demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第53部分

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　〃And　you　called　Captain　Campbell's　house　at　about　0800　hours　and　left　a　message　on　her　answering　machine。〃
　〃Correct。　General　Campbell　called　me　from　his　home　and　asked　me　to　do　that。〃
　〃He　didn't　want　to　call　her　himself？〃
　〃He　was　annoyed　and　he　knew　Mrs。　Campbell　was　disappointed；　so　he　asked　me　to　place　the　call。〃
　〃I　see。　As　it　happens；　however；　we　were　in　her　house　before　0800；　and　when　we　got　there；　the　message　was　already　on　the　machine。〃
　There　was　what　you　call　a　moment　of　silence；　and　in　microseconds；　Colonel　Fowler　was　going　to　have　to　guess　if　I　was　bluffing；　which　I　wasn't；　or　if　he　had　a　better　story。　He　looked　me　in　the　eye　and　said；　〃Then　my　time　is　wrong。　It　must　have　been　earlier。　What　time　were　you　in　her　home？〃
　〃I'll　have　to　check　my　notes。　Can　I　assume　you　didn't　call　her　before　0700　hours　to　say　she　was　late　for　a　0700…hour　breakfast？〃
　〃That　would　be　a　logical　assumption；　Mr。　Brenner；　though　I've　often　called　her　prior　to　such　an　appointment　to　remind　her。〃
　〃But　on　this　occasion；　you　said；　'Ann；　you　were　supposed　to　stop　by　the　general's　house　this　morning。'　Then　you　said　something　about　breakfast；　followed　by；　'You're　probably　sleeping　now。'　So　if　she　got　off　duty　at；　let's　say；　0700；　and　you　called　at；　say；　0730　hours；　she'd　barely　be　home；　let　alone　asleep；〃
　〃That's　true　。。。　I　suppose　I　wasn't　thinking　very　clearly。　I　may　have　forgotten　she　was　on　duty；　and　I　meant　that　she　was　probably　not　awake　yet。〃
　〃But　you　mentioned　duty　in　your　message。　The　whole　sentence　was；　'You　were　supposed　to　stop　by　the　general's　house　this　morning　after　you　got　off　duty。'　〃
　〃Did　I　say　that？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Well；　then；　put　it　down　to　my　error　in　times。　I　may　have　called　as　early　as　0730。　I　know　I　called　right　after　the　general　called　me。　Captain　Campbell　apparently　agreed　to　meet　her　parents　at　0700　hours；　and　though　she　would　normally　have　been　relieved　at　about　that　time　by　the　officer　designated　to　arrive　at　0700　for　work；　it　wouldn't　have　been　unusual　for　her　to　leave　early　and　leave　the　duty　sergeant　in　charge　until　relieved。〃　He　added；　〃Are　you　having　a　problem　with　this；　Mr。　Brenner？〃
　〃No　problem。〃　Not　for　me；　big　problem　for　you。　I　asked；　〃Considering　that　Captain　Campbell　and　her　father　were　not　on　good　terms；　why　was　she　having　breakfast　with　him？〃
　〃Well；　they　did　dine　together　now　and　then。　I　told　you；　she　saw　her　mother　fairly　often。〃
　〃Could　this　breakfast　meeting　have　been　for　the　purpose　of　Ann　Campbell　delivering　her　answer　to　the　general's　ultimatum？〃
　Fowler　considered　a　moment；　then　replied；　〃Yes；　it　could　have　been。〃
　〃Do　you　find　it　curious　that　only　hours　before　she　had　to　reply　to　his　ultimatum；　she　was　found　dead？　Do　you　think　there's　any　connection？〃
　〃No；　I　think　it's　coincidence。〃
　〃I　don't　believe　in　coincidence。　Let　me　ask　you　this；　Colonel：　is　there　anything　further　that　General　Campbell　required　of　his　daughter　as　part　of　his　ultimatum？〃
　〃Such　as　what？〃
　〃Well；　such　as　names。　Names　of　the　men　on　post　she'd　slept　with。　Was　General　Campbell　going　to　make　a　clean　sweep？〃
　Colonel　Fowler　thought　about　that；　then　replied；　〃That's　entirely　possible。　But　Ann　Campbell　didn't　care　who　knew　and　would　have　been　delighted　to　tell　her　father。〃
　〃But　the　married　officers　who　she　slept　with　cared　very　much　and　would　not　have　been　as　delighted。〃
　〃I'm　sure　they　did　care；〃　Fowler　replied。　〃But　most；　if　not　all；　of　them　realized　they　couldn't　count　on　her　discretion。〃　He　said；　〃You　know；　Mr。　Brenner；　most　married　men　have　ambivalent　feelings　about　sexual　indiscretions。〃　He　looked　at　Cynthia；　then　continued；　〃On　the　one　hand；　they　are　terrified　of　being　found　out　by　their　wives　or　families；　or　certain　friends　or　superiors。　On　the　other　hand；　they　are　proud　of　their　exploits　and　actually　brag　about　their　conquests。　When　the　conquest　is　the　beautiful　daughter　of　their　boss；　they　can　barely　contain　themselves　and　tend　to　shoot　their　mouths　off。　Believe　me；　we've　all　been　there。〃
　I　smiled。　〃Indeed　we　have；　Colonel。〃　I　added；　〃But　talk　is　one　thing；　photos；　lists；　and　affidavits　are　another。　What　I'm　suggesting　is　that　somehow；　perhaps　through　Ann　Campbell　herself；　some　of　her　lovers　learned　that　General　Campbell　had　had　enough　and　was　demanding　from　his　daughter　a　full　accounting　of　her　seductions。　Someone　may　have　decided　that　it　was　time　to　get　rid　of　the　evidence。　To　get　rid　of　Ann　Campbell。〃
　Fowler　nodded。　〃That　thought　crossed　my　mind。　In　fact；　I　never　thought　it　was　a　total　stranger　who　killed　her。　But　can　you　explain　to　me　why　someone　who　wanted　to　shut　her　up　would　kill　her　that　way　and　draw　attention　to　the　sexual　nature　of　the　act　and　of　the　victim？〃
　Good　question。　I　replied；　〃It　may　have　been　a　cover　to　conceal　the　nature　of　the　act。　The　perpetrator　needed　to　kill　her　but　added　the　rape　to　confuse　the　investigation。　I've　had　two　husbands　who　murdered　their　wives　that　way　to　make　it　look　like　a　stranger　did　it。〃
　Fowler　mented；　〃This　is　your　area　of　expertise；　not　mine。　I　see　your　point；　but　how　many　men　would　actually　murder　a　woman　just　to　shut　her　up？　It's　a　lot　less　risky　to　face　a　court…martial　for　actions　unbeing　an　officer　than　to　face　a　court…martial　for　murder。〃
　〃I　agree；　Colonel；　but　then；　we're　rational　men。　In　the　irrational　world；　one　of　the　prime　motivators　for　homicide　is　to　avoid　disgrace　and　humiliation。　Says　so　in　the　manual。〃
　〃Well；　again；　that's　your　area　of　experience；　not　mine。〃
　〃But　think　about　who　among　Ann　Campbell's　lovers　might　consider　mitting　murder　to　avoid　disgrace；　divorce；　court…martial；　and　dismissal　from　the　service。〃
　〃Mr。　Brenner；　your　prime　suspect；　Colonel　Moore；　was　not　involved　with　her　sexually　from　what　I　hear。　So　he　had　no　obvious　reason　for　shutting　her　up。　But　he　may　have　had　many　other　reasons　for　raping　her　and　killing　her。　So　you　ought　to　concentrate　on　his　motivations　if　that's　all　that　is　keeping　you　from　arresting　him。〃
　〃I'm　certainly　following　that　avenue　as　well；　Colonel。　I　like　to　conduct　homicide　investigations　like　infantry　and　armor　manders　conduct　a　campaign…multiple　avenues　of　advance…a　feint；　a　probing　attack；　a　main　thrust；　then　a　breakthrough　and　encirclement。〃　I　added；　〃Surround　'em　and　pound　'em。〃
　He　smiled　wryly；　as　I　knew　he　would；　and　said；　〃That's　a　good　way　to　squander　your　resources　and　to　lose　the　initiative。　Go　right　for　the　kill；　Mr。　Brenner；　and　leave　the　fancy　stuff　for　the　chalkboard　in　the　tactics　classroom。〃
　〃Well；　maybe　you're　right；　Colonel。〃　I　asked　him；　〃Did　you　happen　to　see　the　duty　sergeant…Sergeant　St。　John…when　you　got　to　work　that　morning？〃
　〃No。　In　fact；　I　heard　later　that　a　corporal　of　the　guard　was　actually　holding　down　the　fort；　so　to　speak；　when　the　first　officer　arrived；　and　that　caused　a　big　stink。　The　corporal　said　that　the　duty　sergeant　left　hours　before　and　never　returned；　and　he　had　no　idea　where　the　sergeant　was　or　where　the　duty　officer　was。　But　I　didn't　know　that　because　no　one　brought　it　to　my　attention。　Major　Sanders；　a　staff　officer；　made　the　decision　to　call　the　MPs；　and　they　informed　him　that　the　duty　sergeant；　St。　John；　was　in　their　custody；　though　they　wouldn't　say　why。　I　learned　of　all　this　at　about　0900　hours　and　I　reported　it　to　General　Campbell；　who　told　me　to　follow　up　on　it。〃
　〃And　no　one　thought　to　ask　where　Captain　Campbell　had　disappeared　to？〃
　〃No　。。。　In　retrospect；　it　all　ties　together。　But　that　morning　it　just　seemed　to　me　that　Captain　Campbell　had　left　early；　put　the　duty　sergeant　in　charge；　and　he　put　a　corporal　of　the　guard　in　charge　and　took　the　opportunity　to　go　somewhere…perhaps　home　to　spy　on　his　wife。　That's　all　too　mon…a　man　on　duty　gets　it　in　his　head　that　his　wife　is　being　unfaithful；　then　sneaks　off　duty　and　checks　out　his　house。　It's　a　problem　of　military　life。〃
　〃Yes；　I've　had　two　homicides　and　one　maiming　that　began　that　way。〃
　〃So　you　understand。　Well；　that's　one　of　the　things　that　occurred　to　me。　But　what　I　knew　is　that　St。　John　ran　afoul　of　the　MPs　and　never　made　it　back　to　headquarters。　I　didn't　push　the　inquiry　because　it　was　obviously　Captain　Campbell's　early　departure　that　led　to　St。　John's　dereliction　of　duty；　and　I　knew　that　it　would　sort　itself　out。　The　last　thing　anyone　t