cb.coldheart canyon-第76章

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　 Behind　her；　in　the　house；　Katya　was　finishing　her　argument。　〃The　fact　is；〃　she　said；　〃there's　nothing　out　there　for　you　now。　Do　you　understand　me；　Todd？　There's　nothing。〃
　 Tammy　stepped　out　onto　the　front　steps。　She　looked　back　at　Todd；　in　time　to　catch　a　look　of　pitiful　confusion　on　his　face。　He　literally　didn't　know　which　way　to　turn。
　 〃Don't　look　at　me；〃　Tammy　said　to　him。　〃It's　your　choice。〃
　 His　expression　became　still　more　pained。　That　wasn't　what　he　wanted　to　hear。
　 〃Look；　you're　a　grown　man；〃　Tammy　said。　〃If　you　want　to　stay　with　her；　knowing　what　she's　capable　of；　then　you　stay。　I　hope　you'll　be　very　happy　together。〃
　 〃Todd。。。〃　Katya　murmured。
　 She　stepped　out　of　the　shadows　now；　choosing　her　moment；　as　ever；　beautifully。　The　demonic　Katya；　the　woman　who'd　thrashed　Zeffer　then　thrown　him　to　Goga；　had　vanished　pletely。　In　her　place　was　a　sad；　gentle　woman…or　the　appearance　of　such…who　opened　her　arms　to　Todd　like　a　loving　mother。
　 〃e　back　to　me；〃　she　said。
　 He　made　the　tiniest　nod　of　his　head　and　Tammy's　heart　sank。
　 He　started　to　turn　his　back　on　the　door；　but　as　he　did　so　there　was　a　sudden　and　furious　eruption　of　noise　from　the　depths　of　the　house。　Somebody　in　the　Devil's　Country　was　beating　on　the　door：　a　furious　tattoo。
　 It　came　at　the　perfect　moment。　At　the　sound　from　below　Todd　seemed　to　snap　out　of　his　mesmerized　state　and　instead　of　heading　for　Katya's　open　arms　he　began　to　retreat　towards　the　door。
　 〃You　know　what？〃　he　said　to　Katya。　〃I　can't　take　this　place　any　longer。　I'm　sorry。　I've　got　to　get　out。〃
　 Katya　flew　at　him；　her　arms　outstretched；　her　eyes　wide。　〃No！〃　she　cried。　〃I　want　you　here！〃
　 It　was　more　than　Todd　could　take。　He　backed　away　from　her　and　stumbled　out　over　the　step。
　 〃Finally；〃　Tammy　said。
　 He　grabbed　hold　of　her　hand。　〃Get　me　the　fuck　out　of　here；〃　he　said。
　 This　time　there　was　no　hesitation　in　his　voice；　no　turning　back。　They　ran　to　the　gate　and　out　into　the　street；　not　stopping　for　a　moment。　Tammy　slammed　the　gate　loudly；　not　so　much　because　she　felt　it　would　keep　the　bitch　from　following；　but　because　it　made　the　point　to　the　entire　Canyon　that　they　were　indeed　out　of　the　house　and　away。
　 〃My　car's　up　the　road；〃　she　told　Todd；　though　of　course　it　was　now　three　days　since　she'd　left　it；　and　there　was　no　guarantee　it　would　still　be　sitting　there。　And　the　keys；　what　about　the　keys？　Had　she　left　them　in　the　ignition？　She　thought　she　had；　but　she　was　by　no　means　certain。　So　much　had　happened　to　her　in　the　intervening　time；　she　had　no　clear　memory　of　what　she'd　done　with　the　keys。
　 〃I'm　assuming　you're　going　to　e　with　me？〃　she　said　to　Todd。　He　looked　at　her　blankly。　〃To　the　car；〃　she　said；　for　emphasis。
　 〃Yes。〃
　 〃It's　up　the　street。〃
　 〃Yes。　I　heard　you。〃
　 〃Well；　shall　we　go　then？〃
　 He　nodded；　but　he　didn't　move。　His　gaze　had　drifted　back　to　the　house。　Leaving　him　to　stare；　Tammy　set　off　up　the　road　to　where　she'd　left　the　car。　There　was　neither　moon　nor　stars　in　the　sky；　just　a　blanket　of　amber…tinted　cloud。　She　soon　lost　sight　of　Todd　as　she　headed　up　the　benighted　road。　Memories　of　her　night…journey　through　the　place；　with　all　its　attendant　miseries　and　hallucinations；　rose　up　before　her；　but　she　told　herself　to　put　them　out　of　her　head。　She　was　going　to　be　out　of　this　damn　Canyon　in　a　few　minutes；　long　before　it　got　back　into　her　mind　again；　and　started　its　tricks。
　 The　car；　when　she　reached　it；　was　unlocked。　She　opened　the　door　and　slipped　into　the　driver's　seat；　fumbling　for　the　ignition。　Yes！　The　keys　were　there。　〃Thank　you；　God；〃　she　said；　with　a　late　show　of　piety。
　 She　turned　on　the　engine；　and　switched　on　the　headlights。　They　lit　up　the　whole　street　ahead。　She　put　the　car　into　gear　and　brought　the　car　roaring　around　the　corner。　Todd　had　wandered　out　into　the　middle　of　the　road；　and　she　could　have　ploughed　into　him　（which　would　have　made　an　ignominious　end　to　the　night's　adventures）　had　he　not　stepped　out　of　her　way。　But　at　least　the　distracted　look　had　gone　from　his　face。　When　he　got　into　the　car　there　was　a　new　and　wele　urgency　about　his　manner。　〃We're　out　of　here；〃　he　said。
　 〃I　thought　for　a　moment　that　you　were　planning　to　stay。〃
　 〃No。。。I　was　just　thinking。。。about　what　a　fool　I'd　been。〃
　 〃Well　stop　thinking　for　a　while；〃　Tammy　said。　〃It'll　slow　us　down。〃　She　put　her　foot　down　and　they　sped　off　down　the　winding　street。　About　halfway　down　the　Canyon　he　said：　〃Do　you　think　she's　going　to　e　after　us？〃
　 〃No；〃　Tammy　said。　〃I　don't　think　her　pride　would　let　her。〃
　 She　had　no　sooner　spoken　than　something　sprang　into　the　glare　of　the　headlights。　Todd　let　out　a　yelp　of　surprise；　but　Tammy　knew　in　a　heartbeat　what　it　was：　one　of　the　hybrids　she'd　encountered　on　the　slopes。　It　was　ugly；　even　by　the　standards　of　its　malformed　breed：　a　loping；　pasty　thing　with　the　flesh　missing　from　the　lower　half　of　its　face；　exposing　a　sickly　rictus。
　 Tammy　made　no　attempt　to　avoid　striking　the　beast。　Instead　she　drove　straight　into　it。　The　moment　before　it　was　struck　the　thing　opened　its　lipless　mouth　horribly　wide；　as　though　it　thought　it　might　scare　the　vehicle　off。　Then　the　front　of　the　car　struck　it；　and　its　body　rolled　up　onto　the　hood；　momentarily　sprawling　over　the　windshield。　For　a　few　seconds；　Tammy　was　driving　blind；　with　the　face　of　the　beast　grotesquely　plastered　against　the　glass。　Then　one　of　her　more　suicidal　swerves　threw　the　thing　off；　leaving　just　a　smudge　of　its　pale　yellow　fluids　on　the　glass。
　 Very　quietly　Todd　said：　〃What　the　fuck　was　that？〃
　 〃I'll　tell　you　some　other　time；〃　Tammy　said。　And　leaving　the　explanation　there　she　proceeded　down　the　winding　road　in　uncontested　silence；　bringing　them　finally　to　some　anonymous　but　lamplit　street；　and　so；　out　of　the　entrails　of　Coldheart　Canyon；　and　back　into　the　City　of　Angels。
　
　
　PART　SEVEN
　THE　A…LIST
　
　ONE
　 In　March　of　1962　Jerry　Brahms　had　bought　a　small　two　bedroom　apartment　a　block　or　two　within　the　gates　of　Hollywoodland；　a　neighborhood　created　in　the　twenties　which　enpassed　a　large　parcel　of　land　in　the　vicinity　of　the　Hollywood　sign。　The　house　had　cost　him　nineteen　thousand　seven　hundred　dollars；　a　relatively　modest　sum　for　a　place　so　pleasantly　situated。　Back　then；　he'd　still　indulged　the　fantasy　that　one　day　he'd　meet　a　soul…mate　with　whom　he　would　one　day　share　the　house；　but　somehow　his　romantic　entanglements　had　always　ended　poorly；　and　despite　three　attempts　to　bring　someone　in；　the　chemistry　had　failed　miserably；　and　each　time　he'd　sent　the　man　to　be　on　his　way；　and　he'd　ended　up　alone。　He　no　longer　hoped　for　an　end　to　his　solitude：　even　the　most　optimistic　of　the　cancer　doctors　who'd　seen　him　gave　him　at　best　a　year。　The　tumor　in　his　prostate　was　now　inoperable；　and　spreading。
　 For　all　his　love　of　the　dreamy　far…off　days　of　Hollywood；　Jerry　was　a　practical　man；　and…at　least　when　it　came　to　himself…remarkably　unsentimental。　The　prospect　of　dying　did　not　move　him　particularly　one　way　or　another：　he　was　not　afraid　of　it；　nor　did　he　wele　the　eventuality。　It　would　simply　happen…　sooner　rather　than　later。　Sometimes；　when　he　got　melancholy；　he　contemplated　suicide；　and　in　preparation　for　such　a　moment　had　amassed　a　considerable　number　of　sleeping　pills；　sufficient；　he　felt　sure；　to　do　the　job。　But　though　he　had　very　bad　days　now；　when　the　pain　（and；　for　a　man　as　fastidious　as　himself；　the　practical　problems　of　advanced　bowel　disorders）　were　so　nearly　overwhelming　that　he　thought　hard　about　tying　up　all　the　loose　ends　of　his　life　and　simply　knocking　back　the　pills　with　a　strong　Bloody　Mary；　somehow　he　could　never　bring　himself　to　do　it。
　 He　had　a　sense　of　unfinished　business；　though　he　could　not　quite　work　out　what　the　business　might　be。　His　parents　were　long　since　dead；　his　only　sibling；　a　sister；　also　passed　away；　tragically　young。　Of　his　few　friends　there　were　few　that　he　cared　to　say　anything　of　any　great　profundity　to。　If　he　slipped　away；　there'd　be　little　by　way　of　tears：　just　some　fighting　over　his　collection　of　movie　memorabilia…which　he'd　never　had　evaluated；　but　was　probably　worth　half　a　million　dollars　at　auction…and　a　few　tear…sodden；　bitchy　remarks　at　Mickey's　（his　favorite　bar）　when　he　was　gone。　Lord　knows；　h