璇玑之心刃·冷血悍将-第149章

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t　up　for　the　nurse　to　take。
And　things　settled　down　for　everyone　except　Nurse　O‘Toole。　She　watched　Kelly　swallow　the　oversized　pill　and　left　the　room　for　the　calm　of　the　corridor。
Sandra　O‘Toole　walked　back　to　the　nurses‘　station；　remembering　what　she　alone　had　seen。　Kelly‘s　face　turning　so　pale　that　her　first　reaction　to　it　was　that　he　must　be　in　shock；　then　the　tumult　behind　her　as　she　reached　for　her　patient　…　but　then　what？　It　wasn‘t　like　the　first　time　at　all。　Kelly‘s　face　had　transformed　itself。　Only　an　instant；　like　opening　a　door　into　some　other　place；　and　she‘d　seen　something　she　had　never　imagined。　Something　very　old　and　feral　and　ugly。　The　eyes　not　wide；　but　focused　on　something　she　could　not　see。　The　pallor　of　his　face　not　that　of　shock；　but　of　rage。　His　hands　balled　briefly　into　fists　of　quivering　stone。　And　then　his　face　had　changed　again。　There　had　been　prehension　to　replace　the　blind；　killing　rage；　and　what　she‘d　seen　next　was　the　most　dangerous　sight　she　had　ever　beheld；　though　she　knew　not　why。　Then　the　door　closed。　Kelly‘s　eyes　shut；　and　when　he　opened　them；　his　face　was　unnaturally　serene。　The　plete　sequence　had　not　taken　four　seconds；　she　realized；　all　of　it　while　Rosen　and　Douglas　had　been　scuffling　against　the　wall。　He‘d　passed　from　horror　to　rage　to　understanding　…　then　to　concealment；　but　what　had　e　in　between　prehension　and　disguise　was　the　most　frightening　thing　of　all。
What　had　she　seen　in　the　face　of　this　man？　It　took　her　a　moment　to　answer　the　question。　Death　was　what　she‘d　seen。　Controlled。　Planned。　Disciplined。
But　it　was　still　Death；　living　in　the　mind　of　a　man。
‘I　don‘t　like　doing　this　sort　of　thing；　Mr　Kelly；‘　Douglas　said　back　in　the　room　as　he　adjusted　his　coat。　The　detective　and　the　surgeon　traded　a　look　of　mutual　embarrassment。
‘John；　are　you　all　right？‘　Rosen　looked　him　over　and　took　his　pulse　quickly；　surprised　to　find　it　nearly　normal。
‘Yeah。‘　Kelly　nodded。　He　looked　at　the　detective。　"；That‘s　her。　That‘s　Pam。‘
‘I‘m　sorry。　I　really　am；‘　Douglas　said　with　genuine　sincerity；　‘but　there‘s　no　easy　way　to　do　this。　There　never　is。　Whatever　happened；　it‘s　over　now；　and　now　it‘s　our　job　to　try　and　identify　the　people　who　did　it。　We　need　your　help　to　do　that。‘
‘Okay；‘　Kelly　said　neutrally。　‘Where‘s　Frank？　How　e　he‘s　not　here？‘
‘Не　can‘t　have　a　hand　in　this；‘　Sergeant　Douglas　answered；　with　a　look　to　the　surgeon。　‘He　knows　you。　Personal　involvement　in　a　criminal　case　isn‘t　terribly　professional。‘　It　wasn‘t　entirely　true　…　in　fact；　was　hardly　true　at　all　…　but　it　served　the　purpose。　‘Did　you　see　the　people　who　…‘
Kelly　shook　his　head；　looking　down　at　the　bed；　and　he　spoke　just　above　a　whisper。　‘No。　I　was　looking　the　wrong　way。　She　said　something；　but　I　didn‘t　get　around。　Pam　saw　them；　I　turned　right；　then　started　turning　left。　I　never　made　it。‘
‘What　were　you　doing　at　the　time？‘　
‘Observing。　Look；　you　talked　to　Lieutenant　Allen；　right？‘
‘That‘s　correct。‘　Douglas　nodded。　
‘Pam　witnessed　a　murder。　I　was　bringing　her　in　to　talk　to　Frank　about　it。‘　
‘Go　on。‘
‘She　was　linked　up　with　people　who　deal　drugs。　She　saw　them　kill　somebody；　a　girl。　I　told　her　she　had　to　do　something　about　it。　I　was　curious　about　what　it　was　like；‘　Kelly　said　in　a　flat　monotone；　still　bathing　in　his　guilt　while　his　mind　replayed　the　image。　
‘Names？‘
‘None　that　I　remember；‘　Kelly　answered。　
‘e　on；‘　Douglas　said；　leaning　forward。　‘She　must　have　told　you　something！‘
‘I　didn‘t　ask　much。　I　figured　that　was　your　job　…　Frank‘s　job；　I　mean。　We　were　supposed　to　meet　with　Frank　that　night。　All　I　know　is　it‘s　a　bunch　of　people　who　deal　drugs　and　who　use　women　for　something。‘　
‘That‘s　all　you　know？‘
Kelly　looked　him　straight　in　the　eyes。　‘Yes。　Not　very　helpful；　is　it？‘
Douglas　waited　a　few　seconds　before　going　on。　What　might　have　been　an　important　break　in　an　important　case　was　not　going　to　happen；　and　so　it　was　his　turn　to　lie　again；　beginning　with　some　truth　to　make　it　easier。　‘There‘s　a　pair　of　robbers　working　the　west　side　of　town。　Two　black　males；　medium　size；　and　that‘s　all　we　have　for　a　description。　Their　МО　is　a　sawed…off　shotgun。　They　specialize　in　taking　down　people　ing　in　for　a　drug　buy；　and　they　particularly　like　the　gentry　customers。　Probably　most　of　their　robberies　don‘t　even　get　reported。　We　have　them　linked　to　two　killings。　This　might　be　number　three。‘　
‘That‘s　all？‘　Rosen　asked。　
‘Robbery　and　murder　are　major　crimes；　doctor。‘
‘But　that‘s　just　an　accident！‘
‘That‘s　one　way　of　looking　at　it；‘　Douglas　agreed；　turning　back　to　his　witness。　‘Mr　Kelly；　you　must　have　seen　something。　What　the　hell　were　you　doing　around　there？　Was　Miss　Madden　trying　to　buy　something　…‘
‘No！‘
‘Look；　it‘s　over。　She‘s　dead。　You　can　tell　me。　I　have　to　know。‘
‘Like　I　said；　she　was　linked　up　with　this　bunch；　and　I　…　dumb　as　it　sounds；　I　don‘t　know　shit　about　drugs。‘　I‘ll　be　finding　out；　though。
Alone　in　his　bed；　alone　with　his　mind；　Kelly‘s　eyes　calmly　surveyed　the　ceiling；　scanning　the　white　surface　like　a　movie　screen。
First；　the　police　are　wrong；　Kelly　told　himself。　He　didn‘t　know　how　he　knew；　but　he　did；　and　that　was　enough。　It　wasn‘t　robbers；　it　was　them；　the　people　Pam　were　afraid　of。
What　had　happened　fit　what　Pam　had　told　him。　It　was　something　they　had　done　before。　He　had　allowed　himself　to　be　spotted　…　twice。　His　guilt　was　still　quite　real；　but　that　was　history　now　and　he　couldn‘t　change　it。　Whatever　he　had　done　wrong；　it　was　done。　Whoever　had　done　this　to　Pam；　they　were　still　out　there；　and　if　they‘d　done　this　twice　already；　they　would　do　it　again。　But　that　was　not　really　what　occupied　his　mind　behind　the　blank　staring　mask。
Okay；　he　thought。　Okay。　They‘ve　never　met　anyone　like　me　before。
I　need　to　get　back　into　shape；　Chief　Bosun‘s　Mate　John　Terrence　Kelly　told　himself。
The　injuries　were　severe；　but　he‘d　survive　them。　He　knew　every　step　of　the　process。　Recovery　would　be　painful；　but　he‘d　do　what　they　told　him；　he‘d　push　the　envelope　a　little　bit；　enough　to　make　them　proud　of　their　patient。　Then　the　really　hard　part　would　start。　The　running；　the　swimming；　the　weights。　Then　the　weapons　training。　Then　the　mental　preparation　…　but　that　was　already　underway；　he　realized　。。。
Оh；　по。　Not　in　their　wildest　nightmares　have　they　ever　met　anyone　like　me。
The　name　they　had　given　him　in　Vietnam　boiled　up　from　the　past。
Snake。
Kelly　pushed　the　call　button　pinned　to　his　pillow。　Nurse　O‘Toole　appeared　within　two　minutes。
‘I‘m　hungry；‘　he　told　her。
‘I　hope　I　never　have　to　do　that　again；‘　Douglas　told　his　lieutenant；　not　for　the　first　time。
‘How　did　it　go？‘
‘Well；　that　professor　might　make　a　formal　plaint。　I　think　I　canned　him　down　enough；　but　you　never　know　with　people　like　that。‘　
‘Does　Kelly　know　anything？‘
‘Nothing　we　can　use；‘　Douglas　replied。　‘He‘s　still　too　messed　up　from　being　shot　and　all　to　be　coherent；　but　he　didn‘t　see　any　faces；　didn‘t　…　hell；　if　he　had　seen　anything；　he　would　probably　have　done　something。　I　even　showed　him　the　picture；　trying　to　shake　him　a　little。　I　thought　the　poor　bastard　would　have　a　heart　attack。　The　doctor　went　crazy。　I‘m　not　real　proud　of　that；　Em。　Nobody　should　have　to　see　something　like　that。‘
‘Including　us；　Tom；　including　us。‘　Lieutenant　Emmet　Ryan　looked　up　from　a　large　collection　of　photos；　half　taken　at　the　scene；　half　at　the　coroner‘s　office。　What　he　saw　there　sickened　him　despite　all　his　years　of　police　work；　especially　because　this　wasn‘t　a　crime　of　madness　or　passion。　No；　this　event　had　been　done　for　a　purpose　by　coldly　rational　men。　‘I　talked　to　Frank。　This　Kelly　guy　is　a　good　scout；　helped　him　clear　the　Gooding　case。　He‘s　not　linked　up　with　anything。　The　doctors　all　say　that　he‘s　clean；　not　a　user。‘
‘Anything　on　the　girl？‘　Douglas　didn‘t　need　to　say　that　this　could　have　been　the　break　they‘d　needed。　If　only　Kelly　had　called　them　instead　of　Allen；　who　didn‘t　know　about　their　investigation。　But　he　hadn‘t；　and　their　best　potential　source　of　information　was　dead。　‘The　prints　came　back。　Pamela　Madden。　She　was　picked　up　in　Chicago；　Atlanta；　and　New　Orleans　for　prostitution。　Never　came　to　trial；　never　did　any　time。　The　j