第55部分(第1/7 页)

d　on　and　not　Coffey　or　one　of　you　men。　And　speaking　of　your　men；　Paul；　will　they　all　tell　the　same　story？〃

〃Yes；　sir；〃　I　told　him。　〃And　they　will；〃　I　said　to　Jan；　starting　in　on　the　soup　she　brought　to　the　table。　〃I'll　see　to　it。〃

〃You　did　lie；〃　she　said。　〃You　lied　to　Hal。〃

Well；　that's　a　wife　for　you；　isn't　it？　Always　poking　around　for　moth…holes　in　your　best　suit；　and　finding　one　more　often　than　not。

〃I　guess；　if　you　want　to　look　at　it　that　way。　I　didn't　tell　him　anything　we　both　won't　be　able　to　live　with；　though。　Hal's　in　the　clear；　I　think。　He　wasn't　even　there；　after　all。　He　was　home　tending　his　wife　until　Curtis　called　him。〃

〃Did　he　say　how　Melinda　was？〃

〃Not　then；　there　wasn't　time；　but　we　spoke　again　just　as　Brutal　and　I　were　leaving。　Melly　doesn't　remember　much；　but　she's　fine。　Up　and　walking。　Talking　about　next　year's　flower　beds。〃

My　wife　sat　watching　me　eat　for　some　little　time。　Then　she　asked；　〃Does　Hal　know　it's　a　miracle；　Paul？　Does　he　understand　that？〃

〃Yes。　We　all　do；　all　of　us　that　were　there。〃

〃Part　of　me　wishes　I'd　been　there；　too；〃　she　said；　〃but　I　think　most　of　me　is　glad　I　wasn't。　If　I'd　seen　the　scales　fall　from　Saul's　eyes　on　the　road　to　Damascus。　I　probably　would　have　died　of　a　heart　attack。〃

〃Naw；〃　I　said；　tilting　my　bowl　to　capture　the　last　spoonful；　〃probably　would　have　cooked　him　some　soup。　This　is　pretty　fine；　hon。〃

〃Good。〃　But　she　wasn't　really　thinking　about　soup　or　cooking　or　Saul's　conversion　on　the　Damascus　road。　She　was　looking　out　the　window　toward　the　ridges；　her　chin　propped　on　her　hand；　her　eyes　as　hazy　as　those　ridges　look　on　summer　mornings　when　it's　going　to　be　hot。　Summer　mornings　like　the　one　when　the　Detterick　girls　had　been　found；　I　thought　f