sidneysheldon.astrangerinthemirror-第52章

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　It　was　three　a。m。　Jill　had　fallen　asleep　in　her　chair；　reading　a　book。　She　came　out　of　her　sleep　gradually；　slowly；　and　she　opened　her　eyes　in　the　pitch…black　bedroom；　knowing　that　something　was　terribly　wrong。　Then　she　realized　what　it　was。　She　had　gone　to　sleep　with　all　the　lights　on。　She　felt　her　heart　begin　to　race　and　she　thought。　There's　nothing　to　be　afraid　of。　Nurse　Gallagher　must　have　e　in　and　turned　out　the　lights。　Then　she　heard　the　sound。　It　was　ing　down　the　hallway；　creak。。。　creak。。。　Toby's　wheelchair；　moving　toward　her　bedroom　door。　Jill　began　to　feel　the　hairs　rise　on　the　back　of　her　neck。　It's　only　a　tree　branch　against　the　roof；　or　the　house　settling；　she　told　herself。　Yet　she　knew　that　it　wasn't　true。　She　had　heard　mat　sound　too　many　times　before。　Creak　。。。　creak。。。　like　the　music　of　death　ing　to　get　her。　It　can't　be　Toby；　she　thought。　He's　in　his　bed；　helpless。　I'm　losing　my　mind。　But　she　could　hear　it　ing　closer　and　closer。　It　was　at　her　door　now。　It　had　stopped；　waiting。　And　suddenly　there　was　the　sound　of　a　crash；　and　then　silence。　Jill　spent　the　rest　of　the　night　huddled　in　her　chair　in　the　dark；　too　terrified　to　move。　In　the　morning；　outside　her　bedroom　door；　she　found　a　broken　vase　on　the　floor；　where　it　had　been　knocked　over　from　a　hallway　table。　
　She　was　talking　to　Dr。　Kaplan。　
　〃Do　you　believe　that　the　　the　mind　can　control　the　body？〃　Jill　asked。　
　He　looked　at　her；　puzzled。　〃In　what　way　？〃　
　〃If　Toby　wanted　wanted　very　much　to　get　out　of　his　bed；　could　he？〃　
　〃You　mean　unaided？　In　his　present　condition？〃　He　gave　her　a　look　of　incredulity。　〃He　has　absolutely　no　mobility　at　all。　None　whatsoever。〃　
　Jill　was　still　not　satisfied。　〃Ifif　he　was　really　determined　to　get　up　　if　there　was　something　he　felt　he　had　to　do。。。〃　
　Dr。　Kaplan　shook　his　head。　〃Our　mind　gives　mand　to　the　body；　but　if　your　motor　impulses　are　blocked；　if　there　are　no　muscles　to　carry　out　those　mands；　then　nothing　can　happen。〃　
　She　had　to　find　out。　〃Do　you　believe　that　object　can　be　moved　by　the　mind？〃　
　〃You　mean　psychokinesis？　There　are　a　lot　of　experiments　being　done；　but　no　one　has　ever　e　up　with　any　proof　that's　convinced　me。〃　
　There　was　the　broken　vase　outside　her　bedroom　door。　Jill　wanted　to　tell　him　about　that；　about　the　cold　air　that　kept　following　her；　about　Toby's　wheelchair　at　her　door；　but　he　would　think　she　was　crazy。　Was　she？　Was　something　wrong　with　her？　Was　she　losing　her　mind？　
　When　Dr。　Kaplan　left；　Jill　walked　over　to　look　at　herself　in　the　mirror。　She　was　shocked　by　what　she　saw。　Her　cheeks　were　sunken　and　her　eyes　enormous　in　a　pale；　bony　face。　If　I　go　on　this　way；　Jill　thought；　I'll　die　before　Toby。　She　looked　at　her　stringy；　dull　hair　and　her　broken；　cracked　fingernails。　
　I　must　never　let　David　see　me　looking　like　this。　I　have　to　start　taking　care　of　myself。　From　now　on；　she　told　herself；　you're　going　to　the　beauty　parlor　once　a　week；　and　you're　going　to　eat　three　meals　a　day　and　sleep　eight　hows。　The　following　morning；　Jill　made　an　appointment　at　the　beauty　parlor。　She　was　exhausted；　and　under　the　warm；　fortable　hum　of　the　hair　drier；　she　dozed　off；　and　the　nightmare　began。　She　was　in　bed；　asleep。　She　could　hear　Toby　e　into　her　bedroom　in　his　wheelchair。。。　creak。。。　creak。　Slowly；　he　got　out　of　the　chair　and　rose　to　his　feet　and　moved　toward　her；　grinning；　his　skeletal　hands　reaching　for　her　throat。　Jill　awoke　screaming　wildly；　throwing　the　beauty　shop　into　an　uproar。　She　fled　without　even　having　her　hair　bed　out。　After　that　experience；　Jill　was　afraid　to　leave　the　house　again。　And　afraid　to　remain　in　it。
　Something　seemed　to　be　wrong　with　her　head。　It　was　no　longer　just　the　headaches。　She　was　beginning　to　forget　things。　She　would　go　downstairs　for　something　and　walk　into　the　kitchen　and　stand　there；　not　knowing　what　she　had　e　for。　Her　memory　began　to　play　strange　tricks　on　her。　Once；　Nurse　Gordon　came　in　to　speak　to　her；　Jill　wondered　what　a　nurse　was　doing　there；　and　then　she　suddenly　remembered。　The　director　was　waiting　on　the　set　for　Jill。　She　tried　to　recall　her　line。　Not　very　well；　I'm　afraid。　Doctor。　She　must　speak　to　the　director　and　find　out　how　he　wanted　her　to　read　it。　Nurse　Gordon　was　holding　her　band；　saying；　〃Mrs。　Temple！　Mrs。　Templel　Are　you　feeling　all　right？〃　And　Jill　was　back　in　her　own　surroundings；　again　in　the　present；　caught　up　in　the　terror　of　what　was　happening　to　her。　She　knew　she　could　not　go　on　like　this。　She　had　to　find　out　whether　there　was　something　wrong　with　her　mind　or　whether　Toby　was　able　to　somehow　move；　whether　he　had　found　a　way　to　attack　her；　to　try　to　murder　her。　She　had　to　see　him。　She　forced　herself　to　walk　down　the　long　hall　toward　Toby's　bedroom。　She　stood　outside　a　moment；　steeling　herself；　and　then　Jill　entered　Toby's　room。　
　Toby　was　lying　in　his　bed；　and　the　nurse　was　giving　him　a　sponge　bath。　She　looked　up；　saw　Jill　and　said；　
　〃Why；　here's　Mrs。　Temple。　We're　just　having　a　nice　bath；　aren't　we？〃　
　Jill　turned　to　look　at　the　figure　on　the　bed。　Toby's　arms　and　legs　had　shriveled　into　stringy　appendages　attached　to　his　shrunken；　twisted　torso。　Between　his　legs；　like　some　long　indecent　snake；　lay　his　useless　penis；　flaccid　and　ugly。　The　yellow　cast　had　gone　from　Toby's　face；　but　the　gaping　idiot　grin　was　still　there。　The　body　was　dead；　but　the　eyes　were　frantically　alive。　Darting；　seeking；　weighing；　planning；　hating；　cunning　blue　eyes　filled　with　their　secret　plans；　their　deadly　determination。　It　was　Toby's　mind　she　was　seeing。　The　important　thing　to　remember　is　that　his　mind　is　unimpaired；　the　doctor　had　told　her。　His　mind　could　think　and　feel　and　hate。　That　mind　had　nothing　to　do　but　plan　its　revenge；　figure　put　a　way　to　destroy　her。　Toby　wanted　her　dead；　as　she　wanted　him　dead。　As　Jill　looked　down　at　him　now；　staring　into　those　eyes　blazing　with　loathing；　she　could　hear　him　saying；　I'm　going　to　kilt　you；　and　she　could　feel　the　waves　of　abhorrence　hitting　her　like　physical　blows。　Jill　stared　into　those　eyes；　and　she　remembered　the　broken　vase　and　she　knew　that　none　of　the　nightmares　had　been　illusions。　He　had　found　a　way。　She　knew　now　that　it　was　Toby's　life　against　hers。　
　　
　When　Dr。　Kaplan　finished　his　examination　of　Toby；　he　went　to　find　Jill。　
　〃I　think　you　should　stop　the　therapy　in　the　swimming　pool；〃　he　said。　〃It's　a　waste　of　time。　I　was　hoping　we　might　get　some　slight　improvement　in　Toby's　musculature；　but　it's　not　working。　I'll　talk　to　the　therapist　myself。〃　
　〃No！〃　It　was　a　sharp　cry。　Dr。　Kaplan　looked　at　her　in　surprise。　
　〃Jill；　I　now　what　you　did　for　Toby　last　time。　But　this　time　it's　hopeless。　I　〃　
　〃We　can't　give　up。　Not　yet。〃　There　was　a　desperation　in　her　voice。　Dr。　Kaplan　hesitated；　then　shrugged。　
　〃Well；　if　it　means　that　much　to　you；　but〃　
　〃It　does。〃　At　that　moment；　it　was　the　most　important　thing　in　the　world。　It　was　going　to　save　Jill's　life。　She　knew　now　what　she　had　to　do。　
　The　following　day　was　Friday。　David　telephoned　Jill　to　tell　her　that　he　had　to　go　to　Madrid　on　business。　
　〃I　may　not　be　able　to　call　over　the　weekend。〃　
　〃I'll　miss　you；〃　Jill　said。　〃Very　much。〃　
　〃I'll　miss　you；　too。　Are　you　all　right？　You　sound　strange。　Are　you　tired？〃　
　Jill　was　fighting　to　keep　her　eyes　open；　to　forget　the　terrible　pain　in　her　head。　She　could　not　remember　the　last　time　she　had　eaten　or　slept。　She　was　so　weak　that　it　was　difficult　to　stand。　She　forced　energy　into　her　voice。　
　〃I'm　fine；　David。〃　
　〃I　love　you；　darling。　Take　care　of　yourself。〃　
　〃I'm　going　to；　David。　I　love　you；　please　know　that。〃　
　No　matter　what　happens。　She　heard　the　physiotherapist's　car　turn　into　the　driveway；　and　Jill　started　downstairs；　her　head　pounding；　her　trembling　legs　barely　able　to　support　her。　She　opened　the　front　door　as　the　physiotherapist　was　about　to　ring　the　bell。　
　〃Morning；　Mrs。　Temple；〃　he　said。　He　started　to　enter；　but　Jill　blocked　his　way。　He　looked　at　her　in　surprise。　
　〃Dr。　Kaplan　has　decided　to　discontinue　Mr。　Temple's　therapy　treatments；〃　Jill　said。　The　physiotherapist　frowned。　It　meant　he　had　made　an　unnecessary　trip　out　here。　Someone　should　have　told　him　earlier。　Ordinarily　he　would　have　plained　about　the　way　it　had　been　handled。　But　Mrs。　Temple　was　such　a　great　lady；　with　such　big　probl