cpatricia.unnaturalexposure-第48章
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a dirty movie。
'Okay；' she said； satisfied that I was harmless。 'Follow me。'
To get upstairs； we had to walk through the women's side of the jail。 Keys jangled as she unlocked a heavy metal door that loudly banged shut behind us。 Inmates were young and hard in institutional denim； their cells scarcely big enough for an animal； with a white toilet； bed and sink。 Women played solitaire； and leaned against their cages。 They had hung their clothes from bars； and trash barrels were close and crammed with what they hadn't wanted for dinner。 The smell of old food made my stomach flop。
'Hey mama。'
'What we got here？'
'A fine lady。 Umm…umm…umm。'
'Hubba…hubba…hubba！'
Hands came through bars； trying to touch me as I went past； and someone was making kissing sounds while other women emitted harsh； wounded outbursts that were supposed to be laughs。
'Leave her in here。 Just fifteen minutes。 Ooohhh e to mama！'
'I need cigarettes。'
'Shut up； Wanda。 You always needin' something。'
'Y'all quiet on down；' the deputy said in a bored singsong as she unlocked another door。
I followed her upstairs and realized I was trembling。 The room she put me in was cluttered and disorganized； as if it might have had a function in an earlier time。 Cork boards were propped against a wall； a hand cart parked in a corner； and some sort of pamphlets and bulletins were scattered everywhere。 I sat in a folding chair at a wooden table scarred with names and crude messages in ballpoint pen。
'Just make yourself at home and he'll be up；' she said； leaving me alone。
I realized that cough drops and tissues were in my pocketbook and coat； neither of which I had with me now。 Sniffing； I shut my eyes until I heard heavy feet。 When the male deputy escorted Keith Pleasants in； I almost did not recognize him。 He was pale and drawn； thin in baggy denims； his hands cuffed awkwardly in front of him。 His eyes filled with tears when he looked at me； and his lips quivered when he tried to smile。
'You sit down and stay down；' the deputy ordered him。 'Don't you let me hear no problem up here。 Got it？ Or I'm back and the visit's history。'
Pleasants grabbed a chair； almost falling。
'Does he really need to be cuffed？' I said to the deputy。 'He's here for a traffic violation。'
'Ma'am； he's out of the secure area。 That's why he's cuffed。 Be back in twenty minutes；' he said as he left。
'I've never been through anything like this before。 You mind if I smoke？' Pleasants laughed with a nervousness that bordered on hysteria as he sat。
'Help yourself。'
His hands were shaking so badly； I had to light it for him。
'Doesn't look like they got an ashtray。 Maybe you're not supposed to smoke up here。' He worried； eyes darting around。 'They got me in this cell with this guy who's a drug dealer？ He's got all these tattoos and won't leave me alone？ Picking on me； calling me sissy names？' He inhaled a lot of smoke and briefly shut his eyes。 'I wasn't eluding anybody。' He looked at me。
I spotted a Styrofoam coffee cup on the floor and retrieved it for him to use as an ashtray。
'Thanks；' he said。
'Keith； tell me what happened。'
'I was just driving home like I always do； from the landfill； and all of a sudden there's this unmarked car behind me with sirens and lights on。 So I pulled over right away。 It was that asshole investigator who's been driving me crazy。'
'Ring。' My fury began to pound。
Pleasants nodded。 'Said he'd been following me for more than a mile and I wouldn't heed to his lights。 Well I'm telling you； that's just a flat…out lie。' His eyes were bright。 'He's got me so jumpy these days there's no way in hell I wouldn't know if he was behind my car。'
'Did he say anything else to you when he pulled you？' I asked。
'Yes； ma'am； he did。 He said my troubles had just begun。 His exact words。'
'Why did you want to see me？' I thought I knew； but I wanted to hear what he would say。
'I'm in a world of trouble； Dr Scarpetta。' He teared up again。 'My mama's old and got no one to care for her but me； and there are people thinking I'm a murderer！ I never killed anything in my life！ Not even birds！ People don't want to be around me at work anymore。'
'Is your mother bedridden？' I asked。
'No； ma'am。 But she's almost seventy and has emphysema。 From doing these things。' He sucked on the cigarette again。 'She doesn't drive anymore。'
'Who's looking after her now？'
He shook his head and wiped his eyes。 His legs were crossed； one foot jumping like it was about to take off。
'She has no one to bring her food？' I said。
'Just me。' He choked on the words。
I looked around again； this time for something to write with； and found a purple crayon and a brown paper towel。
'Give me her address and phone number；' I said。 'And I promise someone will check in with her to make sure she's all right。'
He was vastly relieved as he gave me the information and I scribbled it down。
'I called you because I didn't know where else to go；' he started talking again。 'Can't somebody do something to get me out of here？'
'I understand your bond has been set at five thousand dollars。'
'That's just it！ Like ten times what it usually is for this； according to the guy in my cell。 I don't have any money or any way to get it。 Means I got to stay here until court； and that could be weeks。 Months。' Tears welled in his eyes again； and he was terrified。
'Keith； do you use the Internet？' I said。
'The what？'
'puters。'
'At the landfill I do。 Remember； I was telling you about our satellite system。'
'Then you do use the Internet。'
He did not seem to know what that was。
'E…mail；' I tried again。
'We use GPS。' He looked confused。 'And you know the truck that dumped the body？ I'm pretty sure now it was definitely Cole's； and the Dumpster may have e from a construction site。 They pick up at a bunch of construction sites on South Side in Richmond。 That would be a good place to get rid of something； on a construction site。 Just pull up your car after hours and who's to see？'
'Did you tell Investigator Ring this？' I asked。
Hate passed over his face。 'I don't tell him anything。 Not anymore。 Everything he's been doing is just to set me up。'
'Why do you think he would want to set you up？'
'He's got to arrest someone for this。 He wants to be the hero。' He was suddenly evasive。 'Says everybody else doesn't know what they're doing。' He hesitated。 'Including you。'
'What else has he said？' I felt myself turning to cold； hard stone； the way I did when I had moved from anger to determined rage。
'See； when I was showing him around the house and all； he would talk。 He really likes to talk。'
He took his cigarette butt and clumsily set it end…up on the table； so it would go out without burning Styrofoam。 I helped him light another one。
'He told me you have this niece；' Pleasants went on。 'And that she's a real fox but has no more business in the FBI than you have being a chief medical examiner。 Because。 Well。'
'Go on；' I said in a controlled voice。
'Because she's not into men。 I guess he thinks you aren't； either。'
'That's interesting。'
'He was laughing about it； said he knew from personal experience that neither of you dated because he'd been around both of you。 And that I should just sit back and watch what happens to perverts。 Because the same thing was about to happen to me。'
'Wait one minute。' I stopped him。 'Did Ring actually threaten you because you're gay or he thinks you are？'
'My mama doesn't know。' He hung his head。 'But some people do。 I've been in bars。 In fact； I know Wingo。'
I hoped not intimately。
'I'm worried about Mama。' He teared up again。 'She's upset about what's happening to me； and that's not good for her condition。'
'I tell you what。 I'm going to check on her myself； on my way home；' I said； coughing again。
A tear slid down his cheek and he roughly wiped it with the backs of cuffed hands。
'One other thing I'm going to do；' I said as footsteps sounded on the stairs again。 'I'm going to see what I can do about you。 I don't believe you killed anyone； Keith。 And I'm going to post your bond and make sure you have a lawyer。'
His lips parted in disbelief as the deputies
