cpatricia.blacknotice-第21节

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　　〃Isn't　that　funny；〃　she　said。　〃I　was　afraid　you　were　going　to　ask　me　about　your　schedule。　You're　teaching　at　the　Institute　more　than　ever；　and　as　I　worked　on　next　month's　calendar；　I　realized　you　are　terribly　overmitted。　I　should　have　picked　upon　it　earlier　and　prevented　it。〃
　　〃That's　the　least　of　my　worries　at　the　moment；〃　I　replied；　and　I　tried　not　to　sound　upset。　〃Why　did　you　do　this　to　me？〃　I　said；　and　I　wasn't　talking　about　my　mitments。　〃You　shielded　me　from　phone　calls？　You　hurt　me　as　a　person　and　a　professional。〃
　　Rose　unlocked　the　door　and　started　the　engine；　turning　on　the　heat　to　warm　up　the　car　for　her　lonely　ride　home。
　　〃I'm　doing　what　you　instructed　me　to　do；　Dr。　Scarpetta；〃　she　finally　answered　me；　her　breath　smoking　out。
　　〃I　never　instructed　you　to　do　such　a　thing；　nor　would　I　ever〃　I　said；　not　believing　what　I　was　hearing。　〃And　you　know　that。　You　know　how　I　feel　about　being　accessible　to　families：'
　　Of　course　she　knew。　I　had　gotten　rid　of　two　forensic　pathologists　in　the　…last　five　years　because　they　had　been　so　unavailable　and　indifferent　to　the　grieving　left　behind。
　　〃It　wasn't　with　my　blessing；〃　Rose　said；　sounding　like　her　mothering　self　again。
　　〃When　did　I　supposedly　say　this　to　you？〃
　　〃You　didn't　say　it。　You　e…mailed　it。　This　was　back　in　late　August。〃
　　〃I　never　e…mailed　such　a　thing　to　you；〃　I　told　her。　〃Did　you　save　it？〃
　　〃No；〃　she　said　with　regret。　〃I　generally　don't　save　e…mail。　I　have　no　reason　to。　I'm　sorry　I　have　to　use　it　at　all。〃
　　〃What　did　this　e…mail　message　allegedly　from　me　say？〃
　　〃1　need　you　to　redirect　as　many　calls　from　families　as　you　can。　It's　too　hard　for　me　right　now。　I　know　you　understand　Or　words　to　that　effect。〃
　　〃And　you　didn't　question　this？〃　I　said　in　disbelief。
　　She　turned　the　heat　down。
　　〃Of　course　I　did；〃　she　replied。　〃I　e…mailed　you　right　back　and　asked　you　about　it。　I　voiced　my　concerns；　and　you　replied　that　I　was　just　to　do　it　and　not　discuss　it　anymore：'
　　〃I　never　got　an　e…mail　like　that　from　you；〃　I　told　her。
　　〃I　don't　know　what　to　say；〃　she　replied；　fastening　her　shoulder　harness。　〃Except　is　it　possible　you　just　don't　remember？　I　forget　e…mails　all　the　time。　I'll　say　I　didn't　say　something　and　then　find　out　I　did。〃
　　〃No。　It　isn't　possible。〃
　　〃Then　it　would　seem　to　me　someone　is　pretending　to　be　you。
　　〃Is？　Have　there　been　more？〃
　　〃Not　many；〃　she　replied。　〃Just　one　here　and　there；　warm　ones　thanking　me　for　being　so　supportive。　And　let's　see。。。？〃
　　She　searched　her　memory。　Lights　in　the　parking　lot　made　her　car　look　dark　green　instead　of　blue。　Her　face　was　in　shadows　and　I　could　not　read　her　eyes。　She　tapped　her　gloved　fingers　on　the　steering　wheel　while　I　stood　looking　down　at　her。　I　was　freezing。
　　〃I　know　what　it　was；〃　she　suddenly　said。　〃Secretary　Wagner　wanted　you　to　meet　with　him　and　you　told　me　to　let　him　know　you　couldn't　at　that　time。〃
　　〃What？〃　I　exclaimed。
　　〃This　was　early　last　week；'　she　added。
　　〃E…mail　again？〃
　　〃Sometimes　it's　the　only　way　to　get　hold　of　people　these　days。　His　assistant　e…mailed　me　and　I　e…mailed　you…you　were　in　court　somewhere。　Then　you　e…mailed　me　back　that　evening；　I　guess　from　home。〃
　　〃This　is　crazy；'　I　said；　my　mind　running　after　possibilities　and　catching　nothing。
　　Everyone　in　my　office　had　my　e…mail　address。　But　no　one　except　me　should　have　my　password；　and　obviously；　no　one　could　sign　on　as　me　without　it。　Rose　was　thinking　the　same　thing。
　　〃I　don't　know　how　this　could　happen；〃　she　said；　then　exclaimed；　〃Wait　a　minute。　Ruth　sets　up　AOL　on　each　person's　puter。〃
　　Ruth　Wilson　was　my　puter　analyst。
　　〃Of　course。　And　she　had　to　have　my　password　in'order　to　do　that；〃　I　carried　out　the　thought。　〃But　Rose；　she　would　never　do　anything　like　this。〃
　　〃Never　in　a　million　years；〃　Rose　agreed。　〃But　she　must　have　the　passwords　written　down　somewhere。　She　couldn't　possibly　remember　all　of　them。〃
　　〃One　would　think　so。〃
　　〃Why　don't　you　get　inside　the　car　before　you　die　of　exposure；〃　she　said。
　　〃You　go　on　home　and　get　some　rest；〃　I　replied。　〃I'm　going　to　do　the　same　thing。〃
　　〃Of　course　you　won't；〃　she　chided　me。　〃You'll　go　right　back　into　your　office　and　try　to　figure　everything　out。〃
　　She　was　right。　I　walked　back　to　the　building　as　she　drove　off；　and　I　wondered　how　I　could　be　so　foolish　as　to　have　gone　out　the　door　without　a　coat。　I　was　stiff　and　numb。　The　night　guard　shook　his　head。
　　〃Dr。　Scarpetta；　you　need　to　dress　warmer　than　that！〃
　　〃You're　absolutely　right；〃　I　said。
　　I　passed　the　magnetic　key　over　the　lock　and　the　first　set　of　glass　doors　clicked　free；　then　I　unlocked　the　one　to　my　wing　of　the　building。　It　was　absolutely　silent　inside；　and　when　I　turned　into　Ruth's　office；　I　stood　for　a　moment；　just　looking　around　at　upright　microputers　and　printers；　and　a　map　on　a　screen　that　showed　if　the　connections　to　our　other　offices　were　trouble…free。
　　The　floor　behind　her　desk　was　a　thick　hank　of　cables；　and　printouts　of　software　programming　that　made　no　sense　to　me　were　stacked　all　over　the　place。　I　scanned　crammed　bookshelves。　I　walked　over　to　filing　cabinets　and　tried　to　open　a　drawer。　Every　one　of　them　was　locked。
　　Good　for　you；　Ruth；　I　thought。
　　I　returned　to　my　office　and　tried　her　home　number。
　　〃Hello？〃　she　answered。
　　She　sounded　harried。　There　was　a　baby　screaming　in　the　background；　and　her　husband　was　saying　something　about　a　frying　pan。
　　〃I'm　sorry　to　bother　you　at　home；〃　I　said。
　　〃Dr。　Scarpetta；〃　she　was　very　surprised。　〃You're　not　bothering　me。　Frank；　can　you　take　her　in　the　other　room？〃
　　〃I've　got　just　one　quick　question；〃　I　said。　〃Is　there　a　place　you　keep　all　our　AOL　passwords？〃
　　〃Is　there　a　problem？〃　she　quickly　replied。
　　〃It　appears　someone　knows　my　password　and　is　signing　on　to　AOL　as　me。〃　I　didn't　mince　words。　〃I　want　to　know　how　someone　could　possibly　have　gotten　hold　of　my　password。　Is　there　any　way？〃
　　〃Oh；　no；〃　she　said；　dismayed。　〃Are　you　sure？〃
　　〃Yes：'
　　〃Obviously；　you　haven't　told　anybody　what　it　is；〃　she　suggested。
　　I　thought　hard　for　a　moment。　Not　even　Lucy　knew　my　password。　Nor　would　she　care。
　　〃Other　than　you；〃　I　said　to　Ruth；　〃I　can't　imagine　who。〃
　　〃You　know　I　wouldn't　give　it　to　anyone！〃
　　〃I　believe　that；〃　I　replied；　and　I　did。
　　For　one　thing；　Ruth　would　never　jeopardize　her　job　that　way。
　　〃I　keep　everyone's　addresses　and　passwords　in　a　puter　file　that　no　one　can　access；〃　she　said。
　　〃What　about　a　hard　copy？〃
　　〃In　a　file　in　a　filing　cabinet；　which　I　keep　locked。〃
　　〃At　all　times？〃
　　She　hesitated；　then　said；　〃Well；　not　all　the　time。　Certainly　after　hours；　but　they're　unlocked　much　of　the　day；　unless　I'm　in　and　out　a　lot。　But　I'm　in　my　office　most　of　the　time。　Really；　it's　only　when　I　get　coffee　and　eat　lunch　in　the　break　room。〃
　　〃What's　the　file's　name？〃　I　asked　as　paranoia　towered　like　storm　clouds。
　　〃E…mail；〃　she　replied；　knowing　how　I　was　going　to　feel　about　that。　〃Dr。　Scarpetta；　I've　got　thousands　of　files　filled　with　programming　codes　and　updates；　patches；　bugs；　new　things　ing　out；　you　name　it。　If　I　don't　label　them　fairly　precisely；　I　can　never　find　anything。〃
　　〃I　understand；〃　I　said。　〃I　have　the　same　problem：'
　　〃I　can　change　your　password　first　thing　in　the　morning。〃
　　〃That's　a　good　idea。　And　Ruth；　let's　not　put　it　anywhere　that　anyone　can　find　it　this　time。　Not　in　that　file；　okay？〃
　　〃I　hope　I'm　not　in　trouble；〃　she　uneasily　said　as　her　baby　continued　to　scream。
　　〃You　aren't；　but　someone　is；〃　I　told　her。　〃And　maybe　you　can　help　me　figure　out　who　that　is。〃
　　It　didn't　take　much　intuition　on　my　part　to　immediately　think　of　Ruffin。　He　was　clever。　It　was　obvious　he　didn't　like　me。　Ruth　routinely　kept　her　door　shut　so　she　could　concentrate。　I　didn't　suppose　it　would　have　been　hard　for　Ruffin　to　slip　inside　her　office　and　shut　the　door　while　she　was　in　the　break　room。
　　〃This　conversation　is　absolutely　confidential；〃　I　said　to　Ruth。　〃You　can't　even　tell　friends　or　family。〃
　　〃You　have　my　word　on　that。〃
　　〃What's　Chuck's　password？〃
　　〃R…O…O…S…T　R。　I　remember　because　it　irritated　me　when　he　wanted　it　assigned　to　him。　As　if　he's　the　rooster　in　the　henhouse；〃　she　said。　〃His　address；　as　you　probably　know；　is　C…H…U…K…O…C…M…E；　as　in　Chuck；　Office　of　the…Chief　Medical　Examiner。〃
　　〃And　what　if　I　were　signed　on　and　someone　else　tried　at　the　same　time？〃　I　then　asked。
　　〃The　person　trying　would　be　kicked　off　and　told　someone　was　already　signed　on。　There　would　be　an　error　message　and　an　alert。　Now　the　reverse　isn't　true。　If；　let's　say；　the　bad　guy's　already　signed　on　and　you　try；　although　you　get　the　error　message；　he　isn't　alerted　at　all。〃
　　〃So　someone　could　try　to　do　it　while　I'm　already　logged　on；　and　I'm　not　going　to　know　it。〃
　　〃Exactly。〃　。
　　〃Does　Chuck　have　a　home　puter？〃
　　〃He　asked　me　one　time　what　to　get　that　was　affordable；　and　I　told　him　to　try　a　consignment　shop。　I　gave　him　the　name　of　one。〃
　　〃The　name？〃
　　〃Disk　Thrift。　It's　owned　by　a　friend　of　mine。〃
　　〃Any　way　you　could　call　this　person　at　home　and　find　out　if　Chuck　bought　anything　from　them？〃
　　〃I　can　try。〃
　　〃I'll　be　at　the　office　for　a　while；〃　I　said。
　　I