dk.nightchills-第36章

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　She　said；　〃Bob？　Who's　this？〃
　Salsbury　said；　〃I　am　the　key。〃
　Two　voices　responded。
　At　8：55；　making　the　weekly　trip　into　town　to　lay　in　a　fresh　supply　of　perishables；　Paul　Annendale　braked　at　the　end　of　the　gravel　road；　looked　both　ways；　then　turned　left　Onto　Main　Street。
　From　the　back　seat　Mark　said；　〃Don't　take　me　all　the　way　to　Sam's　place。　Let　me　out　at　the　square。〃
　Looking　in　the　rearview　mirror；　Paul　said；　〃Where　are　you　going？〃
　Mark　patted　the　large　canary　cage　that　stood　on　the　seat　beside　him。　The　squirrel　danced　about　and　chattered。　〃I　want　to　take　Buster　to　see　Jeremy。〃
　Swiveling　around　in　her　seat　and　looking　back　at　her　brother；　Rya　said；　〃Why　don't　you　admit　that　you　don't　go　over　to　their　house　to　see　Jeremy？　We　all　know　you've　got　a　crush　on　Emma。〃
　〃Not　so！〃　Mark　said　in　such　a　way　that　he　proved　absolutely　that　what　she　said　was　true。
　〃Oh；　Mark；〃　she　said　exasperatingly。
　〃Well；　it's　a　lie；〃　Mark　insisted。　〃I　don't　have　a　crush　on　Emma。　I'm　not　some　sappy　kid。〃
　Rya　turned　around　again。
　〃No　fights；〃　Paul　said。　〃We'll　leave　Mark　off　at　the　square　with　Buster；　and　there　will　be　no　fights。〃
　　
　*　*　*
　　
　Salsbury　said；　〃Do　you　understand　that；　Bob？〃
　〃I　understand。〃
　〃You　will　not　speak　unless　spoken　to。　And　you　will　not　move　from　that　chair　unless　I　tell　you　to　move。〃
　〃I　won't　move。〃
　〃But　you'll　watch。〃
　〃I'll　watch。〃
　〃Jeremy？〃
　〃I'll　watch　too。〃
　〃Watch　what？〃　Salsbury　asked。
　〃Watch　you…screw　her。〃
　Dumb　cop。　Dumb　kid。
　He　stood　by　the　sink；　leaned　against　the　counter。　〃e　here；　Emma。〃
　She　got　up。　Came　to　him。
　〃Take　off　your　robe。〃
　She　took　it　off。　She　was　wearing　a　yellow　bra　and　yellow　panties　with　three　embroidered　red　flowers　at　the　left　hip。
　〃Take　off　your　bra。〃
　Her　breasts　fell　free。　Heavy。　Beautiful。
　〃Jeremy；　did　you　know　your　mother　looked　so　nice？〃
　The　boy　swallowed　hard。　〃No。〃
　Thorp's　hands　were　on　the　table。　They　had　curled　into　fists。
　〃Relax；　Bob。　You're　going　to　enjoy　this。　You're　going　to　love　it。　You　can't　wait　far　me　to　have　her。〃
　Thorp's　hands　opened。　He　leaned　back　in　his　chair。　Touching　her　breasts；　staring　into　her　shimmering　green　eyes；　Salsbury　had　a　delightful　idea。　Marvelous。　Exciting。　He　said；　〃Emma；　I　think　this　would　be　more　enjoyable　if　you　resisted　me　a　bit。　Not　seriously；　you　understand。　Not　physically。　Just　keep　asking　me　not　to　hurt　you。　And　cry。〃
　She　stared　at　him。
　〃Could　you　cry　for　me；　Emma？〃
　〃I'm　so　scared。〃
　〃Good！　Excellent！　I　didn't　tell　you　to　relax；　did　I？　You　should　be　scared。　Damned　scared。　And　obedient。　Are　you　frightened　enough　to　cry；　Emma？〃
　She　shivered。　〃You're　very　firm。〃　She　said　nothing。　〃Cry　for　me。〃　〃Bob。。
　〃He　can't　help　you。〃　He　squeezed　her　breasts。　〃My　son　。　。
　〃He's　watching。　It's　all　right　if　he　watches。　Didn't　he　suck　these　when　he　was　a　baby？〃
　Tears　formed　at　the　corners　of　her　eyes。
　〃Fine；〃　he　said。　〃Oh；　that's　sweet。〃
　Mark　could　only　carry　the　squirrel　and　the　cage　for　fifteen　or　twenty　steps　at　a　time。　Then　he　had　to　put　it　down　and　shake　his　arms　to　get　the　pain　out　of　them。
　〃Cup　your　breasts　with　your　hands。〃　She　did　as　she　was　told。
　She　wept。
　〃Pull　on　the　nipples。〃
　〃Don't　make　me　do　this。〃
　〃e　on；　little　animal。〃
　At　first；　upset　by　all　the　jerking　and　shaking　and　swinging　of　his　cage；　Buster　ran　in　tight　little　circles　and　squealed　like　an　injured　rabbit。
　〃You　sound　like　a　rabbit；〃　Mark　told　him　during　one　of　the　rest　stops。
　Buster　squealed；　unconcerned　with　his　image。
　〃You　should　be　ashamed　of　yourself。　You're　not　a　dumb　bunny。　You're　a　squirrel。〃
　In　front　of　Edison's　store；　as　he　was　closing　the　car　door；　Paul　Saw　something　gleam　on　the　back　seat。　〃What's　that？〃
　Rya　was　still　in　the　car；　undoing　her　safety　belt。　〃What's　what？〃
　〃On　the　back　seat。　It's　the　key　to　Buster's　cage。〃
　Rya　squirmed　into　the　back　seat。　〃I'd　better　take　it　to　him。〃
　〃He　won't　need　it；〃　Paul　said。　〃Just　don't　lose　it。〃
　〃No；〃　she　said。　〃I'd　better　take　it　to　him。　He'll　want　to　let　Buster　out　so　he　can　show　off　for　Emma。〃
　〃Who　are　you…Cupid？〃
　She　grinned　at　him。
　〃Unzip　my　trousers。〃
　〃I　don't　want　to。〃
　〃Do　it！〃
　She　did。
　〃Enjoying　yourself；　Bob？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　He　laughed。　〃Dumb　cop。〃
　By　the　time　he　reached　the　edge　of　the　Thorp　property；　Mark　had　found　a　better　way　to　grip　the　cage。　The　new　method　didn't　strain　his　arms　so　much；　and　he　didn't　have　to　stop　every　few　yards　to　rest。
　Buster　had　bee　so　upset　by　the　erratic　movement　of　his　pen　that　he　had　stopped　squealing。　He　was　gripping　the　bars　with　all　four　feet；　hanging　on　the　side　of　the　cage；　very　stiU　and　quiet；　frozen　as　if　he　were　in　the　woods　and　had　just　seen　a　predator　creeping　through　the　brush。
　〃They'll　be　eating　breakfast；〃　Mark　said。　〃We'll　go　around　to　the　back　door。〃
　〃Squeeze　it。〃　She　did。
　〃Hot？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Little　animal。〃
　〃Don't　hurt　me。〃　〃Is　it　hard？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Crying。
　〃Bend　over。〃
　Sobbing；　shaking；　begging　him　not　to　hurt　her；　she　did　as　she　had　been　told。　Her　face　glistened　with　tears。　She　was　almost　hysterical。　So　beautiful。。。
　Mark　was　passing　the　kitchen　window　when　he　heard　the　woman　crying。　He　stopped　and　listened　closely　to　the　broken　words；　the　pitiful　pleas　that　were　punctuated　by　long　sobs。　He　knew　at　once　that　it　was　Emma。
　The　window　was　only　two　feet　away；　and　it　seemed　to　beckon　him。　He　couldn't　resist。　He　went　to　it。
　The　curtains　were　drawn　shut；　but　there　was　a　narrow　gap　between　them。　He　pressed　his　face　to　the　windowpane。
　　
　10
　Sixteen　Days　Earlier：
　Wednesday；　August　10；　1977
　AT　TRREE　O'CLOCK　in　the　morning；　Salsbury　joined　Dawson　in　the　first…floor　study　of　the　Greenwich　house。
　〃Have　they　begun　already？〃
　〃Ten　minutes　ago；〃　Dawson　said。
　〃What's　ing　in？〃
　〃Exactly　what　we'd　hoped　for。〃
　Four　men　sat　on　straight…backed　chairs　around　a　massive　walnut　desk；　one　at　each　side　of　it。　They　were　all　household　servants：　the　butler；　the　chauffeur；　the　cook；　and　the　gardener。　Three　months　ago　the　entire　staff　of　the　house　had　been　given　the　drug　and　treated　to　the　subliminal　program；　and　there　was　no　longer　any　need　to　hide　the　project　from　them。　On　occasion；　as　now；　they　made　very　useful　tools。　There　were　four　telephones　on　the　desk；　each　connected　to　an　infinity　transmitter。　The　men　were　referring　to　lists　of　Black　River　telephone　numbers；　dialing；　listening　for　a　few　seconds　or　a　minute；　hanging　up　and　dialing　again。
　The　infinity　transmitters…purchased　in　Brussels　for　2；500　each…allowed　them　to　eavesdrop　on　most　of　the　bedrooms　of　Black　River　in　perfect　anonymity。　With　an　IF　hooked　to　a　telephone；　they　could　dial　any　number　they　wished；　long　distance　or　local；　without　going　through　an　operator　and　without　leaving　a　record　of　the　call　in　the　telephone　pany's　puter。　An
　electric　tone　oscillator　deactivated　the　bell　on　the　phone　being　called…and　simultaneously　opened　that　receiver's　microphone。　The　people　at　the　other　end　of　the　line　heard　no　ringing　and　were　not　aware　that　they　were　being　monitored。　These　four　servants　were　able；　therefore；　to　hear　anything　said　in　the　room　where　the　distant　telephone　was　placed。
　Salsbury　went　around　the　desk；　leaned　down　and　listened　at　each　earpiece。
　〃。　。　。　nightmare。　So　vivid。　I　can't　remember　what　it　was；　but　it　scared　the　hell　out　of　me。　Look　how　I'm　shaking。〃
　so　cold。　You　too？　V/hat　the　devil？〃　〃。。。feel　like　I'm　going　to　throw　up。〃
　〃。。。　all　right？　Maybe　we　should　call　Doc　Troutman。〃
　And　around　again：
　〃。。。something　we　ate？〃
　〃。。。flu。　But　at　this　time　of　year？〃
　〃。。。first　thing　in　the　morning。　God；　if　I　don't　stop　shaking；　I'll　rattle　myself　to　pieces！〃
　〃。。。running　with　sweat　but　cold。〃
　Dawson　tapped　Salsbury　on　the　shoulder。　〃Are　you　going　to　stay　here　and　watch　over　them？〃
　〃I　might　as　well。〃
　〃Then　I'll　go　to　the　chapel　for　a　while。〃
　He　was　wearing　pajamas；　a　dark　blue　silk　robe；　and　soft　leather　slippers。　At　this　hour；　with　rain　falling　outside；　it　didn't　seem　likely　that　even　a　religious　fanatic　of　Dawson's　bent　would　get　dressed　and　go　out　to　church。
　Salsbury　said；　〃You've　got　a　chapel　in　the　house？〃
　〃I　have　a　chapel　in　each　of　my　residences；〃　Dawson　said　proudly。　〃I　wouldn't　b