ETHAN DRANK SCOTCH1 WITHOUT EFFECT, FOR his metabolism2 seemed to have been dramatically accelerated by the experience of his own death twice in one day.
This hotel bar, with its crowd of self-polished glitterati, was a favorite of Charming Manheim’s, a haunt from the early days of his career. In ordinary circumstances, however, Ethan would have chosen a joint3 without this flash, and with a comforting soaked-in-beer smell.
The few other bars familiar to him were frequented by off-duty cops. The prospect4 of running into an old friend from the force, on this evening of all evenings, daunted5 him.
During just one minute of conversation with any brother in the badge, regardless of how artfully Ethan tried to wear a happy face, he’d reveal himself to be deeply troubled. Then no self-respecting cop would be able to resist working him, either subtly or obviously, for the source of his worry.
Right now he didn’t want to talk about what had happened to him. He wanted to think about it.
Well, that wasn’t entirely6 true. He would have preferred denial to thought. Just forget it had happened. Turn away from it. Block the memory and get drunk.
[228] Denial wasn’t an option, however, not with the three silvery bells from the ambulance glimmering7 on the bar beside his glass of Scotch. He might as well try to deny the existence of Big Foot with a Sasquatch sitting on his face.
So he had no choice but to dwell on what had happened, which led him immediately into an intellectual dead end. He not only didn’t know what to think about these weird8 events, he also didn’t know how to think about them.
Obviously he had not been shot in the gut9 by Rolf Reynerd. Yet he intuitively knew the lab report would confirm that the blood under his fingernails was his own.
The experience of being run down in traffic and broken beyond repair remained so vivid, his memory of paralysis10 so horrifically detailed11, that he could not believe he had merely imagined all of it under the influence of a drug administered without his knowledge.
Ethan asked the bartender for another round, and as the Scotch splashed over fresh ice into a clean glass, he pointed12 to the bells and said, “You see these?”
“I love that old song,” the bartender said.
“What song?”
“ ‘Silver Bells.’ ”
“So you see them?”
The bartender cocked one eyebrow13. “Yeah. A set of three little bells. How many sets do you see?”
Ethan’s mouth cracked into a smile that he hoped looked less demented than it felt. “Just one. Don’t worry. I’m not going to be a danger on the highway.”
“Really? Then you’re unique.”
Yeah, Ethan thought, I’m nothing if not unique. I’ve died twice today, but I’m still able to handle my booze, and he wondered how quickly the bartender would snatch the drink from him if he spoke14 those words aloud.
[229] He sipped15 the Scotch, seeking clarity from inebriation16, since he couldn’t find any clarity in sobriety.
Ten or fifteen minutes later, still cold sober, he caught sight of Dunny Whistler in the back-bar mirror.
Ethan spun17 on his stool, slopping Scotch from his glass.
Threading his way among the tables, Dunny had almost reached the door. He was not a ghost: A waitress paused to let him pass.
Ethan got to his feet, remembered the bells, snatched them off the bar, and hurried toward the exit.
Some patrons were visiting from table to table, standing18 in the aisles19. Ethan had to resist the urge to shove them aside. His “Excuse me” had such a sharp edge that people bristled20, but the expression on his face at once made them choke on their unvoiced reprimands.
By the time Ethan stepped out of the bar, Dunny had vanished.
Hurrying into the adjacent lobby, Ethan saw guests standing at the registration21 desk, others at the concierge22 desk, people walking toward the elevator alcove23. Dunny wasn’t among them.
To Ethan’s left, the marble-clad lobby opened to an enormous drawing room furnished with sofas and armchairs. There, guests could attend high tea every afternoon; and at this later hour, drinks were being served to those who preferred an atmosphere gentler than that in the bar.
At a glance, Dunny Whistler couldn’t be seen among the crowd in the drawing room.
Nearer, to Ethan’s right, the revolving24 door at the hotel’s main entrance was slowly turning to a stop, as though someone had recently gone in or out, but its quadrants were deserted25 now.
He pushed through the door, into the night chill under the roof of the porte-cochere.
Sheltering their charges with umbrellas, the doorman and a busy squad26 of parking valets escorted visitors to and from arriving and [230] departing vehicles. Cars, SUVs, and limousines27 jostled for position in the crowded hotel-service lanes.
Dunny wasn’t standing with those who were waiting for their cars. Nor did he appear to be hurrying through the downpour in the company of any of the escorts.
Several Mercedes in various dark colors idled among the other vehicles, but Ethan was pretty sure none of them was Dunny’s wheels.
The ring of his cell phone might not have been audible above the chatter28 of the people under the porte-cochere, the car engines, and the hiss29 and sizzle of the drizzling30 night. Set for a silent signal, however, it vibrated in a jacket pocket.
Still surveying the night for Dunny, he answered the phone.
Hazard Yancy said, “I’ve got to see you right now, man, and it’s got to be somewhere the elite31 don’t meet.”
收听单词发音 |
1
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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metabolism
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| n.新陈代谢 | |
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joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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daunted
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| 使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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8
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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gut
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| n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏 | |
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paralysis
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| n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症) | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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eyebrow
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| n.眉毛，眉 | |
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14
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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15
sipped
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| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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inebriation
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| n.醉，陶醉 | |
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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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aisles
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| n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊 | |
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bristled
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| adj. 直立的，多刺毛的 动词bristle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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registration
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| n.登记，注册，挂号 | |
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concierge
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| n.管理员；门房 | |
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23
alcove
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| n.凹室 | |
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revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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limousines
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| n.豪华轿车( limousine的名词复数 )；（往返机场接送旅客的）中型客车，小型公共汽车 | |
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28
chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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29
hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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30
drizzling
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| 下蒙蒙细雨，下毛毛雨( drizzle的现在分词 ) | |
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elite
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| n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的 | |
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