sk.everythingseventual-第74章

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　　Kinnell　dropped　the　phone　back　into　the　cradle　and　stood　looking　at　the　New　England　Newswire　logo；　snapping　his　fingers　nervously。　'e　on；'　he　said。　'e　on；　e　on。'
　　The　screen　flickered　then；　and　the　blue　background　became　green。　Words　began　scrolling　up；　something　about　a　house　fire　in　Taunton。　This　was　followed　by　the　latest　on　a　dog…racing　scandal；　then　tonight's　weather…clear　and　mild。　Kinnell　was　starting　to　relax；　starting　to　wonder　if　he'd　really　seen　what　he　thought　he'd　seen　on　the　entryway　wall　or　if　it　had　been　a　bit　of　travel…induced　fugue；　when　the　TV　beeped　shrilly　and　the　words　BREAKING　NEWS　appeared。　He　stood　watching　the　caps　scroll　up。
　　NENphAUG19/8：40P　A　ROSEWOOD　WOMAN　HAS　BEEN　BRUTALLY　MURDERED　WHILE　DOING　A　FAVOR　FOR　AN　ABSENT　FRIEND。　38…YEAR…OLD　JUDITH　DIMENT　WAS　SAVEGELY　HACKED　TO　DEATH　ON　THE　LAWN　OF　HER　NEIGHBOR'S　HOUSE；　WHERE　SHE　HAD　BEEN　CONDUCTING　A　YARD　SALE。　NO　SCREAMS　WERE　HEARD　AND　MRS。　DIMENT　WAS　NOT　FOUND　UNTIL　EIGHT　O'CLOCK；　WHEN　A　NEIGHBOR　ACROSS　THE　STREET　CAME　OVER　TO　PLAIN　ABOUT　LOUD　TELEVISION　NOISE。　THE　NEIGHBOR；　MATTHEW　GRAVES；　SAID　THAT　MRS。　DIMENT　HAD　BEEN　DECAPITATED。　'HER　HEAD　WAS　ON　THE　IRONING　BOARD；'　HE　SAID。　'IT　WAS　THE　MOST　AWFUL　THING　I'VE　EVER　SEEN　IN　MY　LIFE。'　GRAVES　SAID　HE　HEARD　NO　SIGNS　OF　A　STRUGGLE；　ONLY　THE　TV　AND；　SHORTLY　BEFORE　FINDING　THE　BODY；　A　LOUD　CAR；　POSSIBLY　EQUIPPED　WITH　A　GLASSPACK　MUFFLER；　ACCELERATING　AWAY　FROM　THE　VICINITY　ALONG　ROUTE　ONE。　SPECULATION　THAT　THIS　VEHICLE　MAY　HAVE　BELONGED　TO　THE　KILLER　…
　　Except　that　wasn't　speculation；　that　was　a　simple　fact。
　　Breathing　hard；　not　quite　panting；　Kinnell　hurried　back　into　the　entryway。　The　picture　was　still　there；　but　it　had　changed　once　more。　Now　it　showed　two　glaring　white　circles…headlights…with　the　dark　shape　of　the　car　hulking　behind　them。
　　He's　on　the　move　again；　Kinnell　thought；　and　Aunt　Trudy　was　on　top　of　his　mind　now…sweet　Aunt　Trudy；　who　always　knew　who　had　been　naughty　and　who　had　been　nice。　Aunt　Trudy；　who　lived　in　Wells；　no　more　than　forty　miles　from　Rosewood。
　　'God；　please　God；　please　send　him　by　the　coast　road；'　Kinnell　said；　reaching　for　the　picture。　Was　it　his　imagination　or　were　the　headlights　farther　apart　now；　as　if　the　car　were　actually　moving　before　his　eyes　。　。　。　but　stealthily；　the　way　the　minute　hand　moved　on　a　pocket　watch？　'Send　him　by　the　coast　road；　please。'
　　He　tore　the　picture　off　the　wall　and　ran　back　into　the　living　room　with　it。　The　screen　was　in　place　before　the　fireplace；　of　course；　it　would　be　at　least　two　months　before　a　fire　was　wanted　in　here。　Kinnell　batted　it　aside　and　threw　the　painting　in；　breaking　the　glass　fronting…which　he　had　already　broken　once；　at　the　Gray　service　area…against　the　firedogs。　Then　he　pelted　for　the　kitchen；　wondering　what　he　would　do　if　this　didn't　work　either。
　　It　has　to；　he　thought。　It　will　because　it　has　to；　and　that's　all　there　is　to　it。
　　He　opened　the　kitchen　cabinets　and　pawed　through　them；　spilling　the　oatmeal；　spilling　a　canister　of　salt；　spilling　the　vinegar。　The　bottle　broke　open　on　the　counter　and　assaulted　his　nose　and　eyes　with　the　high　stink。
　　Not　there。　What　he　wanted　wasn't　there。
　　He　raced　into　the　pantry；　looked　behind　the　door…nothing　but　a　plastic　bucket　and　an　O　Cedar…and　then　on　the　shelf　by　the　dryer。　There　it　was；　next　to　the　briquets。
　　Lighter　fluid。
　　He　grabbed　it　and　ran　back；　glancing　at　the　telephone　on　the　kitchen　wall　as　he　hurried　by。　He　wanted　to　stop；　wanted　to　call　Aunt　Trudy。　Credibility　wasn't　an　issue　with　her；　if　her　favorite　nephew　called　and　told　her　to　get　out　of　the　house；　to　get　out　right　now；　she　would　do　it　。　。　。　but　what　if　the　blond　kid　followed　her？　Chased　her？
　　And　he　would。　Kinnell　knew　he　would。
　　He　hurried　across　the　living　room　and　stopped　in　front　of　the　fireplace。
　　'Jesus；'　he　whispered。　'Jesus；　no。'
　　The　picture　beneath　the　splintered　glass　no　longer　showed　oning　headlights。　Now　it　showed　the　Grand　Am　on　a　sharply　curving　piece　of　road　that　could　only　be　an　exit　ramp。　Moonlight　shone　like　liquid　satin　on　the　car's　dark　flank。　In　the　background　was　a　water　tower；　and　the　words　on　it　were　easily　readable　in　the　moonlight。　KEEP　MAINE　GREEN；　they　said。　BRING　MONEY。
　　Kinnell　didn't　hit　the　picture　with　the　first　squeeze　of　lighter　fluid；　his　hands　were　shaking　badly　and　the　aromatic　liquid　simply　ran　down　the　unbroken　part　of　the　glass；　blurring　the　Road　Virus's　back　deck。　He　took　a　deep　breath；　aimed；　then　squeezed　again。　This　time　the　lighter　fluid　squirted　in　through　the　jagged　hole　made　by　one　of　the　firedogs　and　ran　down　the　picture；　cutting　through　the　paint；　making　it　run；　turning　a　Goodyear　Wide　Oval　into　a　sooty　teardrop。
　　Kinnell　took　one　of　the　ornamental　matches　from　the　jar　on　the　mantel；　struck　it　on　the　hearth；　and　poked　it　in　through　the　hole　in　the　glass。　The　painting　caught　at　once；　fire　billowing　up　and　down　across　the　Grand　Am　and　the　water　tower。　The　remaining　glass　in　the　frame　turned　black；　then　broke　outward　in　a　shower　of　flaming　pieces。　Kinnell　crunched　them　under　his　sneakers；　putting　them　out　before　they　could　set　the　rug　on　fire。
　　
　　He　went　to　the　phone　and　punched　in　Aunt　Trudy's　number；　unaware　that　he　was　crying。　On　the　third　ring；　his　aunt's　answering　machine　picked　up。　'Hello；'　Aunt　Trudy　said；　'I　know　it　encourages　the　burglars　to　say　things　like　this；　but　I've　gone　up　to　Kennebunk　to　watch　the　new　Harrison　Ford　movie。　If　you　intend　to　break　in；　please　don't　take　my　china　pigs。　If　you　want　to　leave　a　message；　do　so　at　the　beep。'
　　Kinnell　waited；　then；　keeping　his　voice　as　steady　as　possible；　he　said：　'It's　Richie；　Aunt　Trudy。　Call　me　when　you　get　back；　okay？　No　matter　how　late。'
　　He　hung　up；　looked　at　the　TV；　then　dialed　Newswire　again；　this　time　punching　in　the　Maine　area　code。　While　the　puters　on　the　other　end　processed　his　order；　he　went　back　and　used　a　poker　to　jab　at　the　blackened；　twisted　thing　in　the　fireplace。　The　stench　was　ghastly…it　made　the　spilled　vinegar　smell　like　a　flowerpatch　in　parison…but　Kinnell　found　he　didn't　mind。　The　picture　was　entirely　gone；　reduced　to　ash；　and　that　made　it　worthwhile。
　　What　if　it　es　back　again？
　　'It　won't；'　he　said；　putting　the　poker　back　and　returning　to　the　TV。　'I'm　sure　it　won't。'
　　
　　But　every　time　the　news　scroll　started　to　recycle；　he　got　up　to　check。　The　picture　was　just　ashes　on　the　hearth　。　。　。　and　there　was　no　word　of　elderly　women　being　murdered　in　the　Wells…Saco…Kennebunk　area　of　the　state。　Kinnell　kept　watching；　almost　expecting　to　see　A　GRAND　AM　MOVING　AT　HIGH　SPEED　CRASHED　INTO　A　KENNEBUNK　MOVIE　THEATER　TONIGHT；　KILLING　AT　LEAST　TEN；　but　nothing　of　the　sort　showed　up。
　　At　a　quarter　of　eleven　the　telephone　rang。　Kinnell　snatched　it　up。　'Hello？'
　　'It's　Trudy；　dear。　Are　you　all　right？'
　　'Yes；　fine。'
　　'You　don't　sound　fine；'　she　said。　'Your　voice　sounds　trembly　and　。　。　。　funny。　What's　wrong？　What　is　it？'　And　then；　chilling　him　but　not　really　surprising　him：　'It's　that　picture　you　were　so　pleased　with；　isn't　it？　That　goddamned　picture！'
　　It　calmed　him　somehow；　that　she　should　guess　so　much　。　。　。　and；　of　course；　there　was　the　relief　of　knowing　she　was　safe。
　　'Well；　maybe；'　he　said。　'I　had　the　heebie…jeebies　all　the　way　back　here；　so　I　burned　it。　In　the　fireplace。'
　　She's　going　to　find　out　about　Judy　Diment；　you　know；　a　voice　inside　warned。　She　doesn't　have　a　twenty…thousand…dollar　satellite　hookup；　but　she　does　subscribe　to　the　Union　Leader　and　this'll　be　on　the　front　page。　She'll　put　two　and　two　together。　She's　far　from　stupid。
　　Yes；　that　was　undoubtedly　true；　but　further　explanations　could　wait　until　the　morning；　when　he　might　be　a　little　less　freaked　。　。　。　when　he　might've　found　a　way　to　think　about　the　Road　Virus　without　losing　his　mind　。　。　。　and　when　he'd　begun　to　be　sure　it　was　really　over。
　　'Good！'　she　said　emphatically。　'You　ought　to　scatter　the　ashes；　too！'　She　paused；　and　when　she　spoke　again；　her　voice　was　lower。　'You　were　worried　about　me；　weren't　you？　Because　you　showed　it　to　me。'
　　'A　little；　yes。'
　　'But　you　feel　better　now？'
　　He　leaned　back　and　closed　his　eyes。　It　was　true；　he　did。　'Uh…huh。　How　was　the　movie？'
　　'Good。　Harrison　Ford　looks　wo