Chapter 23 Chapter 23 The Kidnapper's Identity

It is very kind of you to receive me today, doctor.If I'm going to go on thinking about these things by myself, you'll probably have to visit me in a madhouse.Also, I might be safer with you.You should have seen me on the news again.Who didn't see it?I'm sorry, doctor, I called you temporarily to make an appointment. A lot of things have happened in the past few days. I can't wait until our appointment. Last time, after I left your place, I drove straight to the police station in Clayton Falls and spent another hour identifying the photos.My back hurts and I start to think that all the people in the photos look similar, only one guy looks familiar to me, but I remember, it’s because his photo has only been published in the newspaper recently, I want to give up, but As soon as he thought of Gary running around with the photo, he continued to persevere.I was about to turn over a picture of a man with a shaved head and a beard, and I felt familiar with his sly blue eyes, which seemed a little out of place with his entire face, and I leaned in to take a closer look take a look.

it's him. I was sweating profusely, and my vision began to blur.Trying not to faint, I quickly looked away and rested my forehead on the table.My heart was pounding, I took a few deep breaths, tried to concentrate, and while patting the ground with my feet, I said silently, he is dead...he is dead...he is dead.After my vision finally recovered and my heartbeat gradually stabilized, I looked at his face again. I waved a cop over, I told him I'd found it, and he called Gary right away on his cell phone.None of the pictures had names under them, and the police wouldn't answer any of my questions, so I insisted on speaking to Gary.

"I don't know why they won't tell me who he is, he has a record. I've spent so much time looking at these goddamn pictures, you guys should at least tell me his name." "It's good that you can recognize his photo, Anne, but we have to confirm this information first. I don't want you to work hard for so long and finally find out that you have identified the wrong person..." "It's him. I stayed with him for a whole year, how could I admit my mistake." "I don't suspect you in the slightest. I'll call you as soon as I find out about him. Now go home and rest, okay? I need you to make a list of who might want to to hurt you."

"No one wants to hurt me. My psychiatrist has asked me to make a list like this. I thought about it. No one I know wants to hurt me. It must be the perverted accomplice..." "This is what I want to check now. You go home now, make a list and give it to me, and we will talk about it in detail at that time." The next day, I fidgeted at home waiting for Gary's call, but he didn't call, and he didn't answer my cell phone.I spent a few hours cleaning the room, and suddenly I remembered the guy who looked so familiar at the police station. I dug out the old newspapers from before, and I didn't miss every page.On the last page, I saw a headline: "Police Suspect Freshly Released Felon Involved in Store Robbery," and I read the story carefully.As soon as I saw the criminal's name, I knew who he was.Mom's stepbrother.That report also said he had been released a few weeks earlier, and I don't know if Mom knew about it, and I don't know if I should have told her.All afternoon, I hesitated.By five o'clock, I was going crazy, so when my mother called me to come over to dinner, I said yes right away.

Dinner was delicious, and as we finished, I was hesitant to tell Mom about her stepbrother when Mom started talking about a little girl who had just disappeared in Calgary.I told her I didn't want to hear it.She ignored me at all. She said that the little girl's mother begged the kidnappers to release her daughter on TV, but she felt that the mother did not handle the relationship with the media well. "She was rude to reporters. If she still wants people to help her get her daughter back, it's better not to put on that attitude." "Reporters are annoying sometimes, Mom, you know that too."

"Reporters are not an important issue for her to worry about now. The police are now questioning the girl's father. Obviously he has a lover outside. And that lover is pregnant." "Mom, can you please stop talking?" She opened her mouth, and before she could say anything else, I blurted out, "I saw a picture of Dwight in the newspaper." She snapped her mouth shut and stared at me. "Your stepbrother? He's been set free, Mom, the police are looking for him for a robbery..." "Do you want to eat something else?" Our eyes met. "I'm sorry if I offended you, I just wanted to..."

"Is there any more spaghetti sauce?" Her face was expressionless, but her hand on the napkin told me to shut up. "No, I'm full. Anyway, I'm a bit sick to my stomach today. I recognized the freak's photo at the police station today. Gary still won't tell me his name. He's looking up this guy. He Say it won't be long before you tell me more." Mom was silent for a moment, nodded, and then said, "That's good. Maybe now you can finally let this go, Annie Bear." She patted my hand.Wayne got up and went outside to smoke a cigarette. After he was gone, I said, "Well, I can't let it go. Gary thinks he might have an accomplice, the one who tried to get me that day."

Mom frowned: "Why did Gary scare you like this?" "He didn't try to scare me, mostly because the freak had a picture of me. I guess he got it from my office or something, and Gary mostly wanted to know why he would want that. A picture, you know? And he told me to fax him this list..." Damn it.Eager to put in a good word for Gary, I ended up not only telling my mom about the photos, but almost telling her the whole list. "What list?" "It's just that the psychiatrist asked me to make a list, it's nothing." "If it's nothing, then why would Gary want to see it? What's on the list." Damn.Why is she so recalcitrant.

"It's the people I know who may have opinions about me." "Like who?" I didn't want to tell her I had all my friends and family listed on the list, so I said, "Just a few ex-boyfriends and some former clients. Oh, and that mystery agent who was competing with me." "You mean Christina." "No, it's the agent I competed with at the beginning." She narrowed her eyes: "Didn't she tell you?" "Didn't tell me what?" "Forget it, I don't want to cause trouble." "Come on, Mom, what's going on?"

"I thought you knew." She took a deep breath, "Do you still remember my friend Carol? Her daughter Andrea works in your company, and she and Christina's assistant are friends..." "so what?" "So, Christina is the one who competed with you for the sales project at the beginning. She is the mysterious agent." "Impossible. Christina will definitely tell me. The developer came to her later because I disappeared." She shrugged: "I thought so too, but Andrea later said that Christina's assistant worked overtime on weekends just to complete the advertising proposal. She said that she also saw the promotional pictures that Christina designed for the developer. .”

I shook my head: "Christina would never tease me behind my back like this. For her, friends are far more important than money." "Speaking of money, I heard that her husband is having financial problems right now. The house he bought her is not cheap, but she doesn't seem to know how to control consumption at all. Her husband must be a very reasonable person. After you disappeared , she and Luke are very close." "That's because they all want to find me, so they are often together. Besides, Drew didn't buy the house for her, they bought it together. She likes to enjoy life, so what's wrong? Christina's Money is earned through hard work..." "Why do you defend her like this?" "Because you mean Christina is having an affair with Luke!" "I never said that, I was just telling you what I heard. She used to stay in the restaurant all night and all night until the restaurant closed. Oh, and it reminded me, you know Don’t know? Before you disappeared, the restaurant’s business was not very good. That day, Wayne was chatting with the bartender at the bar. The bartender knew the chef of Luke’s restaurant. After the disappearance, the news media went to report on Luke, and the business of the restaurant picked up again. I think this is the luck of misfortune.” The fried turkey I just ate is now heavy in my stomach. "I'm going to the bathroom." For a minute I felt like I was going to throw up, I washed my hands with cold water and doused my face, I leaned my head against the mirror and the nausea faded away.My hair was sticking to the back of my neck, soaked in sweat, I felt so hot, I rummaged through the toilet cabinet drawer, found a pink rubber band, and tied it up.When I came out of the toilet, my mother had already poured herself another glass of wine. "I'm going, Mom, thanks for the dinner." "If you find anything else, just call me." She said, stroking my back with her hand, "I believe everything will come to light." By the time I got home, the nausea was completely gone and I felt depressed and wanted to go for a run.It's still early, but even when it's bedtime, I can't fall asleep, I wake up when there is any movement.I started running along the sidewalk, and my mind started spinning. Is there really something between Luke and Christina?When we were together before, I don't recall any overly intimate behavior between them.But then again, I didn't realize that she was my competitor.Did she know it from the beginning?Was she going to tell me about it the last time I interrupted her?Still trying to tell me about her and Luke?Why didn't Luke ever tell me that the restaurant wasn't doing well?My mind was full of problems, and these problems collided, broke into pieces, and became more problems. I ran desperately for half an hour, and my mood calmed down a lot, but there was always a vague worry hanging in my heart, until I got home and went into the bathroom to take a shower, that feeling was still there.I had to do something to make these crazy thoughts go away.Wrapped in a towel, I called Luke's restaurant. "Is it not convenient to talk now?" I asked. "No, but only a few minutes to spare." "I just wanted to let you know that today I recognized a photo of the guy at the police station. I don't know his name yet, but Gary said he'll let me know as soon as he has information." "Oh! That's great news." "Maybe. I want to know more." "Let me know how it goes, but I have to go now. Sorry, it's busy here, the restaurant is full." I was still feeling uneasy and I almost told him I wanted to go over to him for a drink and chat, but I hesitated too long and he hung up. I called Christina's cell phone again, and she told me that they were going to hold the opening ceremony of the seaside community project at night, and she was entertaining guests at the door, so she could only call me back when she was done.After we said goodbye, I stared blankly at the phone in my hand.Emma sat at my feet, staring at me with her big brown eyes. "Am I a fool, huh?" It wagged its tail desperately.I guess it's saying yes. I walked back to my bedroom, and that's when I finally remembered where that photo came from. It took Gary a long time to answer the phone.I didn't even realize it myself, my whole body was already tense, and I only relaxed a little when I heard his calm voice. "I've been calling you all afternoon," I said. "Sorry, my phone is out of battery." "I need to talk to you." I hated myself for sounding so desperate. "I am listening." “It just occurred to me that I used to have a little bookshelf in the living room off the bedroom that was full of framed pictures – and then I remembered. I put a blue-gray picture frame on the very back and inside it was my An old photo, the one in the pervert's hand..." "The photo was taken from your house?" I suddenly felt nauseous again. "It's impossible for that pervert not to disturb Emma. He must have sneaked in and taken it away when I took it out for a walk. But why would he take such a big risk for a photo?" "Good question. Does anyone else have the keys to your house?" "A few months before I was kidnapped, I lost a bunch of keys while I was out for a walk and I had the locks changed when I got home. So far, I haven't given anyone the keys to the house." "So it's likely that the person who took the picture was the house you let him in, Anne. The man gave the picture back to your kidnapper—presumably so he could recognize you." My heart started pounding: "Why did you take this one?" "Maybe he thinks you won't find out if you lose this piece. There may be other reasons." "The person who wanted to catch me later..." "It could be the same guy who took your picture, or maybe it's his helper." "It doesn't make sense. Why did you kidnap me? After I was kidnapped, no one asked my family for a ransom." "We don't know yet if he actually wanted to kidnap you. It's possible that someone brought the pervert not to kidnap you, but the pervert later decided to keep you." "Do you think he was going to kill me? Jesus, Gary." My eyes widened. "They're not going to act again so quickly - now that you're the center of attention - and I'll make sure a police car patrols your neighborhood from time to time. I need you to make a list of anyone who might get that picture List everyone." "A lot of people have been to my house, I just had the fireplace repaired before I disappeared..." "Your case is very complicated. It is definitely not a random crime. There must be a private motive." "I've given you the list..." "This time, don't think about those who might have hurt you, think about those who stand to gain the most from your disappearance." I racked my brains and thought, "I need...I need a moment. Let me think." Gary said, "Go to bed early, okay? I'm staying at the Eagle Valley Inn, and I'll give you my room number. If you think of anything, call the hotel right away and ask them to put you through." I Just as he was about to hang up, he said, "By the way, Annie. Don't tell anyone about this right now." I changed clothes with trembling hands, and Gary's words kept repeating in my head.Who benefits the most?I thought about the restaurant where Luke got back in business.Think of that real estate sale that Christina got. Then I remembered that the psycho had said that he chose me because "an opportunity arose" and that it was odd that my always punctual boyfriend was running late that day.The freak also said he saw Luke with a woman, but maybe the freak said that on purpose to torture me, wouldn't he tell me if that woman was Christina?Or, did he deliberately not tell me, and wanted to wait until a certain critical moment to speak out?But if there really was something between Luke and Christina, why weren't they together after I disappeared?Why are they giving my picture to that pervert?They all have pictures of me.No, all this is ridiculous.Christina and Luke both love me - they would never hurt me. Who benefits most from it? I stared at the place where the little bookshelf used to be in the living room.Somebody stole a picture of me, and I let this guy into the house.I checked the alarm and the locks again.I was startled when a car drove past the house and Emma barked.I have to get out of here. I drove an hour to Eagle Valley Inn.Along the way, next to my seat was a slip of paper with the name of the hotel and Gary's room number and a map downloaded from Google.I found out that I never asked him why he was there, I guess, for my case.I don’t remember where I passed along the way that night, I just remember that I felt cold all over my body—I hurried out without a jacket, just wearing a short-sleeved tank top and a pair of yoga pants, which didn’t keep me warm at all.My hands were shivering with cold on the steering wheel. I knocked on the door for a few minutes before Gary answered. "Sorry, I just went to the shower. What's the matter? Are you okay?" "Hi," I said, "I need to talk to you." He waved me in. There was still steam in the air in the room, and he was buttoning the last few buttons of a white shirt.He took off the towel around his neck and used it to wipe his hair. His hair was wet and the color of iron gray. After he finished wiping his hair, he threw the towel on the back of the chair and stroked it quickly with his hands. flat. The hotel room was small, just a bed, a desk with a phone, a TV, and a toilet. I realized that this was our first time alone, and the room felt even smaller. A bottle of red wine was on the bedside table, half empty.I don't think he's the type to drink too much, but what do I know?Without saying anything, he picked up the wine bottle and raised his eyebrows at me.I nod.He picked up a glass from the hotel, filled it, and handed it to me.Holding something in my hand, it felt good, and I took a swig, and the alcohol entered my blood immediately.My muscles relax and a warm feeling spreads all over my body.I sat down at the end of the bed. Gary fetched a chair from the phone table and set it facing me.He sat down, his arms on his knees, his chin in his hands, and he bent over me. "What's wrong?" "These things, I'm going crazy. You've got to find the guy who's trying to kidnap me, Gary. I don't know who did it, and my mind's about to crack—I'm suspicious of everyone. Just because Some of the rumors my mom heard, I even started to wonder if it was Christina and Luke. What the hell is going on?" "What did your mother hear?" "It can't be them, Gary. Mum just heard something about that real estate project I was working on before I disappeared, and she heard that they used to be together after I disappeared. .Also, they're having some financial troubles, but none of that matters. I mean, it's driving me crazy." Gary stood up and paced the room, rubbing his chin with one hand. "What the hell is that project?" I told him the truth, and finally I said, "Christina would never do that to me, Gary." "If you really want me to find the real culprit, I have to consider every possibility." "Christina is absolutely impossible." "Is she on good terms with her husband?" "Well, I think... she doesn't talk much about it, but it's also possible that after all I've been through, she doesn't want to bother me about herself." "Anyone see her a lot with Luke in the diner?" "Yes, but now, they have never been together, they often met to find me." Gary continued to pace. "By the way, why do you live here?" I said, "Are you still looking for clues with that suspect puzzle?" "I just came here this afternoon and talked to the staff on the night shift. Tomorrow, I will meet the staff on the day shift." "What else do you know? Is David his real name? You said you'd let me know as soon as you got his file, but you never called me." "Tomorrow, someone from another department will fax me some materials. Now, I can only tell you so much." "I hate your policeman's tone. I'm being honest with you, and you should be, too." With a combination of depression and alcohol, my defenses of self-control crumbled and I started crying. I put my head down, covered my face, got up from the bed, and walked toward the door, and as I walked past Gary, he grabbed my arm and turned me around.I pounded his chest with my free hand, and he didn't flinch.My tears stopped. "Let go of me, Gary." "Then you have to calm down." I thumped his chest, "Fuck you. I'm tired of this. When I disappeared, you cops sat there and didn't do anything, and now you're going to put me down. I'm almost every night. To be raped by him, you can't even tell me his name? Don't you understand? Now, my whole life is ruined, and I want to know who the hell wants to destroy me. And you, you Standing there, saying that I have no right to know about this person?" This time, I punched him on the shoulder with my fist.He didn't move and I started hitting him again. He suddenly grabbed my wrist: "Stop hitting me." I glared at him angrily: "Don't be such an asshole." "I have already said everything I can say, and if I say anything else, it will affect the handling of the case." "To you, that's all, isn't it? It's just a case." He looked genuinely angry: "Do you have any idea how many people go missing every year? How many of them are children? A lot of them never come back. My sister disappeared when I was little, and we don't know I didn't find her either. That's why I investigated this case so desperately, I don't want anyone to have what happened to our family." He let go of my hand. "Because of this case, my wife and I have separated." "I do not know you……" "Before you disappeared, there were some problems between us, but I was still trying to solve them, so I asked my superiors to transfer me here from the mainland. Not long after I came here, you were kidnapped , I spent too much time investigating your case... My wife moved out of the house a month before you came back." He smiled bitterly, "She told me that I was busy looking for others, but I saw not in front of my eyes." "I'm sorry, Gary. I know I'm a nuisance. But, I'm really going crazy, and I don't know who to trust. Someone wants me dead, and..." I couldn't go on, and started crying. Gary came up and put his arms around me.My face was only up to his chest height and his chin rested on top of my head.When he opened his mouth to speak, I could feel a surge of air in his chest. "Nobody's going to hurt you, Anne. I won't let that happen, okay?" I turned my head away from his chest and looked up at him.His eyes were dark and deep, and his arms around mine were so hot I could feel them through my shirt.I really like the feeling of hiding in his arms. I want to absorb the power from him and make myself stronger.I stare into his eyes. I stood on tiptoe, put my arms around him, and kissed his lips.For a second, he didn't move, and then he muttered, "Oh, it's over." With Luke, everything is sweet and tender, passionate but never passionate.When Gary and I kissed, it was quiet and hopeless.He held me, lifted me up, and put me on the bed.With his hands on my sides, he leaned towards me.That perverted look suddenly flashed before my eyes, and I was stunned for a moment.Gary gave me a suspicious look, and was about to step back and stand up. I grabbed him, pulled him to my side, and pushed him down on the bed. Then, I rolled over and lay on top of him, grabbing the sheets on either side of his head .We lay like that for a second, my body against his, my heart beating against his chest.His arms were strong, he held my chest and lifted me up a little, the muscles in his legs tensed as if he was going to push me away at any moment. With my face pressed against his, I whispered into his ear: "I must... control, I can only..." His body relaxed, and he squeezed my face with one hand, forcing me to look directly into his eyes.His voice was rising and falling, but still gentle, and he stroked my cheekbone with his thumb. "Are you sure you want this, Anne? If you want to stop now, I'm all right." I felt a sudden pang of fear, but I turned my face away and bit his thumb lightly.Then I leaned down and started kissing him, my hair between our faces. He started kissing me back, clutching my ass, and as our pussies rubbed against each other, I suddenly panicked and froze again.He noticed my change and wanted to say something, I pressed his hand on top of his head, my face was hot, and said softly to his lips: "You can't touch me...you can't move." I don't know if he understood me, but his lips loosened, and when I kissed him again, he didn't kiss me back.I pressed, pulled, pulled, and bit his lips.I stuck my tongue in his mouth and went on a rampage until he started screaming in pain. I took off both of our coats, leaving only our underwear, and I kissed his chest, flicking his hair back and forth until his nipples hardened and goosebumps formed all over his body.I straddle him, stare into his eyes, and put his hand on my chest, letting that hand lightly stroke my nipple, down my belly, between my legs, and I Begin to gradually adapt to this process.I ran his hand over my own pussy - the first time anyone had touched it, including myself, since that pervert raped me.When my body started to feel a rush of pleasure, I didn't think I was ready, and I moved his hand to my chest.I started kissing him again, I licked the hem of his panties with my toes until they came off.As I kissed him, I took off my panties and kicked them aside. He put his hands on top of his head, our foreheads touching our foreheads, and I lay on top of him, my lips pressed against his, and I could feel his warm breath in and out, mixed with my own.His skin was hot, and we were all sweating.At first, he was still panting, but later, his breathing gradually became steady, and he was controlling himself, for me. I stood on tiptoes, propped myself up, spread my legs, and slowly let him slide in.He didn't take the initiative to enter my body, I took him down. He was holding his breath and I stopped too, my heart was pounding, I was waiting for him to lose control, for him to turn me over, punch me, torture me, whatever.But he didn't.I want to cry because he is so kind. He didn't move as I pushed up and down on him.Every time he went back and forth, his breathing let me know that he was also fighting fiercely inside, and the thought of such a strong and confident man being crushed by me made me push harder, faster, and rougher.I knew he was afraid to touch me with his hands, so I vented my anger on him.I use sex as a weapon.When he came out at the end, he didn't lift himself up, he didn't hug me, he just tensed his whole body, he clenched his fists, and I felt so excited and powerful.I continued to ride him until he felt the pain, but he still didn't touch me.Finally, I finally stopped, I turned my face away and let go of his wrist.Only at this time did he raise one hand, stroke the back of my head, hold me in his arms, and shake me gently.Then, I cried. Afterwards, we lay side by side on the bed, staring at the ceiling, panting.Neither of us spoke.This is the exact opposite of what I was with that freak, I was the absolute master, the man was absolutely controlled, I even drove my memory of that freak out of this room, out of this bed, out out of my body.But when I started to think about the situation in my life and what I had just done, tears blurred my vision again.Gary was about to say something, but I cut him off. "This is the first time I've been like this... since I got home. I just want you to know that I'm glad it's you, you don't have to worry, I don't have any expectations. I hope this doesn't change our relationship." He suddenly held his breath.He turned to look at me, opened his mouth to say something, and I cut him off again. "Don't get me wrong, I don't regret it or anything, and I hope you don't either, but I don't want to make a fuss, okay? Let's move on... What are your plans for investigating next?" I could feel his burning eyes on my face, and I was still looking at the ceiling above my head.He whispered: "Tomorrow, I will ask the hotel staff with the suspect puzzle and the faxed photos, and then I will go to the next town, Kisso." I forgot that we are already very far away from Kissuo near.The town is not big, there are probably only one or two hotels, and most of the people in the town work in the prison. I smiled and said, "You could have gone to say hello to my uncle on my behalf, but he has just been released." Gary sat up on his elbows and looked down at me: "What uncle?" I thought he knew, but Mom and Uncle have different last names, so he probably doesn't know yet. "My mother's stepbrother, Dwight? He got caught robbing a bank. His picture was in the paper that day, and you cops want to ask him about a robbery. But we have nothing to do with him, so we I can't help you." Gary rolled over and lay down again staring at the ceiling.I wanted to ask him what he was thinking, but I knew he wouldn't tell me the answer easily. "Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked. "You just need to keep your distance from everyone for now. I still have some things to look into, and I should know more tomorrow, and I will tell you how to proceed. If you find or think of anything that may help For our investigation, you must call me immediately. If you just want to talk to someone, you can also call me." His voice started to drift away and I knew he was falling asleep and I said, "I'm leaving. Emma's still home." "Stay here." "Thanks, but I can't leave it alone all night." Actually, I don't believe that I can lie quietly next to him all night. If he finds me hiding in the closet early in the morning, I really don't know It's hard to explain. "It's so late now, I don't worry about you driving back alone." "I didn't drive here alone, did I?" In the dim room, he looked up at me, and I buried my head in his warm shoulder and said, "Let me take a shower first, okay?" I took a quick shower, trying not to think about what had just happened.When I came out, he was already asleep, and I tiptoed out of the room.I drove home, the road was empty, I felt like I was in my own little world.If I had Emma with me, I might have kept driving. I thought about the conversation Gary had with me, and I regretted telling him what my mom had heard about Christina and Luke.The police must find a motive for everything they investigate.But I'm about the same as them.I know that the two of them will never hurt me.But I always feel that there are some things that I should be aware of but not aware of.I've turned everything over in my head and still don't know which piece is missing in this jigsaw puzzle. It was a long night.I hid in the closet, tossed and turned, couldn't fall asleep, and woke up early this morning.Exhausted, I sat on the back balcony of the house, holding the wireless handset of my phone, waiting for Gary to call to tell me what he had found. I had forgotten that Luke had said he would come today to pay me the restaurant bill and lend me some books, so I was a little surprised when I heard a car pull up to the house.I looked in the direction of the car and realized it was him. I hesitated, but got up the courage and opened the door.He gave me a hug, but I held it very reluctantly. "Are you all right?" he asked. "I'm sorry, I'm just tired and didn't sleep well last night." I tried to sound casual, but the words came out so nervous.I avoid his eyes. "The photo you recognized, is there anything new?" I vaguely said Gary was investigating.Suddenly, I dropped a book he had sent, and I bent down to pick it up, and he bent down, too, and we nearly bumped our heads.I quickly took a step back, he looked at me suspiciously, and I quickly poured him a cup of tea.I just hope he finishes his tea quickly and leaves, gulping down his tea. 我从来没有像那一刻强烈地感觉到自己就是个骗子，一边和卢克谈着我们的狗和他的工作，一边又在等待着电话铃声的响起，一边还在想，如果卢克还在这里的时候盖瑞打来了电话，我该怎么办。 我们的谈话断断续续，他没喝两口茶，就开口说要走了。当他站在门口，给我一个拥抱的时候，我强迫自己也抱了抱他，不知道他能不能感觉到我的愧疚。 “安妮，你真的没事吧？”我想坦白一切，但我什么都不能说。 “我就是有点儿累了。” “那好，好好休息吧。医生的命令哦。”他笑着说。 我挤出一个微笑：“遵命，长官。” 他走了以后，我就明白，我永远也不能告诉他盖瑞和我之间发生的事。我还明白，我没有办法和他再在一起了。卢克属于那个被绑架之前的女人，而不是这个已经回来了的女人。一切都回不去了。 一个小时之后，我实在忍不住了，给盖瑞打了电话，他没有接，手机也是关机。直到傍晚，他才终于回了电话，但我真希望他没有回。 那变态的真名叫西蒙·鲁索，死的时候四十二岁。他在安大略省的一个小镇上长大，二十岁出头的时候搬到温哥华，最终还是在温哥华岛上安定了下来。他在警察局里留下的照片是他在三十九岁被逮捕时照的，当时他把另外一个人毒打了一顿，那人在医院住了好几周。但鲁索说是那人的妻子花钱请的他，因为她丈夫对她不忠。最后，他认罪了，获得轻判。一年之后，由于警方对一些证物的处理不当，对他的指控就被撤销了。他从基索监狱被放了出来，然后搬回内地，从此消失在警方的视线中，一直到我在警察局认出了他。 现在，他们知道了他的名字，便想找出他和一些尚未解决的悬案之间到底有没有关系。他们发现，他的养母确实是死于癌症，而他的养父也确实是失踪了，直到今天，他养父的车和尸体也没有找到。 警方找不到任何可能和他有关系的悬案，便开始分析他是否和一些“已经解决”的案子有关，他们发现了一个案子，几年前，一个叫劳伦的年轻女子在自家后面的小巷子里被人强奸，并被殴打致死。警方抓到一个流浪汉，因为那流浪汉拿着劳伦带血的衣服和皮包，警察对他进行了审判。一年之后，流浪汉死在了监狱里。 西蒙·鲁索当时就住在离劳伦家几条街远的地方，他和劳伦一家保持了多年的密切关系，甚至每年圣诞节都会去劳伦的母亲家过，直到她母亲五年前过世。很庆幸，这位母亲永远也不会知道，自己每年圣诞节迎进家门的竟然是后来杀害女儿的凶手。 鲁索在二十多岁的时候，一直住在温哥华，在温哥华北边的一个伐木场当厨师。伐木场里确实有一个直升机女飞行员死了。但从来没有人把它作为一桩谋杀案来调查。那天，她的男朋友回到伐木场，发现她很久都没有出现，便去找她。怎么也找不到，就召集了一队人到处搜，过了一个月，才在一条河沟底下发现她的尸体。她衣着整齐，脖子摔断了。因为她当时回木场的时候正是傍晚，所以大家都认为她是迷了路，跌下了悬崖。 警察还不清楚鲁索在出狱以后去过哪些地方，也不知道他到底做过些什么，盖瑞说，即便他犯下了其他的罪行，他们也永远不会知道了。 盖瑞在说话的时候，我一直坐在沙发上，摆弄着毯子上松开的一根线头，都快要把它拆了。 我说：“你已经回克莱顿了吗？” “没有，还住在鹰谷旅店。” “你说你今天要去基索？” “原来是这么打算的，但这家旅店有一个员工要到今天晚上才过来，我打算同她谈完了再走。” “谈什么？我以为你就是把那变态的照片给他们看看就行了。有人认出他了吗？” “我只是想把每一个方面都调查到，明天早上我再回克莱顿。明白了吗？” “非常明白。” “对不起，安妮，但是，在我确认所有的事实之前，我真的不能再告诉你更多情况了。如果我们弄错了，岂不是让你增添了很多不必要的……” “你在说什么？你是说你知道了是谁雇了那变态？至少你告诉我是不是我认识的人啊？” “安妮……这牵涉太多了。” “我很明白这件事牵涉很多，牵涉的是我的人生，是不是？或者你已经忘记了这一点？”我的声音很尖利，艾玛听出了我的愤怒，离开了房间。 “好吧，我现在只能告诉你，在你认出鲁索的照片以后，我们已经了解了他的犯罪记录，根据这些记录，我们重新调查了他所认识的人，这是警方调查的标准程序。” 他在鹰谷旅店等消息的时候，和旅店一些值白班的女员工碰了面。其中有一个人觉得那变态的拼图看起来很眼熟，但当盖瑞给她看照片时，她又认不出来了。如果真是同一个人的话，她说她曾经有一天早上看到一个戴着大太阳眼镜的女人进了那个人的房间，十五分钟之后又出来了。她没有看到那女人开的车，但她记得另外有一个女员工当时正在停车场所在的一楼打扫房间。而那个打扫房间的女员工就是盖瑞一直等着见的人。 我感觉天旋地转。到底是什么女人去见了那变态？ 我说：“对不起，我只是……一时间我很难接受这么多。” “我明白。你一定不能……” “对不起，我妈妈给我打电话了，我得先接一下她的电话，要不然她……” “别接！” “好吧，好吧。”电话里的嘟嘟声终于停止了，我说，“她肯定还要再打来的。” “我们昨天晚上讨论的事情你跟她说过吗？”他的声音显得很紧张。 “我今天还只和卢克说过话，我绝对不会……” “你不能跟她说这些，安妮。”他的声音让我突然警觉起来。 “盖瑞，这是我妈妈。如果你还不告诉我发生了什么，我马上就给她打电话，把所有的事都告诉她。” “唉。”他沉默了片刻，我听到他深吸一口气。“你可能听到以后会觉得很难受……” “你只管说。” “你昨天晚上来的时候，提到你舅舅曾经被关在基索监狱，所以，我查了查，看他和西蒙·鲁索是不是同一时间服的刑。结果发现是。而且我们还证实了，你舅舅在坐牢期间，墙上就贴有你的照片。所以，在听了那个女员工的描述以后，我们申请了一份搜查令，要求查看你妈妈的银行账户，看有没有什么不寻常的交易记录。” “我不明白……你们为什么这么做？” “我还得和另外那个女员工谈一谈，但是，安妮……”他的声音突然变得很温柔，“看起来，似乎你妈妈和这件事情有关系。” hell. 这就是我所知道的一切了。在盖瑞说出这个爆炸性的消息之后，他去接另一通电话了。他让我保证绝不把这些告诉别人，还说他会再给我打电话。所以，这就是我来找你的原因，大夫，也是我为什么像攥着命一样攥着这手机的原因，我必须从家里出来，必须和别人说说话。我再也无法忍受在家里走来走去，想着警察们现在又会提出一个什么鬼理由。就因为一个服务员看见了一个女人出现在旅店里，他们就认定了是我妈妈？这也太随随便便了。 不知道盖瑞有没有给我家里的电话留言，不知道他还记不记得我的手机号码。我不记得我给他的语音留言里说过没有了。如果他在我开车来这里的路上给我打了电话，但我正好手机没有信号怎么办？路上有好几处地方都收不到信号。我得走了，我要再给他打电话试试。