sk.cujo-第73章

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'What？　What？　It　was　all　going　too　fast　for　him。　Donna。。。　the　account　。。。　Roger；　sounding　almost　absurdly　cheerful。
There　was　a　telegram　here　when　I　came　in。　The　old　man　and　his　kid　sent　it　to　Image…Eye　and　Rob　forwarded　it　here。　You　want　me　to　read　it？'
'Give　me　the　gist。'
'Old　man　Sharp　and　the　kid　apparently　came　to　the　same　conclusion　using　different　chains　of　logic。　The　old　man　sees　the　Zingers　thing　as　a　replay　of　the　Alamo　…　we're　the　good　guys　standing　on　the　battlements；　standing　by　to　repel　the　boarders。　All　got　to　stick　together；　all　for　one　and　one　for　all。'
'Yeah；　I　knew　he　had　that　in　him；'　Vic　said；　rubbing　the　back　of　his　neck。　'He's　a　loyal　old　bastard。　That's　why　he　came　with　us　when　we　left　New　York。'
'The　kid　would　still　like　to　get　rid　of　us；　but　he　doesn't　think　this　is　the　right　time。　He　thinks　it　would　be　interpreted　as　a　sign　of　weakness　and　even　possible　culpability。　Can　you　believe　it？'
'I　could　believe　anything　ing　from　that　paranoid　little　twerp。'
'They　want　us　to　fly　to　Cleveland　and　sign　a　new　two…year　contract。　It's　not　a　five…year　deal；　and　when　it's　up　the　kid's　almost　sure　to　be　in　charge　and　we'll　undoubtedly　be　invited　to　take　a　long　walk　off　a　short　dock；　but　two　years　。。。　it's　enough　time；　Vic！　In　two　years　we'll　be　on　top　of　it！　We　can　tell　them　'
'Roger；　I've　got　to
'…　to　take　their　lousy　pound　cake　and　pound　it　up　their　asses！　They　also　want　to　discuss　the　new　campaign；　and　I　think　they'll　go　for　the　Cereal　Professor's　swan　song；　too。'
'That's　great；　Roger；　but　I've　got　to　find　out　what　the　Christ　has　been　happening　with　Donna　and　Tad。'
'Yeah。　Yeah。　I　guess　it　was　a　lousy　time　to　call；　but　I　couldn't　keep　it　to　myself；　man。　I　would　have　busted　like　a　balloon。'
'There's　no　bad　time　for　good　news；'　Vic　said。　All　the　same；　he　felt　a　stab　of　jealousy；　as　painful　as　a　silver　sharpened　bone；　at　the　happy　relief　in　Roger's　voice；　and　a　bitter　disappointment　that　he　couldn't　share　in　Roger's　feelings。　But　maybe　it　was　a　good　omen。
'Vic；　call　me　when　you　hear；　okay？'
'I　will；　Rog。　Thanks　for　the　call。'
He　hung　up；　slipped　into　his　loafers；　and　went　downstairs。　The　kitchen　was　still　a　mess　…　it　made　his　stomach　do　a　slow　and　giddy　rollover　just　to　look　at　it。　But　there　was　a　note　from　Masen　on　the　table；　pegged　down　with　a　salt　shaker。
Mr。　Trenton；
Steve　Kemp　has　been　picked；　up　in　a　western　Massachusetts　town；　Twickenham。　Your　wife　and　son　are　not；　repeat；　are　not；　with　him。　I　did　not　wake　you　with　this　news　because　Kemp　is　standing　on　his　right　to　remain　silent。　Barring　any　plication；　he　will　be　brought　directly　to　the　Scarborough　S。P。　barracks　for　charging　on　vandalism　and　possession　of　illegal　drugs。　We　estimate　him　here　by　11：30　A。M。　If　anything　breaks；　I'll　call　you　soonest。
Andy　Masen
'Fuck　his　right　to　remain　silent；'　Vic　growled。　He　went　into　the　living　room；　got　the　number　of　the　Scarborough　State　Police　barracks；　and　made　the　call。
'Mr。　Kemp　is　here；'　the　duty　officer　told　him。　'He　got　here　about　fifteen　minutes　ago。　Mr。　Masen　is　with　him　now。　Kemp's　called　a　lawyer。　I　don't　think　Mr。　Masen　can　e　to　the　…'
'You　never　mind　what　he　can　or　can't　do；'　Vic　said。　'You　tell　him　it's　Donna　Trenton's　husband　and　I　want　him　to　shag　his　ass　over　to　the　phone　and　talk　to　me。'
A　few　moments　later；　Masen　came　on　the　line。
'Mr。　Trenton；　I　appreciate　your　concern；　but　this　brief　time　before　Kemp's　lawyer　gets　here　can　be　very　valuable。'
'What's　he　told　you？'
Masen　hesitated　and　then　said；　'He's　admitted　to　the
vandalism。　I　think　he　finally　realized　this　thing　was　a　lot　heavier　than　a　little　nose　candy　stashed　in　the　wheel　well　of　his　van。　He　admitted　the　vandalism　to　the　Massachusetts　officers　who　brought　him　over　here。　But　he　claims　that　nobody　was　home　when　he　did　it；　and　that　he　left　it　undisturbed。'
'You　don't　believe　that　shit；　do　you？'
Masen　said　carefully；'　He's　quite　convincing。　I　couldn't　say　that　I　believe　anything　right　now。　If　I　could　just　ask　him　a　few　more　questions　…'
'Nothing　came　of　Camber's　Garage？'
'No。　I　sent　Sheriff　Bannerman　up　there　with　instructions　to　call　in　immediately　if　Mrs　Trenton　had　been　there　or　if　her　car　was　there。　And　since　he　didn't　call　back　in　…'
'That's　hardly　definitive；　is　it？'　Vic　asked　sharply。
'Mr。　Trenton；　I　really　must　go。　If　we　hear　any　…　'
Vic　slammed　the　telephone　down　and　stood　breathing　rapidly　in　the　hot　silence　of　the　living　room。　Then　he　went　slowly　to　the　stairs　and　mounted　them。　He　stood　in　the　upstairs　hall　for　a　moment　and　then　went　into　his　son's　room。　Tad's　trucks　were　lined　up　neatly　against　the　wall；　slant…parking　style。　Looking　at　them　hurt　his　heart。　Tad's　yellow　slicker　was　hung　on　the　brass　hook　by　his　bed；　and　his　coloring　books　were　piled　neatly　on　his　desk。　His　closet　door　was　open。　Vic　shut　it　absently　and；　barely　thinking　about　what　he　was　doing；　put　Tad's　chair　in　front　of　it。
He　sat　on　Tad's　bed；　hands　dangling　between　his　legs；　and　looked　out　into　the　hot；　bright　day。
Dead　ends。　Nothing　but　dead　ends；　and　where　were　they？
（dead　ends）
Now　there　was　an　ominous　phrase　if　ever　one　had　been　coined。　Dead　ends。　As　a　boy　Tad's　age　he　had　been　fascinated　with　dead…end　roads；　his　mother　had　told　him　once。　He　wondered　if　that　sort　of　thing　was　inherited；　if　Tad　was　interested　in　dead…end　roads。　He　wondered　if　Tad　was　still　alive。
And　it　suddenly　occurred　to　him　that　Town　Road　No。　3；　where　Joe　Camber's　Garage　stood；　was　a　dead…end　road。
He　suddenly　looked　around　and　saw　that　the　wall　over　the　head　of　Tad's　bed　was　bare。　The　Monster　Words　were　gone。　Now　why　had　he　taken　those？　Or　had　Kemp　taken　them　for　some　weird　reason　of　his　own？　But　if　Kemp　had　been　in　here；　why　hadn't　he　trashed　Tad's　room　as　he　had　those　downstairs？
（dead　ends　and　Monster　Words）
Had　she　taken　the　Pinto　up　to　Camber's？　He　remembered　the　conversation　they'd　had　about　the　balky　needle　valve　only　vaguely。　She　was　a　little　scared　of　Joe　Camber；　hadn't　she　said　that？
No。　Not　Camber。　Camber　only　wanted　to　mentally　undress　her。　No；　it　was　the　dog　she　was　a　little　scared　of。　What　was　his　name？
They　had　joked　about　it。　Tad。　Tad　calling　the　dog。
And　again　he　heard　Tad's　phantom；　ghostly　voice；　so　hopeless　and　lost　in　this　too…empty；　suddenly　creepy　room：　Cujo　。。。　heere；　Cujo　。。。　Coooojo　。。。
And　then　something　happened　which　Vic　never　spoke　of　to　anyone　in　the　rest　of　his　life。　Instead　of　hearing　Tad's　voice　in　his　mind　he　was　actually　hearing　it；　high　and　lonely　and　terrified；　a　going…away　voice　that　was　ing　from　inside　the　closet。
A　cry　escaped　Vic's　throat　and　he　pushed　himself　up　on　Tad's　bed；　his　eyes　widening。　The　closet　door　was　swinging　open；　pushing　the　chair　in　front　of　it；　and　his　son　was　crying　'Coooooooooo　。。
And　then　he　realized　it　wasn't　Tad's　voice；　it　was　his　own　tired；　overwrought　mind　making　Tad's　voice　from　the　thin　scraping　sound　of　the　chair　legs　on　the　painted　plank　floor。　That　was　all　it　was　and　…　and　there　were　eyes　in　the　closet；　he　saw　eyes；　red　and　sunken　and　terrible　A　little　scream　escaped　his　throat。　The　chair　tipped　over　for　no　earthly　reason。　And　he　saw　Tad's　teddybear　inside　the　closet；　perched　on　a　stack　of　sheets　and　blankets。　It　was　the　bear's　glass　eyes　he　had　seen。　No　more。
Heart　thumping　heavily　in　his　throat；　Vic　got　up　and　went　to　the　closet。　He　could　smell　something　in　there；　something　heavy　and　unpleasant。　Perhaps　it　was　only　mothballs　…　that　smell　was　certainly　part　of　it　…　but　it　smelled　。。。　savage。
Don't　be　ridiculous。　It's　just　a　closet。　Not　a　cave。　Not　a　monster　lair。
He　looked　at　Tad's　bear。　Tad's　bear　looked　back　at　him；　unblinking。　Behind　the　bear；　behind　the　hanging　clothes；　all　was　darkness。　Anything　could　be　back　there。　Anything。　But；　of　course；　nothing　was。
You　gave　me　a　scare；　bear；　he　said。
Monsters；　stay　out　of　this　room；　the　bear　said。　Its　eyes　sparkled。　They　were　dead　glass；　but　they　sparkled。
The　door's　out　of　true；　that's　all；　Vic　said。　He　was　sweating；　huge　salty　drops　ran　slowly　down　his　face　like　tears。
You　have　no　business　here；　the　bear　replied。
What's　the　matter　with　me？　Vic　asked　the　bear。　Am　I　going　crazy？　Is　this　what　going　crazy　is　like？
To　which　Tad's　bear　replied：　Monsters；　leave　Tad　alone。
He　closed　the　closet　door　and　watched；　as　wide…eyed　as　a　child；　as　t