p&c.brimstone-第13章

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　Jesus。　Oh；　Jesus。Reddening；　D'Agosta　put　the　letters　down。　
　〃Learn　something　new　every　day；　huh；　D'Agosta？〃　Lillian　asked；　grinning。　
　D'Agosta　turned　back　to　the　table。　There　was　a　small　stack　of　books：Dr。　Faustus　by　Christopher　Marlowe；The　New　Book　of　Christian　Prayers　；Malleus　Maleficarum。　
　〃The　Witches　Hammer；〃　Pendergast　said；　nodding　at　the　last　title。　〃The　professional　witch…hunting　manual　of　the　Inquisition。　A　font　of　information　on　the　black　arts。〃　
　Beside　the　books　was　a　stack　of　Web　printouts。　D'Agosta　picked　up　the　top　sheet。　The　site　was　called　Maledicat　Dominus；　this　particular　page　appeared　to　be　devoted　to　charms　or　prayers　for　warding　off　the　devil。　
　〃He　visited　a　bunch　of　sites　like　that　in　the　last　twenty…four　hours　of　his　life；〃　said　Braskie。　〃Those　were　the　pages　he　printed　out。〃　
　Pendergast　was　now　examining　a　wine　cork　with　a　magnifying　glass。　〃What　was　the　menu？〃　he　asked。　
　Braskie　turned　to　a　notebook；　flipped　open　some　pages；　and　passed　it　to　Pendergast。　
　Pendergast　read　aloud。　〃Dover　sole；　grilled　medallions　of　beef　in　a　burgundy　and　mushroom　reduction；　julienned　carrots；　salad；　lemon　sherbet。　Served　with　a　'90　Petrus。　Excellent　taste　in　wine。〃　
　Handing　back　the　notebook；　Pendergast　continued　his　prowl。　He　bent　forward；　picked　up　a　wrinkled　piece　of　paper。　
　〃We　found　that　balled　up　in　the　wastebasket。　Appears　to　be　a　proof　sheet　of　some　kind。〃　
　〃It's　an　advance　print　of　an　article　for　the　next　issue　ofArt　Review　。　Due　on　the　newsstands　tomorrow；　if　I'm　not　mistaken。〃　Pendergast　smoothed　the　paper；　once　again　began　to　read　out　loud。　〃'Art　history；　like　any　other　great　discipline；　has　its　own　sacred　temples：　places　and　moments　any　self…respecting　critic　would　give　his　eyeteeth　to　have　attended。　The　first　impressionist　exhibition　on　the　Boulevard　des　Capucines　in　1874　was　one；　the　day　Braque　first　saw　Picasso'sLes　Demoiselles　d'Avignon　is　another。　I　am　here　now　to　tell　you　that　the　Golgotha　series　of　Maurice　Vilnius…now　on　display　in　his　East　Village　studio…will　be　another　such　watershed　moment　in　the　history　of　art。'〃　
　〃At　the　memorial　service　yesterday；　I　thought　you　said　Grove　hated　Vilnius's　stuff；〃　D'Agosta　said。　
　〃And　so　he　did…in　years　past。　But　he　seems　to　have　suffered　a　change　of　heart。〃　Pendergast　replaced　the　paper　on　the　desk　with　a　thoughtful　expression。　〃It　certainly　explains　why　Vilnius　was　in　such　a　good　mood　last　night。〃　
　〃We　found　another；　similar　article　sitting　beside　his　puter；〃　Braskie　said；　pointing　to　another　sheet　on　the　table。　〃Printed　out　but　not　signed。　Appears　to　be　by　Grove；　however。〃　
　Pendergast　picked　up　the　indicated　sheet。　〃It's　an　article　toBurlington　Magazine　；　titled　'A　Reappraisal　of　Georges　de　la　Tour'sThe　Education　of　the　Virgin　。'〃　He　glanced　over　it　quickly。　〃It's　a　short　article　by　Grove　retracting　his　own　earlier　review；　where　he　labeled　the　de　la　Tour　painting　a　forgery。〃　He　replaced　the　sheet。　〃He　appears　to　have　changed　his　mind　about　a　lot　of　things　in　his　final　hours。〃　
　Pendergast　glided　along　the　table；　then　stopped　once　again；　this　time　before　a　sheaf　of　telephone　records。　〃Now；　these　will　be　helpful；　don't　you　think；　Vincent？〃　he　said；　handing　them　to　D'Agosta。　
　〃Just　got　the　warrant　for　their　release　this　morning；〃　said　Braskie。　〃Clipped　to　the　back　are　names　and　addresses　and　a　short　identification　of　each　person　he　called。〃　
　〃Looks　like　he　made　a　lot　of　calls　on　his　last　day；〃　said　D'Agosta；　flipping　through。　
　〃He　did；〃　said　Braskie。　〃To　a　lot　of　strange　people。〃　
　D'Agosta　turned　over　the　records　and　looked　at　the　list。　Itwas　strange：　An　international　call　to　Professor　Iain　Montcalm；　New　College；　Oxford　；　Medieval　Studies　Department。　Other；　local　calls　to　Evelyn　Milbanke；　Jonathan　Frederick。　A　variety　of　calls　to　directory　information。　After　midnight；　calls　to　Locke　Bullard；　the　industrialist；　one　Nigel　Cutforth；　and　then…even　later…the　call　to　Father　Cappi。　
　〃We　plan　to　interview　them　all。　Montcalm；　by　the　way；　is　one　of　the　world's　experts　on　medieval　satanic　practices。〃　
　Pendergast　nodded。　
　〃Milbanke　and　Frederick　were　at　the　last　dinner　party；　and　the　calls　were　probably　about　organizing　it。　We　have　no　idea　why　he　called　Bullard。　We　don't　have　any　evidence　that　he　ever　met　the　guy。　Cutforth　is　also　a　cipher。　He's　some　kind　of　record　producer；　again　no　indication　that　he　and　Grove　ever　crossed　paths。　Yet　in　both　cases；　Grove　had　their　private　numbers。〃　
　〃What　about　all　these　calls　to　directory　information？〃　D'Agosta　asked。　〃He　must　have　called　at　least　a　dozen　different　cities。〃　
　〃As　far　as　we　can　tell；　he　was　trying　to　track　down　somebody　by　the　name　of　Beckmann。　Ranier　Beckmann。　His　Internet　search　activity　bears　this　out；　too。〃　
　Pendergast　laid　down　a　dirty　napkin　he　had　been　examining。　〃Excellent　work；　Lieutenant。　Do　you　mind　if　we　interview　some　of　these　people　as　well？〃　
　〃Be　my　guest。〃　
　D'Agosta　and　Pendergast　climbed　into　the　agent's　Rolls；　idling　ostentatiously　in　front　of　the　police　station；　the　driver　in　full　livery。　As　the　powerful　vehicle　accelerated　away　from　the　station；　Pendergast　slipped　a　leather　notebook　from　his　pocket；　opened　it　to　a　fresh　page；　and　began　making　notations　with　a　gold　pen。　〃We　seem　to　have　an　embarrassment　of　suspects。〃　
　〃Yeah。　Like　about　everyone　Grove　ever　knew。〃　
　〃With　the　possible　exception　of　Maurice　Vilnius。　Even　so；　I　suspect　the　list　will　shorten　itself　rather　quickly。　Meanwhile；　we　have　our　work　cut　out　for　us　tomorrow。〃　He　handed　the　list　to　D'Agosta。　〃You　speak　with　Milbanke；　Bullard；　and　Cutforth。　I'll　take　Vilnius；　Fosco；　and　Montcalm。　And　here　are　some　identification　cards　from　the　FBI　Southern　District　of　Manhattan　Field　Office。　If　anybody　objects　to　the　questions；　give　them　one　of　these。〃　
　〃Anything　in　particular　I　should　be　looking　for？〃　
　〃Strictly　routine　police　work。　We've　reached　the　point　in　the　case　where　we　must　regrettably　put　on　those　old…fashioned　gumshoes。　Isn't　that　how　they　say　it　in　those　detective　novels　you　used　to　write？〃　
　D'Agosta　managed　a　wry　smile。　〃Not　exactly。〃　
　　　
　10　
　
　Nigel　Cutforth；　sitting　in　his　Bauhaus…style　breakfast　nook1；052　feet　above　Fifth　Avenue；　lowered　the　latest　issue　ofBillboard　and　sniffed　the　air。　What　was　it　with　the　ventilation　in　his　apartment　these　past　few　days？　This　was　the　third　time　that　sulfurous　stink　had　e　up　into　his　apartment。　Twice　those　yahoos　from　building　maintenance　had　e　up；　and　twice　they'd　found　nothing。　
　Cutforth　slapped　down　the　paper。　〃Eliza！〃　
　Eliza　was　Cutforth's　second　wife…he'd　finally　dumped　the　old　bag　who　had　worn　herself　out　bearing　him　children　and　found　something　fresher…and　there　she　stood　in　the　doorway；　in　her　exercise　tights；　brushing　her　long　blonde　hair　with　her　head　tilted　to　one　side。　Cutforth　could　hear　the　crackle　of　static。　
　〃There's　that　smell　again；〃　he　said。　
　〃I've　got　a　nose；　too；〃　she　said；　swinging　one　mass　of　hair　back　and　pulling　another　forward。　
　There　was　a　time　not　so　long　before　when　Cutforth　liked　watching　her　mess　with　her　hair。　Now　it　was　beginning　to　get　on　his　nerves。　She　wasted　half　an　hour　a　day　on　it；　at　least。　
　As　she　continued　brushing；　Cutforth　felt　his　irritation　rise。　〃I　paid　five　and　a　half　mil　for　this　apartment；　and　it　smells　like　a　goddamn　science　experiment。　Why　don't　you　call　maintenance？〃　
　〃The　phone's　right　there；　next　to　your　elbow。〃　
　Cutforth　didn't　care　for　the　tone　she　was　taking　with　him。　
　She　swung　the　last　part　of　her　hair　back；　shook　it　out；　straightened。　〃I've　got　my　spin　workout　in　fifteen　minutes。　I'm　already　late。〃　
　With　that；　she　vanished　from　the　doorway。　Cutforth　could　hear　her　banging　the　hall　closet；　getting　on　her　tennis　shoes。　A　moment　later　there　was　the　hum　of　the　elevator　in　the　hall　beyond；　and　she　was　gone。　
　He　stared　at　the　closed　door；　trying　to　remind　himself　that　he'd　wanted　something　fresher；　that　he'd　gotten　something　fresher。　Too　fucking　fresh；　in　fact。　
　He　sniffed　again。　If　anything；　the　smell　was　worse。　It　would　be　a　bitch　getting　maintenance　up　here　a　third　time。　Building　management　was　useless；　they　did　something　only　if　you　yelled　loud　enough。　But　there　were　only　two　apartments　on　this　floor…the　other　had