Chapter 63

During the stakeout on LaSalle Street, she and I found that we could talk about almost anything. That’s what we did throughout the long hours. The topics ranged from funny cop stories, to investments, movies, Gothic architecture, politics, then on to more personal subjects like her father, who had run out on her when she was six. I told Jamilla that my mother and father had both died young from a lethal¹ combination of alcoholism and lung cancer probably depression and hopelessness, too.
T worked for two years as a psychologist. Hung out a shingle,’ I told her. At the time, not too many people in my neighborhood in DC could afford treatment. I couldn’t afford to give it away. Most white people didn’t want to see a black shrink. So I took a job as a cop. Just temporary. I didn’t expect to like it, but once I started I got hooked². Bad.’
‘What hooked you about being a detective?’ she wanted to know.  She was a good listener, interested. ‘Do you remember an incident, any one thing in particular?’
‘As a matter of fact, I do. Two men had been shot down in Southeast, which is where I live in Washington, where I grew up. The deaths were written off as “drug-related”, which meant not much time would be spent investigating them. At the time, that was standard operating procedure in DC. Still is, actually.’ Jamilla nodded. ‘I’m afraid it is in parts of San Francisco, too. We like to think of our city as enlightened³, and it can be. But people out there are good at looking the other way. Makes me sick sometimes.’
‘Anyway, I knew these two men, and I was almost certain they weren’t involved in selling drugs. They both had jobs at a small local music store. Maybe they smoked a little weed, but nothing worse than that.’
‘I know the types you’re talking about.’
‘So I investigated the murder case on my own. A detective friend named John Sampson helped. I learned to follow my gut⁴. Found out that one of the men had been dating a woman who a local dealer⁵ thought he owned. I kept digging, following my instincts, digging a little deeper. Turns out, the dealer had murdered the two men. Once I solved that case, it was all over for me. I knew I was good at it, maybe because of all the psych training I’d had, and I liked making things right. Or maybe I just liked being right.’ ‘Sounds like you have some balance in your life, though. The kids, your grandmother, friends,’ she said.
We let it go at that - didn’t pursue the obvious - that Jamilla and I were both single and unattached. It had nothing to do with our jobs.  If only it was that simple.

1 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

2 hooked   

adj.钩状的，弯曲的

参考例句：

• I first got hooked on scuba diving when I was twelve. 12 岁时我开始迷上了带水肺潜水。
• He hooked his arm round her neck and pulled her head down. 他一只胳膊钩在她的脖子上，把她的头拉低。

3 enlightened   

a.开明的，有知识的

参考例句：

• The teacher's words made me at once become enlightened. 老师的一席话使我顿开茅塞。
• What she said enlightened all of us. 她一讲，大家心里都亮堂了。

4 gut   

n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏

参考例句：

• It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
• My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。

5 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。