فصل پنجاه و یکم

CHAPTER 51

Aynesworth was pouring ashes carefully into new paint cans when Graham and Crawford got to the black ruin where Dolarhyde’s house had stood.

He was covered with soot and a large blister puffed under his ear. Special Agent Janowitz from Explosives was working down in the cellar.

A tall sack of a man fidgeted beside a dusty Oldsmobile in the drive. He intercepted Crawford and Graham as they crossed the yard.

“Are you Crawford?”

“That’s right.”

“I’m Robert L. Dulaney. I’m the coroner and this is my jurisdiction.” He showed them his card. It said “Vote for Robert L. Dulaney.” Crawford waited.

“Your man here has some evidence that should have been turned over to me. He’s kept me waiting for nearly an hour.” “Sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Dulaney. He was following my instructions. Why don’t you have a seat in your car and I’ll clear this up.

Dulaney started after them.

Crawford turned around. “You’ll excuse us, Mr. Dulaney. Have a seat in your car.”

Section Chief Aynesworth was grinning, his teeth white in his sooty face. He had been sieving ashes all morning.

“As section chief, it gives me great pleasure-”

“To pull your prong, we all know that,” Janowitz said, climbing from the black tangle of the cellar.

“Silence in the ranks, Indian Janowitz. Fetch the items of interest.” He tossed Janowitz a set of car keys.

From the trunk of an FBI sedan Janowitz brought a long cardboard box. A shotgun, the stock burned off and barrels twisted by the heat, was wired to the bottom of the box. A smaller box contained a blackened automatic pistol.

“The pistol came out better,” Aynesworth said. “Ballistics may be able to make a match with it. Come on, Janowitz, get to it.” Aynesworth took three plastic freezer bags from him.

“Front and center, Graham.” For a moment the humor left Aynesworth’s face. This was a hunter’s ritual, like smearing Graham’s forehead with blood.

“That was a real sly show, podna.” Aynesworth put the bags in Graham’s hands.

One bag contained five inches of a charred human femur and the ball of a hip. Another contained a wristwatch. The third held the teeth.

The plate was black and broken and only half was there, but that half contained the unmistakable pegged lateral incisor.

Graham supposed he should say something. “Thanks. Thanks a lot.”

His head swam briefly and he relaxed all over.

“. . . museum piece,” Aynesworth was saying. “We have to turn it over to the turkey, don’t we, Jack?” “Yeah. But there’re some pros in the St. Louis coroner’s office. They’ll come over and make good impressions. We’ll have those.” Crawford and the others huddled with the coroner beside his car. Graham was alone with the house. He listened to the wind in the chimneys. He hoped Bloom would come here when he was well. Probably he would.

Graham wanted to know about Dolarhyde. He wanted to know what happened here, what bred the Dragon. But he had had enough for now.

A mockingbird lit on the top of a chimney and whistled.

Graham whistled back.

He was going home.