RIDLEY CALLED EARLY Saturday evening, quite upset. She had been unable to locate Clay for four days! No one at the office knew where he was, or if they knew they wouldn't tell her. He, on the other hand, had made no effort to call her. Both had more than one phone. Was this any way to advance a relationship? After listening to the whining¹ for a few minutes, Clay heard something buzz in the line and asked, "Where are you?"

"St. Barth. In our villa²."

"How'd you get down there?" Clay, of course, had been using the Gulfstream.

"I chartered a smaller jet. Too small, actually, we had to stop in San Juan for fuel. It wouldn't make it here nonstop."

Poor girl. Clay wasn't sure how she knew the number of the air charter service. "Why are you down there?" he asked, a stupid question.

"I was so stressed out because I couldn't find you. You can't do that again, Clay."

He tried to link the two—his disappearance⁴ and her escape to St. Barth, but quickly gave it up.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I left town in a hurry. Patton French needed me in Biloxi. I was too busy to call."

A long pause as she debated whether she should forgive him right then or wait a day or two. "Promise me you won't do it again," she whimpered.

Clay wasn't in the mood for either whining or promising⁶, and he found himself relieved that she was out of the country. "It won't happen again. Relax, enjoy yourself down there."

"Can you come down?" she asked, but without any feeling. Sort of a perfunctory request.

"Not with the trial in Flagstaff getting close." He doubted seriously if she had an inkling about the trial in Flagstaff.

"Will you call me tomorrow?" she asked.

"Of course."

Jonah was back in town, with many adventures to report from the sailing life. They were to meet at nine at a bistro on Wisconsin Avenue for a late and long dinner. Around eight-thirty, the phone rang, but the caller hung up without a word. Then it rang again, and Clay grabbed it as he was buttoning his shirt.

"Is this Clay Carter?" a male voice asked.

"Yes, who is this?" Because of the sheer number of disgruntled clients out there—Dyloft and Skinny Ben and, now, especially, those

点击收听单词发音  

1 whining
n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚
参考例句：
That's the way with you whining, puny, pitiful players. 你们这种又爱哭、又软弱、又可怜的赌棍就是这样。 The dog sat outside the door whining (to be let in). 那条狗坐在门外狺狺叫着（要进来）。

2 villa
n.别墅，城郊小屋
参考例句：
We rented a villa in France for the summer holidays.我们在法国租了一幢别墅消夏。 We are quartered in a beautiful villa.我们住在一栋漂亮的别墅里。

3 gulf
n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂
参考例句：
The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。 There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

4 disappearance
n.消失，消散，失踪
参考例句：
He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。 Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

5 pro
n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者
参考例句：
The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。 Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

6 promising
adj.有希望的，有前途的
参考例句：
The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。 We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

7 irate
adj.发怒的，生气
参考例句：
The irate animal made for us,coming at a full jump.那头发怒的动物以最快的速度向我们冲过来。 We have received some irate phone calls from customers.我们接到顾客打来的一些愤怒的电话

8 dressing
n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料
参考例句：
Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。 The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

9 hustled
催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
He grabbed her arm and hustled her out of the room. 他抓住她的胳膊把她推出房间。 The secret service agents hustled the speaker out of the amphitheater. 特务机关的代理人把演讲者驱逐出竞技场。

10 mumbling
含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 )
参考例句：
I could hear him mumbling to himself. 我听到他在喃喃自语。 He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg. 宴会结束时，他仍在咕哝着医院里的事。说着说着，他在一块冰上滑倒，跌断了左腿。

11 conspiracies
n.阴谋，密谋( conspiracy的名词复数 )
参考例句：
He was still alive and hatching his conspiracies. 他还活着，策划着阴谋诡计。 来自辞典例句 It appeared that they had engaged in fresh conspiracies from the very moment of their release. 看上去他们刚给释放，立刻开始新一轮的阴谋活动。 来自英汉文学

12 scenarios
n.[意]情节；剧本；事态；脚本
参考例句：
Further, graphite cores may be safer than non-graphite cores under some accident scenarios. 再者，根据一些事故解说，石墨堆芯可比非石墨堆芯更安全一些。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法 Again, scenarios should make it clear which modes are acceptable to users in various contexts. 同样，我们可以运用场景剧本来搞清楚在不同情境下哪些模式可被用户接受。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

13 maple
n.槭树，枫树，槭木
参考例句：
Maple sugar is made from the sap of maple trees.枫糖是由枫树的树液制成的。 The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。

14 timing
n.时间安排，时间选择
参考例句：
The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。 The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

15 flailing
v.鞭打( flail的现在分词 )；用连枷脱粒；（臂或腿）无法控制地乱动；扫雷坦克
参考例句：
He became moody and unreasonable, flailing out at Katherine at the slightest excuse. 他变得喜怒无常、不可理喻，为点鸡毛蒜皮的小事就殴打凯瑟琳。 来自《简明英汉词典》 His arms were flailing in all directions. 他的手臂胡乱挥舞着。 来自辞典例句

16 skull
n.头骨；颅骨
参考例句：
The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。 He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

17 commotion
n.骚动，动乱
参考例句：
They made a commotion by yelling at each other in the theatre.他们在剧院里相互争吵，引起了一阵骚乱。 Suddenly the whole street was in commotion.突然间，整条街道变得一片混乱。

18 horrified
a.(表现出)恐惧的
参考例句：
The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。 We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。

19 trauma
n.外伤，精神创伤
参考例句：
Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。 The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

20 stabilized
v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The patient's condition stabilized. 患者的病情稳定下来。 His blood pressure has stabilized. 他的血压已经稳定下来了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

21 neatly
adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地
参考例句：
Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。 The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

22 bruised
[医]青肿的，瘀紫的
参考例句：
his bruised and bloodied nose 他沾满血的青肿的鼻子 She had slipped and badly bruised her face. 她滑了一跤，摔得鼻青脸肿。

23 hood
n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖
参考例句：
She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。 The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

24 concussion
n.脑震荡；震动
参考例句：
He was carried off the field with slight concussion.他因轻微脑震荡给抬离了现场。 She suffers from brain concussion.她得了脑震荡。

25 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：
He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。 He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

26 metallic
adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的
参考例句：
A sharp metallic note coming from the outside frightened me.外面传来尖锐铿锵的声音吓了我一跳。 He picked up a metallic ring last night.昨夜他捡了一个金属戒指。

27 license
n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许
参考例句：
The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。 The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

28 rapes
n.芸苔( rape的名词复数 )；强奸罪；强奸案；肆意损坏v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的第三人称单数 )；强奸
参考例句：
The man who had committed several rapes was arrested. 那个犯了多起强奸案的男人被抓起来了。 来自辞典例句 The incidence of reported rapes rose 0.8 percent. 美国联邦调查局还发布了两份特别报告。 来自互联网

29 random
adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动
参考例句：
The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。 On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

30 makers
n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）
参考例句：
The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。 The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

31 smoothly
adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地
参考例句：
The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。 Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

32 swollen
adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀
参考例句：
Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着，她的双腿已经肿了。 A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她，她的手臂肿起来了。

33 hush
int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静
参考例句：
A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。 Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

34 hissed
发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对
参考例句：
Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过？ The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。

35 blurry
adj.模糊的；污脏的，污斑的
参考例句：
My blurry vision makes it hard to drive. 我的视力有点模糊，使得开起车来相当吃力。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The lines are pretty blurry at this point. 界线在这个时候是很模糊的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

36 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：
The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。 They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。

37 exhausted
adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的
参考例句：
It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。 Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

38 pointed
adj.尖的，直截了当的
参考例句：
He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。 She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

39 scant
adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略
参考例句：
Don't scant the butter when you make a cake.做糕饼时不要吝惜奶油。 Many mothers pay scant attention to their own needs when their children are small.孩子们小的时候，许多母亲都忽视自己的需求。

40 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。

41 lengthy
adj.漫长的，冗长的
参考例句：
We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。 The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

42 investigation
n.调查，调查研究
参考例句：
In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。 He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

43 budging
v.（使）稍微移动( budge的现在分词 )；（使）改变主意，（使）让步
参考例句：
Give it up, plumber. She's not budging. 别费劲了，水管工。她不会改变主意的。 来自互联网 I wondered how Albert who showed no intention of budging, felt about Leopold's desertion. 对于从未有迁徙打算的艾伯特来说，我不知道它会怎样看待利奥波德这样弃它而去呢。 来自互联网

44 boredom
n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊
参考例句：
Unemployment can drive you mad with boredom.失业会让你无聊得发疯。 A walkman can relieve the boredom of running.跑步时带着随身听就不那么乏味了。

45 traction
n.牵引；附着摩擦力
参考例句：
I'll show you how the traction is applied.我会让你看如何做这种牵引。 She's injured her back and is in traction for a month.她背部受伤，正在作一个月的牵引治疗。

46 relentless
adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的
参考例句：
The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。 Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

47 tedium
n.单调；烦闷
参考例句：
We played games to relieve the tedium of the journey.我们玩游戏，来解除旅行的沉闷。 In myself I could observe the following sources of tedium. 从我自己身上，我所观察到的烦闷的根源有下列一些。

48 crutches
n.拐杖, 支柱 v.支撑
参考例句：
After the accident I spent six months on crutches . 事故后我用了六个月的腋杖。 When he broke his leg he had to walk on crutches. 他腿摔断了以后，不得不靠拐杖走路。

49 minor
adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修
参考例句：
The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。 I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

50 swelling
n.肿胀
参考例句：
Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。 There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。

51 subside
vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降
参考例句：
The emotional reaction which results from a serious accident takes time to subside.严重事故所引起的情绪化的反应需要时间来平息。 The controversies surrounding population growth are unlikely to subside soon.围绕着人口增长问题的争论看来不会很快平息。

52 hectic
adj.肺病的；消耗热的；发热的；闹哄哄的
参考例句：
I spent a very hectic Sunday.我度过了一个忙乱的星期天。 The two days we spent there were enjoyable but hectic.我们在那里度过的两天愉快但闹哄哄的。

53 detested
v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
They detested each other on sight. 他们互相看着就不顺眼。 The freethinker hated the formalist; the lover of liberty detested the disciplinarian. 自由思想者总是不喜欢拘泥形式者，爱好自由者总是憎恶清规戒律者。 来自辞典例句