pdouglas.thecodex-第2部分
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〃That must be what this mysterious meeting's all about；〃 Vernon said。
Philip nodded and mopped his brow with a silk handkerchief。 〃I must be tired from the flight。 Vernon； you're right。 Of course they've been packing。 But what a mess they've made of it。 When Father sees this he's going to have a fit。〃
There was a silence as all three sons stood in the shrubbery looking at each other。 Tom's own sense of unease had reached a high pitch。 If their father was moving； it was a strange way to go about it。
Philip took the pipe out of his mouth。 〃What say； do you think this is another one of his little challenges to us？ Some little puzzle？〃
〃I'm going to break in；〃 Tom said。
〃The alarm。〃
〃The hell with the alarm。〃
Tom went around to the back of the house； his brothers following。 He climbed over a wall into a small enclosed garden with a fountain。 There was a bedroom window at eye level。 Tom wrestled a rock out of the raised flower…bed wall。 He brought it to the window； positioned himself； and hefted it to his shoulder。
〃Are you really going to smash the window？〃 said Philip。 〃How sporting。〃
Tom heaved the rock； and it went crashing through the window。 As the tinkling of glass subsided they all waited； listening。
Silence。
〃No alarm；〃 said Philip。
Tom shook his head。 〃I don't like this。〃
Philip stared through the broken window； and Tom could see a sudden thought blooming on his face。 Philip cursed and in a flash had vaulted through the broken windowframe…wingtips； pipe； and all。
Vernon looked at Tom。 〃What's with him？〃
Without answering； Tom climbed through the window。 Vernon followed。
The bedroom was like the rest of the house…stripped of all art。 It was a mess： dirty footprints on the carpet； trash； strips of packing tape； bubble wrap； and packing popcorn； along with nails and the sawed butt ends of lumber。 Tom went to the hall。 The view disclosed more bare walls where he remembered a Picasso； another Braque； and a pair of Mayan stelae。 Gone； all gone。
With a rising feeling of panic he ventured down the hall； stopping at the archway to the living room。 Philip was there； standing in the middle of the room； looking about； his face absolutely white。 〃I told him again and again this would happen。 He was so bloody careless； keeping all this stuff here。 So damn bloody careless。〃
〃What？〃 Vernon cried； alarmed。 〃What is it； Philip？ What's happened？〃
Philip said； his agonized voice barely above a whisper； 〃We've been robbed！〃
2
Detective Lieutenant Hutch Barnaby of the Santa Fe Police Department placed a hand on his bony chest and kicked back in his chair。 He raised a fresh cup of Starbucks to his lips； the tenth one of the day。 The aroma of the bitter roast filled his hooked nose as he looked out the window to the lone cottonwood tree。 A beautiful spring day in Santa Fe； New Mexico； United States of America； he thought； as he folded his long limbs deeper into the chair。 April 15。 The Ides of April。 Tax Return Day。 Everyone was home counting their money； sobered up by thoughts of mortality and penury。 Even the criminals took the day off。
He sipped the coffee with a huge feeling of contentment。 Except for the faint ringing of a phone in the outer office； life was good。
He heard； at the edges of consciousness； the petent voice of Doreen answering the phone。 Her crisp vowels floated in through the open door： 〃Hold on； excuse me； could you speak a little slower？ I'll get you the sergeant…〃
Barnaby drowned out the conversation with a noisy sip of coffee and extended his foot to his office door； giving it a little nudge shut。 Blessed silence returned。 He waited。 And then it came： the knock。
Damn that phone call。
Barnaby placed his coffee on the desk and rose slightly from his slouched position。 〃Yes？〃
Sergeant Harry Fenton opened the door； a keen look on his face。 Fenton was never one to like a slow day。 The look was enough to tell Barnaby that something big had just e down。
〃Hutch？〃
〃Hmmm？〃
Fenton went on； breathlessly。 〃The Broadbent place was robbed。 I got one of the sons on the phone now。〃
Hutch Barnaby didn't move a muscle。 〃Robbed of what？〃
〃Everything。〃 Fenton's black eyes glittered with relish。
Barnaby sipped his coffee； sipped again； and then lowered his chair to the floor with a small clunk。 Damn。
As Barnaby and Fenton drove out the Old Santa Fe Trail； Fenton talked about the robbery。 The collection； he'd heard； was worth half a billion。 If the truth were anything close to that； Fenton said； it would be front…page…New…York…Times。 He； Fenton； on the front page of the Times。 Can you imagine that？
Barnaby could not imagine it。 But he said nothing。 He was used to Fenton's enthusiasms。 He stopped at the end of the winding driveway that led up to the Broadbent aerie。 Fenton climbed out the other side； his face shining with anticipation； his head forward； his huge hatchet nose leading the way。 As they walked up the road； Hutch scanned the ground。 He could see the blurred tracks of a semi； ing and going。 They had e in bold as brass。 So either Broadbent was away or they had killed him…more likely the latter。 They'd probably find Broadbent's stiff in the house。
The road went around a corner and leveled out； and a pair of open gates came into view； guarding a sprawling adobe mansion set among a vast lawn dotted with cottonwoods。 He paused to examine the gate。 It was a mechanical gate with two motors。 It didn't show any signs of having been forced； but the electrical box was open； and inside he could see a key。 He knelt and examined it。 The key was in a lock； which had been turned to deactivate the gate。
He turned to Fenton。 〃What do you make of that？〃
〃Drove a semi up here； had a key to the gate…these guys were professional。 We're probably going to find Broadbent's cadaver in the house； you know。〃
〃That's why I like you； Fenton。 You're my second brain。〃
He heard a shout and glanced up to see three men crossing the lawn； ing toward him。 The kids； walking right across the lawn。
Barnaby rose in a fury。 〃Jesus Christ！ Don't you know this is a crime scene！〃
The others halted； but the lead character； a tall man in a suit； kept ing。 〃And who might you be？〃 His voice was cool； supercilious。
〃I'm Detective Lieutenant Hutchinson Barnaby；〃 he said； 〃and Sergeant Harry Fenton。 Santa Fe Police Department。〃
Fenton flashed them a quick smile that did little more than bare his teeth。
〃You the sons？〃
〃We are；〃 said the suit。
Fenton gave them another feral twitch of his lips。
Barnaby took a moment to look them over as potential suspects。 The hippie in hemp had an honest； open face； maybe not the brightest bulb in the store but no robber。 The one in cowboy boots had real horseshit on the boots； Barnaby noted with respect。 And then there was the guy in the suit； who looked like he was from New York。 As far as Hutch Barnaby was concerned anyone from New York was a potential murderer。 Even the grandmothers。 He scanned them again： Three more different brothers could not be imagined。 Odd how that could happen in a single family。
〃This is a crime scene； so I'm going to have to ask you gentlemen to leave the premises。 Go out through the gate and go stand under a tree or something and wait for me。 I'll be out in about twenty minutes to talk to you。 Okay？ Please don't wander around； don't touch anything； and don't talk to each other about the crime or what you've observed。〃
He turned； and then as an afterthought turned back。 〃The whole collection is missing？〃
〃That's what I said on the phone；〃 said the suit。
〃How much…ballpark…was it worth？〃
〃About five hundred million。〃
Barnaby touched the rim of his hat and glanced at Fenton。 The look of naked pleasure on Fenton's face was enough to scare a pimp。
As Barnaby walked toward the house he considered that he had better be careful…there was going to be a lot of second…guessing on this one。 The Feds； Interpol； God knows who else would be involved。 He figured a quick look around before the crime…lab people arrived would be in order。 He hooked his thumbs into his belt and gazed at the house。 He wondered if the collection had been insured。 That would bear some looking into。 If so； maybe Maxwell Broadbent wasn't quite so dead after all。 Maybe Maxwell Broadbent was sipping margaritas with some piece of ass on a beach in Phuket。
〃I wonder if Broadbent was insured？〃 asked Fenton。
Hutch grinned at his partner； then looked back at the place。 He looked at the broken window； the confusion of footsteps on the gravel； the trampled shrubbery。 The fresh tracks were the sons'； but there were a lot of older traces here as well。 He could see where the moving van had parked； where it had laboriously backed around。 It looked as if a week or two had passed since the robbery。
The important thing was to find the body…if there was one。 He stepped inside the house。 He looked around at the packing tape； bubble wrap； nails； discarded pieces of wood。 There was sawdust on the rug and faint depressions。 They had actually set up a table saw。 It had been an exceptionally petent piece of work。 Noisy； too。 These people not only knew what they were doing； but they had taken the time to do it right。 He
