p&c.brimstone-第82章

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　Rocker；　who　was　about　to　pass　over　her；　caught　her　expression。　〃Hayward？　Do　you　have　something　to　contribute？〃　
　〃Thank　you；　sir。　While　I　agree　with　some　of　Mr。　Wentworth's　analysis　of　the　situation；　I　disagree　with　his　remendation；　with　all　due　respect。〃　
　She　found　Wentworth's　watery　eyes　on　her；　clearly　pitying　her　ignorance。　Too　late；　she　realized　she　had　called　him　〃Mr。〃　instead　of　〃Dr。〃　A　cardinal　sin　among　academics；　and　his　antagonism　was　palpable。　Well；　screw　him。　
　〃There's　no　such　thing　as　a　nonprovocative　arrest；〃　she　went　on。　〃Any　attempt　to　go　in　there　and　take　Buck　away　by　force…even　gently…won't　work。　If　he's　crazy；　then　he's　crazy　like　a　fox。　He'll　refuse　to　e。　As　soon　as　the　cuffs　appear；　your　two　'preferably　female　and　attractive'　cops　will　find　themselves　in　a　nasty　situation。〃　
　〃missioner；〃　Grable　interrupted；　〃this　man　is　openly　flouting　the　law。　I'm　getting　a　thousand　calls　a　day　from　businesses　and　residents　on　Fifth　Avenue…the　Sherry　Netherland；　the　Metropolitan　Club；　the　Plaza。　The　phone　lines　are　jammed。　And　you　can　bet　that　if　they're　calling　me；　they're　calling　the　mayor。〃　He　paused；　letting　this　sink　in。　
　〃I　am　acutely　aware　they　have　been　calling　the　mayor；〃　Rocker　said；　his　voice　low　and　unamused。　
　〃Then　you　know；　sir；　that　we　don't　have　the　luxury　of　time。　We've　got　to　do　something。　What　other　options　are　there　besides　arresting　this　man？　Does　Captain　Hayward　have　a　better　idea？　I'd　like　to　hear　it。〃　He　leaned　back；　breathing　hard。　
　Hayward　spoke　coolly。　〃Captain　Grable；　these　businesses　and　residents　you　mention　should　not　be　allowed　to　push　the　police　into　a　hasty　and　ill…considered　operation。〃In　other　words；　she　thought；they　can　go　fuck　themselves。　
　〃Easy　for　you　to　say　from　your　perch　in　the　detective　bureau。　These　people　are　in　my　face　every　day。　If　you　had　solved　the　Cutforth　homicide；　we　wouldn't　have　this　problem；Captain　。〃　
　Hayward　nodded；　keeping　her　face　neutral。　Score　one　to　Grable。　
　Rocker　turned　to　her。　〃Speaking　of　that；　how　is　the　investigation　proceeding；　Captain？〃　
　〃There's　some　new　forensic　evidence　the　boys　in　lab　coats　are　going　over。　We're　still　checking　the　people　on　Cutforth's　call　list　during　his　last　seventy…two　hours。　And　we're　reviewing　the　security　video　cams　from　his　apartment　lobby；　cross…checking　them　against　residents　and　known　visitors。　And；　of　course；　the　FBI　is　following　up　some　promising　leads　in　Italy。〃　This　was　thin；　and　Hayward　knew　it　sounded　that　way。　The　fact　was；　they　didn't　have　squat。　
　〃So　what'syour　plan　for　dealing　with　this　guy　Buck？〃　Grable；　sensing　he　had　the　upper　hand；　faced　her　belligerently。　
　〃I　would　advise　an　even　less　aggressive　approach。　Don't　push　it。　Don't　do　anything　to　provoke　things。　Instead；　send　someone　in　there　to　talk　to　Buck。　Lay　it　out　for　him。　He's　got　hundreds　of　people　there；　ruining　the　park　and　disturbing　the　neighborhood。　He　is　a　responsible　person　at　heart　and　will　naturally　want　to　do　something　about　that；　he'll　surely　want　to　send　his　followers　home　to　shave；　shit；　and　shower。　That's　how　I'd　put　it。　On　top　of　that；　I'd　offer　Buck　a　deal：　if　he　sends　his　followers　home；　we　give　him　a　parade　permit。　Treat　him　like　a　rational　human　being。　All　carrot；　no　stick。　Then；　as　soon　as　they've　broken　camp；　fence　the　area　under　the　guise　of　reseeding。　And　then　give　them　a　parade　permit　for　eight　o'clock　Monday　morning　for　the　far　corner　of　Flushing　Meadows　Park。　That　will　be　the　last　you　see　of　them。〃　
　She　saw　another　cynical　glimmer　in　Rocker's　eye。　She　wondered　if　it　indicated　agreement　with；　or　amusement　at；　her　suggestion。　Rocker　had　a　good　rep　among　the　rank　and　file；　but　he　was　notoriously　hard　to　read。　
　〃Treat　him　like　a　rational　human　being？〃　Grable　repeated。　〃The　man's　a　convicted　murderer。〃　
　The　psychologist　chuckled。　Hayward　glanced　at　him；　and　he　returned　the　look。　His　expression　had　bee　even　more　condescending。　She　wondered　if　he　knew　something　she　didn't。　This　was　all　beginning　to　look　like　a　foregone　conclusion。　
　〃And　if　your　plan　doesn't　work？〃　missioner　Rocker　asked　her。　
　〃Then　I　would　defer　to；　ah；　Mr。　Wentworth。〃　
　〃That's　Doc…；〃　began　Wentworth；　but　he　was　interrupted　by　Grable。　
　〃missioner；　we　don't　have　the　time　to　try　first　one　plan　and　then　another。　We　need　to　get　Buck　out　now。　Either　he　es　nicely　or　in　cuffs…his　choice。　We　do　it　quick；　at　dawn。　He'll　be　sweating　in　the　back　of　a　squad　car　even　before　his　followers　know　he's　missing。〃　
　Silence。　Rocker　was　looking　around　the　room。　There　were　a　couple　of　men　who　hadn't　spoken。　〃Gentlemen？〃　
　Nods；　murmurs。　Everyone；　it　seemed；　agreed　with　the　psychologist　and　Grable。　
　〃Well；〃　said　Rocker；　rising。　〃I　have　to　go　along　with　the　consensus。　After　all；　we　don't　have　a　psychologist　on　staff　only　to　ignore　his　advice。〃　He　glanced　at　Hayward。　She　couldn't　quite　read　his　expression；　but　she　sensed　something　not　unsympathetic　in　the　look。　
　〃We'll　go　in　with　a　small　group；　as　Wentworth　suggests；〃　Rocker　continued。　〃Just　two　officers。　Captain　Grable；　you'll　be　the　first。〃　
　Grable　looked　at　him　in　surprise。　
　〃It's　your　precinct；　as　you　took　pains　to　point　out。　And　you're　the　one　advocating　quick　action。〃　
　Grable　quickly　mastered　his　surprise。　〃Of　course；　sir。　Quite　right。〃　
　〃And　also　as　Wentworth　suggests；　we'll　send　in　a　woman。〃　Rocker　nodded　to　Hayward。　〃That　would　be　you。〃　
　The　room　fell　silent。　Hayward　saw　Grable　and　Wentworth　exchanging　glances。　
　But　Rocker　was　still　looking　directly　at　her。Keep　things　rational　for　me；　Hayward　；　the　look　seemed　to　say。　
　〃Buck　will　appreciate　two　ranking　officers。　That　should　appeal　to　his　sense　of　importance。〃　Rocker　turned。　〃Grable；　you've　got　seniority　and　it's　your　operation。　I　leave　it　to　you　to　organize　the　details　and　timing。　This　meeting　is　adjourned。〃　
　　　
　64　
　
　The　morning　after　the　trip　to　Cremona　was　bright　and　crisp；　andD'Agosta　squinted　against　the　noonday　sun　as　he　acpanied　Pendergast　back　to　Piazza　Santo　Spirito；　across　the　river　from　their　hotel。　
　〃You　checked　in　with　Captain　Hayward？〃　Pendergast　asked　as　they　walked。　
　〃Just　before　going　to　bed。〃　
　〃Anything　of　interest？〃　
　〃Not　really。　What　few　leads　they'd　been　following　up　on　Cutforth　all　turned　into　dead　ends。　The　security　video　cams　at　his　building　told　them　nothing。　It's　the　same　with　Grove；　apparently。　And　now；　all　the　top　New　York　brass　are　preoccupied　with　this　preacher　who's　taken　up　residence　in　Central　Park。〃　
　This　time；　D'Agosta　found　the　piazza　not　nearly　as　quiet　as　before：　its　tranquillity　was　spoiled　by　a　large　group　of　backpackers　sitting　on　the　steps　of　the　fountain；　smoking　pot　and　passing　around　a　bottle　of　Brunello　wine；　talking　loudly　in　half　a　dozen　languages。　They　were　acpanied　by　at　least　ten　loose　dogs。　
　〃Careful　where　you　step；　Vincent；〃　murmured　Pendergast　with　a　wry　smile。　〃Florence：　such　a　marvelous　mixture　of　high　and　low。〃　He　raised　his　hand　above　the　piles　of　dogshit　and　gestured　at　the　magnificent　building　which　occupied　the　southeast　corner。　〃For　example；　the　Palazzo　Guadagni。　One　of　the　finest　examples　of　a　Renaissance　palace　in　the　entire　city。　It　was　constructed　in　the　1400s；　but　the　Guadagni　family　goes　back　several　more　centuries。〃　
　D'Agosta　examined　the　building。　The　first　story　was　built　in　rough　blocks　of　dun…colored　limestone；　while　the　upper　floors　were　covered　in　yellow　stucco。　Most　of　the　top　floor　was　a　loggia：　a　roofed　portico　supported　by　stone　columns。　The　structure　was　restrained　but　elegant。　
　〃There　are　various　offices　and　apartments　on　the　second　floor；　a　language　school　on　the　third。　And　the　top　floor　is　apensione　；　run　by　a　Signora　Donatelli。　That；　without　doubt；　is　where　Beckmann　and　the　rest　met　back　in　1974。〃　
　〃Does　this　woman　own　the　palazzo？〃　
　〃She　does。　The　last　descendant　of　the　Guadagni。〃　
　〃You　really　think　she'll　remember　a　couple　of　college　students　who　visited　three　decades　ago？〃　
　〃One　can　only　try；　Vincent。〃　
　They　picked　their　way　gingerly　across　the　piazza　and　through　an　enormous　pair　of　iron…studded　wooden　doors。　A　once…grand　but　now　grimy　vaulted　passageway　led　to　a　stairway　and　a　second…floor　landing。　Here；　a　shabby　piece　of　cardboard　had　been　hung　on　the　cornice　of　a　f