dk.solesurvivor-第20节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


io　table。　She　used　two　paperback　books　as　shims　to　tilt　the　camera　to　the　desired　angle；　and　then　she　switched　it　on。
　　With　the　videotape　rolling；　she　positioned　a　vinyl…strap　patio　chair　ten　feet　from　the　lens。　She　revisited　the　camcorder　to　peer　through　the　viewfinder；　to　be　sure　that　the　chair　was　in　the　centre　of　the　frame。
　　After　returning　to　the　chair　and　slightly　repositioning　it；　she　pletely　disrobed　in　view　of　the　camcorder；　neither　in　the　manner　of　a　performer　nor　with　any　hesitancy　but　simply　as　though　she　were　getting　ready　for　a　bath。　She　neatly　folded　her　blouse；　her　slacks；　and　her　underwear；　and　she　put　them　aside　on　the　flagstone　floor　of　the　patio。
　　Naked；　she　walked　out　of　camera　range；　apparently　going　into　the　house；　to　the　kitchen。　In　forty　seconds；　when　she　returned；　she　was　carrying　a　butcher　knife。　She　sat　in　the　chair；　facing　the　camcorder。
　　According　to　the　medical　examiner's　preliminary　report；　at　approximately　ten　minutes　past　eight　o'clock；　Tuesday　morning；　Nora　Vadance；　in　good　health　and　previously　thought　to　be　of　sound　mind；　having　recently　rebounded　from　depression　over　her　husband's　death；　took　her　own　life。　Gripping　the　handle　of　the　butcher　knife　in　both　hands；　with　savage　force；　she　drove　the　blade　deep　into　her　abdomen。　She　extracted　it　and　stabbed　herself　again。　The　third　time；　she　pulled　the　blade　left　to　right；　eviscerating　herself。　Dropping　the　knife；　she　slumped　in　the　chair；　where　she　bled　to　death　in　less　than　one　minute。
　　The　camcorder　continued　to　record　the　corpse　to　the　end　of　the　twenty…minute　8mm　cassette。
　　Two　hours　later；　at　ten　thirty；　Takashi　Mishima；　a　sixty…six…year…old　Japanese　gardener；　on　his　scheduled　rounds；　discovered　the　body　and　immediately　called　the　police。
　　When　Clarise　finished；　Joe　could　say　nothing　only；　'Jesus。'
　　Bob　added　whiskey　to　their　drinks。　His　hands　were　shaking；　and　the　bottle　rattled　against　each　glass。
　　Finally　Joe　said；　'I　gather　the　police　have　the　tape。'
　　'Yeah；'　Bob　said。　'Until　the　hearing　or　inquest　or　whatever　it　is　they　have　to　hold。'
　　'So　I　hope　this　video　is　second…hand　knowledge　to　you。　I　hope　neither　of　you　had　to　see　it。'
　　'I　haven't；'　Bob　said。　'But　Clarise　did。'
　　She　was　staring　into　her　drink。　'They　told　us　what　was　in　it　but　neither　Bob　nor　I　could　believe　it；　even　though　they　were　the　police；　even　though　they　had　no　reason　to　lie　to　us。　So　I　went　into　the　station　on　Thursday　morning；　before　the　funeral；　and　watched　it。　We　had　to　know。　And　now　we　do。　When　they　give　us　the　tape　back；　I'll　destroy　it。　Bob　should　never　see　it。　Never。'
　　Though　Joe's　respect　for　this　woman　was　already　high；　she　rose　dramatically　in　his　esteem。
　　'There　are　some　things　I'm　wondering　about；'　he　said。　'If　you　don't　mind　some　questions。'
　　'Go　ahead；'　Bob　said。　'We　have　a　lot　of　questions　about　it　too；　a　thousand　damn　questions。'
　　'First。　。　。　it　doesn't　sound　like　there　could　be　any　possibility　of　duress。'
　　Clarise　shook　her　head。　'It's　not　something　you　could　force　anyone　to　do　to　herself；　is　it？　Not　just　with　psychological　pressure　or　threats。　Besides；　there　wasn't　anyone　else　in　camera　range…and　no　shadows　of　anyone。　Her　eyes　didn't　focus　on　anyone　off　camera。　She　was　alone。'
　　'When　you　described　the　tape；　Clarise；　it　sounded　as　if　Nora　was　going　through　this　like　a　machine。'
　　'That　was　the　way　she　looked　during　most　of　it。　No　expression；　her　face　just　。　。　。　slack。'
　　　During　most　of　it？　So　there　was　a　moment　she　showed　emotion？'
　　'Twice。　After　she'd　almost　pletely　undressed；　she　hesitated　before　taking　off　。。。　her　panties。　She　was　a　modest　woman；　Joe。
　　One　more　weird　thing　about　all　of　this。'
　　
　　Eyes　closed；　holding　his　cold　glass　of　7…and…7　against　his　forehead；　Bob　said；　'Even　if　。　。　。　even　if　we　accept　that　she　was　so　mentally　disturbed　she　could　do　this　to　herself；　it's　hard　to　picture　her　videotaping　herself　naked。　。　。　or　wanting　to　be　found　that　way。'
　　Clarise　said；　'There's　a　high　fence　around　the　backyard。　Thick　bougainvillea　on　it。　The　neighbours　couldn't　have　seen　her。　But　Bob's　right。。。　she　wouldn't　want　to　be　found　like　that。　Anyway；　as　she　was　about　to　take　off　the　panties；　she　hesitated。　Finally　that　dead；　slack　look　dissolved。　Just　for　an　instant；　this　terrible　expression　came　across　her　face。'
　　'Terrible　how？'　Joe　asked。
　　Grimacing　as　she　conjured　the　grisly　video　in　her　mind；　Clarise　described　the　moment　as　if　she　were　seeing　it　again：　'Her　eyes　are　flat；　blank；　the　lids　a　little　heavy　。　。　。　then　all　of　a　sudden　they　go　wide　and　there's　depth　to　them；　like　normal　eyes。　Her　face　wrenches。　First　so　expressionless　but　now　torn　with　emotion。　Shock。　She　looks　so　shocked；　terrified。　A　lost　expression　that　breaks　your　heart。　But　it　lasts　only　a　second　or　two；　maybe　three　seconds；　and　now　she　shudders；　and　the　look　is　gone；　gone；　and　she's　as　calm　as　a　machine　again。　She　takes　off　her　panties；　folds　them；　and　puts　them　aside。'
　　'Was　she　on　any　medication？'　Joe　asked。　'Any　reason　to　believe　she　might　have　overdosed　on　something　that　induced　a　fugue　state　or　a　severe　personality　change？'
　　Clarise　said；　'Her　doctor　tells　us　he　hadn't　prescribed　any　medication　for　her。　But　because　of　her　demeanour　on　the　video；　the　police　suspect　drugs。　The　medical　examiner　is　running　toxicological　tests。'
　　'Which　is　ridiculous；'　Bob　said　forcefully。　'My　mother　would　never　take　illegal　drugs。　She　didn't　even　like　to　take　aspirin。　She　was　such　an　innocent　person；　Joe；　as　if　she　wasn't　even　aware　of　all　the　changes　for　the　worse　in　the　world　over　the　last　thirty　years；　as　if　she　was　living　decades　behind　the　rest　of　us　and　happy　to　be　there。'
　　'There　was　an　autopsy；'　Clarise　said。　'No　brain　tumour；　brain　lesions；　no　medical　condition　that　might　explain　what　she　did。'
　　'You　mentioned　a　second　time　when　she　showed　some　emotion。'
　　'Just　before　she。　。　。　before　she　stabbed　herself。　It　was　just　a　flicker；　even　briefer　than　the　first。　Like　a　spasm。　Her　whole　face　wrenched　as　if　she　were　going　to　scream。　Then　it　was　gone；　and　she　remained　expressionless　to　the　end。'
　　Jolted　by　a　realization　he　had　failed　to　reach　when　Clarise　had　first　described　the　video；　Joe　said；　'You　mean　she　never　screamed；　cried　out？'
　　'No。　Never。'
　　'But　that's　impossible。'
　　'Right　at　the　end；　when　she　drops　the　knife　。　。　。　there's　a　soft　sound　that　may　be　from　her；　hardly　more　than　a　sigh。'
　　'The　pain。。。　'　Joe　couldn't　bring　himself　to　say　that　Nora　Vadance's　pain　must　have　been　excruciating。
　　'But　she　never　screamed；'　Clarise　insisted。
　　'Even　involuntary　response　would　have…'
　　'Silent。　She　was　silent。'
　　'The　microphone　was　working？'
　　'Built…in；　omnidirectional　mike；'　Bob　said。
　　'On　the　video；'　Clarise　said；　'you　can　hear　other　sounds。　The　scrape　of　the　patio　chair　on　the　concrete　when　she　repositions　it。　Bird　songs。　One　sad…sounding　dog　barking　in　the　distance。　But　nothing　from　her。'
　　
　　Stepping　out　of　the　front　door；　Joe　searched　the　night；　half　expecting　to　see　a　white　van　or　another　suspicious…looking　vehicle　parked　on　the　street　in　front　of　the　Vadance　place。　From　the　house　next　door　came　the　faint　strains　of　Beethoven。　The　air　was　warm；　but　a　soft　breeze　had　sprung　up　from　the　west；　bringing　with　it　the　fragrance　of　night…blooming　jasmine。　As　far　as　Joe　could　discern；　there　was　nothing　menacing　in　this　gracious　night。
　　As　Clarise　and　Bob　followed　him　onto　the　porch；　Joe　said；　'When　they　found　Nora；　was　the　photograph　of　Tom's　grave　with　her？'
　　Bob　said；　'No。　It　was　on　the　kitchen　table。　At　the　very　end；　she　didn't　carry　it　with　her。'
　　'We　found　it　on　the　table　when　we　arrived　from　San　Diego；'　Clarise　recalled。　'Beside　her　breakfast　plate。'
　　Joe　was　surprised。　'She'd　eaten　breakfast？'
　　'I　know　what　you're　thinking；'　Clarise　said。　'If　she　was　going　to　kill　herself；　why　bother　with　breakfast？　It's　even　weirder　than　that；　Joe。　She'd　made　an　omelette　with　Cheddar　and　chopped　scallions　and　ham。　Toast　on　the　side。　A　glass　of　fresh…squeezed　orange　juice。　She　was　halfway　through　eating　it　when　she　got　up　and　went　outside　with　the　camcorder。
　　The　woman　you　described　on　the　video　was　deeply　depressed　or　in　an　altered　state　of　some　kind。　How　could　she　have　had　the　mental　clarity　or　the　patience　to　make　such　a　plicated　breakfast？'
　　Clarise　said；　'And　consider　this…the　Los　Angeles　Times　was　open　beside　her　plate…'
　　'…and　she　was　reading　the　ics；'　Bob　finished。
　　For　a　moment　they　were　silent；　pondering　the　imponderable。
　　Then　Bob　said；　'You　see　what　I　meant　earlier　when　I　said　we　have　a　thousand　questions　of　our　own。'
　　As　though　they　were　friends　of　long　experience；　Clarise　put　her　arms　around　Joe　and　hugged　him。　'I　hope　this　Rose　is　a　good　person；　like　you　think。　I　hope　you　find　her。　And　whatever　she　has　to　tell　you；　I　hope　it　brings　you　some　peace；　Joe。'
　　Moved；　he　returned　her　embrace。　'Thanks；　Clarise。'
　　Bob　had　written　their　Miramar　address　and　telephone　number　on　a　page　from　a　note　pad。　He　gave　the　folded　slip　of　paper　to　Joe。　'In　case　you　have　any　more　questions。。。　or　if　you　learn　anything　that　might　help　us　understand。'
　　They　shook　hands。　The　handshake　became　a　brotherly　h