th.red dragon-第50部分

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！


　Crawford　was　silent　until　the　end　of　the　two…minute　film。　〃Terrific；　she　caught　a　perch；〃　he　said。　〃Now　the　profile…〃
　〃Jack；　you　were　in　Birmingham　right　after　it　happened。　I　didn't　get　there　for　a　month。　You　saw　the　house　while　it　was　still　their　house　…　I　didn't。　It　was　stripped　and　remodeled　when　I　got　there。　Now；　for　Christ's　sake　let　me　look　at　these　people　and　then　I'll　finish　the　profile。〃
　He　started　the　second　film。
　A　birthday　party　appeared　on　the　screen　in　the　courtroom。　The　Jacobis　were　seated　around　a　dining　table。　They　were　singing。
　Graham　lip…read　〃Haaappy　Birth…day　to　you。〃
　Eleven…year…old　Donald　Jacobi　faced　the　camera。　He　was　seated　at　the　end　of　the　table　with　the　cake　in　front　of　him。　The　candles　reflected　in　his　glasses。
　Around　the　corner　of　the　table；　his　brother　and　sister　were　side　by　side　watching　him　as　he　blew　out　the　candles。
　Graham　shifted　in　his　seat。
　Mrs。　Jacobi　leaned　over；　her　dark　hair　swinging；　to　catch　the　cat　and　dump　it　off　the　table。
　Now　Mrs。　Jacobi　brought　a　large　envelope　to　her　son。　A　long　ribbon　trailed　from　it。　Donald　Jacobi　opened　the　envelope　and　took　out　a　big　birthday　card。　He　looked　up　at　the　camera　and　turned　the　card　around。　It　said　〃Happy　Birthday　…　follow　the　ribbon。〃
　Bouncing　progress　as　the　camera　followed　the　procession　to　the　kitchen。　A　door　there；　fastened　with　a　hook。　Down　the　basement　stairs；　Donald　first；　then　the　others；　following　the　ribbon　down　the　steps。　The　end　of　the　ribbon　was　tied　around　the　handlebars　of　a　ten…speed　bicycle。
　Graham　wondered　why　they　hadn't　given　him　the　bike　outdoors。
　A　jumpy　cut　to　the　next　scene；　and　his　question　was　answered。　Outdoors　now；　and　clearly　it　had　been　raining　hard。　Water　stood　in　the　yard。　The　house　looked　different。　Realtor　Geehan　had　changed　the　color　when　he　did　it　over　after　the　murders。　The　outside　basement　door　opened　and　Mr。　Jacobi　emerged　carrying　the　bicycle。　This　was　the　first　view　of　him　in　the　movie。　A　breeze　lifted　the　hair　bed　across　his　bald　spot。　He　set　the　bicycle　ceremoniously　on　the　ground。
　The　film　ended　with　Donald's　cautious　first　ride。　
　〃Sad　damn　thing；〃　Crawford　said；　〃but　we　already　knew　that。〃　Graham　started　the　birthday　film　over。
　Crawford　shook　his　head　and　began　to　read　something　from　his　briefcase　with　the　aid　of　a　penlight。
　On　the　screen　Mr。　Jacobi　brought　the　bicycle　out　of　the　basement。　The　basement　door　swung　closed　behind　him。　A　padlock　hung　from　it。
　Graham　froze　the　frame。　〃There。　That's　what　he　wanted　the　bolt　cutter　for；　Jack　…　to　cut　that　padlock　and　go　in　through　the　basement。　Why　didn't　he　go　in　that　way？''
　Crawford　clicked　off　his　penlight　and　looked　over　his　glasses　at　the　screen。　〃What's　that？〃
　〃I　know　he　had　a　bolt　cutter　…　he　used　it　to　trim　that　branch　out　of　his　way　when　he　was　watching　from　the　woods。　Why　didn't　he　use　it　and　go　in　through　the　basement　door？〃
　〃He　couldn't。〃　With　a　small　crocodile　smile；　Crawford　waited。　He　loved　to　catch　people　in　assumptions。
　〃Did　he　try？　Did　he　mark　it　up？　I　never　even　saw　that　door　…　Geehan　had　put　in　a　steel　one　with　deadbolts　by　the　time　I　got　there。〃
　Crawford　opened　his　jaws。　〃You　assume　Geehan　put　it　in。　Geehan　didn't　put　it　in。　The　steel　door　was　there　when　they　were　killed。　Jacobi　must　have　put　it　in　…　he　was　a　Detroit　guy；　he'd　favor　deadbolts。〃
　〃When　did　Jacobi　put　it　in？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　Obviously　it　was　after　the　kid's　birthday　…　when　was　that？　It'll　be　in　the　autopsy　if　you've　got　it　here。〃
　〃His　birthday　was　April　14；　a　Monday；〃　Graham　said；　staring　at　the　screen；　his　chin　in　his　hand。　〃I　want　to　know　when　Jacobi　changed　the　door。〃
　Crawford's　scalp　wrinkled。　It　smoothed　out　again　as　he　saw　the　point。　〃You　think　the　Tooth　Fairy　cased　the　Jacobi　house　while　the　old　door　with　the　padlock　was　still　there；〃　he　said。
　〃He　brought　a　bolt　cutter；　didn't　he？　How　do　you　break　in　someplace　with　a　bolt　cutter？〃　Graham　said。　〃You　cut　padlocks；　bars；　or　chain。　Jacobi　didn't　have　any　bars　or　chained　gates；　did　he？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Then　he　went　there　expecting　a　padlock。　A　bolt　cutter's　fairly　heavy　and　it's　long。　He　was　moving　in　daylight；　and　from　where　he　parked　he　had　to　hike　a　long　way　to　the　Jacobi　house。　For　all　he　knew；　he　might　be　ing　back　in　one　hell　of　a　hurry　if　something　went　wrong。　He　wouldn't　have　carried　a　bolt　cutter　unless　he　knew　he'd　need　it。　He　was　expecting　a　padlock。〃
　〃You　figure　he　cased　the　place　before　Jacobi　changed　the　door。　Then　he　shows　up　to　kill　them；　waits　in　the　woods…〃
　〃You　can't　see　this　side　of　the　house　from　the　woods。〃
　Crawford　nodded。　〃He　waits　in　the　woods。　They　go　to　bed　and　he　moves　in　with　his　bolt　cutter　and　finds　the　new　door　with　the　deadbolts。〃
　〃Say　he　finds　the　new　door。　He　had　it　all　worked　out；　and　now　this；〃　Graham　said；　throwing　up　his　hands。　〃He's　really　pissed　off；　frustrated；　he's　hot　to　get　in　there。　So　he　does　a　fast；　loud　pry　job　on　the　patio　door。　It　was　messy　the　way　he　went　in　…　he　woke　Jacobi　up　and　had　to　blow　him　away　on　the　stairs。　That's　not　like　the　Dragon。　He's　not　messy　that　way。　He's　careful　and　he　leaves　nothing　behind。　He　did　a　neat　job　at　the　Leedses'　going　in。〃
　〃Okay；　all　right；〃　Crawford　said。　〃If　we　find　out　when　Jacobi　changed　his　door；　maybe　we'll　establish　the　interval　between　when　he　cased　it　and　when　he　killed　them。　The　minimum　time　that　elapsed；　anyway。　That　seems　like　a　useful　thing　to　know。　Maybe　it'll　match　some　interval　the　Birmingham　convention　and　visitors　bureau　could　show　us。　We　can　check　car　rentals　again。　This　time　we'll　do　vans　too。　I'll　have　a　word　with　the　Birmingham　field　office。〃
　Crawford's　word　must　have　been　emphatic：　in　forty　minutes　flat　a　Birmingham　FBI　agent；　with　realtor　Geehan　in　tow；　was　shouting　to　a　carpenter　working　in　the　rafters　of　a　new　house。　The　carpenter's　information　was　relayed　in　a　radio　patch　to　Chicago。
　〃Last　week　in　April；〃　Crawford　said；　putting　down　the　telephone。　〃That's　when　they　put　in　the　new　door。　My　God；　that's　two　months　before　the　Jacobis　were　hit。　Why　would　he　case　it　two　months　in　advance？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　but　I　promise　you　he　saw　Mrs。　Jacobi　or　saw　the　whole　family　before　he　checked　out　their　house。　Unless　he　followed　them　down　there　from　Detroit；　he　spotted　Mrs。　Jacobi　sometime　between　April　10；　when　they　moved　to　Birmingham；　and　the　end　of　April；　when　the　door　was　changed。　Sometime　in　that　period　he　was　in　Birmingham。　The　bureau's　going　on　with　it　down　there？〃
　〃Cops　too；〃　Crawford　said。　〃Tell　me　this：　how　did　he　know　there　was　an　inside　door　from　the　basement　into　the　house？　You　couldn't　count　on　that　…　not　in　the　South。〃
　〃He　saw　the　inside　of　the　house；　no　question。〃'
　〃Has　your　buddy　Metcalf　got　the　Jacobi　bank　statements？〃
　〃I'm　sure　he　does。〃
　〃Let's　see　what　service　calls　they　paid　for　between　April　10　and　the　end　of　the　month。　I　know　the　service　calls　have　been　checked　for　a　couple　of　weeks　back　from　the　killings；　but　maybe　we　aren't　looking　back　far　enough。　Same　for　the　Leedses。〃
　〃We　always　figured　he　looked　around　inside　the　Leeds　house；〃　Graham　said。　〃From　the　alley　he　couldn't　have　seen　the　glass　in　the　kitchen　door。　There's　a　latticed　porch　back　there。　But　he　was　ready　with　his　glass　cutter。　And　they　didn't　have　any　service　calls　for　three　months　before　they　were　killed。〃
　〃If　he's　casing　this　far　ahead；　maybe　we　didn't　check　back　far　enough。　We　will　now。　At　the　Leedses'　though　…　when　he　was　in　the　alley　reading　meters　behind　the　Leeds　house　two　days　before　he　killed　them　…　maybe　he　saw　them　going　in　the　house。　He　could　have　looked　in　there　while　the　porch　door　was　open。〃
　〃No；　the　doors　don't　line　up　…　remember？　Look　here。〃
　Graham　threaded　the　projector　with　the　Leeds　home　movie。
　The　Leedses'　gray　Scotty　perked　up　his　ears　and　ran　to　the　kitchen　door。　Valerie　Leeds　and　the　children　came　in　carrying　groceries。　Through　the　kitchen　door　nothing　but　lattice　was　visible。
　〃All　right；　you　want　to　get　Byron　Metcalf　busy　on　the　bank　statement　for　April？　Any　kind　of　service　call　or　purchase　that　a　door…to…door　salesman　might　handle。　No　…　I'll　do　that　while　you　wind　up　the　profile。　Have　you　got　Metcalf's　number？〃
　Seeing　the　Leedses　preoccupied　Graham。　Absently　he　told　Crawford　three　numbers　for　Byron　Metcalf。
　He　ran　the　films　again　while　Crawford　used　the　phone　in　the　jury　room。
　The　Leeds　film　first。
　There　was　the　Leedses'　dog。　It　wore　no　collar；　and　the　neighborhood　was　full　of　dogs；　but　the　Dragon　knew　which　dog　was　theirs。
　Here　was　Valerie　Leeds。　The　sight　of　her　tugged　at　Graham。
　There　was　the　door　behind　her；　vulnerable　with　its　big　glass　pane。　Her　children　played　on　the　courtroom　screen。
　Graham　had　never　felt　as　close　to　the　Jacobis　as　he　did　to　the　Leedses。　Their　movie　disturbed　him　now。　It　bothered　him　that　he　had　thought　of　the　Jacobis　as　chalk　marks　on　a　bloody　floor。
　There　were　the　Jacobi　children；　ranged　around　the　corner　of　the　table；　the　birthday　candles　flickering　on　their　faces。
　For　a　flash　Graham　saw　the　blob　of　candle　wax　on　the　Jacobis'　bedside　table；　the　bloodstains　around　the　corner　of　the　bedroom　at　the　Leedses'。　Something　。　。　。
　Crawford　was　ing　back。　〃Metcalf　said　to　ask　you…〃
　〃Don't　talk　to　me！〃
　Crawford　wasn't　offended；　He　waited　stock…still　and　his　little　eyes　grew　narrow　and　bright。
　The　film　ran　on；　its　light　and　shadows　playing　over　Graham's　face。
　There　was　the　Jacobis'　cat。　The　Dragon　knew　it　was　the　Jacobis'　cat。
　There　was　the　inside　basement　door。
　There　was　the　outside　basement　door　with　its　padlock。　The　Dragon　had　brought　a　bolt　cutter。
　The　film　ended。　Finally　it　came　off　the　reel　and　the　end　flapped　around　and　around。
　Everything　the　Dragon　needed　to　know　was　on　the　two　films。　They　hadn't　been　shown　in　public；　there　wasn't　any　film　club；　film　festi　。　。　。
　Graham　looked　at　the　familiar　green　box　the　Leeds　movie　came　in。　Their　name　and　address　were　on　it。　And　Gateway　Film　Laboratory；　St。　Louis；　Mo。　63102。
　His　mind　retrieved　〃St。　Louis〃　just　as　it　would　retrieve　any　telephone　number　he　had　ever　seen。　What　about　St。　Louis？　It　was　one　of　the　places　where　the　Tattler　was　available　on　Monday　night；　the　same　day　it　was　printed　…　the　day　before　Lounds　was　abducted。
　〃Oh　me；〃　Graham　said。　〃Oh　Jesus。〃
　He　clamped　his　ha