th.red dragon-第40部分

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lly；　what　happened；　Baeder　had　to　shape　up　their　employment　practices　to　keep　this　Defense　contract。　They　managed　to　pack　six　women；　two　blacks；　two　chicanos；　an　oriental；　a　paraplegic；　and　me　into　a　total　of　eight　hirings。　We　all　count　in　at　least　two　categories；　you　see。〃
　〃You　worked　out　well　for　Baeder。〃
　〃The　others　did　too。　Baeder's　not　giving　anything　away。〃
　〃Before　that？〃　He　was　sweating　a　little。　Conversation　was　hard。　Looking　was　good；　though。　She　had　good　legs。　She　had　nicked　an　ankle　shaving。　Along　his　arms　a　sense　of　the　weight　of　her　legs；　limp。
　〃I　trained　newly　blind　people　at　the　Reiker　Institute　in　Denver　for　ten　years　after　I　finished　school。　This　is　my　first　job　on　the　outside。〃
　〃Outside　of　what？〃
　〃Out　in　the　big　world。　It　was　really　insular　at　Reiker。　I　mean；　we　were　training　people　to　live　in　the　sighted　world　and　we　didn't　live　in　it　ourselves。　We　talked　to　each　other　too　much。　I　thought　I'd　get　out　and　knock　around　a　little。　Actually；　I　had　intended　to　go　into　speech　therapy；　for　speech…and…hearing…impaired　children。　I　expect　I'll　go　back　to　that；　one　of　these　days。〃　She　drained　her　glass。　〃Say；　I've　got　some　Mrs。　Paul's　crab…ball　miniatures　in　here。　They're　pretty　good。　I　shouldn't　have　served　dessert　first。　Want　some？〃
　〃Um…hmmm。〃
　〃Do　you　cook？〃
　〃Um…hmmm。〃
　A　tiny　crease　appeared　in　her　forehead。　She　went　into　the　kitchen。　〃How　about　coffee？〃　she　called。
　〃Uh…huh。〃
　She　made　small　talk　about　grocery　prices　and　got　no　reply。　She　came　back　into　the　living　room　and　sat　on　the　ottoman；　her　elbows　on　her　knees。
　〃Let's　talk　about　something　for　a　minute　and　get　it　out　of　the　way；　okay？〃
　Silence。
　〃You　haven't　said　anything　lately。　In　fact；　you　haven't　said　anything　since　I　mentioned　speech　therapy。〃　Her　voice　was　kind；　but　firm。　It　carried　no　taint　of　sympathy。　〃I　understand　you　fine　because　you　speak　very　well　and　because　I　listen。　People　don't　pay　attention。　They　ask　me　what？　what？　all　the　time。　If　you　don't　want　to　talk；　okay。　But　I　hope　you　will　talk。　Because　you　can；　and　I'm　interested　in　what　you　have　to　say。〃
　〃Ummm。　That's　good；〃　Dolarhyde　said　softly。　Clearly　this　little　speech　was　very　important　to　her。　Was　she　inviting　him　into　the　two…category　club　with　her　and　the　Chinese　paraplegic？　He　wondered　what　his　second　category　was。
　Her　next　statement　was　incredible　to　him。
　〃May　I　touch　your　face？　I　want　to　know　if　you're　smiling　or　frowning。〃　Wryly；　now。　〃I　want　to　know　whether　to　just　shut　up　or　not。〃
　She　raised　her　hand　and　waited。
　How　well　would　she　get　around　with　her　fingers　bitten　off？　Dolarhyde　mused。　Even　in　street　teeth　he　could　do　it　as　easily　as　biting　off　breadsticks。　If　he　braced　his　heels　on　the　floor；　his　weight　back　on　the　couch；　and　locked　both　hands　on　her　wrist；　she　could　never　pull　away　from　him　in　time。　Crunch；　crunch；　crunch；　crunch；　maybe　leave　the　thumb。　For　measuring　pies。
　He　took　her　wrist　between　his　thumb　and　forefinger　and　turned　her　shapely；　hard…used　hand　in　the　light。　There　were　many　small　scars　on　it；　and　several　new　nicks　and　abrasions。　A　smooth　scar　on　the　back　might　have　been　a　burn。
　Too　close　to　home。　Too　early　in　his　Being。　She　wouldn't　be　there　to　look　at　anymore。
　To　ask　this　incredible　thing；　she　could　know　nothing　personal　about　him。　She　had　not　gossiped。
　〃Take　my　word　that　I'm　smiling；〃　he　said。　Okay　on　the　S。　It　was　true　that　he　had　a　sort　of　smile　which　exposed　his　handsome　public　teeth。
　He　held　her　wrist　above　her　lap　and　released　it。　Her　hand　settled　to　her　thigh　and　half…closed；　fingers　trailing　on　the　cloth　like　an　averted　glance。
　〃I　think　the　coffee's　ready；〃　she　said。　
　〃I'm　going。〃　Had　to　go。　Home　for　relief。　
　She　nodded。　〃If　I　offended　you；　I　didn't　mean　to。〃
　〃No。〃
　She　stayed　on　the　ottoman；　listened　to　be　sure　the　lock　clicked　as　he　left。
　Reba　MeClane　made　herself　another　gin　and　tonic。　She　put　on　some　Segovia　records　and　curled　up　on　the　couch。　Dolarhyde　had　left　a　warm　dent　in　the　cushion。　Traces　of　him　remained　in　the　air　…　shoe　polish；　a　new　leather　belt；　good　shaving　lotion。
　What　an　intensely　private　man。　She　had　heard　only　a　few　references　to　him　at　the　office　…　Dandridge　saying　〃that　son　of　a　bitch　Dolarhyde〃　to　one　of　his　toadies。
　Privacy　was　important　to　Reba。　As　a　child；　learning　to　cope　after　she　lost　her　sight；　she　had　had　no　privacy　at　all。
　Now；　in　public；　she　could　never　be　sure　that　she　was　not　watched。　So　Francis　Dolarhyde's　sense　of　privacy　appealed　to　her。　She　had　not　felt　one　ion　of　sympathy　from　him；　and　that　was　good。
　So　was　this　gin。　
　Suddenly　the　Segovia　sounded　busy。　She　put　on　her　whale　songs。
　Three　tough　months　in　a　new　town。　The　winter　to　face；　finding　curbs　in　the　snow。　Reba　MeClane；　leggy　and　brave；　damned　self…pity。　She　would　not　have　it。　She　was　aware　of　a　deep　vein　of　cripple's　anger　in　her　and；　while　she　could　not　get　rid　of　it；　she　made　it　work　for　her；　fueling　her　drive　for　independence；　strengthening　her　determination　to　wring　all　she　could　from　every　day。
　In　her　way；　she　was　a　hard　one。　Faith　in　any　sort　of　natural　justice　was　nothing　but　a　night…light；　she　knew　that。　Whatever　she　did；　she　would　end　the　same　way　everyone　does：　flat　on　her　back　with　a　tube　in　her　nose；　wondering　〃Is　this　all？〃
　She　knew　that　she　would　never　have　the　light；　but　there　were　things　she　could　have。　There　were　things　to　enjoy。　She　had　gotten　pleasure　from　helping　her　students；　and　the　pleasure　was　oddly　intensified　by　the　knowledge　that　she　would　be　neither　rewarded　nor　punished　for　helping　them。
　In　making　friends　she　was　ever　wary　of　people　who　foster　dependency　and　feed　on　it。　She　had　been　involved　with　a　few　…　the　blind　attract　them；　and　they　are　the　enemy。
　Involved。　Reba　knew　that　she　was　physically　attractive　to　men　…　God　knows　enough　of　them　copped　a　feel　with　their　knuckles　when　they　grabbed　her　upper　arm。
　She　liked　sex　very　much；　but　years　ago　she　had　learned　something　basic　about　men；　most　of　them　are　terrified　of　entailing　a　burden。　Their　fear　was　augmented　in　her　case。
　She　did　not　like　for　a　man　to　creep　in　and　out　of　her　bed　as　though　he　were　stealing　chickens。
　Ralph　Mandy　was　ing　to　take　her　to　dinner。　He　had　a　particularly　cowardly　mew　about　being　so　scarred　by　life　that　he　was　incapable　of　love。　Careful　Ralph　told　her　that　too　often；　and　it　scalded　her。　Ralph　was　amusing；　but　she　didn't　want　to　own　him。
　She　didn't　want　to　see　Ralph。　She　didn't　feel　like　making　conversation　and　hearing　the　hitches　in　conversations　around　them　as　people　watched　her　eat。
　It　would　be　so　nice　to　be　wanted　by　someone　with　the　courage　to　get　his　hat　or　stay　as　he　damn　pleased；　and　who　gave　her　credit　for　the　same。　Someone　who　didn't　worry　about　her。
　Francis　Dolarhyde　…　shy；　with　a　linebacker's　body　and　no　bullshit。　She　had　never　seen　or　touched　a　cleft　lip　and　had　no　visual　associations　with　the　sound。　She　wondered　if　Dolarhyde　thought　she　understood　him　easily　because　〃blind　people　hear　so　much　better　than　we　do。〃　That　was　a　mon　myth。　Maybe　she　should　have　explained　to　him　that　it　was　not　true；　that　blind　people　simply　pay　more　attention　to　what　they　hear。
　There　were　so　many　misconceptions　about　the　blind。　She　wondered　if　Dolarhyde　shared　the　popular　belief　that　the　blind　are　〃purer　in　spirit〃　than　most　people；　that　they　are　somehow　sanctified　by　their　affliction。　She　smiled　to　herself。　That　one　wasn't　true　either。
　
　
　CHAPTER　32
　
　The　Chicago　police　worked　under　a　media　blitz；　a　nightly　news　〃countdown〃　to　the　next　full　moon。　Eleven　days　were　left。
　Chicago　families　were　frightened。
　At　the　same　time；　attendance　rose　at　horror　movies　that　should　have　died　at　the　drive…ins　in　a　week。　Fascination　and　horror。　The　entrepreneur　who　hit　the　punk…rock　market　with　〃Tooth　Fairy〃　T…shirts　came　out　with　an　alternate　line　that　said　〃The　Red　Dragon　Is　a　One…Night　Stand。〃　Sales　were　divided　about　equally　between　the　two。
　Jack　Crawford　himself　had　to　appear　at　a　news　conference　with　police　officials　after　the　funeral。　He　had　received　orders　from　Above　to　make　the　federal　presence　more　visible；　he　did　not　make　it　more　audible；　as　he　said　nothing。
　When　heavily　manned　investigations　have　little　to　feed　on；　they　tend　to　turn　upon　themselves；　covering　the　same　ground　over　and　over；　beating　it　flat。　They　take　on　the　circular　shape　of　a　hurricane　or　a　zero。
　Everywhere　Graham　went　he　found　detectives；　cameras；　a　rush　of　uniformed　men；　and　the　incessant　crackle　of　radios。　He　needed　to　be　still。
　Crawford；　ruffled　from　his　news　conference；　found　Graham　at　nightfall　in　the　quiet　of　an　unused　jury　room　on　the　floor　above　the　U。S。　prosecutor's　office。
　Good　lights　hung　low　over　the　green　felt　jury　table　where　Graham　spread　out　his　papers　and　photographs。　He　had　taken　off　his　coat　and　tie　and　he　was　slumped　in　a　chair　staring　at　two　photographs。
　The　Leedses'　framed　picture　stood　before　him　and　beside　it；　on　a　clipboard　propped　against　a　carafe；　was　a　picture　of　the　Jacobis。
　Graham's　pictures　reminded　Crawford　of　a　bullfighter's　folding　shrine；　ready　to　be　set　up　in　any　hotel　room。　There　was　no　photograph　of　Lounds。　He　suspected　that　Graham　had　not　been　thinking　about　the　Lounds　case　at　all。　He　didn't　need　trouble　with　Graham。
　〃Looks　like　a　poolroom　in　here；〃　Crawford　said。
　〃Did　you　knock　'em　dead？〃　Graham　was　pale　but　sober。　He　had　a　quart　of　orange　juice　in　his　fist。
　〃Jesus。〃　Crawford　collapsed　in　a　chair。　〃You　try　to　think　out　there；　it's　like　trying　to　take　a　piss　on　the　train。〃
　〃Any　news？〃
　〃The　missioner　was　popping　sweat　over　a　question　and　scratched　his　balls　on　television；　that's　the　only　notable　thing　I　saw。　Watch　at　six　and　eleven　if　you　don't　believe　it。〃
　〃Want　some　orange　juice？〃
　〃I'd　just　as　soon　swallow　barbed　wire。〃
　〃Good。　More　for　me。〃　Graham's　face　was　drawn。　His　eyes　were　too　bright。　〃How　about　the　gas？〃
　〃God　bless　Liza　Lake。　There're　forty…one　Servco　Supreme　franchise　stations　in　greater　Chicago。　Captain　Osborne's　boys　swarmed　those；　checking　sales　in　containers　to　people　driving　vans　and　trucks。　Nothing　yet；　but　they　haven't　seen　all　shifts。　Servco　has　186　other　stations　…　they're　scattered　over　eight　states。　We've　asked　for　help　from　the　local　jurisdictions。　It'll　take　a　while。