cpatricia.blacknotice-第6节

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　　〃If　he　died　of　suffocation；　dehydration；　exposure；　he　could　have　died　sitting　up：'
　　〃It　sure　looks　wacko　to　me。〃
　　〃I'm　just　saying　it's　possible。　It's　getting　tight　in　here。　Can　you　hand　me　the　fiber　optics；　please？〃
　　He　bumped　into　cartons　as　he　made　his　way　in　my　direction。
　　〃You　might　want　to　take　off　your　glasses　until　you　get　here；〃　I　suggested；　because　one　couldn't　see　anything　through　them　except　the　high…energy　light；　which　wasn't　in　Marino's　line　of　sight　at　the　moment。
　　〃No　friggin'　way；〃　he　said。　〃I　hear　all　it　takes　is　one　quick　look。　And　zap。　Cataracts；　cancer；　the　whole　nine　yards。〃
　　〃Not　to　mention　turning　to　stone。〃
　　〃Hub？〃
　　〃Marino！　Careful！〃
　　He　bumped　into　me　and　'I　wasn't　sure　what　happened　after　that；　but　suddenly　cartons　were　caving　in　and　he　almost　knocked　me　over　as　he　fell。
　　〃Marino？〃　I　was　disoriented　and　frightened。　〃Marino！〃
　　I　cut　the　power　on　the　Luma…Lite　And　took…off　my　glasses　so　I　could　see：
　　〃Goddamn　fucking　son　of　a　bitch！〃　he　yelled　as　if　he'd　been　bitten　by　a　snake。
　　He　was　flat　on　his　back　on　the　floor；　shoving　and　kicking　boxes　out　of　the　way。　The　plastic　bucket　sailed　through　the　air。　I　got　down　next　to　him。
　　〃Stay　still；〃　I　firmly　told　him。　〃Don't　go　thrashing　around　until　we're　sure　you're　all　right。〃
　　〃Oh　God！　Oh　shit！　I　got　this　shit　all　over　me！〃　he　yelled　in　a　panic。
　　〃Are　you　hurting　anywhere…？〃
　　〃Oh；　Jesus；　I'm　gonna　puke。　Oh　Jesus；　oh4esus。〃
　　He　rushed　to　his　feet　and　knocked　boxes　out　of　the　way　as　he　stumbled　toward　the　container's　opening。　I　heard　him　vomit。　He　groaned　and　vomited　again。
　　〃That　should　make　you　feel　better；〃　I　said。
　　He　ripped　open　his　white　shirt；　gagging　and　heaving　as　he　struggled　out　of　its　sleeves。　He　stripped　down　to　his　undershirt；　balled　up　what　was　left　of　his　uniform　shirt　and　hurled　it　out　the　door。
　　〃What　if　he's　got　AIDS？〃　Marino's　voice　sounded　like　a　bell　at　midnight。
　　〃You're　not　going　to　get　AIDS　from　this　guy；〃　I　said。
　　〃Oh；　fuck！〃　He　gagged　some　more。
　　〃I　can　finish　up　in　here；　Marino；〃　I　said。
　　〃Just　give　me　a　minute。〃
　　〃Why　don't　you　go　on　and　find　a　shower。〃
　　〃You　can't　tell　anyone　about　this；〃　he　said；　and　I　knew　he　was　thinking　about　Anderson。　〃You　know；　I　bet　you　could　get　a　really　good　deal　on　some　uh　this　camera　shit。〃
　　〃I　bet　you　could。〃
　　〃Wonder　what　they're　gonna　do　with　it。〃
　　〃Has　the　removal　service　e　yet？〃　I　asked　him。
　　He　raised　his　portable　radio　to　his　lips。
　　〃Christ！〃　He　spat　and　gagged　some　more。
　　He　vigorously　wiped　the　radio　on　the　front　of　his　pants　and　coughed　and　conjured　up　spittle　from　the　bottom　of　his　throat　and　let　it　fly。
　　〃Unit　nine；〃　he　said　on　the　air；　holding　the'radio　a　good　twelve　inches　from　his　face。
　　〃Unit　nine。〃
　　The　dispatcher　was　a　woman。　I　detected　warmth　in　her　voice　and　was　surprised。　Dispatchers　and　911　operators　almost　always　remained　calm　and　showed　no　emotion；　no　matter　the　emergency。
　　〃Ten…five　Rene　Anderson；〃　Marino　was　saying。　〃Don't
　　know　her　unit　number。　Tell　…her　if　she　doesn't　mind；　we　sure　would　like　removal　service　guys　to　show　up　down　here。〃；
　　〃Unit　nine。　You　know　the　name　of　the　service？〃
　　〃Hey；　Doc；〃　Marino　stopped　transmitting　and　raised　his　voice　to　me。　〃What's　the　name　of　the　service？〃
　　〃Capital　Transport：'
　　He　passed　that　along；　adding；　〃Radio；　if　she's　a　ten…two；　ten…ten；　or　ten…seven　or　if　we　should　ten…twenty…two；　get　back　to　me。°〃
　　A　storm　of　cops　keyed　their　mikes；　their　way　of　laughing　and　cheering　him　on。
　　〃Ten…four；　unit　nine；〃　the　dispatcher　said。
　　〃What　did　you　just　say　that　got　you　such　an　ovation？　I　know；　ten…seven　is　out　of　service；　but　I　didn't　get　the　rest　of　it。〃
　　〃Told　her　to　let　me　know　if　Anderson　was　a　weak　signal　or　negative；　or　had　time　to　get　around　to　it。　Or　if　we　should　fucking　disregard　her。〃
　　〃No　wonder　she　likes　you　so　much。〃
　　〃She's　a　piece　of　shit。〃
　　〃By　chance　do　you　know　what　happened　to　the　fiberoptic　cable？〃　I　asked　him。
　　〃I　had　it　in　my　hand；〃　he　replied。
　　I　found　it　where　he　had　fallen　and　knocked　over　cartons。
　　〃What　if　he's　got　AIDS？〃　He　started　in　on　that　again。
　　〃If　you're　determined　to　worry　about　something；　try　gram…negative　bacterias。　Or　gram…positive　bacterias。　Clostridia。　Strep。　If　you　have　an　open　wound；　which　you　don't　as　best　I　know。〃
　　I　attached　one　end　of　the　cable　to　the　wand；　the　other　to　the　assembly；　tightening　thumbscrews。　He　wasn't　listening。
　　〃No　way　anybody's　saying　that　about　me！　That　I'm　a　goddamn　fairy！　I'll　eat　my　gun；　don't　think　I　won't。〃
　　〃You're　not　going　to　get　AIDS；　Marino；〃　I　repeated　myself。
　　I　turned　on　the　source　lamp　again。　It　would　have　to　run　at　least　four　minutes　before　I　could　turn　on　the　power。
　　〃I　picked　a　hangnail　yesterday　and　it　bled！　That's　an　open　wound！〃
　　〃You　have　on　gloves；　don't　you？〃
　　〃If　I　get　some　bad　disease；　I'm　going　to　kill　that　fucking　little　lazy　snitch。〃
　　I　assumed　he　meant　Anderson。
　　〃Bray's　gonna　get　hers；　too。　I'll　find　a　way！〃
　　〃Marino；　be　quiet；〃　I　said。
　　〃How　would　you　like　it　if　it　was　you？〃
　　〃I　can't　tell　you　how　many　times　it's　been　me。　What　do　you　think　I　do　every　day？〃
　　〃You　sure　as　hell　don't　slop　around　in　dead　juice！〃
　　〃Dead　juice？〃　 …〃We　don't　know　a　thing　about　this　guy。　What　if　they　got　some　weird　diseases　in　Belgium　that　we　can't　treat　here'
　　〃Marino；　be　quiet；〃　I　said　again。
　　〃No！〃
　　〃Marino。　。　〃
　　〃I　got　a　right　to　be　upset！〃
　　〃All　right　then；　leave。〃　My　patience　had　walked　off。　〃You're　interfering　with　my　concentration。　You're　interfering　with　everything。　Go　take　a　shower　and　throw　back　a　few　shots　of　bourbon。〃
　　The　Luma…Lite　was　ready　and　I　put　on　the　protective　glasses。　Marino　was　quiet。
　　〃I'm　not　leaving；〃　he　finally　said。
　　I　gripped　the　fiber…optics　wand　like　a　soldering　iron。　The　intense　pulsing　blue　light　was　as　thin　as　pencil　lead；　and　I　began　scanning　very　small　areas。
　　〃Anything？〃　he　asked。
　　〃Not　so　far。〃
　　His　sticky　booties　moved　closer　as　I　worked　slowly；　inch　by　inch；　into　places　that　could　not　be　reached　by　the　broad　scan。　I　leaned　the　body　forward　to　probe　behind　the　back　and　head；　then　between　the　legs。　I　checked　the　palms　of　his　hands。　The　Luma…Lite　could　detect　body　fluids　such　as　urine；　semen；　sweat　and　saliva；　and　of　course；　blood。　But　again；　nothing　fluoresced。　My　back　and　neck　ached。
　　〃I'm　voting　for　him　being　dead　before　he　ended　up　in　here；〃　Marino　said。
　　〃We'll　know　a　lot　more　when　we　get　him　downtown。〃
　　I　straightened　up　and　the　rapid…fire　light　caught　the　corner　of　a　carton　Marino　had　displaced　when　he'd　fallen。　The　tail　of　what　looked　like　the　letter　Y　blazed　neon　green　in　the　dark。
　　〃Marino；〃　I　said。　〃Look　at　this。〃
　　Letter　by　letter　I　illuminated　words　that　were　French　and　written　by　hand。　They　were　about　four　inches　high　and　an　odd　boxy　shape；　as　if　a　mechanical　arm　had　formed　them　in　square　strokes。　It　took　me　a　moment　to　make　out　what　they　said。
　　〃Bon　voyage；　le　laup…garou；〃　I　read。
　　Marino　was　leaning　over　me；　his　breath　in　my　hair。　〃What　the　hell's　a　loup…garou？〃
　　〃I　don't　know。〃
　　I　examined　the　carton　carefully。　The　top　of　it　was　soggy；　the　bottom　of　it　dry。
　　〃Fingerprints？　You　see　any　on　the　box？〃　Marino　asked。
　　〃I'm　sure　there're　prints　all　over　the　place　in　here；〃　I　replied。　〃But　no；　none　are　popping　out。〃
　　〃You　think　whoever　wrote　this　wanted　someone　to　find　it　。
　　〃Possibly。　In　some　kind　of　permanent　ink　that　fluoresces。　We'll　let　fingerprints　do　their　thing。　The　box　goes　to　the　lab；　and　we　need　to　sweep　up　some　of　the　hair：on　the　floor　for　DNA；　if　it's　ever　needed。　Then　do　photographs　and　we're　out　of　here：'
　　〃May　as　well　get　the　coins　while　I'm　at　it；〃　he　said。
　　〃May；　as　well；〃　I　said；　staring　toward　the　container's　opening。
　　Someone　was　looking　in。　He　was　backlit　by　bright　sunlight　and　a　blue　sky　and　I　could　not　make　out　who　it　was。
　　〃Where　are　the　crime…scene　techs？〃　I　asked　Marino。
　　〃Got　no　idea。〃
　　！〃Goddamn　it！〃　I　said。
　　〃Tell　me　about　it；〃　Marino　said。
　　〃We　had　two　homicides　last　week　and　things　weren't　like　this。〃
　　〃You　didn't　go　to　the　scenes；　either；　so　you　don't　know　what　they　were　like；〃　he　said；　and　he　was　right。
　　〃Someone　from　my　office　did。　I　would　know　if　there　was　a　problem　。　。　：'
　　〃Not　if　the　problem　wasn't　obvious；　you　wouldn't；〃　he　told　me。　〃And　the　problem　sure　as　hell　wasn't　obvious　because　this　is　Anderson's　first　case。　Now　it's　obvious。〃
　　〃What？〃
　　〃Brand　spanking　new　detective。　Hell；　maybe　she　stashed　this　body　in　here　herself　so　she'd　have　something　to　do。〃
　　〃She　says　you　told　her　to　call　me。〃
　　〃Right。　Like　I　can't　bother；　so　I　dis　you；　and　then　you　get　pissed　off　at　me。　She's　a　fucking　liar；〃　he　said。
　　An　hour　later　we　were　done。　We　walked　out　of　the　foulsmelling　dark；　returning　to　the　warehouse。　Anderson　stood　in　the　open　bay　next　to　ours；　talking　to　a　man　I　recognized　as　Deputy　Chief　A1　Carson；　head　of　investigations。　I　realized　it　was　he　whom　I　had　seen　at　the　mouth　of　the　container　earlier。　I　moved　past　her　without　a　word　and　greeted　him　as　I　looked　out　to　see　if　the　removal　servic