dk.intensity-第10章

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　Blinded；　still　pressed　to　the　fiberboard　wall　beside　the　bedroom　door；　Chyna　Shepherd　could　almost　believe　that　even　in　death　Laura　struggled　against　the　injustice　of　her　murder。　Clink…clink。
　Periodic　sprays　of　gravel　spurted　from　beneath　the　tires　and　rattled　against　the　undercarriage。　Shortly　the　motor　home　would　reach　the　county　road；　smooth　blacktop。
　If　Chyna　tried　to　bail　out　now；　the　killer　was　sure　to　hear　the　back　door　bang　open　when　the　wind　tore　it　out　of　her　grasp；　or　spot　it　in　his　sideview　mirror。　In　these　winter…dormant　grape　fields；　where　the　nearest　houses　were　inhabited　only　by　the　dead；　he　would　certainly　risk　stopping　and　giving　chase；　and　she　would　not　get　far　before　he　brought　her　down。
　Better　to　wait。　Give　him　a　few　miles　on　the　county　road；　even　until　they　reached　a　more　major　route；　until　they　were　likely　to　be　passing　through　a　town　or　traveling　in　at　least　sparse　traffic。　He　wouldn't　be　as　quick　to　e　after　her　if　people　were　nearby　to　respond　to　her　cries　for　help。
　She　felt　along　the　wall　for　a　switch。　The　door　was　tightly　shut；　no　light　would　spill　into　the　hallway。　She　found　the　toggle；　flicked　it　up；　but　nothing　happened。　The　overhead　bulb　must　have　burned　out。
　She　remembered　seeing　a　pharmacy…style　reading　lamp　bolted　to　the　side　of　the　built…in　nightstand。　By　the　time　she　felt　her　way　across　the　small　room；　the　motor　home　began　to　slow。
　She　hesitated　with　the　lamp　switch　between　thumb　and　forefinger；　heart　suddenly　racing　again　because　she　was　afraid　that　he　was　going　to　brake　to　a　full　stop；　get　out　from　behind　the　wheel；　and　e　back　to　the　little　bedroom。　Now　that　a　confrontation　could　no　longer　save　Laura；　now　that　Chyna's　molten　rage　had　cooled　to　anger；　she　hoped　only　to　avoid　him；　escape；　and　give　the　authorities　the　information　that　they　would　need　to　find　him。
　The　vehicle　didn't　e　to　a　full　stop；　after　all；　but　hung　a　wide　left　turn　onto　a　paved　surface　and　picked　up　speed　once　more。　The　county　road。
　As　far　as　Chyna　could　recall；　the　next　intersection　would　be　State　Highway　29；　which　she　and　Laura　had　driven　the　previous　afternoon。　Between　here　and　there；　the　only　turnoffs　were　to　other　vineyards；　small　farms；　and　houses。　He　wasn't　likely　to　pay　a　visit　to　any　of　those　places　or　slaughter　any　more　innocently　sleeping　families。　The　night　was　waning。
　She　clicked　the　lamp　switch；　and　a　circle　of　muddy　light　fell　on　the　bed。
　She　tried　not　to　look　at　the　body；　even　though　it　was　mostly　concealed　by　the　enwrapping　linens。　If　she　thought　too　much　about　Laura　right　now；　she'd　be　sucked　into　a　slough　of　black　despondency。　She　needed　to　remain　energized　and　clearheaded　if　she　hoped　to　survive。
　Although　she　wasn't　likely　to　find　any　weapon　better　than　the　butcher　knife；　she　had　nothing　to　lose　by　searching　for　one。　Since　the　killer　was　armed　with　a　silencer…equipped　pistol；　he　might　keep　other　guns　in　the　motor　home。
　The　single　nightstand　had　two　drawers。　The　upper　contained　a　package　of　gauze　pads；　a　few　green　and　yellow　sponges　of　the　size　used　to　wash　dishes；　a　small　plastic　squeeze　bottle　of　some　clear　fluid；　a　roll　of　cloth　tape；　a　b；　a　hairbrush　with　a　tortoiseshell　handle；　a　halfempty　tube　of　K…Y　jelly；　a　full　bottle　of　skin　lotion　with　aloe　vera；　a　pair　of　needle…nose　pliers　with　yellow　rubber…clad　handles；　and　a　pair　of　scissors。
　She　could　imagine　the　uses　to　which　he　had　put　some　of　those　items；　and　she　didn't　want　to　think　about　the　others。　Sometimes；　no　doubt；　the　women　he　brought　into　this　room　were　alive　when　he　put　them　on　the　bed。
　She　considered　the　scissors。　But　the　butcher　knife　would　be　more　effective　if　she　needed　to　use　it。
　In　the　lower；　deeper　drawer　was　a　hard…plastic　container　rather　like　a　fishing…tackle　box。　When　she　opened　it；　she　found　a　plete　sewing　kit；　with　numerous　spools　of　thread　in　a　variety　of　colors；　a　pincushion；　packets　of　needles；　a　needle　threader；　an　extensive　selection　of　buttons；　and　other　paraphernalia。　None　of　that　was　helpful　to　her；　and　she　put　it　away。
　As　she　got　up　from　her　knees；　she　noticed　that　the　window　over　the　bed　had　been　covered　with　a　sheet　of　plywood　that　had　been　bolted　to　the　wall。　A　couple　of　folded　swatches　of　blue　fabric　were　trapped　between　the　plywood　and　the　window　frame：　the　edge　of　an　underlying　drapery　panel。
　From　outside；　the　window　would　appear　to　be　merely　curtained。　Anyone　inside；　even　if　clever　and　fortunate　enough　to　struggle　free　of　her　bonds；　would　never　be　able　to　open　the　window　and　signal　to　passing　motorists　for　help。
　As　there　was　no　other　furniture　in　the　cramped　bedroom；　the　closet　was　the　only　remaining　place　where　Chyna　could　hope　to　find　a　gun　or　anything　that　might　be　used　as　a　weapon。　She　circled　the　bed　to　the　accordion…style　vinyl　door；　which　hung　from　an　overhead　track。
　When　she　pulled　the　folding　door　aside；　it　pressed　into　pleats　that　stacked　to　the　left；　and　in　the　closet　was　a　dead　man。
　Shock　threw　Chyna　back　against　the　bed。　The　mattress　caught　her　behind　the　knees。　She　almost　fell　backward　atop　Laura；　kept　her　balance；　but　dropped　the　knife。
　The　rear　of　the　closet　appeared　to　have　been　retrofitted　with　welded　steel　plates　fixed　to　the　vehicle　frame　for　added　strength。　Two　ringbolts；　widely　separated　and　high…set；　were　welded　to　the　steel。　Wrists　manacled　to　the　ringbolts；　the　dead　man　hung　with　his　arms　spread　in　cruciform。　His　feet　were　together　like　the　feet　of　Christ　on　the　cross…not　nailed；　however；　but　shackled　to　another　ringbolt　in　the　closet　floor。
　He　was　young…seventeen；　eighteen；　surely　not　twenty。　Clad　in　only　a　pair　of　white　cotton　briefs；　his　lean　pale　body　was　badly　battered。　His　head　didn't　hang　forward　on　his　chest　but　was　tipped　to　one　side；　and　his　left　temple　rested　against　the　biceps　of　his　raised　left　arm。　He　had　thick　curly　black　hair。　His　eyelids　had　been　sewn　tightly　shut　with　green　thread。　With　yellow　thread；　two　buttons　above　his　upper　lip　were　secured　to　a　pair　of　matching　buttons　just　under　his　lower　lip。
　Chyna　heard　herself　talking　to　God。　An　incoherent；　beseeching　babble。　She　clenched　her　teeth　and　choked　on　the　words；　though　it　was　unlikely　that　her　voice　could　have　carried　to　the　front　of　the　motor　home　over　the　rumble　of　the　engine　and　the　droning　of　the　big　tires。
　She　pulled　shut　the　pleated…vinyl　panel。　Though　flimsy；　it　moved　as　ponderously　as　a　vault　door。　The　magnetic　latch　clicked　into　place　with　a　sound　like　snapping　bone。
　In　all　the　textbooks　she　had　ever　read；　no　case　study　of　sociopathic　violence　had　ever　contained　a　description　of　a　crime　sufficiently　vivid　to　make　her　want　to　retreat　to　a　er　and　sit　on　the　floor　and　pull　her　knees　against　her　chest　and　hug　herself。　That　was　precisely　what　she　did　now　choosing　the　corner　farthest　from　the　closet。
　She　had　to　get　control　of　herself；　quickly；　starting　with　her　manic　breathing。　She　was　gasping；　sucking　in　great　hingfuls；　yet　she　couldn't　seem　to　get　enough　air。　The　deeper　and　faster　she　inhaled；　the　dizzier　she　became。　Her　peripheral　vision　surrendered　to　an　encroaching　darkness　until　she　seemed　to　be　peering　down　a　long　black　tunnel　toward　the　dingy　motor…home　bedroom　at　the　far　end。
　She　told　herself　that　the　young　man　in　the　closet　had　been　dead　when　the　killer　had　gone　to　work　with　the　sewing　kit。　And　if　he'd　not　been　dead；　at　least　he'd　been　mercifully　unconscious。　Then　she　told　herself　not　to　think　about　it　at　all；　because　thinking　about　it　only　made　the　tunnel　longer　and　narrower；　made　the　bedroom　more　distant　and　the　lights　dimmer　than　ever。
　She　put　her　face　in　her　hands；　and　her　hands　were　cold　but　her　face　seemed　colder。　For　no　reason　that　Chyna　could　understand；　she　thought　of　her　mother's　face；　as　clear　as　a　photograph　in　her　mind's　eye。　And　then　she　did　understand。
　To　Chyna's　mother；　the　prospect　of　violence　had　been　romantic；　even　glamorous。　For　a　while　they　had　lived　in　a　mune　in　Oakland；　where　everyone　talked　of　making　a　better　world　and　where；　more　nights　than　not；　the　adults　gathered　around　the　kitchen　table；　drinking　wine　and　smoking　pot；　discussing　how　best　to　tear　down　the　hated　system；　sometimes　also　playing　pinochle　or　Trivial　Pursuit　as　they　discussed　the　strategies　that　might　bring　utopia　at　last；　sometimes　far　too　enraptured　by　revolution　to　be　interested　in　any　lesser　games。　There　were　bridges　and　tunnels　that　could　all　be　blown　up　with　absurd　ease；　disrupting　transportation；　telephone…pany　installations　could　be　targeted　to　throw　munications　into　chaos；　meat…packing　plants　must　be　burned　to　put　an　end　to　the　brutal　exploitation　or　animals。　They　planned　intricate　bank　robberies　and　bold　assaults　on　armored　cars　to　finance　their　operations。　The　route　they　would　have　taken　to　peace；　freedom；　and　justice　was　always　cratered　by　explosions；　littered　with　uncountable　bodies。　After　Oakland；　Chyna　and　her　mother　had　hit　the　road　for　a　few　weeks　and　had　wound　up　again　in　Key　West　with　their　old　friend　Jim　Woltz；　the　enthusiastic　nihilist　who　was　deep　in　the　drug　trade；　with　a　sideline　in　illegal　weapons。　Under　his　ocean…front　cottage；　he　had　carved　out　a　bunker　in　which　he　stored　a　personal　collection　of　two　hundred　firearms。　Chyna's　mother　was　a　beautiful　woman；　even　on　bad　days　when　depression　plagued　her；　when　her　green　eyes　were　gray　and　sad　with　miseries　that　she　could　not　explain。　But　at　that　kitchen　table　in　Oakland　and　in　that　cool　bunker　beneath　the　cottage　in　Key　West…in　fact；　whenever　she　was　at　the　side　of　a　man　like　Woltz…her　porcelain　skin　was　even　clearer　than　usual；　almost　translucent；　excitement　enlivened　her　exquisite　features；　she　became　magically　more　graceful；　appeared　more　lithe　and　supple；　was　quicker　to　smile。　The　prospect　of　violence；　playing　at　being　Bonnie　to　any　man's　Clyde；　filled　her　stunning　face　with　a　light　as　glorious　as　a　Florida　sunset；　and　her　jewel…green　eyes　were；　at　those　times；　as　pelling　and　mysterious　as　the　Gulf　of　Mexico　darkening　toward　twilight。
　Although　the　prospect　of　violence　might　be　romantic；　the　reality　was　blood；　bone；　deposition；　dust。　The　reality　was　Laura　on　the　bed　and　the　unknown　young　man　sewn　into　silence　behind　the　pleated　vinyl　door。
　Chyna　sat　with　her　cold　hands　covering　her　colder　face；　aware　that　she　would　never　be　as　strangely　beautiful　as　her　mother。
　Eventually　she　regained　control　of　her　breathing。　The　motor　home　rolled　on；　and　she　was　reminded　of　nights　when；　as　a　child；　she　had　dozed　on　trains；　on　buses；　in　the　backseats　of　cars；　lulled　by　the　motion　and　the　hum　of　wheels；　unsure　where　her　mother　was　taking　her；　dreaming　of　being　part　of　a　family　like　one　of　those　on　television…with　befuddled　but　loving　parents；　an　amusing　next…door　neighbor　who　might　be　frustrating　but　never　malicious；　and　a　dog　that　knew　a　few　tricks。　But　good　dreams　never　lasted；　and　she　woke　repeatedly　from　nightmares；　gazing　out　windows　at　strange　landscapes；　wishing　that　she　could　travel　forever　without　stopping。　The　road　was　a　promise　of　peace；　but　destinations　were　always　hell。
　Chyna　didn't　want　to　go　there。　She　intended　to　get　off　between　destinations　and　hoped　to　find　her　way　back　to　the　better　life　that　she　had　struggled　so　hard　to　build　these　past　ten　years。
　She　left　the　er　of　the　bedroom　to　retrieve　the　butcher　knife；　which　she　had　dropped　when　she'd　been　rocked　ba