lhamilton.thekillingdance-第43章

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　my　stomach；　filled　me　with　dread。　What　had　happened　in　this　nice　house　with　its　new　hot　tub　and　brick　fireplace？　What　had　happened　that　needed　my　kind　of　expertise？　I　didn't　want　to　know。　I　wanted　to　leave　before　I　saw　some　new　horror。　I'd　seen　enough　bodies　already　this　year　to　last　a　lifetime。
　Dolph　put　his　hand　on　the　doorknob。　I　touched　his　arm。　〃It's　not　kids；　is　it？〃　I　asked。
　He　glanced　over　his　shoulder　at　me。　Normally；　he　wouldn't　have　answered。　He'd　have　said　something　cryptic　like；　〃You'll　see　in　a　minute。〃　Tonight；　he　said；　〃No；　it's　not　kids。〃
　I　took　a　deep　breath　through　my　nose　and　let　it　out　slowly　through　my　lips。　〃Good。〃　I　smelled　damp　plaster；　fresh　cement；　and　underneath　that；　blood。　The　scent　of　freshly　spilled　blood；　faint；　just　behind　the　door。　What　does　blood　smell　like？　Metallic；　almost　artificial。　It　isn't　really　much　of　a　smell　all　by　itself。　The　smell　won't　make　you　sick；　it's　what　goes　with　it。　We　all　know　in　some　ancient　part　of　ourselves　that　blood　is　the　thing。　Without　it；　we　die。　If　we　can　steal　enough　of　it　from　our　enemies；　we　steal　their　lives。　There's　a　reason　that　blood　has　been　associated　with　almost　every　religion　on　the　planet。　It's　primal　stuff；　and　no　matter　how　sanitized　we　make　our　world；　part　of　us　still　recognizes　that。
　Dolph　hesitated；　hand　still　on　the　doorknob。　He　didn't　look　at　me　while　he　spoke。　〃Tell　me　what　you　think　of　the　scene；　then　I　have　to　take　you　back　for　a　statement。　You　understand　that。〃
　〃I　understand；〃　I　said。
　〃If　you're　lying　to　me；　Anita；　about　any　of　this；　tell　me　tonight。　Two　bodies　in　two　days　takes　a　lot　of　explaining。〃
　〃I　haven't　lied　to　you；　Dolph。〃　At　least　not　much；　I　added　in　my　head。
　He　nodded　without　turning　around　and　opened　the　door。　He　went　in　first　and　turned　so　he　could　watch　my　face　as　I　entered　the　room。
　〃What's　wrong；　Dolph？〃　I　asked。
　〃See　for　yourself；〃　he　said。
　All　I　could　see　at　first　was　pale　grey　carpet　and　a　bureau　with　a　large　mirror　against　the　right…hand　wall。　A　cluster　of　cops　blocked　my　view　of　the　rest　of　the　room。　The　cops　stepped　aside　at　a　nod　from　Dolph。　Dolph　never　took　his　eyes　from　me；　my　face。　I'd　never　seen　him　so　intent　on　my　reaction　before。　It　made　me　nervous。
　There　was　a　body　on　the　floor。　A　man；　spread…eagled；　pinned　at　wrists　and　ankles　with　knives。　The　knives　had　black　hilts。　He　lay　in　the　middle　of　a　large　red　circle。　The　circle　had　had　to　be　large　so　the　blood　didn't　leak　out　and　spoil　it。　Blood　had　soaked　into　the　pale　carpet；　spread　across　it　like　a　red　ruin。　The　man's　face　was　turned　away　from　me。　All　I　could　see　was　short　blond　hair。　His　chest　was　bare；　so　slick　with　blood　it　looked　like　a　red　shirt。　The　knives　held　him　in　place。　They　hadn't　been　what　killed　him。　No；　what　had　killed　him　was　a　gaping　hole　in　his　lower　chest　just　below　the　ribs。　It　was　like　a　red…lined　cave　big　enough　to　plunge　both　hands　into。
　〃They　took　his　heart；〃　I　said。
　Dolph　looked　at　me。　〃You　know　that　from　the　doorway？〃
　〃I'm　right；　aren't　I？〃
　〃If　you　were　going　to　take　his　heart　out；　why　not　go　straight　down？〃
　〃If　you　wanted　him　to　survive；　like　heart　surgery；　you'd　have　to　break　the　ribs　and　go　down　the　hard　way。　But　they　wanted　him　dead。　If　all　you　want　is　the　heart；　going　under　the　ribs　is　easier。〃
　I　walked　towards　the　body。
　Dolph　moved　ahead　of　me；　watching　my　face。　〃What？〃　I　said。
　He　shook　his　head。　〃Just　tell　me　about　the　body；　Anita。〃
　I　stared　at　him。　〃What　is　your　problem　tonight？〃
　〃No　problem。〃
　It　was　a　lie。　Something　was　up；　but　I　didn't　press　it。　It　wouldn't　have　done　me　any　good。　When　Dolph　decides　not　to　share　information；　he　doesn't　share；　period。
　There　was　a　king…size　bed　with　purple　satin　sheets　and　more　pillows　than　you　knew　what　to　do　with。　The　bed　was　rumpled　as　if　it　had　been　used　for　something　other　than　sleeping。　There　were　dark　stains　on　the　sheets；　nearly　black。
　〃Is　that　blood？〃
　〃We　think　so；〃　Dolph　said。
　I　glanced　at　the　body。　〃From　the　murder？〃
　〃When　you're　finished　looking　at　the　body；　we'll　bag　the　sheets　and　get　them　down　to　the　lab。〃
　A　subtle　hint　to　get　on　with　the　job。　I　walked　towards　the　body　and　tried　to　ignore　Dolph。　That　was　easier　than　it　sounded。　The　body　sort　of　stole　the　show。　The　closer　I　got；　the　more　details　I　could　see；　and　the　more　I　didn't　want　to　see。　Under　all　that　blood　was　a　nice　chest；　muscular　but　not　too　much　of　a　good　thing。　The　hair　was　cut　very　short；　curly　and　blond。　There　was　something　naggingly　familiar　about　that　head。　The　black　daggers　had　silver　wire　curled　around　them。　They'd　been　shoved　to　their　hilts　in　the　flesh；　bones　had　broken　when　they'd　been　driven　in。　The　red　circle　was　definitely　blood。　Cabalistic　symbols　ran　round　the　inside　of　the　circle；　traced　in　blood。　I　recognized　some　of　them；　enough　to　know　that　we　were　dealing　with　some　form　of　necromancy。　I　knew　the　symbols　that　stood　for　death　and　the　symbols　that　watched　against　it。
　For　some　reason；　I　didn't　want　to　enter　the　circle。　I　walked　carefully　around　the　edge　of　it　until　I　could　see　the　face。　With　my　back　leaning　against　the　wall　I　stared　into　the　wide　eyes　of　Robert　the　vampire。　Monica's　husband。　The　soon…to…be　daddy。
　〃Shit；〃　I　said　softly。
　〃You　know　him？〃　Dolph　asked。
　I　nodded。　〃Robert。　His　name's　Robert。〃　The　death　symbols　made　sense　if　you　were　going　to　sacrifice　a　vampire。　But　why？　Why　like　this？
　I　took　a　step　forward　and　hit　the　circle。　I　stopped　dead。　It　was　like　a　million　insects　crawled　and　swarmed　over　my　body。　I　couldn't　breathe。　I　stepped　back　off　the　blood　line。　The　sensation　stopped。　I　could　still　feel　it　like　a　memory　on　my　skin；　in　my　head；　but　I　was　okay　now。　I　took　a　deep　breath；　let　it　out　slowly；　and　stepped　forward　again。　It　wasn't　like　hitting　a　wall。　It　was　more　like　hitting　a　blanket；　a　drowning；　suffocating；　maggot…crawling　blanket。　I　tried　to　walk　forward；　tried　to　move　past　the　circle；　and　couldn't。　I　staggered　back　from　it。　If　the　wall　hadn't　been　there；　I'd　have　fallen。
　I　let　myself　slide　down　until　I　was　sitting　with　my　knees　tucked　up。　My　toes　were　inches　from　the　circle。　I　did　not　want　to　touch　it　again。
　Dolph　walked　through　the　circle　like　it　wasn't　there　and　knelt　beside　me；　part　of　him　still　in　the　circle。　〃Anita；　what's　wrong？〃
　I　shook　my　head。　〃I'm　not　sure。〃　I　stared　up　at　him。　〃It's　a　circle　of　power；　and　I　can't　cross　it。〃
　He　glanced　back　at　his　own　body　partially　inside　the　circle。　〃I　can。〃
　〃You're　not　an　animator。　I'm　not　a　witch；　and　I　don't　know　a　lot　of　official　magic；　but　some　of　the　symbols　are　either　death　symbols　or　maybe　symbols　of　protection　from　the　dead。〃　I　stared　up　at　him；　my　skin　still　shivering　from　trying　to　cross　the　line。　A　new　horror　spread　through　my　mind。　〃It's　a　spell　to　both　contain　and　keep　out　the　dead；　and　I　can't　cross　it。〃
　He　stared　down　at　me。　〃What　exactly　does　that　mean；　Anita？〃
　〃It　means；〃　said　a　female　voice；　〃that　she　didn't　create　the　circle。〃
　
　
　19
　
　A　woman　stood　just　inside　the　door。　She　was　tall；　slender；　dressed　in　a　purple　skirt　suit　with　a　white　man…tailored　shirt。　She　walked　into　the　room　with　an　eagerness　that　made　me　knock　about　ten　years　off　her　age。　She　looked　thirty；　but　she　wasn't。　Twenty…something　and　full　of　herself。　Probably　around　my　own　age；　but　there　was　a　shiny　newness　to　her　that　I'd　lost　years　ago。
　Dolph　stood；　offering　me　a　hand　up。　I　shook　my　head。　〃Unless　you　want　to　carry　me；　I　can't　stand　yet。〃
　〃Anita；　this　is　Detective　Reynolds；〃　he　said。　He　didn't　sound　entirely　happy　about　it。
　Reynolds　walked　around　the　edge　of　the　circle　as　I　had；　but　she　was　ing　for　a　better　view　of　me。　She　ended　up　on　the　opposite　side　from　Dolph。　She　stared　down　at　me；　smiling；　eager。　I　stared　up　at　her；　skin　still　jumping　from　trying　to　force　my　way　past　the　circle。
　She　leaned　down　and　whispered；　〃You're　flashing　the　room；　dear。〃
　〃That's　why　the　underwear　matches；〃　I　said。
　She　looked　surprised。
　There　was　no　way　for　me　to　stretch　my　legs　out　without　touching　the　circle　again；　so　if　I　wanted　to　quit　flashing　the　room；　I　had　to　stand　up。　I　held　my　hand　up　to　Dolph。　〃Help　me　up；　but　whatever　you　do；　don't　let　me　fall　into　that　thing。〃
　Detective　Reynolds　took　my　other　arm　without　being　in