preston&child.thecabinetofcuriosities-第91节

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eled。　Still；　it　was　impossible　to　believe　such　a　pillar　of　propriety　could　ever　have　donned　a　teddy。　Wasn't　it？
　Now；　Custer　saw　Mayor　Montefiori's　eyes　dart　toward　him。　They　were　talking　about　him。　Although　he　maintained　his　stolid　expression；　arranging　his　face　into　a　mask　of　duty　and　obedience；　he　was　unable　to　prevent　a　flush　of　pleasure　from　suffusing　his　limbs。
　missioner　Rocker　broke　away　from　the　mayor　and　Collopy　and　came　over。　To　Custer's　surprise；　he　did　not　look　altogether　happy。
　〃Captain。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　The　missioner　stood　there　a　moment；　indecisive；　face　full　of　anxiety。　Finally　he　leaned　closer。　〃Are　you　sure？〃
　〃Sure；　sir？〃
　〃Sure　that　it's　Brisbane。〃
　Custer　felt　a　twinge　of　doubt；　but　quickly　stepped　down　on　it。　The　evidence　was　overwhelming。
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Did　he　confess？〃
　〃No；　not　confess…exactly…but　he　made　a　number　of　self…incriminating　statements。　I　expect　he'll　confess　when　he's　formally　questioned。　They　always　do。　Serial　killers；　I　mean。　And　we　found　incriminating　evidence　in　his　Museum　office…〃
　〃No　mistake　about　it？　Mr。　Brisbane　is　a　very　prominent　person。〃
　〃No　mistake　about　it；　sir。〃
　Rocker　scrutinized　his　face　a　moment　longer。　Custer　stirred　uneasily。　He　had　been　expecting　congratulations；　not　the　third　degree。
　Then　the　missioner　leaned　still　closer　and　lowered　his　voice　to　a　slow；　deliberate　whisper。　〃Custer；　all　I　can　say　is；　you'd　better　be　right。〃
　〃I　am　right；　sir。〃
　The　missioner　nodded；　a　look　of　guarded　relief；　still　mixed　with　anxiety；　settling　on　his　face。
　Now　Custer　stepped　respectfully　into　the　background；　letting　the　mayor；　his　aides；　Collopy；　and　the　missioner　arrange　themselves　before　the　throngs　of　press。　A　feeling　like　electricity；　an　anticipatory　tingling；　filled　the　air。
　The　mayor　raised　his　hand；　and　a　hush　fell　on　the　crowd。　Custer　realized　the　man　wasn't　even　permitting　his　aides　to　introduce　him。　He　was　going　to　handle　this　personally。　With　the　election　so　near；　he　wasn't　going　to　let　even　a　crumb　of　glory　escape。
　〃Ladies　and　gentlemen　of　the　press；〃　the　mayor　began。　〃We　have　made　an　arrest　in　the　case　of　the　serial　killer　popularly　known　as　the　Surgeon。　The　suspect　taken　into　custody　has　been　identified　as　Roger　C。　Brisbane　III；　first　vice　president　and　general　counsel　of　the　New　York　Museum　of　Natural　History。〃
　There　was　a　collective　gasp。　Although　everyone　in　the　crowd　already　knew　this；　hearing　it　from　the　mayor　made　it　official。
　〃Although　it's　important　to　state　that　Mr。　Brisbane　must　naturally　be　presumed　innocent　at　this　time；　the　evidence　against　him　is　substantial。〃
　There　was　a　brief　hush。
　〃As　mayor；　I　made　this　case　a　top　priority。　All　available　resources　were　brought　to　bear。　I　therefore　want　to　thank；　first　of　all；　the　fine　officers　of　the　NYPD；　missioner　Rocker；　and　the　men　and　women　of　the　homicide　division；　for　their　tireless　work　on　this　difficult　case。　And　I　would　especially　like　to　single　out　Captain　Sherwood　Custer。　As　I　understand　it；　Captain　Custer　not　only　headed　the　investigation；　but　personally　solved　the　case。　I　am　shocked；　as　many　of　you　must　be；　at　the　most　unusual　twist　this　tragic　case　has　taken。　Many　of　us　know　Mr。　Brisbane　personally。　Nevertheless；　the　missioner　has　assured　me　in　no　uncertain　terms　that　they　have　the　right　man；　and　I　am　satisfied　to　rely　on　his　assurances。〃
　He　paused。
　〃Dr。　Collopy　of　the　Museum　would　like　to　say　a　few　words。〃
　Hearing　this；　Custer　tensed。　The　director　would　no　doubt　put　up　a　dogged　defense　of　his　own　right…hand　man；　he'd　question　Custer's　police　work　and　investigative　technique；　make　him　look　bad。
　Collopy　stood　before　the　microphone；　rigid　and　correct；　his　arms　clasped　behind　his　back。　He　spoke　in　cool；　stately；　and　measured　tones。
　〃First；　I　wish　to　add　my　thanks　to　the　fine　men　and　women　of　the　New　York　Police　Department；　the　missioner；　and　the　mayor；　for　their　tireless　work　on　this　tragic　case。　This　is　a　sad　day　for　the　Museum；　and　for　me　personally。　I　wish　to　extend　my　deepest　apologies　to　the　City　of　New　York　and　to　the　families　of　the　victims　for　the　heinous　actions　of　our　trusted　employee。〃
　Custer　listened　with　growing　relief。　Here；　Brisbane's　own　boss　was　practically　throwing　him　to　the　wolves。　So　much　the　better。　And　he　felt　a　twinge　of　resentment　at　missioner　Rocker's　excessive　concern　about　Brisbane；　which；　it　seemed；　even　his　own　boss　didn't　share。
　Collopy　stepped　back；　and　the　mayor　returned　to　the　microphone。　〃I　will　now　take　questions；〃　he　said。
　There　was　a　roar；　a　rippling　flurry　of　hands　through　the　crowd。　The　mayor's　spokesperson；　Mary　Hill；　stepped　forward　to　manage　the　questioning。
　Custer　looked　toward　the　crowd。　The　unpleasant　memory　of　Smithback's　hangdog　visage　flitted　across　his　mind；　and　he　was　glad　not　to　see　it　among　the　sea　of　faces。
　Mary　Hill　had　called　on　someone；　and　Custer　heard　the　shouted　question。　〃Why　did　he　do　it？　Was　he　really　trying　to　prolong　his　life？〃
　The　mayor　shook　his　head。　〃I　cannot　speculate　on　motive　at　this　time。〃
　〃This　is　a　question　for　Captain　Custer！〃　a　voice　shouted。　〃How　did　you　know　it　was　Brisbane？　What　was　the　smoking　gun？〃
　Custer　stepped　forward；　once　again　gathering　his　face　into　a　mask　of　stolidity。　〃A　derby　hat；　umbrella；　and　black　suit；〃　he　said；　significantly；　and　paused。　〃The　so…called　Surgeon；　when　he　went　out　to　stalk　his　victims；　was　seen　to　wear　just　such　an　outfit。　I　discovered　the　disguise　myself　in　Mr。　Brisbane's　office。〃
　〃Did　you　find　the　murder　weapon？〃
　〃We　are　continuing　to　search　the　office；　and　we　have　dispatched　teams　to　search　Mr。　Brisbane's　apartment　and　summer　house　on　Long　Island。　The　Long　Island　search；〃　he　added　significantly；　〃will　include　cadaver…trained　tracking　dogs。〃
　〃What　was　the　role　of　the　FBI　in　this　case？〃　a　television　reporter　shouted。
　〃Nothing；〃　the　missioner　answered　hastily。　〃There　was　no　role。　All　the　work　was　done　by　local　law　enforcement。　An　FBI　agent　did　take　an　unofficial　interest　early　on；　but　those　leads　led　nowhere　and　as　far　as　we　know　he　has　abandoned　the　case。〃
　〃Another　question　for　Captain　Custer；　please！　How　does　it　feel；　sir；　to　have　cracked　the　biggest　case　since　Son　of　Sam？〃
　It　was　that　prepped…out　weenie；　Bryce　Harriman。　It　was　the　question　he　had　longed　for　someone　to　ask。　Once　again；　the　man　had　ridden　to　his　rescue。　It　was　beautiful　how　these　things　worked　out。
　Custer　summoned　up　his　most　impassive　monotone：　〃I　was　just　doing　my　duty　as　a　police　officer。　Nothing　less；　and　nothing　more。〃
　Then　he　stood　back　and　basked；　poker…faced；　in　the　endless　flare　of　flashbulbs　that　ensued。
　
　FOURTEEN
　　
　THE　IMAGE　THAT　burst　into　the　beam　of　Nora's　light　was　so　unexpected；　so　horrifying；　that　she　instinctively　scrambled　backward；　dropped　the　scalpel；　and　ran。　Her　only　conscious　desire　was　to　put　some　distance　between　herself　and　the　awful　sight。
　But　at　the　door　she　stopped。　The　man…she　had　to　think　of　him　as　that…was　not　following　her。　In　fact；　he　seemed　to　be　shuffling　along　as　before；　zombie…like；　unaware　of　her　presence。　With　a　shaking　hand　she　trained　the　light　back　on　him。
　The　man's　clothes　hung　from　his　frame　in　tatters；　skin　raked　and　scored　and　bleeding　as　if　by　frenzied　scratching。　The　scalp　was　torn；　skin　hanging　away　in　flaps　from　where　it　had　apparently　been　ripped　from　the　skull。　Tufts　of　bloody　hair　remained　clutched　rigidly　between　the　fingers　of　the　right　hand：　a　hand　whose　epithelial　layers　were　sloughing　away　in　parchment…like　curls　of　tissue。　The　lips　had　swollen　to　a　grotesque　size；　liver…colored　bananas　covered　with　whitish　weals。　A　tongue；　cracked　and　blackened；　forced　its　way　between　them。　A　wet　gargling　came　from　deep　inside　the　throat；　and　each　effort　to　suck　in　or　expel　air　caused　the　tongue　to　quiver。　Through　the　gaps　in　the　ragged　shirt；　Nora　could　see　angry…looking　chancres　on　the　chest　and　abdomen；　weeping　clear　fluid。　Below　the　armpits　were　thick　colonies　of　pustules　like　small　red　berries；　some　of　which　she　saw…with　a　sickening　sense　of　fast…motion　photography…were　swelling　rapidly；　even　as　she　watched；　one　burst　with　a　sickening　pop；　while　more　blistered　and　swelled　to　take　its　place。
　But　what　horrified　Nora　most　were　the　eyes。　One　was　twice　normal　size；　blood…engorged；　protruding　freakishly　from　the　orbital　socket。　It　jittered　and　darted　about；　roving　wildly　but　seeing　nothing。　The　other；　in　contrast；　was　dark　and　shriveled；　motionless；　sunken　deep　beneath　the　brow。
　A　fresh　shudder　of　revulsion　went　through　Nora。　It　must　be　some　pathetic　victim　of　the　Surgeon。　But　what　had　happened　to　him？　What　dreadful　torture　had　he　undergone？
　As　she　watched；　spellbound　with　horror；　the　figure　paused；　and　seemed　to　look　at　her　for　the　first　time。　The　head　tilted　up　and　the　jittery　eye　paused　and　appeared　to　fix　on　her。　She　tensed；　ready　for　flight。　But　the　moment　passed。　The　figure　underwent　a　violent　trembling　from　head　to　toe；　then　the　head　dropped　down；　and　it　once　more　resumed　its　quivering　walk　to　nowhere。
　She　turned　the　light　away　from　the　obscene　spectacle；　feeling　sick。　Worse　even　than　the　loathsome　sight　was　her　sudden　recognition。　It　had　e　to　her　in　a　flash；　when　the　bloated　eye　had　fixed　on　hers：　she　knew　this　man。　As　grotesquely　malformed　as　it　n