pbien.jaws-第3章

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police　station　to　forty…eight　of　Amity's　biggest　and　most　expensive　homes。　Normally　during　the　summer；　the　mid…night…to…eight　shift　was　manned　by　three　officers。　One；　however；　a　young　fellow　named　Dick　Angelo；　was　now　taking　his　two…week　leave　before　the　season　began　to　swing。　The　other　was　a　thirty…year　veteran　named　Henry　Kimble；　who　had　chosen　the　midnight…to…eight　shift　because　it　permitted　him　to　catch　up　on　his　sleep　…　he　held　a　daytime　job　as　a　bartender　at　Saxon's。　Hendricks　tried　to　raise　Kimble　on　the　radio　…　to　get　him　to　take　a　walk　along　the　beach　by　Old　Mill　Road　…　but　he　knew　the　attempt　was　hopeless。　As　usual；　Kimble　was　sound　asleep　in　a　squad　car　parked　behind　the　Amity　Pharmacy。　And　so　Hendricks　picked　up　the　phone　and　dialed　Chief　Brody's　home　number。
　　　　　　　Brody　was　asleep；　in　that　fitful　state　before　waking　when　dreams　rapidly　change　and　there　are　moments　of　bleary　semiconsciousness。　The　first　ring　of　the　phone　was　assimilated　into　his　dream　…　a　vision　that　he　was　back　in　high　school　groping　a　girl　on　a　stairwell。　The　second　ring　snapped　the　vision。　He　rolled　over　and　picked　up　the　receiver。
　　　　　　　〃Yeah？〃
　　　　　　　〃Chief；　this　is　Hendricks。　I　hate　to　bother　you　this　early；　but　…〃
　　　　　　　〃What　time　is　it？〃
　　　　　　　〃Five…twenty。〃
　　　　　　　〃Leonard；　this　better　be　good。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　think　we've　got　a　floater　on　our　hands；　Chief。〃
　　　　　　　〃A　floater？　What　in　Christ's　name　is　a　floater？〃
　　　　　　　It　was　a　word　Hendricks　had　picked　up　from　his　night　reading。　〃A　drowning；〃　he　said；　embarrassed。　He　told　Brody　about　the　phone　call　from　Foote。　〃I　didn't　know　if　you'd　want　to　check　it　out　before　people　start　swimming。　I　mean；　it　looks　like　it's　going　to　be　a　nice　day。〃
　　　　　　　Brody　heaved　an　exaggerated　sigh。　〃Where's　Kimble？〃　he　said　and　then　added　quickly；　〃Oh；　never　mind。　It　was　a　stupid　question。　One　of　these　days　I'm　going　to　fix　that　radio　of　his　so　he　can't　turn　it　off。〃
　　　　　　　Hendricks　waited　a　moment；　then　said；　〃Like　I　said；　Chief；　I　hate　to　bother。。。〃
　　　　　　　〃Yeah；　I　know；　Leonard。　You　were　right　to　call。　As　long　as　I'm　awake；　I　might　as　well　get　up。　I'll　shave　and　shower　and　grab　some　coffee；　and　on　my　way　in　I'll　take　a　look　along　the　beach　in　front　of　Old　Mill　and　Scotch；　just　to　make　sure　your　'floater'　isn't　cluttering　up　somebody's　beach。　Then　when　the　day　boys　e　on；　I'll　go　out　and　talk　to　Foote　and　the　girl's　date。　I'll　see　you　later。〃
　　　　　　　Brody　hung　up　the　phone　and　stretched。　He　looked　at　his　wife；　lying　next　to　him　in　the　double　bed。　She　had　stirred　when　the　phone　rang；　but　as　soon　as　she　determined　that　there　was　no　emergency；　she　lapsed　back　into　sleep。
　　　　　　　Ellen　Brody　was　thirty…six；　five　years　younger　than　her　husband；　and　the　fact　that　she　looked　barely　thirty　was　a　source　of　both　pride　and　annoyance　to　Brody：　pride　because；　since　she　looked　handsome　and　young　and　was　married　to　him；　she　made　him　seem　a　man　of　excellent　taste　and　substantial　attraction；　annoyance　because　she　had　been　able　to　keep　her　good　looks　despite　the　strains　of　bearing　three　children；　whereas　Brody　…　though　hardly　fat　at　six…foot…one　and　two　hundred　pounds　…　was　beginning　to　be　concerned　about　his　blood　pressure　and　his　thickening　middle。　Sometimes　during　the　summer；　Brody　would　catch　himself　gazing　with　idle　lust　at　one　of　the　young；　longlegged　girls　who　pranced　around　town　…　their　untethered　breasts　bouncing　beneath　the　thinnest　of　cotton　jerseys。　But　he　never　enjoyed　the　sensation；　for　it　always　made　him　wonder　whether　Ellen　felt　the　same　stirring　when　she　looked　at　the　tanned；　slim　young　men　who　so　perfectly　plemented　the　long…legged　girls。　And　as　soon　as　that　thought　occurred　to　him；　he　felt　still　worse；　for　he　recognized　it　as　a　sign　that　he　was　on　the　unfortunate　side　of　forty　and　had　already　lived　more　than　half　his　life。
　　　　　　　Summers　were　bad　times　for　Ellen　Brody；　for　in　summer　she　was　tortured　by　thoughts　she　didn't　want　to　think　…　thoughts　of　chances　missed　and　lives　that　could　have　been。　She　saw　people　she　had　grown　up　with：　prep　school　classmates　now　married　to　bankers　and　brokers；　summering　in　Amity　and　wintering　in　New　York；　graceful　women　who　stroked　tennis　balls　and　enlivened　conversations　with　equal　ease；　women　who　（Ellen　was　convinced）　joked　among　themselves　about　Ellen　Shepherd　marrying　that　policeman　because　he　got　her　pregnant　in　the　back　seat　of　his　1948　Ford；　which　had　not　been　the　case。
　　　　　　　Ellen　was　twenty…one　when　she　met　Brody。　She　had　just　finished　her　junior　year　at　Wellesley　and　was　spending　the　summer　in　Amity　with　her　parents　…　as　she　had　done　for　the　previous　eleven　summers；　ever　since　her　father's　advertising　agency　transferred　him　from　Los　Angeles　to　New　York。　Although；　unlike　several　of　her　friends；　Ellen　Shepherd　was　hardly　obsessed　by　marriage；　she　assumed　that　within　a　year　or　two　after　finishing　college　she　would　wed　someone　from　approximately　her　own　social　and　financial　station。　The　thought　neither　distressed　nor　delighted　her。　She　enjoyed　the　modest　wealth　her　father　had　earned；　and　she　knew　her　mother　did　too。　But　she　was　not　eager　to　live　a　life　that　was　a　repetition　of　her　parents'。　She　was　familiar　with　the　petty　social　problems；　and　they　bored　her。　She　considered　herself　a　simple　girl；　proud　of　the　fact　that　in　the　yearbook　for　the　class　of　1953　at　Miss　Porter's　School　she　was　voted　Most　Sincere。
　　　　　　　Her　first　contact　with　Brody　was　professional。　She　was　arrested　…　or；　rather；　her　date　was。　It　was　late　at　night；　and　she　was　being　driven　home　by　an　extremely　drunk　young　man　intent　on　driving　very　fast　down　very　narrow　streets。　The　car　was　intercepted　and　stopped　by　a　policeman　who　impressed　Ellen　with　his　youth；　his　looks；　and　his　civility。　After　issuing　a　summons；　he　confiscated　the　keys　to　Ellen's　date's　car　and　drove　them　both　to　their　respective　homes。　The　next　morning；　Ellen　was　shopping　when　she　found　herself　next　to　the　police　station。　As　a　lark；　she　walked　in　and　asked　the　name　of　the　young　officer　who　had　been　working　at　about　midnight　the　night　before。　Then　she　went　home　and　wrote　Brody　a　thank…you　note　for　being　so　nice；　and　she　also　wrote　a　note　to　the　chief　of　police　mending　young　Martin　Brody。　Brody　telephoned　to　thank　her　for　her　thank…you　note。
　　　　　　　When　he　asked　her　out　to　dinner　and　the　movies　on　his　night　off；　she　accepted　out　of　curiosity。　She　had　scarcely　ever　talked　to　a　policeman；　let　alone　gone　out　with　one。
　　　　　　　Brody　was　nervous；　but　Ellen　seemed　so　genuinely　interested　in　him　and　his　work　that　he　eventually　calmed　down　enough　to　have　a　good　time；　Ellen　found　him　delightful：　strong；　simple；　kind　…　sincere。　He　had　been　a　policeman　for　six　years。　He　said　his　ambition　was　to　be　chief　of　the　Amity　force；　to　have　sons　to　take　duck…shooting　in　the　fall；　to　save　enough　money　to　take　a　real　vacation　every　second　or　third　year。
　　　　　　　They　were　married　that　November。　Ellen's　parents　had　wanted　her　to　finish　college；　and　Brody　had　been　willing　to　wait　until　the　following　summer；　but　Ellen　couldn't　imagine　that　one　more　year　of　college　could　make　any　difference　in　the　life　she　had　chosen　to　lead。　There　were　some　awkward　moments　during　the　first　few　years。　Ellen's　friends　would　ask　them　to　dinner　or　lunch　or　for　a　swim；　and　they　would　go；　but　Brody　would　feel　ill　at　ease　and　patronized。　When　they　got　together　with　Brody's　friends；　Ellen's　past　seemed　to　stifle　fun。　People　behaved　as　if　they　were　fearful　of　mitting　a　faux　pas。
　　　　　　　Gradually；　as　friendships　developed；　the　awkwardness　disappeared。　But　they　never　saw　any　of　Ellen's　old　friends　any　more。　Although　the　shedding　of　the　〃summer　people〃　stigma　earned　her　the　affection　of　the　year…round　residents　of　Amity；　it　cost　her　much　that　was　pleasant　and　familiar　from　the　first　twenty…one　years　of　her　life。　It　was　as　if　she　had　moved　to　another　country。
　　　　　　　Until　about　four　years　ago；　the　estrangement　hadn't　bothered　her。　She　was　too　busy；　and　too　happy；　raising　children　to　let　her　mind　linger　on　alternatives　long　past。
　　　　　　　But　when　her　last　child　started　school；　she　found　herself　adrift；　and　she　began　to　dwell　on　memories　of　how　her　mother　had　lived　her　life　once　her　children　had　begun　to　detach　from　her：　shopping　excursions　（fun　because　there　was　enough　money　to　buy　all　bu