Chapter 13 13

There are four public telephones in a row, none of which are in booths, so there is no privacy at all.Joe gritted his teeth and pressed Barbara's phone number on the keyboard.He wished he could concentrate and think about how to speak, but he really didn't have time to think about it, but he couldn't tell her directly, he was afraid that if he was not careful, he would get killed for Barbara disaster. Even if Barbara's phone call was not recorded the night before, it must be under their monitoring now.His task was to warn Sabara of the danger she was facing, while at the same time convincing the eavesdroppers that she had not broken her promise of silence to keep her and Danny safe.

When the phone rang on the Colorado end, Joe glanced over at the storyteller.He was standing on the edge of a newsstand outside the airport entrance, nervously adjusting his panama hat now and then, talking to a Latino in tan shorts, a green shirt and a Dodgers cap. Joe passed through the crowd of travelers, pretending not to pay attention to them, and they also pretended not to look at him, but they were too careless, because they were too confident, so they didn't show the prudence they should have.Although they thought Joe was smart enough, they basically thought he was just a common man with a quicker-than-average brain.

Joe is indeed what they think, but he wants them to believe more than that-he is a man who is in danger driven by his father's love, he is a man with blood and a sense of justice, but In a society that regards cheap morality as the only morality, he can only be regarded as an outlier. On the fifth ring, Barbara picked up the receiver. "It's me, Joe Carpenter," he said. "I was about to—" Before Barbara could say anything that would be detrimental, Joe said, "Look, I want to thank you again for taking me to the crash site. It's hard, but it's something I have to do and see. , so I can feel at ease. I'm sorry if I caused you trouble by pestering you to ask the real reason for the plane crash.

I thought, I was a little crazy, because some strange things happened afterwards, which made me cranky.You are right that most things, as they appear on the surface, are just hard to accept that the reason why a person loses all their family members is simply due to accidents, mechanical failures, or human factors. Reasons that are not reasons, it is no wonder that there should be reasons that are more important than accidents. Because... well, because they are so important.Of course one would think that someone must be up to something, it couldn't be fate because God wouldn't allow it to happen...but you said something that got me thinking about it, you said 'bad guys are only in movies. 'If I want to get back to normal, I have to accept what happened and not blame others.Life is meant to be an adventure, right?God let these innocent people die, let the children die, it's as simple as that. "

Joe waited nervously to see how she would respond. Could Barbara understand the urgent message he was trying to convey in this indirect way? Barbara hesitated a little and said, "I wish you peace of mind, Joe. I sincerely hope so.It took a lot of courage on your part to go to the crash site.And it takes even greater courage to face a result that no one can complain about.As long as you're stuck thinking someone's guilty, or someone needs to be brought to justice...you'll never heal from your vengeful heart. " She understands. Joe closed his eyes, trying to bind his loose nerves together again."It's just that ... we're living in these weird times where it's easy to pan-conspiracy about everything," he said.

"It's much easier to believe it than to face the hard truth. It's not the captain and the crew you're really protesting against, it's not the traffic controllers or the people who built the plane, it's God you're really protesting against." "Then I can't win." The storyteller at the newsstand finished talking with the Dodgers fan and hurried away. "We don't know why," Barbara said. "We just have faith that there must be something to it. If you can learn to accept that, then maybe you can really find peace. You're a very good man, Joe. You don't deserve this. I'll pray for you."

"Thank you, Barbara. Thank you for everything you do for me." "Lucky for you, Joe." Joe was about to say the same thing to her, but fearing to surprise the listener, he said, "Goodbye," and hung up. Just going to Colorado and knocking on Barbara's door put her and her son's family in danger—though he couldn't know if that was the result of his visit, but anything could happen to her now --or nothing at all--Jo felt terribly guilty. From another point of view, because of a trip to Colorado, Joe knew that Nina might still be alive, which made him willing to take responsibility for the deaths of hundreds of passengers in exchange for seeing Nina again.

Joe knew how absurd it was to value her daughter's life above the lives of hundreds of other strangers, but he couldn't control that much, he would even kill others to save her, kill anyone No matter how many people stand in his way. Isn't this where human beings contradict themselves?Dream of becoming a part of Datong society, but always put yourself and your family first when facing the threat of death?That's what he is, he's only one person after all. Joe left the payphone and walked down the aisle toward the exit, and when he got to the escalator he glanced back.The Dodgers fan followed at some distance behind him, his clothes and demeanor were very discreet, so he skillfully blended into the crowd and avoided being the focus of attention.

After getting off the escalator, Joe didn't even look back. Either the Dodgers fans would be there or another agent would take over. With their huge resources, the airport must have their action detachment, and Joe can't escape their grasp no matter what. The appointment with Demi was an hour away, and he hoped to meet Dorothy through her. If he couldn't get to the appointment in time, then he would not be able to contact this woman again. His Ximei car is still parked in its original position. Although most of the parking spaces were cars, there were three trucks parked not far from him.An old Volkswagen Minibus with curtains on the windows.There is also a converted camper van.Without looking at them, Joe opened the back of his car and took a quick look at the money under the spare wheel.Joe took two thousand dollars to Colorado and hid the rest in the car.Luckily it's in its old place safe and sound.

Joe tucked the envelope under the waistband of his jeans, and he considered taking the small suitcase with him.But if he brought it to the front seat, his watchers would never be fooled by such a trick.So Joe took the envelope out of his belt in the driver's seat, divided the hundred dollar bills among the pockets of his corduroy jacket, folded the paper bag and put it in the glove box. When he drove the car towards the exit, no suspicious vehicles followed immediately.They didn't have to be in such a hurry. They could easily track him down by hiding another transmitter somewhere in his car.

All the leaving vehicles stopped in front of the tollbooth. When Joe slowly moved forward with the convoy, he saw the truck converted into a camper looming behind six cars away from him. After leaving the airport, Joe slowed down to below the speed limit, not wanting to put too much distance between him and his captors.Joe drove towards the west of the city, passing through the dilapidated commercial district street by street, thinking hard all the way for a way out of his trap. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a used car dealership, and Joe thought to himself, isn't this what he's looking for? So he parked the car in front of a transmission repair shop on the side of the road, luckily it was closed today, and he didn't want a skilled mechanic to come to rescue or something at this time. The tracked van had not yet appeared, and Joe hurried to the front of the car and opened the hood. To be honest, this Camry was useless to him.This time, they're going to hide the transmitter so well that he won't have time to find it, Joe can't drive it to the Westinghouse Coffee and lead them to Rose, but he can't just throw the car away because That way they must know that he has found them. Joe is going to make it so that the car doesn't look like a wreck, but a mechanical failure that prevents the car from starting.Those who followed him were bound to lift the hood in the end.And if they find a spark plug is missing, or the distributor cover is missing, then they know they've been fooled. In this case, Barbara's situation is even more dangerous.They must have thought that Joe had already spotted the storyteller on the plane, so he must also know that they followed him to Colorado, so every word he told Barbara on the phone was a warning to her, And trying to induce them to believe that Barbara hadn't told him anything important. He carefully unplugged the ignition control module, but left it loose in its base, a cursory inspection would not have revealed it wasn't connected, and even if they found the problem later, they'd think it was Because it came loose naturally, not vandalized.Provide Barbara with some protection as long as they don't suspect it. The converted camper van now sped past him.Joe didn't look at it, just recognized it out of the corner of his eye. He spends a minute or two, pretending to study the various parts of the engine, touching this and that, then scratching his head, leaving the engine running, then sitting behind the wheel, trying to start the car again .As a result, of course it couldn't start.He got out of the car and went over to check the engine.Joe saw the camper turn into the alley at the end of the street. He spends another minute checking the engine, and then sings and swears loudly, in case they have a microphone to monitor it.Finally, Jo slammed the hood shut, then looked at his watch with a worried expression, and paced up and down hesitantly.Not long after, I looked at my watch again and scolded "shit", which is really like it. Joe walked in the same direction as he turned back and forth, and when he reached the used car dealership, he hesitated to add to the show.Finally headed straight to the manager's office. The office is a small mobile home painted yellow. Looking through the large glass windows, you can see a man lazily leaning on his back, with his feet on the table, watching TV. The forty-something salesman pulled his feet off the table and stood up, stretched out his hand to Joe and said, "Hello, I didn't hear you drive in. My name is Jane Fitz." "I want to buy a car." "You've come to the right place." Fitz walked towards the portable TV set on the table. "No, it's all right, you leave it on," said Joe. "You're a fan, you probably don't want to watch this. They beat the opponent to pieces." The driveline repair shop next door just blocked the view of the monitoring team, and if Joe expected, the camper van appeared across the street, and the walking microphone was facing the large glass window.Then the sound of the ball game may disturb the eavesdropper. Joe adjusted his position so that he could talk to Fay and still see the yard and across the street past him. "Do you have a cheap car to sell?" "As long as you are willing to think about it, you will know what value for money is-" "Whether there's a deal," said Joe, taking out a wad of hundred-dollar bills from his jacket pocket, "depends on how the test ride goes. I'll buy the cheapest one, and pay cash, no guarantee." Fitz's heart skipped a beat. "Joe, I recommend this Subaru. Although it's been a long time since the factory, it still packs a punch. There's no air conditioning, but the radio and—" "How much?" "Well, it took me a while to fix it up, and it's listed at two thousand and fifty, but I'll sell you nineteen seventy-five, and it—" Joe wanted to make a bargain, but time did not allow it.And considering what he was going to tell Fei layer, he decided not to bargain. "I want it." After a long and frustrating day, Jane Fitz was clearly in a mixed mood.The happy thing is seeing the business deal, but the worrying thing is that the way the deal made him feel troubled. "Don't you want to test drive?" Put 2,000 yuan in cash on Zi Qu's car, "That's exactly what I want to do, test drive alone." Across the street, a tall man came on foot from the direction the camper was parked. He stood in the shadow of the bus stop, and if he sat on the bench, parked cars would obscure his view. "Alone?" Fei Qu asked puzzled. "You've got the full amount of the transaction, it's on your desk." Joe said as he took out his driver's license from his purse and handed it to Finch. "I saw you have a photocopier, take my driver's license and make a photocopy." The guy at the bus stop, wearing a short-sleeve shirt and kimono, wasn't carrying anything.Therefore, he cannot be equipped with high-efficiency, long-distance eavesdropping equipment.He just keeps watch. Fitch followed Joe's gaze and said, "Have I got into any trouble here?" Joe looked the salesman in the eye and said, "No, you're innocent. You're just doing your business." "Why is the guy at the bus station interested in you?" "Is there? Is he just a passerby?" Fitz would not be fooled. "If you're just buying and don't want to test drive, please fill out a form, and there is an additional nutrition tax." "But it's just a test drive," said Joe. He glanced at his watch, this time he was not pretending to be in a hurry, but really had to race against the clock. "Well, listen, I'm out of time, and I'll tell you what's going on. You took the money and put it in your desk drawer, and I drove the Subaru to where I was going, just somewhere out west.I have my own car but they put a tracker in my car and I don't want to be followed.I'll drop the car somewhere and call you tomorrow and you'll bring it back.So the whole ins and outs are that you rent out the cheapest car at a price of 2,000 yuan a day, and it is tax-free.The worst thing is that I didn't call, but you still got the money, and the car was reported as lost. " Fitz held Joe's driver's license and twirled it in his hand, "If someone came to ask me, why did I let you test drive alone, and I still got a copy of your driver's license?" "I see that guy out there has an honest look on his face," Joe taught Fatch what to say, "Just say you can't get away. Because you're waiting for a call from a client who came earlier and wanted the most expensive car." .You don't want to miss out on this deal." "You've got everything figured out," Finch said. His attitude changed, and the lazy salesman with a smile on his face suddenly became as diligent as if he had been reborn. He walked over to the photocopier and turned it on. But Joe felt that Fei Qu was still undecided. "Actually, Mr. Jane, even if they come to ask you a few questions, they can't do anything to you—they don't want to cause trouble." "Are you dealing in drugs?" Fitz asked straight to the point. "no." "Because I hate drug dealers the most." "me too." "Destroy our children, destroy our country." "Raise your hands in agreement." Finch glanced out the window for a moment: "Are they cops?" "It's not real." "Because I support the Tiaozi, they have a hard time these days. They're trying to keep the law when the biggest criminals are our self-appointed bureaucrats." Joe shook his head. "These aren't like any cops you've ever heard of." Fei Qu thought for a while, "You answered very honestly." "I'm trying to be as honest as possible with you, but I'm in a hurry. They probably think I'm here to call a mechanic or tow truck or something. If I could get that Subaru, I'd have it now. Before they figure out what the hell I'm doing." "Actually—yes." "You know why drugs are rampant?" Fatch said. "Because more than half of the current politicians are paid to make them big. Also, a large number of these bastards are doing drugs themselves, so they just sit back and watch." Jo said nothing, fearing she might say the wrong thing.Because he didn't know where Fetch's anger came from.If he accidentally said the wrong thing, he might suddenly be considered an enemy. Frowning, Jane Feiqu took Joe's driver's license to make a photocopy.He returned the thin card to Joe, who promptly stuffed it into her wallet. Fitch looked at the banknotes on the table again. He seemed to be troubled by whether to cooperate - not only because of fear of trouble, but also because of morality.In fact, he cared about Joe.Finally, with a sigh, he opened the drawer and put the two thousand yuan in it. He pulled out another set of keys and handed them to Joe. "Where is the car?" Fei Qu pointed to the car outside the window and said, "In half an hour, I may call to report the theft, in order to protect myself." "I understand that, with any luck, I'll be where I want to be by then." "Damn it, don't worry, they won't look for it. You could go a week without being found." "Mr. Jane, I'll call you and tell you where I left it." "I hope you will," Finch said when Jorah opened the door, "Mr. Joe Carter, do you believe that all things have an end?" Joe stopped on the threshold. "What did you say?" After being reborn, Jian Feiqu suddenly became serious.He had a very peculiar pair of eyes, not at all like the previous one--no anger in them, only sadness. "The end of the time of our lives, the end of this chaotic world. All of a sudden, like an old decayed carpet, rolled up and discarded whole." "I think it's going to be over someday," said Joe. "Not one day, it will come soon. Don't you think right and wrong are now reversed? We no longer know the difference between them." "That's right." "Did you feel it coming when you dreamed back in the middle of the night? Like a thousand zhang raging waves rushing towards us, dark and cold, sweeping everything?" "Well," replied Jo, softly and sincerely, "yes, I've often felt it in the middle of the night." The tsunami that engulfed Joe in his dream was a natural physiological phenomenon, but the grief of losing his family was like overwhelming waves, covering the stars and preventing him from seeing the future.He often desires more than anyone else that he can really go with the tide. Joe could sense that Fett was mired in a kind of moral boredom, and he longed for the day of the apocalypse.Joe was surprised to find that this sad emotion was naturally shared with a car salesman so inexplicably. This discovery troubled Joe, because this kind of hope for the end of the world is extremely psychotic and antisocial.He himself overcame all difficulties and gradually recovered from this morbidity.Joe is now worried about whether this black thought will spread in society. "They scare me," Finch said. He sat back in his chair, put his feet on the table, and watched the baseball game on TV. "You'd better go now." The hairs on the back of Joe's neck stood on end as he stepped out of the room and headed straight for the yellow Subaru. The man at the bus stop across the street looked very impatient, and I saw him looking around like a delayed bus made him angry.The Subaru's car is ready to go, the steering wheel shakes well, the seat covers are worn out for a long time, and the scent of pine wood can't cover up the sour smell of cigars. Joe didn't even bother to look at the guy following him as he pulled out of the parking lot, turned right, and headed down the street past his Himey.The camper was still there, and when Joe came to the intersection, there were no traffic lights.He slowed the car, but before it came to a complete stop, he slammed on the gas pedal and blasted forward. In the rearview mirror, Joe saw the man rushing from the bus stop to the campervan, which was backing up into the street.Without the guidance of the marker transmitter, they had to make eye contact and follow at a risky close distance.The distance is so close that the whereabouts are exposed without knowing it. After driving nearly four miles, Joe finally lost them at an intersection.After he speeded through a yellow light, the light turned red, and when the camper van wanted to follow up, it was blocked by traffic in the direction of the green light.Joe heard only the screeching brakes over the Subaru's engine. Twenty minutes later, Joe abandoned the Subaru on the street near Los Angeles University, and walked to the meeting place to meet Daimi. The business of the coffee shop is very good, the smell of exotic beer is wafting from the open door, and the solo guitarist is playing the tune, although the tune is repeated again and again, people are still intoxicated by it. Joe wanted to check out the meeting place across the street first, but he gave up because he came too late.At two minutes past six, he was instructed to stand on the right side of the entrance outside the coffee shop, waiting for someone to approach him. He heard a small jingle over the noise of cars and guitars in the street.For no reason, Joe was suddenly startled, and he looked around nervously for the source of the sound. Hanging on the door is a string of wind chimes, made up of at least twenty spoons of different sizes and materials, they collide with each other in the breeze.Like a naughty childhood playmate, the memory is in the deep garden of the past, teasing him flickeringly. All of a sudden, Jo recalled the shelves in Day's kitchen hanging from the ceiling, with the brass pots and frying pans attached to them. Get out of Charlie's bedroom to see why Lisa is screaming.As he hurried down the hall, Joe heard the tinkling of kitchen utensils.At the door of the kitchen, he saw the copper kettle and frying pan hanging on the rack shaking like a pendulum.When he reached Lisa, he saw Jiaoqin's body lying on the floor.At this moment the jingling also ceased. But what exactly makes these objects oscillate?Both Lisa and Jiaoqin were far away at the other end of the kitchen, never approaching the hanging pots and pans. Like the alarm clock with green numbers next to De Charlie, and the three oil lamps in the kitchen whose flames will rise.The sounds made by these bronze vessels are worth studying.He felt that under the blow of his insight, the original ignorance seemed to be enlightened. Joe held his breath, trying for a moment to connect the events.But he found that everything was in vain, and things went back to the original point. Maybe things like oil lamps, alarm clocks, and jingling kitchen utensils are not important at all, but in the eyes of a paranoid wearing tinted lenses, even a fallen leaf, a gust of wind, or a colorful scene are important to him. It's an unusual sign. At the moment he is not only a common observer, not just a reporter, but also a victim, a protagonist in his own story, so when he sees these important details, trivial but obviously rather eerie, he may Stop trusting his reporter's instincts. Approaching him along the sidewalk was a young black man, about college age, wearing shorts, a UCLA sweatshirt, and roller skates.Joe didn't pay much attention to him at first, until the kid stopped abruptly in front of him and handed him a mobile phone. "You need this." Before Joe knew it, the kid kicked his muscular legs away from Joe. Joe's phone rang. He glanced around to see if he was under the watchful eye of Antonia, but obviously he wasn't. The phone rang again, and Joe picked it up. "Hey?" "What's your name?" a man asked him. "Jobent." "Who are you waiting for?" "I don't know her name." "What do you call her?" "Demi." "Go south one street and halfway through the intersection, turn right. Then go straight, go in when you see a bookstore, and look for the biography section." After finishing speaking, the other party hung up the phone. It seems that this will not be a pleasant encounter and talk. According to the business hours posted on the glass door, the bookstore closes at 6 o'clock on Sunday.It is now a quarter past six, and the fluorescent lamps near the door of the bookstore have all been extinguished, only the ones at the back are still on.When Joe tried to open the door, he found it unlocked. In the store, there was a black clerk standing alone at the cash register, about thirty years old, thin and strong like a jockey.Behind his thick glasses, his eyes are as big as interrogating prisoners. "Where's the biography section?" Joe asked. The clerk came out from behind the counter and pointed to the back corner on the right.The lights were still bright on top of the rows of bookshelves there. As Joe made his way along the winding path, between the books, he heard the door lock behind him. In the aisle of the biography section, another Negro was waiting for Joe.He looks like half a black tower, giving people the feeling of being powerful and immovable like a mountain.His Zhang Sheng was as calm as a Bodhisattva."Put yourself in," he said. 'Joe understood at once that he was dealing with a cop, or someone who had been a cop.He obediently faced the book wall, spread his legs apart, leaned forward, and put his hands on the bookshelf.He looked at the row of books in front of him, and one of them caught his attention. It was a thick autobiography written by Henry Zhan. Even the name seems to have some meaning, for some reason.Everything has meaning, but nothing really matters.Especially the name of this long-dead author. The policeman searched the body professionally and quickly and said after checking, "Show me the documents." Joe turned around and took out his driver's license from his wallet. After comparing the photo on the driver's license with Joe's face, the policeman said, "Go to the cashier." "what?" "The man you saw when you came in." The little man with the goatee was waiting at the front door.As Joe approached, he unlocked the door. "Is the phone still in your hand?" Joe handed him the phone. "No, keep it." The cashier said: "There is a black car parked on the side of the road. Drive it to Wilshire Road and turn west. Someone will contact you." The teller opened the door and Joe saw the car and said, "Whose car?" The man's enlarged eyes behind the thick lenses treated him as bacteria under a microscope, "Does it matter who owns it?" "I don't think it matters." Joe went out and got into the car, the key was in the starter position. Turning west on Wilshire Boulevard, the car was as old as the Subaru he'd gotten from Jan Fitch, but the engine sounded much better, and the interior was very clean, without the stink of old cigar smoke, The air smelled of men's shaving lotion. Not long after he passed the culvert under the San Diego Freeway, the cell phone rang. "Hello?" Joe said. The person who sent him out of the bookstore said: "You drive all the way to the beach in Santa Monica. When you get there, I will call you again and give directions." "OK." "Don't stop anywhere on the road, understand?" "yes." "If you do, we'll know." They must have surrounded him, perhaps in front or behind him. He didn't bother to look for them. The other said: "Don't try to contact anyone with the phone you have, we will know." "I understand." "Just one question, you're driving this car - why do you want to know whose?" Joe said: "There are a few nasty bastards looking for me, and if they find me, I don't want innocent people to be involved in the scandal just because I used the original owner's car." "Dude, the whole world is already in the midst of right and wrong, haven't you noticed?" the man hung up the phone after he finished speaking. Except for the note from the bookstore, the rest of the people who hid and protected Du Luosi were not experts.They have limited resources and can't compare to the villains of Techno, they are thoughtful, smart amateurs, and they are more than enough to play the game. As Joe thought about the row of books on the road to Santa Monica, one name came to his mind—Jean Henry. So what, James Henry? He thought of "The Turning Screw", one of Henry's famous works.Arguably the most famous ghost story. ghost! The unexplainable oil lamp flame, the flickering numbers of the alarm clock, and the unprovoked jingling of copper plates all seem to be coherent now.When he recalled these sights, it was easy to think of their supernatural substance. Though Joe knew it was his own imagination that deepened his memory. Joe also remembered the chandelier flickering on and off in the hallway as he hurried upstairs and realized the shotgun went off.In the terrible confusion that ensued, he had forgotten these eerie details. Now, he thought of countless séances in old movies and TV shows, symbolized by the opening of the door between our world and the spirit world, symbolized by the flickering of lights and the waxing and waning of candle flames. ghost! It's just ridiculous speculation, and worse than that, it's just crazy. There are no ghosts in this world. But he remembered another disturbing incident, which happened when he left Dai's house.He fled the kitchen, with smoke and fire and the sound of smoke alarms behind him, walked along the corridor to the door, and when he reached for the doorknob, he felt a gust of cold wind blowing behind him, making his hair stand on end, and a chill went down his spine and through his forehead .Then he walked across the porch, completely forgetting how he had opened the door. When he thought about it at first, he still felt that there seemed to be something strange in it, but if he looked at it with a questioning eye, everything would become meaningless. Yes, if he felt something behind him, it should be the heat of the flames, not the biting coolness.Also, this coolness was something he had never felt before. It was not the kind of cold that spread everywhere, but rather like the tip of an ice pick, more like a cold needle piercing the spine. But this is just his personal subjective feeling, not the actual phenomenon observed by a journalist.At that time, he was in a state of extreme panic, so he naturally felt many incredible phenomena.This is just a normal psychological reaction in times of confusion.As for those few seconds of blank memory when he put his hand on the doorknob and found himself walking through the doorway...well, that too could easily have been triggered by panic, by chaos, or by the blind force of an animal instinct to survive. to explain. Not a ghost! Rest in peace, Jean Henry. As he passed Santa Monica to the sea, Joe embraced superstition briefly, then let it go, and the passion died in a flash, and reason returned. However, regarding the concept of ghosts, Joe still thinks there is a certain meaning. He has a hunch that in the end he will find a reasonable explanation and a provable theory from these supernatural phenomena, just like Henry, who knows even the smallest details. Do not let go of the logical structure of the article. An ice lamp, piercing the gray tissue in the center of the spine, and a syringe, quickly injecting cold...something. Did Fan Luola feel the ghost needle before she got up from the breakfast table and took out the camera? Did the Dais feel it too? What about Lisa? Could it be that Captain Bai Diluo also felt it before disengaging the autopilot, punching the co-pilot in the face, and then calmly driving Flight 353 to the surface? Maybe not a ghost, but something as horrible and malevolent as an evil elf, from hell... some kind of ghost relative. When Joe was two streets away from the Pacific Ocean, the cell phone rang. "Okay, turn right onto the coast road and keep going until you hear us again." The sun has begun to sink, and the sea is shining with afterglow. The phone rang again in Malibu, directing him to turn to a Santa Fe by the Sea restaurant on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. "Leave the phone next to the driver's seat and hand the car to the waiter. He knows who you are and booked the seat under your name." After the other party finished speaking, he hung up the phone again. I saw that tall Latin American waiter, more handsome than any Latin American star, just as the person on the phone said, the waiter was waiting for him and didn't pick up his bus card for him. It can be seen that a lot of money was spent on the interior decoration of "Holy Land by the Sea". Qiao Minmin realized that her attire did not match the style here.He hadn't shaved for twelve hours since he left Colorado.The corduroy jacket was wrinkled and worn out from the rain, and he looked like a down-and-out bum or a drunk who had just had a drink. It is said that the young female boss is not as good as any beautiful female star.I saw her shuttle around to deliver meals, and she was probably waiting to be discovered one day, so that she could become famous in one fell swoop and be crowned the Oscar throne.She paid no attention to Joe's scruffy appearance, and directed him to a loveseat by the window. "Your companion will be late," said the hostess, apparently referring to Demi. "She invites you to dine by yourself first, and she will come over later." Joe really didn't like the way things were going, he was desperate to connect with Rose, desperate to know what she would tell him - desperate to find Nina. But he still had to play by the rules of their game, "Okay, thanks." After ordering, Joe went to the bathroom.He was a little afraid to face himself in the mirror.With a stubble all over his face, he looked like a wanted criminal.I washed my hands and face, combed my hair, but still didn't look like the person who should be sitting by the window. Leaning on a chair, sipping cold beer, Joe looked around at the guests, some of whom were quite well-known. Joe enjoyed dinner comfortably, and everything was delicious. 乔边吃边注意四周的客人，包括那些不是太有名，但因为漂亮迷人，通常会在戏里轧一脚的小明星。 餐后还有芒果布丁和冰淇淋，乔惊讶地发现，观察别人是一件很享受的事。他和蜜雪儿曾花了整个下午的时间四处闲逛，享受徒步之乐。但过去一年，他从未对其他人发生兴趣，他只在乎他自己，和他的痛苦。 现在知道妮娜还活着，并且抱着找到她的期待心理，已使乔逐渐脱离之前封闭的自我世界，回到现实生活中。 一个黑人妇女，招呼两位客人到附近的桌子就座。 这两位客人身穿黑色长裤，白色丝质衬衫，以及软皮夹克。较年长的那个，年约有四十岁，有一双巨大而忧伤的眼睛。他那嘴丰润得可以去拍露华浓的广告，长得够英俊，也可以当一名侍者，除了他有一个长年酗酒而变红了的鼻子。 还有他那张永远没办法完全合拢的嘴，给人一种懒散的印象。 他那个蓝眼的同伴，看起来比他小十岁，有一张粉红的睑。嘴角挂着一抹他无法控制的神经质微笑，似乎是长期对自己的不确定感所造成。 与那位癌君子电影明星共进晚餐的褐发女郎，立刻被有张性感嘴的家伙所吸引，也顾不了他是否有个红鼻头了。她死盯着他看，他也像一条鳟鱼在河里，看见水面上飞着的虫子一样，立即有了反应——只是很难说两人当中谁是鳟鱼，谁又是虫子。 这瘾君子也注意到他俩之间的眉来眼去，他用一种忧郁的眼神看着那人。突然他站起身来，几乎弄翻了椅子。他曲折地横过餐厅，似乎准备教训对方。出人意表地，他在那两人的桌前转个弯消失在通往洗手间的走道里。 这时，有双悲伤眼睛的男人正在吃大麦粥里的小虾，他用叉子叉起虾子，先用鉴赏的眼神审视叉尖上的虾。再用很猥亵的动作将它送人嘴里。当他在细细品尝的时候，将目光投向那位褐发女郎。似乎在暗示，只要有机会和她上床，他会像对虾子那样对待她，让她欲死欲仙。 那褐发妞很难说是被挑逗起来，还是被打败了。这两种情绪对有些洛杉矾人来说，就像是连体婴，没办法分开的。 不管怎样，她离开了那明星的桌子，拿了一张椅子与那两个穿夹克的人坐在一起。 乔很好奇，当那窝囊废的明星回来时，会发生什么有趣的事。就在等候事情发展的时候，有着一双亮眼的传者来到乔的身边，告诉他晚餐不必付帐，黛咪正在厨房等他。 乔觉得很讶异，他留下小费，顺着他指示的方向朝走道走去，这条走道是通往洗手间与厨房。 当他到达往厨房的通道时，这一幕似曾相识的画面深深困惑着他。乔移动脚步之前，回头看了一眼，他看见那勾引者举起叉子，用他那悲伤的眼睛审视着叉尖上的虾子。揭发女子正在喃喃而语，而有张粉红脸的男子，则正在注视看他们。 乔的困惑刹那间变成警觉。 一时之间，他不了解为何会觉得口干舌燥，心跳加速。 接着在他想象之中，那把叉子变成了弹簧刀，而虾子则变成了乳酪。 两个男人一个女人，不是在餐厅，而是在旅馆的房间里。不是这褐发女郎，而是芭芭拉。如果不是这两个男人，那一定是跟他俩有惊人的相似之处。 当然乔从未见过他们，只是听过芭芭拉简短而生动的描述。那猎狗似的眼睛，那个鼻子“像有二十年酒龄的酒糟鼻”，厚厚的嘴唇。较年轻的那个，有张粉红的脸，和无法停止抽搐的笑容。 乔实在不信这会是巧合。 令人难以置信，铁克诺的人居然在这里。 乔迅速沿着走道，穿过两扇回旋门，走进一间用来准备沙拉的大房间。两个穿白制服的厨子，正迅速而技巧地将青菜排列在盘子里。而在主厨房里，那个健壮黑女人正在等他。她那一身鲜明的衣服和亮丽的珠宝，都难掩她焦急的神色。她那张爵士歌手的大脸，漂亮、活泼充满了欢乐。但此刻听不到她的歌声，也见不到她的欢笑。 “我叫马凯莉，实在抱歉不能与你共进晚餐，乔。招待你一餐，聊表心意。”她那性感又朦胧的声音，使乔确定她就是他称为黛咪的女人。“但计划有变，蜜糖，跟我来。” 马凯莉带领乔穿过拥挤的厨房，乔紧跟在她身后问：“那么你知道他们的事？” “当然知道，今天电视新闻就有。新闻播报员先给大家看那些卷起你头发的玩意儿，然后试着推销它。这可怕的东西改变了一切事情。” 乔将手放在她肩上拉住她，“电视新闻？” “在她与他们交谈之后，有几个人被谋杀了。他们在新闻中声称某种原因，”马凯莉说：“但是谋杀没错。” “我不是那个意思，”他说：“我是说餐厅那两个人。” 她皱着眉说：“什么人” “两个穿黑长裤、白色丝衬衫，黑色皮夹克——” “是我带的位。” “对，我一分钟前才认出他们。” 她困惑地摇着头说：“但是蜜糖，我们知道你没被跟踪。” “我没有，但可能你有。或是保护萝丝的人被跟踪了。” “如果不经过我们，连魔鬼都很难找到萝丝。” “但他们总算是找出是谁藏匿了她一年，现在他们很接近了。” 马凯莉自信满满地对乔说：“谁都别想动萝丝一根汗毛。” “她在这里吗？” “正等着你。” 他的心凉了半截。“你不了解——外面餐厅那个人，不可能是单独前来的，他们在外面一定还有很多人，也许有一支小型军队吧。” “是啊，也许吧。但他们不知道是在和谁交手，蜜糖。” 她黝黑的脸庞上显出坚定的决心。“我们是浸信教徒。” 显然，乔并未听清楚她的话。他紧跟在她身后穿过了厨房。 他们穿过一扇门进入整间都是泡沫的洗涤室，所有的蔬菜水果在送往主厨房之前，都要在此清洗整理。现在已经这么晚了，当然空无一人。 一直走，一直走，在红色的“出口”标志下，有一扇通往外面的铁门，此刻是关着的。送货卡车正停在外面卸货，然后送进来。左手边处有一架升降机。 “萝丝就在底下。”马凯莉按下按钮，升降机的门立刻开启。 “底下是什么？” “呃，有一阵子，这升降机是供宴会厅和平台之用，你就可以在海滩举行大型的宴会。但现在已被海岸委员会订下规定，严禁使用，所以现在只当储藏室。你下去后，我会叫几个男孩子来移动架子，挡住这个洞。我们会把升降机掩饰得很好。甚至没人会知道有人在这里。” 乔对这种困于一隅的方式感到极为不安，“但如果他们找到升降机怎么办？” “我要叫你'烦恼乔'了。” “过一会儿，他们会过来探虚实。他们不可能等到打烊时间就回家睡觉的。所以我一旦下去，还有其他出路吗？” 他坚持己见地问。 “前面的楼梯尚未拆掉，那是给顾客上下用的。上面盖了一块装有绞链的板子，所以你看不到它，你可由那条路到上面。不过你会经过女老板位置，那在餐厅中央，大家都看得很清楚。” "not good." “如果状况不对，你最好从底下的门逃到平台，那里连接海滩和整条海岸。” “他们也可能堵住那个出口。” “那是通到峭壁的底部，从上面他们不会想到那里。你应该放轻松点，蜜糖。我们站在正义这一边，这才是最重要的。” “不算很重要。” “烦恼乔。” 乔走进升降机，用手臂挡住正要合起的门。“这地方和你是什么关系，凯莉？” “半个店东。” “菜好极了。” “你可以看出我是做那一行的，以为我不知道吗？”她开朗地说。 “你和萝丝是什么关系？” “我不久就要叫你'好奇乔'了，萝丝二十年前嫁给我哥哥，他们在大学里认识的。我一点也不惊讶路易脑筋好到能读大学，但我的确很惊讶他有这样的头脑，能认识像萝丝这种女孩。后来，这男人证明他毕竟是个呆子，四年之后他们离婚。萝丝无法生育，而传宗接代对路易来说太重要了——虽然这男人又笨又没常识，但他也知道萝丝要比一屋子的孩子更加珍贵。” “他不当你嫂子已经那么多年了，但你还愿为她这样冒险？” “哦，你以为路易这个笨蛋和她离婚之后，萝丝就变成青面獠牙了吗？她还是和我初见她时一样的甜美。我早就把她当自己姊姊一样看待了，好了好了，现在她正在等你，好奇乔。” “等下等下，还有一件事，刚才你说，这些人不知道他们在和什么人交手的时候……你是不是说'我们是浸信会教徒'？” “没错，我是那样跟你说的，在你的认知里，你认为'强悍'和'浸信会教徒'不搭轧，是吗？” “呃，这个嘛——” “我爸妈在密西西比州，面对三K 党时强硬不屈，那时三K 党的爪牙要比现在还多。之前的祖父母也是如此，他们从不让恐惧打垮他们，当我还是小女孩时，我们在墨西哥湾遇到台风来袭。也在洪水中动后余生，安然度过脑炎疫情的流行。每次贫穷的时刻，根本不知明天的食物在那里，但我们都—一度过，星期日我问的歌声依然嘹亮，也许美国海军陆战队只比南方浸信会教徒强一点吧。” “萝线能有你这样的朋友真是幸运。” “我才幸运，”马凯莉说：“'她让今天的我比从前更为提升，去吧，乔。跟她待在这里，直到我们打烊之后，我会想办法让你们出去。时间到了我自会回来。” “要早点哦。”他警告她说。 "Go!"