by　to　see　her。〃
　　〃Her？〃　I　pulled　my　hand　away　and　wondered　who　was　watching。
　　〃Madame　Stvan。　Ruth　Stvan。　The　director　of　legal　medicine　and　chief　medical　examiner　of　France。　You　two　have　met。
　　〃Of　course　I　know　who　she　is；　but　we've　never　met。〃
　　〃In　Geneva　in　1988。　She's　Swiss。　When　you　met　she　wasn't　married。　Her　maiden　name　is　Diirenmatt。〃
　　He　searched　my　face　to　see　if　I　remembered。　I　didn't。
　　〃You　were　on　a　panel　together。　Sudden　Infant　Death　Syndrome。　SIDS。〃
　　〃and　how　could　you　possibly　know　that　？〃
　　〃It's　in　your　vita；〃　he　said；　amused。
　　〃Well；　there's　certainly　no　mention　of　her　in　my　vita；〃　I　defensively　replied。
　　His　eyes　wouldn't　let　go　of　me。　I　couldn't　stop　looking　at　him；　and　it　was　hard　to　think。
　　〃Will　you　go　see　her？〃　to　asked。　〃It　wouldn't　seem　unusual　for　you　to　drop　by　to　say　hello　to　an　old　friend　while　you're　visiting　Paris；　and　she's　agreed　to　talk　to　you。　That's　really　why　you're　here。〃
　　〃Nice　of　you　to　let　me　know　now；〃　I　said　as　my　indignation　rose。
　　〃You　may　not　be　able　to　do　anything。　Maybe　she　knows　nothing。　Maybe　there's　not　a　single　other　detail　she　can　offer　to　help　us　with　our　problem。　But　we　don't　believe　that。　She's　a　very　intelligent；　ethical　woman　who's　had　to　work　very　hard　against　a　system　that's　not　always　on　the　side　of　justice。　Maybe　you　can　relate　to　her？〃
　　〃Just　who　the　hell　do　you　think　you　are？〃　I　asked。　〃You　think　you　can　just　pick　up　the　phone　and　summon　me　here　and　ask　me　to　just　drop　by　the　Paris　morgue　while　some　criminal　cartel　isn't　looking？〃
　　He　said　nothing；　his　gaze　never　wavering。　Sunlight　filled　the　window　beside　him　and　turned　his　eyes　the　amber　of　tiger…eye。
　　〃I　don't　give　a　damn　whether　you're　Interpol　or　Scotland　Yard　or　the　queen　of　England；〃　I　said。　〃You　don't　get　to　put　me　or　Dr。　Stvan　or　Marino　in　jeopardy。〃
　　〃Marino　won't　be　going　to　the　morgue。〃
　　〃I'll　let　you　tell　him　that。〃
　　〃If　he　acpanied　you；　that　would　raise　suspicions；　especially　since　he's　such　a　model　of　decorum；〃　Talley　remarked。　〃Besides；　I　don't　think　Dr。　Stvan　would　like　him　very　much。〃
　　〃And　if　there's　evidence；　then　what？〃
　　He　didn't　answer　me；　and　I　knew　why。
　　〃You're　asking　me　to　tamper　with　the　chain　of　evidence。　You're　asking　me　to　steal　evidence；　aren't　you？　I　don't　know　what　you　call　it　here；　but　in　the　United　States　it's　called　a　felony。〃
　　〃Impairment　or　falsification　of　evidence；　according　to　the　new　penal　code。　That's　what　it's　called　here。　Three　hundred　thousand　francs；　three　years　in　prison。　Possibly　you　could　get　charged　with　a　breach　of　respect　due　the　dead；　I　suppose；　if　one　really　wants　to　push　the　matter；　and　that's　another　hundred　thousand　francs；　another　year　in　prison。〃
　　I　shoved　back　my　chair。
　　〃I　must　say；〃　I　coldly　told　him；　〃it's　not　been　often　in　my　profession　that　a　federal　agent　begs　me　to　break　the　law。〃　 …〃I'm　not　asking。　This　is　between　you　and　Dr。　Stvan。〃
　　I　got　up。　I　didn't　listen。。
　　〃You　may　not　have　gone　to　law　school；　but　I　did；〃　I　said。　〃Maybe　you　can　recite　a　penal　code；　but　I　know　what　it　means。〃
　　He　didn't　move。　Blood　was　pounding　in　my　neck　and　sunlight　was　so　bright　in　my　face　I　couldn't　see。
　　〃I've　been　a　servant　to　the　law；　to　the　principles　of　science　and　medicine；　for　half　my　life；〃　I　went　on。　〃The　only　thing　you've　done　for　half　your　life；　Agent　Talley；　is　make　it　through　adolescence　in　that　Ivy　League　world　of　yours：　'
　　〃Nothing　bad's　going　to　happen　to　you；〃　Talley　calmly　replied　as　if　he　hadn't　listened　to　an　insulting　word　I'd　said。
　　〃Tomorrow　morning；　Marino　and　I　are　flying　home。〃
　　〃Please　sit　down。〃
　　〃So　you　know　Diane　Bray？　Is　this　her　grand　finale？　To　get　me　thrown　into　a　French　prison？〃　I　went　on。
　　〃Please　sit；〃　he　said。
　　Reluctantly；　I　did。
　　〃If　you　do　something　Dr。　Stvan　asks　and　should　get　caught；　we'll　intercede；'　he　said。　〃Just　as　we　did　wi