p&c.brimstone-第95部分

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　The　big　jet　hit　the　tarmac　with　a　jolt；　tipped　back　into　the　air　atan　angle；　then　settled　once　more　onto　the　ground；　thrust　reversers　screaming。　
　As　the　plane　decelerated；　a　lazy　voice　came　over　the　P。A。　system。　〃This　is　your　captain　speaking。　We've　landed　at　Kennedy　Airport；　and　as　soon　as　we　get　clearance；　we'll　taxi　to　the　gate。　Meanwhile；　y'all　please　keep　your　seats。　Sorry　about　that　bit　of　turbulence　back　there。　Wele　to　New　York　City。〃　
　Faint　applause　arose　here　and　there　from　a　sea　of　ashen　faces；　then　died　quickly　away。　
　〃Bit　of　turbulence；〃　muttered　the　man　in　the　aisle　seat。　〃Is　that　what　he　calls　it？　Shit　on　astick　。　You　couldn't　pay　me　enough　to　get　back　in　a　plane　after　this。〃　
　He　turned　to　his　seatmate；　nudged　him　with　his　elbow。　〃Glad　to　be　back　on　the　ground；　pal？〃　
　The　nudge　brought　D'Agosta　back　to　the　present。　He　turned　slowly　away　from　the　window；　through　which　he'd　been　staring　without　really　seeing；　and　glanced　at　the　man。　〃What's　that？〃　
　The　man　snorted　in　disbelief。　〃e　on；　stop　playing　it　cool。　Me；　my　own　life　passed　before　my　eyes　at　least　twice　the　last　half　hour。〃　
　〃Sorry。〃　And　D'Agosta　turned　back　to　the　window。　〃Wasn't　really　paying　attention。〃　
　D'Agosta　walked　woodenly　through　Terminal　8　on　his　way　out　of　customs；　suitcase　in　one　hand。　All　around　him；　people　were　talking　excitedly；　hugging；　laughing。　He　passed　by　them　all；　barely　noticing；　eyes　straight　ahead。　
　〃Vinnie！〃　came　a　voice。　〃Hey；　Vinnie。　Over　here！〃　
　D'Agosta　turned　to　see　Hayward；　waving；　walking　toward　him　through　the　crowds。　Laura　Hayward；　beautiful　in　a　dark　suit；　her　black　hair　shining；　her　eyes　as　deep　and　blue　as　the　water　off　Capraia。　She　was　smiling；　but　the　smile　did　not　reach　quite　as　far　as　those　perfect　eyes。　
　〃Vinnie；〃　she　said；　embracing　him。　〃Oh；　Vinnie。〃　
　Automatically；　his　arms　went　around　her。　He　could　feel　the　weling　tightness　of　her　clasp；　the　warmth　of　her　breath　on　his　neck；　the　crush　of　her　breasts　against　him。　It　was　like　a　galvanic　shock。　Had　it　really　been　only　ten　days　since　they　last　embraced？　A　shudder　passed　through　him：　he　felt　strange；　like　a　swimmer　struggling　upward　from　a　very　great　depth。　
　〃Vinnie；〃　she　murmured。　〃What　can　I　say？〃　
　〃Don't　say　anything。　Not　now。　Later；　maybe。〃　
　Slowly；　she　released　him。　
　〃My　God。　What　happened　to　your　finger？〃　
　〃Locke　Bullard　happened。〃　
　They　began　to　move　through　the　baggage　area。　A　silence　grew　between　them；　just　long　enough　to　bee　awkward。　
　〃How's　it　been　here？〃　he　asked　at　last；　lamely。　
　〃Not　much　has　happened　since　you　called　last　night。　We've　still　got　ten　detectives　working　the　Cutforth　murder。　Technically。　And　from　what　I　hear；　that　Southampton　chief　of　police　is　catching　holy　hell　for　lack　of　progress　on　Grove。〃　
　D'Agosta　gritted　his　teeth；　started　to　speak；　but　Hayward　put　a　finger　to　his　lips。　
　〃I　know。　I　know。　But　that's　the　nature　of　the　job　sometimes。　Now　that　Buck's　out　of　the　picture　and　thePost　has　moved　on　to　other　things；　Cutforth's　finally　off　the　front　page。　Eventually　it'll　bee　just　another　unsolved　murder。　Along　with　Grove's；　of　course。〃　
　D'Agosta　nodded。　
　〃Amazing　that　it　was　Fosco。　I'm　floored。〃　
　D'Agosta　shook　his　head。　
　〃It's　a　hell　of　a　thing；　knowing　who　the　perp　is　but　being　able　to　do　nothing。〃　
　There　was　the　ring　of　a　claxon；　an　amber　alarm　flashed　overhead；　and　a　carousel　nearby　began　to　move。　
　〃Iwas　able　to　do　something；〃　he　said　in　a　low　voice。　
　Hayward　looked　at　him　sharply。　
　〃I'll　explain　in　the　car。〃　
　Ten　minutes　later　they　were　on　the　Van　Wyck　Expressway；　halfway　back　to　Manhattan；　Hayward　at　the　wheel。　D'Agosta　sat　beside　her；　idly　looking　out　the　window。　
　〃So　it　was　all　about　a　violin；〃　Hayward　said。　〃The　whole　damn　thing。　A　lousy　violin。〃　
　〃Not　just　any　violin。〃　
　〃I　don't　care。　It　wasn't　worth　all　those　deaths。　And　itespecially　wasn't　worth…〃　But　here　she　stopped；　as　if　hesitant　to　break　some　unspoken　code　between　them。　〃Where　is　it　now？〃　
　〃I　sent　it　by　special　courier　to　a　woman　on　the　island　of　Capraia。　es　from　a　line　of　violinists。　She'll　restore　it　to　the　Fosco　family　at　a　time　of　her　choosing；　when　the　new　heir　is　settled　in。　Somehow；　I　think　that's　what　Pendergast　would　have　wanted。〃　
　It　was　the　first　time　Pendergast's　name　had　passed　between　them。　
　〃I　know　you　couldn't　explain　on　the　phone；〃　she　went　on。　〃But　what　happened；　exactly？　After　you　took　the　Italian　police　to　Fosco's　castle　yesterday　morning；　I　mean。〃　
　D'Agosta　did　not　reply。　
　〃e　on；　Vinnie。　It'll　be　better　if　you　talk　about　it。〃　
　D'Agosta　sighed。　〃I　spent　the　rest　of　the　day　bing　the　Chianti　countryside。　Talking　to　farmers。　Talking　to　villagers。　Anyone　who　might　have　seen　anything；　heard　anything。　Checking　my　hotel　for　messages。　Of　course；　there　was　nothing。　But　I　had　to　be　sure；　you　see…absolutely　sure　。　。　。〃　
　Hayward　waited。　After　a　moment；　he　went　on。　
　〃The　thing　is；　deep　down；　I　was　already　sure。　We'd　searched　the　castle。　And　then　there　was　that　look　Fosco　gave　me；　that　awful　look。　If　you'd　seen　it　。　。　。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃Close　to　midnight；　I　drifted　back　to　the　castle。　Went　in　the　same　way　we'd　e　out。　I　took　the　time　to　figure　out　how　the　microwave　device　worked。　And　then　I　。　。　。　used　it。　One　last　time。〃　
　〃You　brought　Fosco　to　justice。　Avenged　your　partner。　I'd　have　done　the　same　thing。〃　
　〃Would　you？〃　D'Agosta　asked　quietly。　
　Hayward　nodded。　
　D'Agosta　shifted　restlessly。　〃There's　not　much　more　to　tell。　I　spent　this　morning　back　in　Florence；　checking　hospitals；　morgues；　police　reports。　More　to　keep　busy　than　for　anything　else。　And　then　I　boarded　the　plane。〃　
　〃What　did　you　do　with　that　weapon？〃　
　〃Disassembled　it；　smashed　the　pieces；　and　deposited　them　in　half　a　dozen　garbage　cans　around　Florence。〃　
　She　nodded。　〃And　what　are　your　plans　now？〃　
　D'Agosta　shrugged。　He　hadn't　given　this　any　thought。　〃I　don't　know。　Go　back　to　Southampton；　I　guess。　Face　the　music。〃　
　A　small　smile　crept　over　her　face。　〃Didn't　you　hear　what　I　said？　It's　the　chief　who's　facing　the　music。　He　got　back　from　vacation　and　was　so　eager　to　hog　the　limelight　that　now　it's　all　ing　back　to　roost。　Braskie's　running　against　him　in　the　next　election；　odds…on　favorite　to　win。〃　
　〃Even　worse　for　me。〃　
　She　changed　lanes。　〃There's　something　else　you　should　know。　They've　suspended　the　NYPD　hiring　freeze。　That　means　you　can　work　the　city　again。　Get　your　old　job　back。〃　
　D'Agosta　shook　his　head。　〃No　way。　I've　been　away　too　long。　I'm　old　goods。〃　
　〃It　hasn't　beenthat　long。　They're　rehiring　by　seniority。　And　with　your　experience　in　Southampton；　and　as　FBI　liaison　。　。　。〃　She　paused　to　negotiate　the　ramp　onto　the　Long　Island　Expressway。　〃Of　course；　it　couldn't　be　in　my　division。　But　they've　got　openings　in　several　of　the　downtown　precincts。〃　
　D'Agosta　sat　a　moment；　letting　this　penetrate。　Then　he　looked　at　her　sharply。　〃Wait　a　minute。　My　old　job　back；　openings　downtown。　You　didn't　have　anything　to　do　with　this；　did　you？　Have　a　talk　with　Rocker；　or　something　like　that？〃　
　〃Me？　You　know　the　kind　of　cop　I　am。　By　the　book。　Miss　Straight　Arrow。〃　But　her　smile　seemed　to　deepen　briefly。　
　Up　ahead；　the　maw　of　the　Queens…Midtown　Tunnel　loomed；　gridworks　of　tile　illuminated　by　fluorescent　tubes。　Hayward　merged　smoothly　into　the　E…ZPass　toll　lane。　
　From　the　passenger　seat；　D'Agosta　watched　her：　the　beautiful　lines　of　her　face；　the　curve　of　her　nose；　the　little　furrow　of　concentration　as　she　negotiated　the　evening　traffic。　It　was　wonderful　just　to　see　her　again；　to　be　here　by　her　side。　And　yet　he　could　not　escape　the　sense　of　desolation　that　enveloped　him。　It　was　like　a　hollowness　he　carried　around；　a　vacuum　that　could　not　be　filled。　
　〃You're　right；〃　he　said　as　they　entered　the　tunnel。　〃It　doesn't　matter　if　that　violin's　the　most　precious　ever　made。　It　wasn't　worth　Pendergast　dying。　Nothing　was　worth　that。〃　
　Hayward　kept　her　eyes　on　the　road。　〃You　don't　know　he's　dead。〃　
　D'Agosta　didn't　answer。　He'd　told　himself　this　already：　once；　twice；　a　thousand　times。　When　everything　had　been　stacked　against　them…when　there　seemed　no　way　they　could　possibly　survive…Pendergast　had　always　saved　them。　At　times；　it　had　seemed　almost　miraculous。　And　yet；　this　time；　Pendergast　had　not　reappeared。　This　time；　it　felt　different。　
　Then　there　was　that　other　feeling；　the　one　that　made　him　almost　physically　ill。　It　was　the　image　of　Pendergast；　there　in　the　clearing；　surrounded　by　dogs。　Everyone…the　hunters；　the　handlers；　the　beaters…closing　in。Only　one　of　us　can　get　through。　There's　no　other　way。　
　D'Agosta　felt　his　throat　close　up。　〃You're　right。　I　have　no　proof。　Except　maybethis　。〃　He　reached　into　his　pocket；　drew　out　Pendergast's　platinum　chain　and　pendant：　a　lidless　eye　over　a　phoenix；　rising　from　fiery　ash；　now　pitted　and　partly　melted。　The　chain　he'd　retrieved　from　Fosco's　burning；　smoking　corpse。　He　stared　at　it　a　moment。　He　balled　the　hand　into　a　fist；　pressed　a　knuckle　against　his　teeth。　He　felt　a　ridiculous　impulse　to　burst　into　tears。　
　The　worst　of　it　was；　D'Agosta　knew　he　was　the　one　who　should　have　been　left　on　that　hill。　He　wished；　more　than　anything　else；　that　he　had　been　left　on　that　hill。　
　〃Anyway；　he　would　have　contacted　me　by　now。　Or　you。　Orsome　body。〃　He　paused。　〃I　don't　know　how　I'm　going　to　tell　Constance。〃　
　〃Who？〃　
　〃Constance　Greene。　His　ward。〃　
　They　drove　through　the　rest　of　the　tunnel　in　silence；　finally　emerging　into　the　Manhattan　night。　Then　he　felt　Hayward　take　his　hand。　
　〃Let　me　off　anywhere；〃　he　said；　sick　at　heart。　〃Penn　Station's　fine。　I'll　take　the　LIRR　out　to　Southampton。〃　
　〃Why？〃　she　replied。　〃There's　nothing　for　you　out　there。　Your　future's　here；　in　New　York　City。〃　
　D'Agosta　remained　silent　as　the　car　cruised　west：　past　Park；　past　Madison；　past　Fifth。　
　〃You　have　a　place　to　stay　in　town？〃　she　asked。　
　D'Agosta　shook　his　head。　
　〃I…；〃　Hayward　began。　Then　she；　too；　fell　silent。　
　D'Agosta　roused　himself；　glanced　at　her。　〃What？〃　It　was　hard　to　tell；　but　in　the　reflected　light　of　the　streetlamps；　he　thought　she　was　blushing。　
　〃I　was　just　thinking。　If　you're　ing　back　to　the　NYPD；　working　here　in　the　city　。　。　。　well；　why　not　stay　with　me？　For　a　while；〃　she　added　hastily。　〃You　know。　See　how