There was a large floral arrangement in the center of his desk, with a sympathy card signed by all fourteen students in his antitrust class. Each had written a small paragraph of condolences, and he read them all. Beside the flowers was a stack of cards from his colleagues on the faculty1.
Word spread fast that he was back, and throughout the morning the same colleagues dropped by with a quick hello, welcome back, sorry about your loss. For the most part the faculty was a close group. They could bicker2 with the best of them on the trivial issues of campus politics, but they were quick to circle the wagons3 in times of need. Ray was very happy to see them. Alex Duffman's wife sent a platter of her infamous4 chocolate brownies, each weighing a pound and proven to add three more to your waist. Naomi Kraig brought a small collection of roses she'd picked from her garden.
Late in the morning Carl Mirk stopped by and closed the door. Ray's closest friend on the faculty, his journey to the law school had been remarkably5 similar. They were the same age, and both had fathers who were small-town judges who'd ruled their lit-de counties for decades. Carl's father was still on the bench, and still holding a grudge6 because his son did not return to practice law in the family firm. It appeared, though, that the grudge was fading with the years, whereas Judge Atlee apparently7 carried his to his death.
"Tell me about it," Carl said. Before long he would make the same trip back to his hometown in northern Ohio.
Ray began with the peaceful house, too peaceful, he recalled now. He described the scene when he found the Judge.
"You found him dead?" Carl asked. The narrative8 continued, then, "You think he speeded things up a bit?"
"I hope so. He was in a lot of pain."
"Wow."
The story unfolded in great detail, as Ray remembered things he had not thought about since last Sunday. The words poured forth9, the telling became therapeutic10. Carl was an excellent listener.
Forrest and Harry11 Rex were colorfully described. "We don't have characters like that in Ohio," Carl said. When they told their small-town stories, usually to colleagues from the cities, they stretched the facts and the characters became larger. Not so with Forrest and Harry Rex. The truth was sufficiently12 colorful.
The wake, the funeral, the burial. When Ray closed with "Taps" and the lowering of the casket, both had moist eyes. Carl bounced to his feet and said, "What a great way to go. I'm sorry."
“Just glad it's over."
"Welcome back. Let's do lunch tomorrow."
"What's tomorrow?"
"Friday"
"Lunch it is."
For his noon antitrust class, Ray ordered pizzas from a carry-out and ate them outside in the courtyard with his students. Thirteen of the fourteen were there. Eight would be graduating in two weeks. The students were more concerned about Ray and the death of his father than about their final exams. He knew that would change quickly. -
When the pizza was gone, he dismissed them and they scattered13. Kaley lingered behind, as she had been doing in the past months. There was a rigid14 no-fly zone between faculty and students, and Ray Atlee was not about to venture into it. He was much too content with his job to risk it fooling around with a student. In two weeks, though, Kaley would no longer be a student, but a graduate, and thus not covered by the rules. The flirting15 had picked up a bit - a serious question after class, a drop-in at his office to get a missed assignment, and always that smile with the eyes that lingered for just a second too long.
She was an average student with a lovely face and a rear-end that stopped traffic. She had played field hockey and lacrosse at Brown and kept a lean athletic16 figure. She was twenty-eight, a widow with no kids and loads of money she'd received from the company that made the glider17 her deceased husband had been flying when it cracked up a few miles off the coast at Cape18 Cod19. They found him in sixty feet of water, still strapped20 in, both wings snapped in two. Ray had researched the accident report online.
He'd also found the court file in Rhode Island where she had sued. The settlement gave her four million up front and five hundred thousand a year for the next twenty years. He had kept this information to himself.
After chasing the boys for the first two years of law school, >he was now chasing the men. Ray knew of at least two other law professors who were getting the same lingering routine as he. One just happened to be married. Evidently, all were as wary21 as Ray.
They strolled into the front entrance of the law school, chatting aimlessly about the final exam. She was easing closer with each flirtation22, warming up to the zone, the only one who knew where ate might be headed with this.
"I'd like to go flying sometime," she announced.
Anything but flying. Ray thought of her young husband and his horrible death, and for a second could think of nothing to say. Finally, with a smile he said, "Buy a ticket."
"No, no, with you, in a small plane. Let's fly somewhere."
"Anyplace in particular?"
“Just buzz around for a while. I'm thinking of taking lessons."
"I was thinking of something more traditional, maybe lunch or dinner, after you graduate." She had stepped closer, so that anyone who walked by at that moment would have no doubt that they, student and professor, were discussing illicit23 activity.
"I graduate in fourteen days," she said, as if she might not be able to wait that long before they hopped24 in the sack.
"Then I'll ask you to dinner in fifteen days."
"No, let's break the rule now, while I'm still a student. Let's have dinner before I graduate."
He almost said yes. "Afraid not. The law is the law. We're here because we respect it."
"Oh yes. It's so easy to forget. But we have a date?"
"No, we will have a date."
She flashed another smile and walked away. He tried mightily25 not to admire her exit, but it was impossible.
THE RENTED van came from a moving company north of town, sixty dollars a day. He tried for a half-day rate because he would need it only for a few hours, but sixty it was. He drove it exactly four tenths of a mile and stopped at Chaney's Self-Storage, a sprawling26 arrangement of new cinder-block rectangles surrounded by chain link and shiny new razor wire. Video cameras on light poles watched his every move as he parked and walked into the office.
Plenty of space was available. A ten-by-ten bay was forty-eight dollars a month, no heating, no air, a roll-down door, and plenty of lighting27.
"Is it fireproof?" Ray asked.
"Absolutely," said Mrs. Chaney herself, fighting off the smoke from the cigarette stuck between her lips as she filled in forms. "Nothing but concrete block." Everything was safe at Chaney's. They featured electronic surveillance, she explained, as she waved at four monitors on a shelf to her left. On a shelf to her right was a small television wherein folks were yelling and fighting, a Springer-style gabfest that was now a brawl28. Ray knew which shelf received the most attention.
"Twenty-four-hour guards," she said, still doing the paperwork. "Gate's locked at all times. Never had a break-in, and if one happens then we got all kinds of insurance. Sign right here. Fourteen B."
Insurance on three million bucks29, Ray said to himself as he scribbled30 his name. He paid cash for six months and took the keys to 14B.
He was back two hours later with six new storage boxes, a pile of old clothes, and a stick or two of worthless furniture he'd picked up at a flea31 market downtown for authenticity32. He parked in the alley33 in front of 14B and worked quickly to unload and store his junk.
The cash was stuffed into forty-two-ounce freezer bags, zipped tight to keep air and water out, fifty-three in all. The freezer bags were arranged in the bottoms of the six storage boxes, then carefully covered with papers and files and research notes that Ray had until very recently deemed useful. Now his meticulous34 files served a much higher calling. A few old paperbacks35 were thrown in for good measure.
If, by chance, a thief penetrated36 14B, he would probably abandon it after a cursory37 look into the boxes. The money was well hidden and as well protected as possible. Short of a safety deposit box in a bank, Ray could think of no better place to secure the money.
What would ultimately become of the money was a mystery that grew by the day. The fact that it was now safely tucked away in Virginia provided little comfort, contrary to what he had hoped.
He watched the boxes and the other junk for a while, not really anxious to leave. He vowed38 to himself that he would not stop by every day to check on things, but as soon as the vow39 was made he began to doubt it.
He secured the roll-down door with a new padlock. As he drove away, the guard was awake, the video cameras scanning, the gate locked.
FOG NEWTON was worrying about the weather. He had a student-pilot on a cross-country to Lynchburg and back, and thunderstorms were moving in quickly, according to radar40. The clouds had not been expected, and no weather had been forecast during the student's preflight briefing.
"How many hours does he have?" Ray asked.
"Thirty-one," Fog said gravely. Certainly not enough experience to handle thunderstorms. There were no airports between Charlottesville and Lynchburg, only mountains.
"You're not flying, are you?" Fog asked.
"I want to."
"Forget it. This storm is coming together quickly. Let's go watch it."
Nothing frightened an instructor41 more than a student up in heavy weather. Each cross-country training flight had to be carefully planned - route, time, fuel, weather, secondary airports, and emergency procedures. And each flight had to be approved in writing by the instructor. Fog had once grounded Ray because there was a slight chance of icing at five thousand feet, on a perfectly42 clear day.
They walked through the hangar to the ramp43 where a Lear was parking and shutting down its engines. To the west beyond the foothills was the first hint of clouds. The wind had picked up noticeably. "Ten to fifteen knots, gusting," Fog said. "A direct cross-wind." Ray would not want to attempt a landing in such conditions.
Behind the Lear was a Bonanza44 taxiing to the ramp, and as it got closer Ray noticed that it was the one he'd been coveting45 for the past two months. "There's your plane," Fog said.
"I wish," Ray said.
The Bonanza parked and shut down near them, and when the ramp was quiet again Fog said, "I hear he's cut the price."
"How much?"
"Somewhere around four twenty-five. Four-fifty was a little steep."
The owner, traveling alone, crawled out and pulled his bags from the rear. Fog was gazing at the sky and glancing at his watch. Ray kept his eyes on the Bonanza, where the owner was locking the door and putting it to rest.
"Let's take it for a spin," Ray said.
"The Bonanza?"
"Sure. What's the rent?"
"It's negotiable. I know the guy pretty well."
"Let's get it for a day, fly up to Atlantic City, then back."
Fog forgot about the approaching clouds and the rookie student. He turned and looked at Ray. "You're serious?"
"Why not? Sounds like fun."
Aside from flying and poker46, Fog had few other interests. "When?"
"Saturday. Day after tomorrow. Leave early, come back late."
Fog was suddenly deep in thought. He glanced at his watch, looked once more to the west, then to the south. Dick Docker yelled from a window, "Yankee Tango is ten miles out."
"Thank God," Fog mumbled47 to himself and visibly relaxed. He and Ray walked to the Bonanza for a closer look. "Saturday, huh?" Fog said.
"Yep, all day"
"I'll catch the owner. I'm sure we can work a deal." The winds relented for a moment and Yankee Tango landed
with little effort. Fog relaxed even more and managed a smile.
"Didn't know you liked the action," he said as they walked across the ramp.
“Just a little blackjack, nothing serious," Ray said.
收听单词发音 |
1
faculty
|
|
| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
bicker
|
|
| vi.(为小事)吵嘴，争吵 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
wagons
|
|
| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
infamous
|
|
| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
remarkably
|
|
| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
grudge
|
|
| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
apparently
|
|
| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
narrative
|
|
| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
therapeutic
|
|
| adj.治疗的，起治疗作用的；对身心健康有益的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
harry
|
|
| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
sufficiently
|
|
| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
scattered
|
|
| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
rigid
|
|
| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
flirting
|
|
| v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
athletic
|
|
| adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
glider
|
|
| n.滑翔机；滑翔导弹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
cape
|
|
| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
cod
|
|
| n.鳕鱼；v.愚弄；哄骗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
strapped
|
|
| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
wary
|
|
| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
flirtation
|
|
| n.调情，调戏，挑逗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
illicit
|
|
| adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
hopped
|
|
| 跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
mightily
|
|
| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
sprawling
|
|
| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
lighting
|
|
| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
brawl
|
|
| n.大声争吵，喧嚷；v.吵架，对骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
bucks
|
|
| n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
scribbled
|
|
| v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
flea
|
|
| n.跳蚤 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
authenticity
|
|
| n.真实性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
alley
|
|
| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
meticulous
|
|
| adj.极其仔细的，一丝不苟的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
paperbacks
|
|
| n.平装本，平装书( paperback的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
penetrated
|
|
| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
cursory
|
|
| adj.粗略的；草率的；匆促的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
vowed
|
|
| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
vow
|
|
| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
radar
|
|
| n.雷达，无线电探测器 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
instructor
|
|
| n.指导者，教员，教练 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
ramp
|
|
| n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
bonanza
|
|
| n.富矿带，幸运，带来好运的事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
coveting
|
|
| v.贪求，觊觎( covet的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
poker
|
|
| n.扑克；vt.烙制 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
mumbled
|
|
| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |