cpatricia.blacknotice-第60章

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　　〃Verification；　to　start　with。　We　need　to　prove　the　body　is　Thomas。　I　have　no　doubt。　But　there　are　those　little　legal　nuisances　we　law　enforcers　have　to　put　up　with。〃　He　smiled　at　me。
　　〃DNA；　fingerprints；　films？　Do　we　have　anything　for　parison？〃　I　asked；　knowing　full　well　what　the　answer　would　be。
　　〃Professional　criminals　make　it　a　point　to　avoid　such　things；〃　Mirot　remarked。
　　〃We've　found　nothing；〃　Talley　replied。　〃And　that's　where　Loup…Garou　es　into　the　picture。　His　DNA　could　identify　his　brother's。〃
　　〃So　we're　supposed　to　put　an　ad　in　the　paper　and　ask　the　Loup　to　drop　by　and　give　a　blood　sample？〃　Marino　was　getting　surlier　as　the　morning　went　on。
　　〃Here's　what　we　think　might　have　happened；〃　Talley　said；　ignoring　him。　〃On　this　past　November　twenty…fourth；　just　two　days　before　the　Sirius　set　sail　for　Richmond；　the　man　who　calls　himself　Loup…Garou　made　what　we　believe　was　his　last　murder　attempt　in　Paris。　Notice　I　say　attempt。　The　woman　escaped。
　　〃This　was　around　eight…thirty　in　the　evening；〃　Talley；
　　began　his　account　of　the　events。　〃There　was　a　knock　on　her　door。　When　she　answered　it；　she　found　a　man　standing　on　her　porch。　He　was　polite　and　articulate；　he　seemed　very　refined；　and　she　thought　she　remembered　an　elegant　long　dark　coat；　maybe　leather；　and　a　dark　scarf　tucked　into　the　collar。　He　said　he'd　just　been　in　a　minor　car　accident　and　could　he　please　use　her　phone　to　call　the　police。　He　was　very　convincing。　She　was　about　to　let　him　in　when　her　husband　called　out　something　from　another　room　and　the　man　suddenly　fled。〃　 …〃She　get　a　good　look　at　him？〃　Marino　asked。
　　〃The　coat；　the　scarf；　maybe　a　hat。　She's　fairly　certain　he　had　his　hands　in　his　pockets　and　was　kind　of　hunched　against　the　cold；〃　Talley　said。　〃She　couldn't　see　his　face　because　it　was　dark。　Overall；　it　was　her　impression　he　was　a　polite；　pleasant　gentleman。'
　　Talley　paused。
　　〃More　coffee？　Water？〃　he　asked　everyone　while　he　looked　at　me。　I　noticed　his　right　ear　was　pierced。　I　hadn't　seen　the　tiny　diamond　until　it　caught　the　light　as　he　bent　over　to　fill　my　glass。
　　〃Two　days　after　the　murder　attempt；　on　November　twenty…fourth；　the　Sirius　was　to　sail　out　of　Antwerp；　as　was　another　vessel　called　the　Exodus；　a　Moroccan　ship　that　regularly　brings　phosphate　to　Europe；〃　Talley　resumed　as　he　returned　to　his　chair。
　　〃But　Thomas　Chandonne　had　a　sweet　little　diversion　going；　and　the　Exodus　ended　up　in　Miami　with　all　sorts　of　guns；　explosives…you　name　it…hidden　inside　bags　of　phosphate。　We've　known　what　he　was　doing；　and　maybe　yo　u're　beginning　to　see　the　HIDTA　connection？　The　take　down　your　niece　was　involved　in？　It　was　just　one　of　manyspinoffs　of　Thomas's　activities。〃
　　〃Obviously；　his　family　caught　on；〃　Marino　said。
　　〃We　believe　he　got　away　with　it　for　a　long　time　by　using　strange　routes；　altering　books；　you　name　it；〃　Talley　replied。　〃On　the　street；　you　call　it　spanking。　In　legal　business；　you　call　it　embezzling。　In　the　Chandonne　family；　you　call　it　suicide。　And　we　don't　know　exactly　what　happened；　but　something　did；　because　we　expected　him　to　be　on　the　Exodus　and　he　wasn't。
　　〃And　why　not？〃　Talley　posed　it　almost　as　if　it　were　a　rhetorical　question。　〃Because　he　knew　he　was　had。　He　altered　his　tattoo。　He　chose　a　small　port　where　no　one　was　likely　to　look　for　a　stowaway。〃　Talley　looked　at　me。　〃Richmond　was　a　good　choice。　There　are　very　few　niche　ports　left　in　the　United　States；　and　Richmond　has　a　steady　stream　of　vessels　going　back　and　forth　to　Antwerp。〃
　　〃So　Thomas；　using　an　alias　。　。　。〃　I　started　to　say。
　　〃One　of　many；〃　Mirot　inserted。
　　〃He'd　already　signed　on　as　crew　for　the　Sirius。　Point　was；　he　was　supposed　to　end　up　in　the　safe　haven　of　Richmond　while　the　Exodus　went　on　its　way　to　Miami　to　make　a　run　without　him；〃　Talley　said。
　　〃And　where　does　the　werewolf　e　into　all　this？〃　Marino　wanted　to　know。
　　〃We　can　only　speculate；〃　Mirot　answered。　〃LoupGarou's　getting　increasingly　out　of　control；　his　last　murder　attempt　has　gone　haywire。　Now　maybe　he's　been　seen。　Maybe　his　family's　had　enough；　plans　to　get　rid　of　him　and　he　knows　it。　Maybe　he　somehow　knows　his　brother　plans　to　leave　the　country　on　the　Sirius。　Maybe　he　was　stalking　Thomas；　too；　knew　about　the　altered　tattoo；　and　so　on。　He　drowns　Thomas；　locks　the　body　inside　the　container　and　tries　to　make　it　appear　this　dead　person　is　him；　this　Loup…Garou。〃
　　〃Swapped　clothes　with　him？〃　Talley　directed　this　at　me。
　　〃If　he　planned　to　take　Thomas's　place　on　a　ship；　he's　not　going　to　show　up　in　Armani〃
　　〃What　was　found　in　the　pockets？〃　Talley　seemed　to　lean　into　me　even　when　he　was　sitting　up　straight。
　　〃Transferred；〃　I　said。　〃The　lighter；　the　money；　all　of　it。　Out　of　Thomas's　pockets　and　stuffed　inside　the　pockets　of　the　designer　jeans　his　dead　brother…if　it　is　his　brotherwas　wearing　when　his　body　turned　up　at　the　Richmond　port。'；
　　〃Pocket　contents　swapped；　but　no　form　of　identification　turned　up。〃
　　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃And　we　don't　know　that　all　of　this　change　of　clothing　happened　after　Thomas　was　dead。　That's　rather　cumbersome。　Better　to　force　your　victim　to　undress。〃
　　〃Yes。〃　Mirot　nodded。　〃I　was　ing　around　to　that。　Exchange　clothes　that　way　before　killing　the　person。　Both　people　undress。〃
　　I　thought　of　the　inside…out　underwear；　the　grit　on　the　naked　knees　and　buttocks。　The　scuffs　on　the　back　of　the　shoes　might　have　been　caused　later　when　Thomas　was　drowned；　his　body　dragged　into　the　corner　of　the　container。
　　〃How　many　crewmen　was　the　Sirius　supposed　to　have？〃　I　asked。
　　It　was　Marino　who　answered。　〃There　was　seven　on　the　list。　All…　of　them　was　questioned；　but　not　by　me　since　I　don't　speak　the　language。　Some　guy　in　customs　had　the　honors。〃
　　〃The　crewmen　all　knew　each　other？〃　I　asked。
　　〃No；'　Talley　replied。　〃Which　isn't　unusual　when　you　consider　that　these　ships　only　earn　money　when　they're　moving。　Two　weeks　out　to　sea；　two　weeks　back；　nonstop；
　　there's　going　to　be　rotating　crew。　Not　to　mention；　you're　talking　about　the　kind　of　guys　who　never　stay　with　anything　very　long；　so　you　could　have　a　crew　of　seven　and　only　two　of　them　might　have　sailed　together　before。〃
　　〃Same　seven　men　on　board　when　the　ship　sailed　back　to　Antwerp？〃　I　asked。
　　〃According　to　Joe　Shaw；〃　Marino　replied；　〃none　of　them　ever　left　the　Richmond　port。　Ate　and　slept　on　their　ship；　unloaded　and　was　gone。〃
　　〃Ah；〃　Talley　said。　〃But　that's　not　quite　the　case。　One　of　them　supposedly　had　a　family　emergency。　The　shipping　agent　took　him　to　the　Richmond　airport　but　never　actually　saw　him　get　on　the　plane。　The　name　on　his　seaman's　book　was　Pascal　Uger。　This　Monsieur　Uger　doesn't　seem　to　exist　and　quite　possibly　was　Thomas's　alias；　the　one　he　was　using　when　he　was　killed；　the　alias　Loup…Garou　may　have　taken　aftei　he　drowned　him。〃
　　〃I'm　having　trouble　envisioning　this　deranged　serial　killer　as　Thomas　Chandonne's　brother；〃　I　said。　〃What　makes　you　so　certain？〃
　　〃The　cover…up　tattoo；　as　we've　said；〃　Talley　replied。　〃Your　most　recent　information　about　the　details　of　Kim　Luong's　murder。　The　beating；　biting；　the　way　she　was　undressed；　all　the　rest　of　it。　A　very；　very　unique　and　horrific　M。O。　When　Thomas　was　a　boy；　Dr。　Scarpetta；　he　used　to　tell　his…　classmates　he　had　an　older　brother　who　was　an　espéee　de　sale　gorille。　A　stupid；　ugly　monkey　who　had　to　live　at　home。〃
　　〃This　killer　isn't　stupid；'　I　said。
　　〃Not　hardly；〃　Mirot　agreed。
　　〃We　can't　find　any　record　of　this　brother。　Not　his　name；　nothing；〃　Talley　said。　〃But　we　believe　he　exists。〃
　　〃You'll　understand　all　of　this　better　when　we　go　through　the　cases；〃　Mirot　added。
　　〃I'd　like　to　review　them　now；〃　I　said。
　　　
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　　Jay　Talley　picked　up　the　accordion　folder　and　withdrew　numerous　thick　files。　He　set　them　on　the　coffee　table　in　front　of　me。
　　〃We've　translated　them　into　English；〃　he　said。　〃All　the　autopsies　were　done　at　the　Institut　Médico…Légal　in　Paris。〃
　　I　began　to　go　through　them。　Each　victim　'had　been　beaten　beyond　recognition；　and　autopsy　photographs　and　reports　showed　bruising　imprints　and　stellate　lacerations　where　the　skin　had　split　when　a　blow　was　struck　with　some　type　of　weapon　that　I　didn't　believe　was　the　same　type　as　the　one　used　on　Kim　Luong。