Chapter 8

I was still thinking about the strange, terrible bites, and all that blood, as I walked off the plane and into crowded San Francisco International Airport. I looked around for Inspector¹ Jamilla Hughes.  Rumor² had it that she was an attractive black woman.  I noted³ that a businessman near the gate was reading The Examiner. I could see the bold headline on the front page HORROR IN GOLDEN GATE PARK, TWO MURDERED.
I didn’t see anyone waiting, so I began to look for signs directing me to public transportation. I only had a carry-on bag; I had promised to be home by Saturday for Damon’s concert. I had my marching orders and I planned to keep my promises from now on.  Cross my heart.
A woman walked up to me as I started away from the gate.’Excuse me, are you Detective Cross?’
I had noticed her just before she spoke⁴ to me. She was wearing jeans, a black leather car coat over a powder blue T-shirt. Then I spotted⁵ the tell-tale holster under her jacket. She was probably in her mid-thirties, nice looking, down-to-earth, pleasant for a homicide detective, who often come on a little gruff.
‘Inspector Hughes?’ I asked.
‘Jamilla.’she extended her hand and smiled as I took it. Nice smile, too.’It’s good to meet you. Detective. Ordinarily, I’d resist the sell out of any idea that originated with the FBI, but your reputation precedes you. Also, the murder in DC was awfully⁶ similar, wasn’t it? So welcome to San Francisco.’
‘Good to be here.’ I returned the smile as I shook hands with her.  Her grip was strong, but not overly so. ‘I was just thinking about the murder in DC/I told her.’Your crime-scene notes brought it all back to me. We never got anywhere with the murder of Patricia Cameron.  You can add that to the file on my so-called reputation, the one that preceded me.’
Jamilla Hughes smiled again. Sincere. Nothing overdone⁷ about it; nothing overdone about her either. She didn’t particularly look like a homicide detective, and that was probably good. She seemed a little too normal to be a cop.
‘Well, we’d better hurry. I’ve contacted a veterinary dental specialist and he’s meeting us at the city morgue. He’s a good friend of the medical examiner. How’s that for showing you the sights of San Francisco?’
I shook my head and grinned.’Actually, it’s exactly what I came out here to see. I think I read about it in one of the tour books. When you’re in San Francisco don’t pass up a chance to see the morgue.’ ‘It’s not in the tour books,’ Jamilla said, ‘but it should be. It’s a whole lot more interesting than any trolley-car ride.

1 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

2 rumor   

n.谣言，谣传，传说

参考例句：

• The rumor has been traced back to a bad man.那谣言经追查是个坏人造的。
• The rumor has taken air.谣言流传开了。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 spoke   

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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

6 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

7 overdone   

v.做得过分( overdo的过去分词 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度

参考例句：

• The lust of men must not be overdone. 人们的欲望不该过分。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The joke is overdone. 玩笑开得过火。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》