cb.coldheart canyon-第36章

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of　the　house。　A　paving　stone　path　led　down　the　flank　of　the　house。　It　was　a　narrow；　steep　descent；　and　it　plainly　hadn't　been　used　in　many　years。　Roots　had　cracked　the　stones；　and　shrubbery　choked　the　path　in　several　places。　It　took　her　fully　ten　minutes　to　make　her　cautious　descent；　but　it　delivered　her　into　a　far　more　beautiful　spot　than　she'd　expected。　Somebody　had　once　created　a　wonderful　garden　back　here；　and　now；　with　spring　early　this　year　throughout　the　state；　the　place　was　glorious。　Everywhere　there　were　bursts　of　brilliant　color…and　hummingbirds；　going　from　flower　to　flower；　and　butterflies；　drying　their　newly…exposed　wings　to　the　sun。
　 The　beauty　of　the　place　put　all　thoughts　of　jeopardy　out　of　Tammy's　head；　at　least　for　a　few　moments。　She　made　her　way　through　the　bushes　to　what　had　once　been　an　enormous　lawn…though　there　were　so　many　wild　flowers　in　the　tall　grass；　and　so　much　grass　sprouting　in　the　border；　that　lawn　and　border　had　bee　virtually　indistinguishable…and　looked　back　up　at　the　house；　her　gaze　going　from　window　to　window；　balcony　to　balcony；　to　see　if　there　was　anybody　watching　her。　She　saw　nobody；　so　she　grew　a　little　more　confident　and　strode　out　into　the　middle　of　the　lawn　so　that　she　could　get　herself　a　good　look　at　the　house。　It　was　much　larger　than　she'd　assumed　from　the　front；　and　even　in　its　dilapidated　state　it　was　an；　elegant　place；　the　curves　of　its　balconies　echoing　one　another；　the　ironwork　of　its　railings　delicate。
　 That　said；　it　was　a　strange　house　for　Todd　to　be　living　in。　She　knew　how　hard　he'd　worked　to　perfect　his　residence　in　Bel　Air　（four　architects；　two　interior　designers；　millions　of　dollars　spent）：　so　why　was　he　here？　There　could　only　be　one　explanation。　He　was　in　hiding。　He　didn't　want　anyone　to　see　him　in　his　wounded　state。　She　understood　the　logic　of　that。　There　were　some　people…some　of　his　fans…who　wanted　to　think　he　was　perfect。　Luckily　she　wasn't　one　of　those　people。　Far　from　it。　The　fact　that　he　was　here；　all　locked　away；　hurting　and　angry；　made　her　feel　all　the　more　love　for　him。　If　she　got　a　chance；　she'd　tell　him　so。　If　he'd　let　her；　she'd　peel　those　stifling　bandages　off　his　face。　She　didn't　care　what　he　looked　like　underneath；　it　was　still　her　Todd；　wasn't　it？　Still　the　man　she　idolized。　For　once　the　fact　that　her　breasts　were　too　big　would　be　a　Godsend。　They'd　be　a　fortable　place　for　him　to　lay　his　hurt　head。　She　could　rock　him　and　keep　him　there；　safe　and　sound。
　 From　the　corner　of　her　eye；　she　saw　something　move　in　the　foliage。　The　blissful　imaginings　fled。　Very　slowly；　she　looked　towards　the　shrubs　where　she'd　seen　the　motion。　The　sun　was　bright；　the　shadows　dark　and　solid。　The　leaves　shook　in　the　light　breeze。　Was　that　what　she'd　seen？　The　leaves　shaking？　Apparently　so；　for　there　was　nothing　else　visible。
　 She　returned　her　gaze　to　the　house；　looking　for　the　best　way　for　her　to　get　in。　There　were　no　open　windows　on　the　garden　level…at　least　none　that　she　could　see…and　the　doors　all　looked　to　be　securely　locked。　She　pushed　her　way　through　a　line　of　shrubs　so　as　to　see　if　the　house　was　any　more　vulnerable　elsewhere；　but　the　foliage　grew　thicker　around　her　as　she　proceeded；　and　then　she　somehow　managed　to　bee　disorientated；　because　when　she　turned　back　to　try　another　way　she　found　that　she'd　lost　sight　of　both　the　lawn　and　the　house。　She　felt　like　Alice；　suddenly　shrinking　away；　the　flowers　around　her　were　huge；　like　sunflowers；　only　purple　and　scarlet；　and　the　scent　they　gave　off　was　achingly　sweet。　They　grew　so　tall；　however；　and　in　such　preternatural　numbers；　that　she　could　not　see　the　house　at　all…not　a　chimney　pot；　not　a　balcony。　Her　only　hope　was　to　make　a　guess　at　the　direction　in　which　the　house　lay；　which　she　did；　plunging　on　through　the　enormous　blooms。　But　her　guesswork　was　hopelessly　amiss。　The　shrubbery　simply　thickened；　the　sunflowers　giving　way　to　bushes　whose　branches　carried　bell…shaped　yellow　blossoms；　almost　the　size　of　her　head。　She　couldn't　yell　for　help；　of　course；　that　would　bring　Caputo　running。　She　had　no　choice　but　to　head　on　in　the　same　hopeless　fashion；　until　at　last　the　thicket　cleared　somewhat；　and　she　had　sight　of　the　sky　again。
　 Emerging　from　the　shrubbery　she　was　instantly　on　her　guard；　in　case　she'd　e　to　a　place　where　she　could　be　spotted。　But　she　needn't　have　worried。　Her　travels　had　brought　her　down　the　hill；　and　put　a　line　of　cypress　trees　（which　she　could　not　remember　moving　through）　between　herself　and　the　house。　Only　one　reasonably　sensible　option　presented　itself。　Directly　ahead　of　her　was　a　narrow　pathway…as　overgrown　as　the　one　that　had　brought　her　down　the　side　of　the　house。　She　had　no　idea　where　it　led；　but　it　was　a　pathway；　it　implied　that　others　had　been　here　before　her；　perhaps　in　the　same　predicament；　and　this　trail　of　trodden　ground　marked　their　exit。　If　it　had　worked　for　them；　why　not　for　her？　Pulling　pieces　of　twig　and　blossom　from　her　hair　and　blouse　as　she　went；　she　followed　the　path。
　 She　suddenly　had　a　mental　picture　of　herself　in　her　present　state。　What　a　sight　she　must　be；　stumbling　out　of　the　greenery　like　some　crazed　explorer。　What　the　hell　was　she　thinking　of？　Out　there　on　the　open　street　it　had　been　easy　to　talk　herself　into　this　trespass。　Now　she　was　beginning　to　think　the　whole　idea　wasn't　so　smart。　It　wasn't　the　fact　that　she　was　lost　in　the　environs　of　the　house　that　disfited　her：　she'd　find　her　way　back　to　the　street　eventually。　Nor　was　she　particularly　concerned　about　the　threat　posed　by　Caputo；　not　now　that　she　knew　Todd　was　here。　Caputo　might　yell　a　bit；　and　threaten　her　with　the　police　if　she　didn't　leave；　but　he　was　more　bark　than　bite。　No；　what　had　brought　her　to　a　halt　was　the　distinct　sense　that　she　wasn't　alone　out　here　in　the　undergrowth。　There　was　somebody　close　by。　She　couldn't　see　anybody；　but　the　feeling　was　too　strong　to　be　ignored。
　 She　slowly　started　to　turn　on　her　heel；　viewing　the　scene　around　her。
　 〃Whoever　you　are。。。〃　she　said；　doing　her　best　to　keep　her　voice　as　quiet　and　non…confrontational　as　possible；　〃please　show　yourself。〃
　
　 There　was　a　motion　in　the　undergrowth；　five　or　six　yards　from　where　she　stood。　Somebody…or　something…had　apparently　moved　from　their　hiding　place。　There　was　more　than　one　creature　in　the　vicinity；　she　guessed；　it　was　several。　There　was　foliage　moving　all　around　her　now；　as　though　those　hiding　in　the　shrubbery　were　getting　ready　to　show　themselves。
　 She　started　walking　again；　faster　than　before；　and　her　walking　brought　her　into　a　place　where　the　shrubbery　cleared　a　little；　presenting　her　with　a　most　unexpected　sight。　There　were　perhaps　seven　or　eight　cages；　arranged　on　either　side　of　a　wide；　flagged　walkway。　They　varied　in　size。　The　largest　might　have　housed　two　horses　and　left　some　room　for　maneuver；　the　smallest　was　perhaps　half　that　size。　Vines　had　wrapped　themselves　around　the　bars　and　fell　here　and　there；　in　tattered　green　curtains；　as　though　to　conceal　what　lay　inside　the　cages。　In　fact；　there　was　nothing　to　conceal。　The　occupants　of　this　menagerie　had　long　since　disappeared。
　 She　moved　down　the　walkway　cautiously；　increasingly　certain　that　her　stalkers　were　matching　her　motion　step　by　step　on　the　other　side　of　the　cages。　Some　of　the　cages　had　high　wooden　bars；　which　suggested　they'd　housed　small　monkeys。　Others　were　built　more　robustly；　their　bars　twice　or　three　times　the　thickness。　What　kind　of　animal　had　been　held　in　a　cage　like　this？　It　was　too　small　to　fortably　acmodate　a　rhinoceros；　or　even　a　bear　or　tiger。　And　in　a　day　rife　with　unanswered　questions；　here　was　another　one：　what　had　happened　to　the　occupants　of　this　tawdry　private　zoo？　Was　there　a　graveyard　somewhere　in　the　thicket　where　the　animals　had　been　laid　to　rest？　Or　had　their　owner　set　them　free　to　roam　the　Canyon？
　 She　was　almost　at　the　end　of　the　walkway　now。　The　final　cage　on　her　right　was　in　a　much　better　state　than　the　others。　Foliage　had　been　interwoven　with　the　bars　so　cunningly　that　there　was　practically　nothing　of　the　interior　visible。　Its　gate；　which　was　similarly　covered；　stood　a　little　ajar。　Tammy　peered　in。　The　air　inside　smelled　of　some　subtle　perfume；　its　source　the　candles　which　were　set　in　a　little　cluster　at　the　far　end　of　the　cage。　There