3 PM
THE Kremlin looked pretty. Snow clung to its gargoyles1 and crochets2, doorcases and window ledges3, outlining the Victorian ornamentation in white. Toni parked and went inside. The place was quiet. Most people had gone home, for fear of getting caught in the snow—not that people needed much of an excuse to leave early on Christmas Eve.
She felt hurt and sensitive. She had been in an emotional car crash. But she had to put thoughts of love firmly out of her mind. Later, perhaps, when she lay alone in bed tonight, she would brood over the things Stanley had said and done; but now she had work to do.
She had scored a triumphant4 success—that was why Stanley had hugged her—but all the same a worry nagged5 at her. Stanley's words repeated in her brain: If we lost another rabbit, we'd be right back in trouble. It was true. Another incident of the same kind would bring the story back to life but ten times worse. No amount of public-relations work could keep the lid on it. There will be no more security incidents at the lab, she had told him. I"ll make sure of that. Now she had to make her words come true.
She went to her office. The only threat that she could imagine was from the animal rights activists6. The death of Michael Ross might inspire others to attempt to "liberate7" laboratory animals. Alternatively, Michael might have been working with activists who had another plan. He might even have given them the kind of inside information that could help them defeat the Kremlin's security.
She dialed regional police headquarters in Inverburn and asked for Detective-Superintendent8 Frank Hackett, her ex. "Got away with it, didn't you?" he said. "Luck of the devil. You should have been crucified."
"We told the truth, Frank. Honesty is the best policy, you know that."
"You didn't tell me the truth. A hamster called Fluffy9! You made me look a fool."
"It was unkind, I admit. But you shouldn't have leaked the story to Carl. Shall we call it quits?"
"What do you want?"
"Do you think anyone else was involved with Michael Ross in stealing the rabbit?"
"No opinion."
"I gave you his address book. I presume you've been checking his contacts. What about the people in Animals Are Free, for example—are they peaceful protestors, or might they do something more dangerous?"
"My investigation10 is not yet complete."
"Come on, Frank, I'm just looking for a little guidance. How worried should I be about the possibility of another incident?"
"I'm afraid I can't help you."
"Frank, we loved one another once. We were partners for eight years. Does it have to be like this?"
"Are you using our past relationship to persuade me to give you confidential11 information?"
"No. To hell with the information. I can get it elsewhere. I just don't want to be treated as an enemy by someone I used to love. Is there a law that says we can't be nice to one another?"
There was a click, then a dial tone. He had hung up.
She sighed. Would he ever come around? She wished he would get mother girlfriend. That might calm him down.
She dialed Odette Cressy, her friend at Scotland Yard. "I saw you on the news," Odette said.
"How did I look?"
"Authoritative12." Odette giggled13. "Like you would never go to a nightclub in a see-through dress. But I know better."
"Just don't tell anyone the truth."
"Anyway, your Madoba-2 incident appears to have no connections with . . . my kind of interest."
She meant terrorism. "Good," Toni said. "But tell me something— speaking purely14 theoretically."
"Of course."
"Terrorists could get samples of a virus such as Ebola relatively15 easily by going to a hospital somewhere in central Africa where the only security is a nineteen-year-old cop slouching in the lobby smoking cigarettes. So why would they attempt the extraordinarily16 difficult task of robbing a high-security laboratory?"
"Two reasons. One, they simply don't know how easy it is to get Ebola in Africa. Two, Madoba-2 is not the same as Ebola. It's worse."
Toni remembered what Stanley had told her, and shuddered17. "Zero survival rate."
"Exactly."
"What about Animals Are Free? Did you check them out?"
"Of course. They're harmless. The worst they're likely to do is block a road."
"That's great news. I just want to make sure there's not another incident of the same kind."
"It looks unlikely from my end."
"Thanks, Odette. You're a friend, and that's a rare thing."
"You sound a bit low."
"Oh, my ex is being difficult."
"Is that all? You're used to him. Did something happen with the professor?"
Toni could never fool Odette, even over the phone. "He told me his family is the most important thing in the world to him, and he would never do anything to upset them."
"When you find a man who isn't a bastard, ask him if he's got a brother."
"What are you doing for Christmas?"
"Going to a spa. Massage19, facials, manicures, long walks." On your own?
Toni smiled. "It's nice of you to worry about me, but I'm not that sad."
"Who are you going with?"
"A whole crowd. Bonnie Grant, an old friend—we were at university together, the only two girls in the engineering faculty20. She's recently divorced. Charles and Damien, you know them. And two couples you haven't met."
"The gay boys will cheer you up."
"You're right." When Charlie and Damien let their hair down, they could make Toni laugh until she cried. "What about you?"
"Not sure. You know how I hate to plan ahead."
"Well, enjoy spontaneity."
"Happy Christmas."
They hung up, and Toni summoned Steve Tremlett, the guard supervisor21.
She had taken a chance with Steve. He had been a pal22 of Ronnie Sutherland, the former head of security who had conspired23 with Kit24 C )xenford. There was no evidence Steve had known about the fraud. But Toni had feared he might resent her for firing his friend. She had decided25 to give him the benefit of the doubt, and had made him supervisor. He had rewarded her trust with loyalty26 and efficiency.
He arrived within a minute. He was a small, neat man of thirty-five with receding27 fair hair cut in the brutally28 short style that was fashionable. He carried a cardboard folder29. Toni pointed30 to a chair and he sat down.
"The police don't think Michael Ross was working with others," she said.
"I had him down as a loner."
"All the same, we have to have this place buttoned up tight tonight."
"No problem."
"Let's make doubly sure of that. You have the duty roster31 there?"
Steve handed over a sheet of paper. Normally there were three security guards on duty overnight and on weekends and holidays. One sat in the gatehouse, one in reception, and one in the control room, watching the monitors. In case they needed to step away from their stations, they carried phones that were cordless extensions to the house network. Every hour, the guard from reception made a tour of the main building, and the guard from the gatehouse walked around the outside. At first, Toni had thought three was too few for such a high-security operation, but the sophisticated technology was the real security, and the human beings merely backup. All the same, she had doubled the guard for this Christmas holiday, so that there would be two people at each of the three stations, and they would patrol every half hour.
"I see you're working tonight."
"All right." Security guards regularly worked twelve-hour shifts, and it was not very unusual for them to do twenty-four hours, when staff were short or, as tonight, in an emergency. "Let me check your emergency call list."
Steve passed her a laminated sheet from the folder. It listed the agencies he was to phone in case of fire, flood, power cut, computer crash, phone system faults, and other problems.
Toni said, "I want you to ring each of these in the next hour. Just ask them if the number will be operational over Christmas."
"Very good."
She handed back the sheet. "Don't hesitate to call the police at Inverburn if you're the least worried about anything."
He nodded. "My brother-in-law Jack33 is on duty tonight, as it happens. My missus has taken the children over to their place for Christmas."
"How many people will there be at headquarters tonight, do you know?"
"On the night shift? An inspector34, two sergeants35, and six constables36. And there'll be a duty superintendent on call."
It was a small complement37, but there would be nothing much to do once the pubs had closed and the drunks had gone home. "You don't happen to know who the duty super is?"
"Yes. It's your Frank."
Toni did not comment. "I'll have my mobile phone with me day and night, and I don't expect to be anywhere out of range. I want you to call me the minute anything unusual happens, regardless of the time, okay?"
"Of course."
"I don't mind being woken up in the middle of the night." She would be sleeping alone, but she did not say that to Steve, who might have considered it an embarrassing confidence.
"I understand," he said, and perhaps he did.
"That's all. I'll be leaving in a few minutes." She checked her watch; it was almost four. "Happy Christmas, Steve."
"To you, too."
Steve left. Twilight38 was falling, and Toni could see her own reflection in the window. She looked rumpled39 and weary. She closed down her computer and locked her filing cabinet.
She needed to get going. She had to return home and change, then drive to the spa, which was fifty miles away. The sooner she hit the road, thc better: the forecast said the weather would not get worse, but forecasts could be wrong.
She was reluctant to leave the Kremlin. Its security was her job. She had taken every precaution she could think of, but she hated to hand over responsibility.
She forced herself to stand up. Her job was facilities director, not security guard. If she had done everything possible to safeguard the place, She could leave. If not, she was incompetent40 and should resign.
Besides, she knew the real reason she wanted to stay. As soon as she turncd her back on the job, she would have to think about Stanley.
She shouldered her bag and left the building. The snow was falling more heavily.
收听单词发音 |
1
gargoyles
|
|
| n.怪兽状滴水嘴( gargoyle的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
crochets
|
|
| v.用钩针编织( crochet的第三人称单数 )；趾钩 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
3
ledges
|
|
| n.（墙壁，悬崖等）突出的狭长部分( ledge的名词复数 )；（平窄的）壁架；横档；（尤指）窗台 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
triumphant
|
|
| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
nagged
|
|
| adj.经常遭责怪的；被压制的；感到厌烦的；被激怒的v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的过去式和过去分词 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
activists
|
|
| n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
liberate
|
|
| v.解放，使获得自由，释出，放出；vt.解放，使获自由 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
superintendent
|
|
| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
fluffy
|
|
| adj.有绒毛的，空洞的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
investigation
|
|
| n.调查，调查研究 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
confidential
|
|
| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
authoritative
|
|
| adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
giggled
|
|
| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
purely
|
|
| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
relatively
|
|
| adv.比较...地，相对地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
extraordinarily
|
|
| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
shuddered
|
|
| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
bastard
|
|
| n.坏蛋，混蛋；私生子 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
massage
|
|
| n.按摩，揉；vt.按摩，揉，美化，奉承，篡改数据 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
faculty
|
|
| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
supervisor
|
|
| n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
pal
|
|
| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
conspired
|
|
| 密谋( conspire的过去式和过去分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
kit
|
|
| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
loyalty
|
|
| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
receding
|
|
| v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
brutally
|
|
| adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
folder
|
|
| n.纸夹，文件夹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
pointed
|
|
| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
roster
|
|
| n.值勤表，花名册 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
overtime
|
|
| adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
jack
|
|
| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
inspector
|
|
| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
sergeants
|
|
| 警官( sergeant的名词复数 )； （美国警察）警佐； （英国警察）巡佐； 陆军（或空军）中士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
constables
|
|
| n.警察( constable的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
complement
|
|
| n.补足物，船上的定员；补语；vt.补充，补足 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
twilight
|
|
| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
rumpled
|
|
| v.弄皱，使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
incompetent
|
|
| adj.无能力的，不能胜任的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |