cpatricia.unnaturalexposure-第26章

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　'There's　been　no　blatant　threat；'　I　reminded　him。　'All　we　want　is　enough　for　a　warrant。'
　'We　got　to　find　the　person　first；'　Ring　said；　stretching　and　yawning　in　his　chair　like　a　cat。
　'We're　watching　for　him　to　log　on　again；'　Lucy　replied。　'It's　being　monitored　around　the　clock。'　She　continued　hitting　keys　on　her　laptop；　checking　the　constant　flow　of　messages。　'But　if　you　imagine　a　global　telephone　system　with　some　forty　million　users；　and　no　directory；　no　operators；　no　directory　assistance；　that's　what　you've　got　with　the　Internet。　There's　no　list　of　membership；　nor　does　AOL　have　one；　unless　you　voluntarily　choose　to　fill　out　a　profile。　In　this　case；　all　we　have　is　the　bogus　name　deadoc。'
　'How　did　he　know　where　to　send　Dr　Scarpetta's　mail？'　Grigg　looked　at　me。
　I　explained；　and　then　asked　Lucy；　'This　is　all　done　by　charge　card？'
　She　nodded。　'That　much　we've　traced。　An　American　Express　Card　in　the　name　of　Ken　L。　Perley。　A　retired　high…school　teacher。　Norfolk。　Seventy；　lives　alone。'
　'Do　we　have　any　idea　how　someone　might　have　gotten　access　to　his　card？'　Wesley　asked。
　'It　doesn't　appear　Perley　uses　his　credit　cards　much。　Last　time　was　in　a　Norfolk　restaurant；　a　Red　Lobster。　This　was　on　October　second；　when　he　and　his　son　went　out　to　dinner。　The　bill　was　twenty…seven　dollars　and　thirty　cents；　including　the　tip；　which　he　put　on　AmEx。　Neither　he　nor　the　son　remembers　anything　unusual　that　night。　But　when　it　was　time　to　pay　the　bill；　the　credit　card　was　left　on　the　table　in　plain　view　for　quite　a　long　interval　because　the　restaurant　was　very　busy。　At　some　point　while　the　card　was　out；　Perley　went　to　the　men's　room；　and　the　son　stepped　outside　to　smoke。'
　'Christ。　That　was　intelligent。　Did　someone　from　the　wait　staff　notice　anyone　ing　over　to　the　table？'　Wesley　said　to　Lucy。
　'Like　I　said；　it　was　busy。　We're　running　down　every　charge　made　that　night　to　get　a　list　of　customers。　Problem's　going　to　be　the　people　who　paid　cash。'
　'And　I　suppose　it's　too　soon　for　the　AOL　charges　to　have　e　up　on　Perley's　American　Express；'　he　said。
　'Right。　According　to　AOL；　the　account　was　just　opened　recently。　A　week　after　the　dinner　at　the　Red　Lobster；　to　be　exact。　Perley's　being　very　cooperative　with　us；'　Lucy　added。　'And　AOL　is　leaving　the　account　open　without　charge　in　the　event　the　perpetrator　wants　to　send　something　else。'
　Wesley　nodded。　'Though　we　can't　assume　it；　we　should　consider　that　the　killer；　at　least　in　the　Atlantic　landfill　case；　may　have　been　in　Norfolk　as　recently　as　a　month　ago。'
　'This　case　is　definitely　sounding　local。'　I　made　that　point　again。
　'Possible　any　of　the　bodies　could　have　been　refrigerated？'　Ring　asked。
　'Not　this　one；'　Wesley　was　quick　to　answer。　'Absolutely　not。　This　guy　couldn't　stand　looking　at　his　victim。　He　had　to　cover　her　up；　cut　through　the　cloth；　and　my　guess　is；　didn't　go　very　far　away　to　dispose　of　her。'
　'Shades　of　〃The　Tell…Tale　Heart；〃'　Ring　said。
　Lucy　was　reading　something　on　her　laptop　screen；　quietly　hitting　keys；　her　face　tense。　'We　just　got　something　from　Squad　Nineteen；'　she　said；　continuing　to　scroll　down。　'Deadoc　logged　on　fifty…six　minutes　ago。'　She　looked　up　at　us。　'He　sent　e…mail　to　the　president。'
　
　The　electronic　mail　was　sent　directly　to　the　White　House；　which　was　no　great　feat　since　the　address　was　public　and　readily　available　to　any　user　of　the　Internet。　Once　again；　the　message　was　oddly　in　lowercase　and　used　spaces　for　punctuation；　and　it　read：　apologize　if　not　I　will　start　on　france。
　'There　are　a　number　of　implications；'　Wesley　was　saying　to　me　as　gunshots　from　the　range　upstairs　thudded　like　a　distant；　muffled　war　going　on。　'And　all　of　them　make　me　nervous　about　you。'
　He　stopped　at　the　water　fountain。
　'I　don't　think　this　has　anything　to　do　with　me；'　I　said。　'This　has　to　do　with　the　president　of　the　United　States。'
　'That's　symbolic；　if　you　want　to　know　my　guess。　Not　literal。'　We　started　walking。　'I　think　this　killer　is　disgruntled；　angry；　feels　a　certain　person　in　power　or　perhaps　people　in　power　are　responsible　for　his　problems　in　life。'
　'Like　the　Unabomber；'　I　said　as　we　took　the　elevator　up。
　'Very　similar。　Perhaps　even　inspired　by　him；'　he　said；　glancing　at　his　watch。　'Can　I　buy　you　a　beer　before　you　leave？'
　'Not　unless　someone　else　is　driving。'　I　smiled。　'But　you　can　talk　me　into　coffee。'
　We　walked　through　the　gun…cleaning　room；　where　dozens　of　FBI　and　DEA　agents　were　breaking　down　their　weapons；　wiping　them　and　blasting　parts　with　air。　They　glanced　at　us　with　curious　eyes；　and　I　wondered　if　they　had　heard　the　rumors。　My　relationship　with　Wesley　had　been　an　item　of　gossip　for　quite　a　long　time　at　the　Academy；　and　it　bothered　me　more　than　I　let　on。　Most　people；　it　seemed；　maintained　their　belief　that　his　wife　had　left　because　of　me　when；　in　fact；　she　had　left　because　of　another　man。
　Upstairs；　the　line　was　long　in　the　PX；　a　mannikin　modeling　the　latest　sweatshirt　and　range　pants；　and　Thanksgiving　pumpkins　and　turkeys　in　the　windows。　Beyond；　in　the　Boardroom；　the　TV　was　loud；　and　some　people　were　already　into　popcorn　and　beer。　We　sat　as　far　away　from　everyone　as　we　could；　both　of　us　sipping　coffee。
　'What's　your　slant　on　the　France　connection？'　I　asked。
　'Obviously；　this　individual　is　intelligent　and　follows　the　news。　Our　relations　with　France　were　very　strained　during　their　nuclear　weapons　testing。　You　may　recall　the　violence；　vandalism；　boycotting　of　French　wine　and　other　products。　There　was　a　lot　of　protesting　outside　French　embassies；　the　U。S。　very　much　involved。'
　'But　that　was　a　couple　years　ago。'
　'Doesn't　matter。　Wounds　heal　slowly。'　He　stared　out　the　window　at　darkness　gathering。　'And　more　to　the　point；　France　would　not　appreciate　our　exporting　a　serial　killer　to　them。　I　can　only　suppose　that　is　what　deadoc　is　implying。　Cops　from　France　and　other　nations　have　been　worrying　for　years　that　our　problem　would　eventually　bee　theirs。　As　if　violence　is　a　disease　that　can　spread。'
　'Which　it　is。'
　He　nodded；　reaching　for　his　coffee　again。
　'Maybe　that　would　make　more　sense　if　we　believed　the　same　person　killed　ten　people　here　and　in　Ireland；'　I　said。
　'Kay；　we　can't　rule　out　anything。'　He　sounded　tired　as　he　said　that　again。
　I　shook　my　head。　'He's　taking　credit　for　someone　else's　murders　and　now　threatening　us。　He　probably　has　no　idea　how　different　his　M。O。　is　from　what　we've　seen　in　the　past。　Of　course；　we　can't　rule　out　anything；　Benton。　But　I　know　what　my　findings　tell　me；　and　I　believe　identifying　this　recent　victim　is　going　to　be　the　key。'
　'You　always　believe　that。'　He　smiled；　playing　with　his　coffee　stirrer。
　'I　know　who　I　work　for。　Right　this　minute；　I　work　for　that　poor　woman　whose　torso　is　in　my　freezer。'
　It　was　now　pletely　dark　out；　the　Boardroom　filling　fast　with　healthy；　clean…living　men　and　women　in　color…coded　fatigues。　The　noise　was　making　it　difficult　to　talk；　and　I　needed　to　see　Lucy　before　I　left。
　'You　don't　like　Ring。'　Wesley　reached　around　to　the　back　of　his　chair　and　collected　his　suit　jacket。　'He's　bright　and　seems　sincerely　motivated。'
　'You　definitely　profiled　the　last　part　wrong；'　I　said　as　I　got　up。　'But　you　are　right　about　what　you　said　first。　I　don't　like　him。'
　'I　thought　that　was　rather　obvious　by　your　demeanor。'　We　moved　around　people　who　were　looking　for　chairs　and　setting　down　pitchers　of　beer。
　'I　think　he's　dangerous。'
　'He's　vain　and　wants　to　make　a　name　for　himself；'　Wesley　said。
　'And　you　don't　think　that's　dangerous？'　I　looked　over　at　him。
　'It　describes　almost　everyone　I've　ever　worked　with。'
　'Except　for　me；　I　hope。'
　'You；　Dr　Scarpetta；　are　an　exception　to　just　about　everything　I　can　think　of。'
　We　were　walking　through　a　long　corridor；　heading　to　the　lobby；　and　I　did　not　want　to　leave　him　right　now。　I　felt　lonely　and　wasn't　sure　why。
　'I　would　love　for　us　to　have　dinner；'　I　said；　'but　Lucy's　got　something　to　show　me。'
　'What　makes　you　think　I　don't　already　have　plans？'　He　held　the　door　for　me。
　The　thought　bothered　me；　even　though　I　knew　he　was　teasing。
　'Let's　wait　until　I　can　get　away　from　here；'　he　said；　and　we　were　walking　toward　the　parking　lot　now。　'Maybe　over　the　weekend；　when　we　can　relax　a　little　more。　I'll　cook　this