preston&child.thecabinetofcuriosities-第52节

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ser；　Nora　realized　that　the　skull　was；　in　fact；　carved　from　a　single　piece　of　Chinese　jade。　It　was　a　work　of　remarkable；　consummate　artistry；　the　stone　so　thin　it　was　diaphanous　against　the　black　cloth　of　the　base。
　Sitting　nearby　on　one　of　several　small　leather　sofas　was　Sergeant　O'Shaughnessy；　in　mufti。　He　was　crossing　and　uncrossing　his　legs　and　looking　unfortable。
　Pendergast　closed　the　door　and　glided　toward　Nora；　hands　behind　his　back。
　〃May　I　get　you　anything？　Mineral　water？　Lillet？　Sherry？〃
　〃Nothing；　thanks。〃
　〃Then　if　you　will　excuse　me　for　a　moment。〃　And　Pendergast　disappeared　through　a　doorway　that　had　been　set；　almost　invisibly；　into　one　of　the　rose…colored　walls。
　〃Nice　place；〃　she　said　to　O'Shaughnessy。
　〃You　don't　know　the　half　of　it。　Where'd　he　get　all　the　dough？〃
　〃Bill　Smi…That　is；　a　former　acquaintance　of　mine　said　he'd　heard　it　was　old　family　money。　Pharmaceuticals；　something　like　that。〃
　〃Mmm。〃
　They　lapsed　into　silence；　listening　to　the　whispering　of　the　water。　Within　a　few　minutes；　the　door　opened　again　and　Pendergast's　head　reappeared。
　〃If　the　two　of　you　would　be　so　kind　as　to　e　with　me？〃　he　asked。
　They　followed　him　through　the　door　and　down　a　long；　dim　hallway。　Most　of　the　doors　they　passed　were　closed；　but　Nora　caught　glimpses　of　a　library…full　of　leather…　and　buckram…bound　volumes　and　what　looked　like　a　rosewood　harpsichord…and　a　narrow　room　whose　walls　were　covered　with　oil　paintings；　four　or　five　high；　in　heavy　gilt　frames。　Another；　windowless；　room　had　rice　paper　walls　and　tatami　mats　covering　its　floor。　It　was　spare；　almost　stark；　and…like　the　rest　of　the　rooms…very　dimly　lit。　Then　Pendergast　ushered　them　into　a　vast；　high…ceilinged　chamber　of　dark；　exquisitely　wrought　mahogany。　An　ornate　marble　fireplace　dominated　the　far　end。　Three　large　windows　looked　out　over　Central　Park。　To　the　right；　a　detailed　map　of　nineteenth…century　Manhattan　covered　an　entire　wall。　A　large　table　sat　in　the　room's　center。　Upon　it；　several　objects　resting　atop　a　plastic　sheet：　two　dozen　fragments　of　broken　glass　pieces；　a　lump　of　coal；　a　rotten　umbrella；　and　a　punched　tram　car　ticket。
　There　was　no　place　to　sit。　Nora　stood　back　from　the　table　while　Pendergast　circled　it　several　times　in　silence；　staring　intently；　like　a　shark　circling　its　prey。　Then　he　paused；　glancing　first　at　her；　then　at　O'Shaughnessy。　There　was　an　intensity；　even　an　obsession；　in　his　eyes　that　she　found　disturbing。
　Pendergast　turned　to　the　large　map；　hands　behind　his　back　once　again。　For　a　moment；　he　simply　stared　at　it。　Then　he　began　to　speak；　softly；　almost　to　himself。
　〃We　know　where　Dr。　Leng　did　his　work。　But　now　we　are　confronted　with　an　even　more　difficult　question。　Where　did　he　live？　Where　did　the　good　doctor　hide　himself　on　this　teeming　island？
　〃Thanks　to　Dr。　Kelly；　we　now　have　some　clues　to　narrow　our　search。　The　tram　ticket　you　unearthed　was　punched　for　the　West　Side　Elevated　Tramway。　So　it's　safe　to　assume　Dr。　Leng　was　a　West　Sider。〃　He　turned　to　the　map；　and；　using　a　red　marker；　drew　a　line　down　Fifth　Avenue；　dividing　Manhattan　into　two　longitudinal　segments。
　〃Coal　carries　a　unique　chemical　signature　of　impurities；　depending　on　where　it　is　mined。　This　coal　came　from　a　long…defunct　mine　near　Haddonfield；　New　Jersey。　There　was　only　one　distributor　for　this　coal　in　Manhattan；　Clark　&　Sons。　They　had　a　delivery　territory　that　extended　from　110th　Street　to　139th　Street。〃
　Pendergast　drew　two　parallel　lines　across　Manhattan；　one　at　110th　Street　and　one　at　139th　Street。
　〃Now　we　have　the　umbrella。　The　umbrella　is　made　of　silk。　Silk　is　a　fiber　that　is　smooth　to　the　touch；　but　under　a　microscope　shows　a　rough；　almost　toothy　texture。　When　it　rains；　the　silk　traps　particles…in　particular；　pollen。　Microscopic　examination　of　the　umbrella　showed　it　to　be　heavily　impregnated　with　pollen　from　a　weed　named　Trismegistus　gonfalonii；　monly　known　as　marsh　dropseed。　It　used　to　grow　in　bogs　all　over　Manhattan；　but　by　1900　its　range　had　been　restricted　to　the　marshy　areas　along　the　banks　of　the　Hudson　River。〃
　He　drew　a　red　line　down　Broadway；　then　pointed　to　the　small　square　it　bordered。　〃Thus；　it　seems　reasonable　to　assume　that　our　Dr。　Leng　lived　west　of　this　line；　no　more　than　one　block　from　the　Hudson。〃
　He　capped　the　marker；　then　glanced　back　at　Nora　and　O'Shaughnessy。　〃Any　ments　so　far？〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　Nora。　〃You　said　Clark　&　Sons　delivered　coal　to　this　area　uptown。　But　why　was　this　coal　found　downtown　in　his　laboratory？〃
　〃Leng　ran　his　laboratory　in　secret。　He　couldn't　have　coal　delivered　there。　So　he　would　have　brought　small　amounts　of　coal　down　from　his　house。〃
　〃I　see。〃
　Pendergast　continued　to　scrutinize　her。　〃Anything　else？〃
　The　room　was　silent。
　〃Then　we　can　assume　our　Dr。　Leng　lived　on　Riverside　Drive　between　110th　Street　and　139th　Street；　or　on　one　of　the　side　streets　between　Broadway　and　Riverside　Drive。　That　is　where　we　must　concentrate　our　search。〃
　〃You're　still　talking　hundreds；　maybe　thousands；　of　apartment　buildings；〃　said　O'Shaughnessy。
　〃Thirteen　hundred　and　five；　to　be　exact。　Which　brings　me　to　the　glassware。〃
　Pendergast　silently　took　another　turn　around　the　table；　then　reached　out　and　picked　up　a　fragment　of　glass　with　a　pair　of　rubber…tipped　tweezers；　holding　it　into　the　light。
　〃I　analyzed　the　residue　on　this　glass。　It　had　been　carefully　washed；　but　with　modern　methods　one　can　detect　substances　down　to　parts　per　trillion。　There　was　a　very　curious　mix　of　chemicals　on　this　glassware。　I　found　similar　chemicals　on　the　glass　bits　I　recovered　from　the　floor　of　the　charnel。　Quite　a　frightening　mixture；　when　you　begin　to　break　it　down。　And　there　was　one　rare　organic　chemical；　1；2　alumino　phosphocyanate；　the　ingredients　for　which　could　only　be　purchased　in　five　chemists'　shops　in　Manhattan　at　the　time；　between　1890　and　1918；　when　Leng　appears　to　have　used　his　downtown　laboratory。　Sergeant　O'Shaughnessy　was　most　helpful　in　tracking　down　their　locations。〃
　He　made　five　dots　on　the　map　with　his　marker。
　〃Let　us　first　assume　Dr。　Leng　purchased　his　chemicals　at　the　most　convenient　place。　As　you　can　see；　there　is　no　shop　near　his　lab　downtown；　so　let　us　postulate　he　purchased　his　chemicals　near　his　house　uptown。　We　can　thus　eliminate　these　two　East　Side　shops。　That　leaves　three　on　the　West　Side。　But　this　one　is　too　far　downtown；　so　we　can　eliminate　it　as　well。〃　He　made　crosses　through　three　of　the　five　dots。　〃That　leaves　these　two　others。　The　question　is；　which　one？〃
　Once　again；　his　question　was　greeted　by　silence。　Pendergast　laid　down　the　piece　of　glass　and　circled　the　table　yet　again；　then　stopped　in　front　of　the　map。　〃He　shopped　at　neither　one。〃
　He　paused。　〃Because　1；2　alumino　phosphocyanate　is　a　dangerous　poison。　A　person　buying　it　might　attract　attention。　So　let　us　assume；　instead；　that　he　shopped　at　the　chemist　farthest　from　his　haunts：　his　house；　the　Museum；　the　downtown　lab。　A　place　where　he　would　not　be　recognized。　Clearly；　that　has　to　be　this　one；　here；　on　East　Twelfth　Street。　New　Amsterdam　Chemists。〃　He　drew　a　line　around　the　dot。　〃This　is　where　Leng　shopped　for　his　chemicals。〃
　Pendergast　spun　around；　pacing　back　and　forth　before　the　map。　〃In　a　stroke　of　good　fortune；　it　turns　out　New　Amsterdam　Chemists　is　still　in　business。　There　may　be　records；　even　be　some　residual　memory。〃　He　turned　to　O'Shaughnessy。　〃I　will　ask　you　to　investigate。　Visit　the　establishment；　and　check　their　old　records。　Then　search　for　old　people　who　grew　up　in　the　neighborhood；　if　necessary。　Treat　it　as　you　would　a　police　investigation。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　There　was　a　brief　silence。　Then　Pendergast　spoke　again。
　〃I'm　convinced　Dr。　Leng　didn't　live　on　any　of　the　side　streets　between　Broadway　and　Riverside　Drive。　He　lived　on　Riverside　Drive　itself。　That　would　narrow　things　down　from　over　a　thousand　buildings　to　less　than　a　hundred。〃
　O'Shaughnessy　stared　at　him。　〃How　do　you　know　Leng　lived　on　the　Drive？〃
　〃The　grand　houses　were　all　along　Riverside　Drive。　You　can　still　see　them；　mostly　broken　up　into　tiny　apartments　or　abandoned　now；　but　they're　still　there…some　of　them；　anyway。　Do　you　really　think　Leng　would　have　lived　on　a　side　street；　in　middle…class　housing？　This　man　had　a　great　deal　of　money。　I've　been　thinking　about　it　for　some　time。　He　wouldn't　want　a　place　that　could　be　walled　in　by　future　construction。　He'd　want　light；　a　healthy　flow　of　fresh　air；　and　a　pleasant　view　of　the　river。　A　view　that　could　never　be　obstructed。　I　know　he　would。〃
　〃But　how　do　you　know？〃　O'Shaughnessy　asked。
　Suddenly；　Nora　understood。　〃Because　he　expected　to　be　there　for　a　very；　very　long　time。〃
　There　was　a　long　silence　in　the　cool；　spacious　room。　A　slow；　and　very　uncharacteristic；　smile　gathered　on　Pendergast's　face。　〃Bravo；〃　he　said。
　He　went　to　the　map；　and　drew　a　red　line　down　Riverside　Drive；　from　139th　Street　to　110th。　〃Here　is　where　we　must　look　for　Dr。　Leng。〃
　There　was　an　abrupt；　unfortable　silence。
　〃You　mean；　Dr。　Leng's　house；〃　said　O'Shaughnessy。
　〃No；〃　said　Pendergast；　speaking　very　deliberately。　〃I　mean　Dr。　Leng。〃
　
　Horse's　Tail
　
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　WITH　A　HUGE　sigh；　William　Smithback　Jr。　settled　into　the　worn　wooden　booth　in　the　rear　of　the　Blarney　Stone　Tavern。　Situated　directly　acro