dk.coldfire-第15部分

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Phillies；　rescued　his　club　from　a　humiliating　defeat〃　Throwing　that　one　aside；　as　well；　she　looked　at　the　third。　It　was　a　movie　review；　so　she　didn't　bother　searching　for　the　mention　of　Jim。　The　fourth　was　a　reference　to　Jim　Harrison；　the　novelist。　The　fifth　was　a　story　about　a　New　Jersey　politician　who　used　the　Heimlich　maneuver　to　save　the　life　of　a　Mafia　boss　in　a　barroom；　where　they　were　having　a　couple　of　beers　together；　when　the　patron　began　to　choke　to　death　on　a　chunk　of　peppery　hot　Slim　Jim　sausage。　
　She　was　beginning　to　worry　that　she　would　e　up　empty…handed　by　the　bottom　of　the　stack；　but　the　sixth　article；　from　the　Houston　Chronicle；　opened　her　eyes　wider　than　the　vile　coffee　had。　WOMAN　SAVED　FROM；　VENGEFUL　HUSBAND。　On　July　14；　after　winning　both　financial　and　child　custody　issues　in　a　bitter　divorce　suit；　Amanda　Cutter　had　nearly　been；　shot　by　her　enraged　husband；　Cosmo；　outside　her　home　in　the　wealth　River　Oaks　district　of　the　city。　After　Cosmo　missed　her　with　the　first　two　shots；　she　had　been　saved　by　a　man　who　〃appeared　out　of　nowhere；〃　wrestled　her　maddened　spouse　to　the　ground；　and　disarmed　him。　
　her　savior　had　identified　himself　only　as　〃Jim；〃　and　had　walked　off　into　that　humid　Houston　afternoon　before　the　police　arrived。　The　thirty…year…old　divorcee　had　clearly　been　smitten；　for　she　described　him　as　〃handsome　sort　of　muscular；　like　a　superhero　right　out　of　a　movie；　with　the　dreamie　blue　eyes。〃　
　Holly　could　still　picture　Jim　Ironheart's　intensely　blue　eyes。　She　was　not　the　kind　of　woman　who　would　refer　to　them　as　〃dreamy；〃　although　they　were　certainly　the　clearest　and　most　arresting　eyes　she'd　ever。　。。　oh　hell；　yes；　they　were　dreamy。　She　was　reluctant　to　admit　to　the　adolescent　reaction　that　he　had　inspired　in　her；　but　she　was　not　any　better　at　deceiving　herself　than　she　was　at　deceiving　other　people。　
　She　recalled　an　initial　eerie　impression　of　inhuman　coldness；　upon　first　meeting　his　gaze；　but　that　passed　and　never　returned　from　the　moment　he　smiled。　
　The　seventh　article　was　about　another　modest　Jim　who　had　not　hung　around　to　accept　thanks　and　praise…or　media　attention…after　rescuing　Carmen　Diaz；　thirty；　from　a　burning　apartment　house　in　Miami　on　the　fifth　of　July。　He　had　blue　eyes。　
　Poring　through　the　remaining　twenty…two　articles；　Holly　found　two　more　about　Ironheart；　though　only　his　first　name　was　mentioned。　On　June　1；　Thaddeus　Johnson；　twelve；　had　almost　been　pitched　off　the　roof　of　an　eight…story　Harlem　tenement　by　four　members　of　a　neighborhood　youth　gang　who　had　not　responded　well　to　his　disdainful　rejection　of　an　invitation　to　join　their　drug…peddling　fraternity。　He　was　rescued　by　a　blue…eyed　man　who　incapacitated　the　four　thugs　with　a　dazzling　series　of　Tae　Kwan　Do　kicks；　chops；　thrusts；　and　throws。　〃He　was　like　Batman　without　the　funny　clothes；〃　Thaddeus　had　told　the　Daily　News　reporter。　
　Two　Wednesdays　prior　to　that；　on　June　7；　another　blue…eyed　Jim　〃just　seemed　to　materialize〃　on　the　property　of　Louis　Andretti；　twenty…eight；　of　Corona；　California；　in　time　to　warn　the　homeowner　not　to　enter　a　crawlspace　under　his　house　to　repair　a　plumbing　leak。　〃He　told　me　a　family　of　rattlers　had　settled　in　there；〃　Andretti　told　the　reporter。　
　Later；　when　agents　from　the　county's　Animal　Control　inspected　the　crawlspace　from　the　perimeter；　with　the　aid　of　a　halogen　lamp；　they　saw　not　just　a　nest　but　〃something　out　of　a〃　nightmare；〃　and　eventually　extracted　forty…one　snakes　from　beneath　the　structure。　〃What　I　don't　understand；〃　Andretti　said；　〃is　how　that　guy　knew　the　rattlers　were　there；　when　I　live　in　the　house　and　never　had　a　clue。〃　
　Now　Holly　had　four　linked　incidents　to　add　to　the　rescue　of　Nicky　O　Conner　in　Boston　and　Billy　Jenkins　in　Portland；　all　since　the　first　of　June。　She　typed　in　new　instructions　to　Newsweb；　asking　for　the　same　search　to　be　made　for　the　months　of　March；　April；　and　May。　
　She　needed　more　coffee；　and　when　she　got　up　to　go　to　the　vending　room；　she　saw　that　George　Fintel　had　evidently　awakened　and　staggered　home。　
　She　hadn't　heard　him　leave。　Tommy　was　gone；　as　well。　She　was　alone。　
　She　got　another　cup　of　coffee；　and　it　didn't　taste　as　bad　as　it　had　before。　
　The　brew　hadn't　improved；　her　sense　of　taste　had　just　been　temporarily　damaged　by　the　first　two　cups。　
　Eventually　Newsweb　located　eleven　stories　in　March　through　May　that　fit　her　parameters。　After　examining　the　printouts；　Holly　found　only　one　of　them　of　interest。　
　On　May　15；　in　Atlanta；　Georgia；　a　blue…eyed　Jim　had　entered　a　convenience　store　during　an　armed　robbery。　He　shot　and　killed　the　perpetrator；　Norman　Rink；　who　had　been　about　to　kill　two　customers…Sam　Newsome　twenty…five；　and　his　five…year…old　daughter　Emily。　Flying　high　on　a　cocaine；　Ice；　and　methamphetamine　cocktail…Rink　had　already　killed　the　clerk　and　two　other　customers　merely　for　the　fun　of　it。　
　After　wasting　Rink　and　assuring　himself　that　the　Newsomes　were　unhurt；　Jim　had　slipped　away　before　the　police　arrived。　
　The　store　security　camera　had　provided　a　blurry　photograph　of　the　heroic　intruder。　It　was　only　the　second　photo　Holly　had　found　in　all　the　articles。　The　image　was　poor。　But　she　immediately　recognized　Jim　Ironheart。　
　Some　details　of　the　incident　unnerved　her。　If　Ironheart　had　an　amazing　ability…psychic　power；　whatever　to　foresee　fatal　moments　in　the　lives　of　strangers　and　arrive　in　time　to　thwart　fate；　why　hadn't　he　gotten　to　that　convenience　store　a　few　minutes　sooner；　early　enough　to　prevent　the　deaths　of　the　clerk　and　other　customers？　Why　had　he　saved　the　Newsomes　and　let　the　rest　die？　She　was　further　chilled　by　the　description　of　his　attack　on　Rink。　
　He　had　pumped　four　rounds　from　a　12…gauge　pistol…grip　shotgun　into　the　mad　man。　Then；　although　Rink　was　indisputably　dead；　Jim　reloaded　and　fired　another　four　rounds。　〃He　was　in　such　a　rage；〃　Sam　Newsome　said；　〃his　face　red；　and　he　was　sweating；　you　could　see　the　arteries　pounding　in　the　temples；　across　his　forehead。　He　was　crying　a　little；　too；　but　the　tears。　
　they　didn't　make　him　seem　any　less　angry。〃　When　done；　Jim　had　expressed　regret　for　cutting　Rink　down　so　violently　in　front　of　little　Emily　He'd　explained　that　men　like　Rink；　who　killed　innocent　people；　brought　out　〃a　little　madness　of　my　own。〃　Newsome　told　the　reporter；　〃He　saved　our　lives；　yeah；　but　I　gotta　say　the　guy　was　scary；　almost　as　scary　as　Rink　Realizing　that　Ironheart　might　not　have　revealed　even　his　first　name　some　occasions；　Holly　instructed　Newsweb　to　search　the　past　six　months　for　stories　in　which　〃rescue〃　and　〃saved　the　life〃　were　within　ten　words　of　〃blue。〃　She　had　noticed　that　some　witnesses　were　vague　about　his　physical　description；　but　that　most　remembered　his　singularly　blue　eyes。　
　She　went　to　the　john；　got　more　coffee；　then　stood　by　the　printer。　
　As　the　find　was　transferred　to　hard　copy；　she　snatched　it　up；　scanned　it；　tossed　in　the　wastecan　if　it　was　of　no　interest　or　read　it　with　excitement　if　it　was　about　another　nick…of　time　rescue。　Newsweb　turned　up　four　more　that　indisputably　belonged　in　the　Ironheart　file；　even　though　neither　first　nor　last　name　was　used。　
　At　her　desk　again；　she　instructed　Newsweb　to　search　the　past　six　months　for　the　name　〃Ironheart〃　in　the　national　media。　
　While　she　waited　for　a　response；　she　put　the　pertinent　printouts　in　order　then　made　a　chronological　list　of　the　people　whose　lives　Jim　Ironheart　saved；　incorporating　the　four　new　cases。　She　included　their　names；　the　location　of　each　incident；　and　the　type　of　death　from　which　the　person　had　been　spared。　
　She　studied　that　pilation；　noting　some　patterns　with　interest。　
　But　she　put　it　aside　when　Newsweb　pleted　its　latest　task。　
　As　she　rose　from　her　chair　to　go　to　the　laser　printer；　she　froze；　surprised　to　discover　she　was　no　longer　alone　in　the　newsroom。　Three　reporters　an　an　editor　were　at　their　desks；　all　guys　with　reputations　as　early　birds　including　Hank　Hawkins；　editor　of　the　business　pages；　who　liked　to　be　at　work　when　the　financial　markets　opened　on　the　East　Coast。　
　She　hadn't　been　aware　of　them　ing　in。　Two　of　them　were　sharing　a　joke；　laughing　loudly；　and　Hawkins　was　talking　on　the　phone；　but　Holly　hadn't　heard　them　until　after　she'd　seen　them。　She　looked　at　the　clock：　6：10。　opalesant　early…morning　light　played　at　the　windows；　though　she　had　not　realized　that　the　tide　of　night　had　been　receding。　She　glanced　down　at　her　desk　saw　two　more　paper　coffee　cups　than　she　remembered　getting　from　the　vending　machine。　
　She　realized　that　she　was　no　longer　wallowing　in　despair。　She　felt　better　than　she　had　felt　in　days。　Weeks。　Years　She　was　a　reporter　again；　for　real　She　went　to　the　laser　printer；　emptied　the　receiving　tray；　and　return　with　the　pages　to　her　desk。　Ironhearts　evidently　were　not　newsmakers。　
　There　were　only　five　stories　involving　people　with　that　surname　in　the　past　six　months。　
　Kevin　Ironheart…Buffalo；　New　York。　State　senator。　Announced　his　intention　to　run　for　governor。　
　Anna　Denise　Ironheart…Boca　Raton；　Florida。　Found　a　live　alligator　in　her　family　room。　
　Lori　Ironheart…Los　Angeles；　California。　Songwriter。　Nominated　for　the　Academy　Award　for　best　song　of　the　year。　
　Valerie　Ironheart…Cedar　Rapids；　Iowa。　Gave　birth　to　healthy　quadruplets。　
　The　last　of　the　five　was　James　Ironheart。　
　She　looked　at　the　heading。　The　story　came　from　the　Orange　County　Register　April　10；　and　was　one　of　scores　of　pieces　on　the　same　story　that　had　been　published　statewide。　Because　of　her　instructions；　the　puter　had　printed　out　only　this　single　instance；　sparing　her　sheafs　of　similar　articles　on　the　same　event。　
　She　checked　the　dateline。　Laguna　Niguel。　California。　Southern　California。　The　Southland。　
　The　piece　was　not　acpanied　by　a　photograph；　but　the　reporter's　description　of　the　man　included　a　reference　to　blue　eyes　and　thick　brown　hair。　She　was　sure　he　was　her　James　Ironheart。　
　She　was　not　surprised　to　have　found　him。　She　had　known　that　with　determined　effort　she　would　locate　him　sooner　or　later。　What　surprised　her　was　the　subject　of　the　piece　in　which　his　full　name　appeared　at　last。　She　expected　it　to　be　yet　one　more　story　about　snatching　someone　out　of　death's　grasp；　and　she　was　not　prepared　for　the　headline：　LAGUNA　NIGUEL　AlAN　WINS　SIX　MILLION　LOTTO　JACKPOT。　
　Having　foll