cb.coldheart canyon-第26部分

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　was　now　unloading　his　loot。　She　wished　she'd　brought　a　camera；　then　she　could　have　simply　photographed　him　in　the　middle　of　his　illicit　transaction；　and　left　with　her　evidence。　But　as　it　was；　she　felt　obliged　to　get　a　little　closer；　and　find　out　who　he　was　dealing　with。　If　she　didn't　have　some　further　evidence；　it　was　going　to　end　up　being　his　word　against　hers；　and　she；　after　all；　was　the　trespasser　here。　Her　accusations　weren't　going　to　carry　much　weight　unless　she　could　be　very　specific　about　what　she　had　witnessed。
　 She　waited　until　Caputo　had　gone　into　the　house；　and　then　crept　towards　the　front　door；　covering　perhaps　half　the　distance　between　door　and　gate　before　the　thief　strode　out　of　the　house　again；　and　returned　to　the　car。　She　ducked　for　cover　behind　a　Bird　of　Paradise；　its　sickly　sap　gummy　beneath　her　heels。　From　there　she　watched　while　Caputo　hauled　another　load　of　booty　up　out　of　the　trunk。　As　he　did　so　there　was　a　shout　from　inside　the　house；　the　voice　curiously　muted。
　 〃Marco！　This　picture's　cracked。〃
　 〃Shit。〃
　 Marco　set　down　the　box　he　was　lifting　from　the　trunk；　and　went　back　to　the　doorstep。　As　he　did　so；　the　owner　of　the　picture；　and　of　that　curiously　muffled　voice；　came　out　of　the　house。　The　sight　of　him　made　Tammy's　heart　quicken。　First；　he　was　shirtless；　his　slacks　hanging　low　on　his　hips。　His　torso　was　tanned；　but　far　from　trim。　He　looked　to　have　a　body　that　had　once　been　well　cared　for　but　was　now　quickly　going　to　seed。　The　muscles　of　his　upper　arms　were　soft；　and　he　had　the　beginnings　of　love…handles　spilling　over　his　belt。　His　face　was　swathed　in　bandages。　They　weren't　tight　to　his　skull；　like　the　bandaging　on　a　mummy。　They　were　more　irregular；　patches　of　gauze　held　against　his　cheeks　and　brow　and　jaw　and　neck；　with　lengths　of　bandaging　running　all　the　way　around　his　head　to　secure　them　and　locks　of　his　lush　dark　hair　stuck　up　out　of　the　bandages　like　tufts　from　the　pate　of　a　clown。　All　in　all；　that　was　what　he　resembled；　with　his　ill…fitting　pants；　and　his　little　paunch：　something　from　a　circus。　Part　clown；　part　freak。
　 He　lifted　up　the　picture　for　Marco　to　see。　〃Look。〃
　 〃It's　just　the　glass　that's　cracked。　Easy　fix。〃
　 〃You're　careless。〃
　 〃I　said　I'd　get　it　fixed；　boss。〃
　 〃That's　not　the　point。　You're　fucking　careless。〃
　 Only　as　the　clown　returned　into　the　house；　dropping　the　offending　picture　against　the　door…jamb　for　Marco　to　pick　up；　did　Tammy　realize　who　she'd　just　seen。
　 It　was　Todd。　Oh　my　Lord。。。
　 It　was　Todd　standing　there　on　the　doorstep；　with　his　face　all　bandaged　up　and　his　stomach　hanging　over　his　trousers。
　 Tammy　heard　herself　gasping。　She　put　her　hand　over　her　mouth　to　silence　the　sound；　but　she　needn't　have　bothered。　The　men's　fractious　exchange　had　escalated　into　an　argument　loud　enough　to　drown　out　any　noise　she　might　make。
　 〃You're　so　fucking　clumsy。〃
　 〃Some　of　the　stuff　slipped　off　the　back　seat；　that's　all。　No　big　deal。　It　was　an　accident。〃
　 〃Well；　there's　too　many　fucking　accidents　around　here　for　my　liking。〃
　 〃Hey。。。I　said　I'm　sorry。〃
　 〃It's　a　picture　of　the　house　where　I　was　born。〃
　 〃Yeah？　Well　I'll　get　a　new　frame　for　it　on　Monday。〃　The　exchange　about　the　broken　glass　apparently　came　to　a　halt　there。　Tammy　watched　while　Caputo　stood　on　the　step；　staring　into　the　house；　muttering　something　under　his　breath。　Whatever　it　was；　it　wasn't　for　Todd's　ears；　he　was　just　quietly　letting　off　steam。　He　leaned　on　the　car；　lit　a　cigarette　and　soothed　himself　with　a　smoke。
　 Tammy　didn't　dare　move。　Even　though　Caputo　wasn't　looking　directly　at　her；　there　was　a　better　than　even　chance　that　he'd　catch　sight　of　her　if　she　broke　cover。　All　she　could　do　was　stay　where　she　was；　her　mind　filled　with　feverish　explanations　for　what　she'd　just　seen。
　 Obviously　something　horrible　had　happened　to　Todd；　but　what？　Her　first　thought　was　that　one　of　his　ex…girlfriends　had　tried　to　harm　him　（he'd　always　had　poor　judgment　when　it　came　to　women）。　Either　that　or　there'd　been　some　kind　of　accident　（was　that　what　his　remark　about　〃too　many　accidents〃　had　meant？）。　Whatever　it　was；　he　was　in　terrible　pain；　or　else　why　would　he　be　acting　the　way　he　just　had？　Her　heart　went　out　to　him。　And　to　be　stuck　up　here　in　this　God…forsaken　place　with　only　that　cretin　Caputo　for　pany：　it　would　drive　anybody　crazy。
　 Finally；　Caputo　dropped　his　cigarette；　ground　it　out；　and　went　back　to　his　work。　Tammy　waited　until　he'd　disappeared　inside　the　house　and　stepped　out　of　her　hiding　place。　What　now？　Back　to　the　gate；　up　the　street　to　her　car；　and　away？　Clearly　that　was　the　most　sensible　thing　to　do。　But　that　would　mean　leaving　without　finding　what　was　wrong　with　her　poor　Todd。　She　couldn't　do　that。　It　was　as　simple　as　that。　She　couldn't　do　it。　She　was　going　to　have　to　find　a　way　into　the　house；　and　then　discover　some　means　to　speak　to　him　before　Caputo　intervened。　Obviously　the　front　door　wasn't　the　way　to　go；　not　with　the　thug　standing　right　there。　She　was　going　to　have　to　try　around　the　back。　She　retraced　her　sticky　steps　a　few　yards；　and　then　crossed　to　the　corner　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　f