[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.35 SFor all the doctors’ reassurances, she didn’t sound like herself.36 RThis visitor she’d mentioned, that bothered him too.Suddenly, 2 8 22nd PASS PAGES13713_01_i-vi_001-344_r4jn.qxd 4/21/03 8:03 AM Page 283T H E A N N I V E R S A R Yhe felt a flash of fear.So what if it was someone she knew? Maybe 1she’d known the killer.When he’d questioned her, she seemed con-2fident that she’d never seen him before.But what if she’d been 3mistaken? What if she’d been confused?4He couldn’t stop himself.In five minutes, he called back.5“Sorry to bother you again, but I misplaced your address,” he 6lied.7“Not a problem,” Melanie said.And recited the street number.8“You.are you okay?” he asked.9“Sure.I’m fine.” She sounded surprised.After all, he’d just 10talked to her.Why shouldn’t she be fine?11Feeling a little foolish, Jamison hung up.Still, Melanie stuck 12in his mind like a tune he couldn’t forget.He’d felt oddly close to 13her during the time he’d spent at her hospital bedside.As if he 14were just where he should be, a feeling he’d almost forgotten.15He’d had it so often during those years at the Bureau, working on 16the profile study, during the weeks he’d met with Steven Gage 17just before the execution.He wondered if that was part of it, his 18attachment to Melanie, as if she were a sort of talisman bringing 19back the past.20Outside, the rain was still coming down.He could hear it, but 21he couldn’t see it.It had still been light when he left for dinner.22Now the sky was dark.He’d try Brenda Hollworthy one more 23time, and then he’d take a shower.24“Hello?” It was same rough voice he’d heard before, but live 25now, not recorded.26“Is this Mrs.Hollworthy?”27“Who is this?”28“My name is Mike Jamison.We met.a long time ago.”29“What’d you say your name was, son?”30“Mike.Mike Jamison.We met.in Tennessee.”31“You that boy from the FBI?”32“I.I used to be.” His heart was beating faster now; he could 33feel the adrenaline surge.The past flooded over him.Steven 34Gage’s mother.S 35Before she could hang up on him, he rushed to fill the silence.R 362 8 32nd PASS PAGES13713_01_i-vi_001-344_r4jn.qxd 4/21/03 8:03 AM Page 284A M Y G U T M A N1“It’s been a long time,” he said.2“Sure has,” she said flatly.He half expected her to hang up 3then, but she stayed on the phone, waiting.4“I was hoping you could answer some questions for me about a 5woman named Diane Massey.You probably remember the book 6she wrote —”7Brenda Hollworthy cut in.“You know, the Lord says that we 8should forgive, and God knows I try.Every night I pray for the 9strength to forgive, but some things are just beyond us.You have 10any children, Mr.Jamison?”11A pause.12“Yes.I do.”13“How many?”14“Two.”15“Boys or girls?”16“One of each.”17“I used to have three sons.Now I’ve got two.That’s some-18thing you never get over.You should’ve done something, Mr.19Jamison.You should’ve done something to save him.The Lord 20doesn’t mean for men to kill each other.Two wrongs don’t make 21a right.”22Her voice was emptied of emotion, as if she’d rehearsed the 23speech.As if she’d spent countless years preparing for this call.24“I can’t imagine what you went through.” That much was cer-25tainly true.26“That’s why you’re callin’, ain’t it? It’s that Massey woman.You 27think we had something to do with it, me or the boys.Well, I 28can’t say I’m sorry to see her gone, God forgive me for that.But 29you’re lookin’ in the wrong direction if you’re thinkin’ of us like 30that.I’m a Christian woman, and they’re good, good boys.Got 31families of their own now.”32“Please, let me explain, Mrs.Hollworthy.That’s not it at all.”33“You think somebody else killed her?”34“Absolutely,” he said.The truth, of course, was that he didn’t 35 Sknow, but you said what you had to say.“I just wanted to ask you 36 R2 8 42nd PASS PAGES13713_01_i-vi_001-344_r4jn.qxd 4/21/03 8:03 AM Page 285T H E A N N I V E R S A R Ysome questions about a few people Steven knew.I wanted to get 1your impressions of them.I won’t take much of your time [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]