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in a quiet voice； 〃Leave the lights off。 I'll break to the right。 Wait five seconds。〃
〃You wait one second。〃 I looked around for something to throw down the stairs and spotted a toaster oven； but Cynthia was off and running； down the cellar stairs in long leaps； barely hitting the steps on her way down。 I saw her shoulder…roll to the right and lost sight of her。 I followed； breaking to the left； and wound up in a firing crouch； peering into the darkness。 We waited in silence for a full ten seconds； then I shouted； 〃Ed； John； cover us！〃 I wished there were an Ed and John around； but as Captain Campbell might have said； 〃Create phantom battalions in the minds of the enemy。〃
By now； I figured that if anyone was down there； they weren't lying in ambush； but were cowering。 Right？
Anyway； Cynthia； who was obviously impatient with my caution； bounded back up the stairs and hit the light switches。 Fluorescent bulbs flickered all over the large open basement； then burst into that stark white light that I associated with unpleasant places。
Cynthia came back down the stairs and we surveyed the basement。 It was a standard layout of washer and dryer； workbench； storage； heating； air…conditioning； and so on。 The floor and walls were bare concrete； and the ceiling was bare beams； electric； and plumbing。
We examined the workbench and the dark corners； but it was uninteresting in the extreme except that Ann Campbell possessed a lot of sporting equipment。 In fact； the entire wall to the right of the workbench was pegboard； from floor to ceiling； from which protruded those wire holders in every size and shape； and hanging from the wire holders were skis； tennis rackets； squash rackets； a baseball bat； scuba gear； and so forth。 Very organized。 Also； fixed to the pegboard with screws was a recruiting poster； about six feet from top to bottom； showing none other than Captain Ann Campbell； a head…to…foot shot of her in battle dress uniform； wearing full field gear； with an M…16 rifle slung under her right arm； a radiotelephone cradled against her ear； while she juggled a field map and checked her watch。 Her face was smeared with camouflage greasepaint； but only a eunuch would fail to see the subtle sexuality in this photo。 The caption on top of the poster said； Time to Synchronize Your Life。 On the bottom； it said； See Your Army Recruiter Today。 What it didn't say was； 〃Meet people of the opposite sex in close proximity； sleep with them out in the woods； bathe with them in streams； and engage in other intimate outdoorsy things where no one has any privacy。〃
Well； maybe I was projecting my own sexual reveries into the photo； but I think the civilian advertising types who put the poster together were a little bit aware of what my dirty mind saw。 I nodded toward the poster and said to Cynthia； 〃What do you think？〃
She shrugged； 〃Good poster。〃
〃Do you see the subliminal sexual message？〃
〃No。 Point to it。〃
〃Well 。。。 it's subliminal。 How can I point to it？〃
〃Tell me about it。〃
I had the feeling I was being baited； so I said； 〃Woman with a gun。 Gun is penis object； penis substitute。 Map and watch represent a subconscious desire to have sex； but on her terms； timewise and location…wise。 She's talking to a man on the radiophone； giving him her grid coordinates and telling him he has fifteen minutes to find her。〃
Cynthia glanced at her own watch and informed me； 〃I think it's time to go； Paul。〃
〃Right。〃
We started back up the stairs； but then I glanced back into the basement and said； 〃We're missing some floor space。〃
As if on cue； we both turned and beelined for the pegboard wall； the only wall that did not show the bare concrete foundation wall。 I knocked on the pegboard； pushed on the four…by…eight…foot panels； but they seemed solid enough； nailed firmly in place to a stud frame； which I could see through the small peg holes。 I found a long； pointed awl on the workbench and slid it through one of the peg holes； and after about two inches it struck a solid object。 I pushed farther； and the point of the awl penetrated into something soft； something that was not a concrete foundation wall。 I said to Cynthia； 〃This is a false wall。 There's no foundation behind it。〃
She didn't reply； and I looked to my left where Cynthia was standing facing the recruiting poster。 She grasped the wooden frame of the poster with her fingertips； pulled； and the poster swung out on blind hinges； revealing a dark open space。 I moved quickly beside her and we stood there； back…lighted by the bright fluorescents of the basement。
After a few seconds； during which time we were not perforated with bullet holes； my eyes adjusted to the darkness of the space before us； and I could begin to make out some objects in the room that appeared to be furniture。 I could also make out the glow of a digital clock across the room； and I estimated that the room was fifteen feet deep and probably about forty or fifty feet long； the length of the town house itself from front to rear。
I handed Cynthia her 。38 and felt along the inside wall for a light switch； menting； 〃This is where the Campbells probably keep their demented； drooling relative。〃 I found the switch and flipped it； turning on a table lamp； which revealed a pletely finished and furnished room。 I moved forward cautiously； and out of the corner of my eye； I saw Cynthia in a firing crouch； her 。38 sweeping the room。
I kneeled and peeked under the bed； then stood and moved around； checking the closet； then a small bathroom off to the right； while Cynthia covered me。
Cynthia and I stood across from each other； and I said； 〃Well； here it is。〃
And； indeed； there it was。 There was a double bed； a nightstand on which sat the lighted lamp； a chest of drawers； a long table on which sat a stereo system； a television； a VCR； and a camcorder with a tripod for home movies； and everything sat on a deep white plush carpet； which wasn't as clean as the other carpets。 The walls were finished in a light…colored wood paneling。 To the far left of the room was a rolling hospital…type gurney； suitable for massages or whatever。 I noticed now a mirror mounted on the ceiling over the bed； and the open closet revealed some lacy and transparent numbers that would make a clerk in Victoria's Secret blush。 In addition； there was a nice； neat nurse's uniform； which I didn't think she wore down at the hospital； a black leather skirt and vest； a sort of whorish red…sequined dress； and； interestingly； a standard battle dress uniform of the type she would have been wearing on duty when she was killed。
Cynthia； Ms。 Goody Two…Shoes； was looking around the room； and she seemed somewhat unhappy； as though Ann Campbell had posthumously disappointed her。 〃Good Lord 。。。〃
I said； 〃How she died does indeed appear linked to how she lived。 But we will not jump to conclusions。〃
The bathroom； too； was not so clean as the other two； and the medicine cabinet held a diaphragm； condoms； contraceptive sponges； spermicidal jelly； and so on： enough birth control devices to cause a drop in the population of the Indian subcontinent。 I asked； 〃Aren't you supposed to just use one method？〃
Cynthia replied； 〃Depends on your mood。〃