二十三
警察很快就到了，来的是接到报案的米奇。米奇仔细检查了贝西的尸体，不由得脸上充满困惑。贝西的身上并没有其他伤痕，脸上紫青，眼睛吐出，张着嘴，嘴角有一丝血，还有一些唾沫，脖子上却有非常明显的指痕扼印。这是典型的窒息死亡，因为被掐住脖子而窒息死亡。
米奇是个老警察，虽然在斯格特伍德没有遇到过什么案子，可毕竟是克利夫兰的警察，还是遇上过不少凶杀案。普通警察往往是凶案现场的第一责任人，会对现场做出初步的判断。这些阅历使得米奇积累了不少的验尸经验。在这个方面，米奇不比初级法医差到哪里去，
让米奇感到困惑的恰恰是那些明显的掐痕。这些留在贝西脖子上的掐痕非常狭窄，完全不像成年人，而且似乎力度也不足。给米奇的第一个感觉是，想一个身材矮小，长得十分纤细的女人，一个像小孩子的女人。
米奇不由得皱紧眉头，看向围在附近的人群，有男有女，还有几个胆大的孩子，其中包括几个女孩子。其中有一个女孩子，是贝西的姐姐苏珊娜。她的表现很自然，站在父亲身边，不断伤心地哭着。另外又两个女孩子的表现，叫人感觉很奇怪，一个不停在抱着贝西的巴特身边，转圈子，脸上是兴奋的笑容，嘴里不断大喊着什么。还有一个躲躲闪闪，伸着头看向尸体，却又像走近一点。
米奇脑子里不由得闪过一个奇怪的想法，难道这个案子和孩子有关？米奇被自己的想法吓了一跳，又联想到了前面发生过的案子。那些男童也大部分都是被掐死的，不过米奇没有验过尸。因为斯哥特伍德小镇只有警事所，并没有专职法医，也不是每个当事警察都又丰富的验尸经验。加上孩子死了，家人已经很悲痛，并不愿意把孩子的尸体再交给警察，送到克利夫兰去验尸。大部分都选择了很快下葬，这就失去了进一步在尸体上追查凶手的重要线索。
米奇直接走到了巴特身边。
“Bart, you better give me the baby's body to take home. I need to get him to Cleveland for an autopsy, find out how he died. （巴特，你最好把孩子的尸体交给我带回去。我需要送到克利夫兰去验尸，确认一下他的死因。）”
巴特悲痛地看着孩子的尸体。“Do I have to do this? The child is dead. I want him buried sooner. （一定要这样做吗？孩子已经死了，我想让他早一点入土为安。）”
“Don't you want to know who did it? Who killed little Bessie?（难道你不想知道谁是凶手？是谁杀死了小贝西？）”
“Of course I want to know, and when I find out who it is, I'm not gonna let him go.（我当然想知道，等我知道是谁，绝不会放过他。）”
“Then give me the baby's body. Let the police help you catch the killer. （那就把孩子的尸体交给我吧。让警察帮你抓住凶手。）”
听了米奇这么说，巴特止住悲痛，把怀里的孩子朝米奇的手上一送。
“All right, I'll leave Betsy with you, and I hope the police can answer for me. （好，就把贝西交给你，希望警局可以给我一个交代。）”
雅荻亲眼看见米奇警官带走了小贝西的尸体，不由得慌了，偷偷找到了杰娜。
“Jenna, we're in trouble. The police took Bessie's body. Are we gonna find anything? （杰娜，这下麻烦了，警察带走了贝西的尸体，会不会查出什么？）”
杰娜翻翻白眼。
“So what? Dead bodies can't talk? You just don't say anything. The cops won't find out. （那又怎么样？尸体又不会说话？你只要什么也别说，警察查不出来。）”
米奇带走贝西的尸体，在法医那里得到了初步确认，的确是一个身材弱小，很像孩子的指痕。这是一个重大发现，虽然有些匪夷所思，可毕竟是斯哥特伍德小镇发生系列男童遇害案以来，最重要的线索。克利夫兰警局很重视，于是派出了休西斯探长来领衔侦破这个案子……
雅荻叙述到这里的时候，审讯室的门被推开，接到了案子有突破性进展的休西斯和换班的杰克、思密斯一起赶到了小镇。
看见休西斯，雅荻说，“After that, the police officer knew all about it.（以后的事情，这位警官都知道了，还用说吗？）”
鹿鸣看看休西斯，对雅荻温和地说，“Let me just say it again.（还是再说一遍吧。）”
反复询问同样的问题，是审讯的一种手段，可以从回答的细节里发现差别，这些差别说不一定就是新的线索。
雅荻重新开始复述当初给休西斯讲述过的内容。
“I said jenna told me herself that she killed Bessie. I was afraid that I would be suspected by the police if I said I was there, so I didn't tell the truth. I actually saw Jena strangle Bessie, but Jena threatened me. She said, don't think she's ten years old, she could kill a grown man. I don't doubt it, for it was Jenna who gave me the dagger with which I stabbed my bloody father, and she taught me the method. I think jenna must have had the same thing happen to me. I even think Deliland was poisoned. It was Jenna. （我当初是说，杰娜亲口告诉我，是她杀死了贝西。我害怕说出自己就在现场，会被警察怀疑，便没有说真话。其实我是亲眼看见杰娜掐死的贝西，可是杰娜威胁我，她说，不要以为她只有10岁，她可以有办法杀死一个成年人。我不怀疑这一点，因为我用来刺伤我那个死鬼父亲的匕首，就是杰娜给我的，也是她教给我这个方法。我想一定是杰娜遭遇过和我一样的事情。我甚至怀疑德里兰中毒，就是杰娜干的。）”
鹿鸣和米切尔对望了一眼，又朝休西斯点点头，着显然又是一条重要线索。
雅荻继续说下去。“After I was arraigned, Officer Heucis arraigned Jenna. When Jenna came out and found me, she first cursed me for betraying her, and then told me that she had told the police that I had killed Bessie, and that she had seen me kill Bessie. He told Officer Heucis what had happened, but he blamed me for what he had done. And let me be clear, the police will believe her more. Because I was 13 and she was 10, just a little kid. I got into a fight with her and have been through with her ever since. I don't know why the police didn't arrest me again. Actually, I've been having nightmares, and I'm scared. It's so much better now that I've said it all. （我被传讯以后，休西斯警官又传讯了杰娜。杰娜出来以后找到我，她先是大骂我不该出卖了她，又告诉我，她已经向警察举报，就是我杀死了贝西，而且亲眼看见是我杀死贝西。他向休西斯警官，复述了当初发生的一切，却把自己做的事情，按在了我身上。而且明明白白告诉我，她的话警察一定更相信。因为我已经13岁，而她只有10岁，不过是个小孩子。我和她打了起来，以后就绝交了。我不知道后来，警察为什么并没有再来抓走我？其实我一直在做各种噩梦，害怕极了。现在我把一切说出来，反而好过了许多。）”
雅荻终于结束了她的陈述。
鹿鸣对她说“Yade, you've done a great job, and I'm here in front of Detective Inspector Heusis from Cleveland Police, and Detective Inspector Mitchell from Scotland Yard, to tell you, you've done a great job, and you can be a witness against the police, and you will not be punished. In order to protect your safety at this stage, I will ask Meng Xiaoyun to stay with you and live in your home. The police will protect your home, too. （雅荻，你做得很好，现在我当着克利夫兰警局的休西斯探长，还有来自苏格兰场的米切尔探长，明确告诉你，你做得非常好，你可以成为警方的污点证人，并不会受到刑罚。为了保护你这个阶段的安全，我会让孟晓云一直陪着你，住到你的家里。警察也会对你的家，给予保护。）”
听了鹿鸣的这番话，雅荻脸上有了一丝笑容。米切尔和休西斯也点点头，表示同意鹿鸣的安排。鹿鸣看了孟晓云一眼，孟晓云站起身走向雅荻。
“Come on, Adhi let's go home first. You can go back to school after you finish the formalities for resuming school in a few days. （走吧，雅荻我们先回家吧。这几天办好复学手续以后，你就可以回学校了。）”
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