第32部分(第6/7 頁)

love　don？t　live　here　anymore

Vanessa　slammed　the　rusty　cab　door　and　stared　up　at　the　weather…beaten　brick　fa？ade　of　her

Williamsburg　apartment　building；　still　mulling　over　Ken？s　job　offer。　She　wished　there　was

someone　she　could　ask　for　advice；　but　she　knew　better　than　to　call　her　self…absorbed；

Vermont…living　hippie　parents。　They？d　just　lecture　her　about　art　and　merce　and　？creative

responsibility。？　She　wished　her　sister　Ruby　was　around？she　was　the　only　one　Vanessa　really

trusted　to　talk　to　about　these　things。

A　white　Ford　station　wagon　with　a　broken　windshield　was　parked　in　front　of　the　building　where

it　had　been　for　weeks。　One　of　the　back　doors　was　missing；　and　the　seats　were　piled　with　garbage

bags　and　old　blankets。　Someone　must　have　been　living　in　it；　which　would　explain　the　stench　of

urine　that　surrounded　the　car。

Nice。

Vanessa　unlocked　the　building？s　plicated　array　of　dead　bolts　and　latches　and　clomped　up　the

stairs；　hesitating　halfway　up。　There　were　voices　ing　from　inside　her　apartment。　Had　she　left

the　TV　on？　She　tiptoed　to　the　door　and　listened；　not　breathing。　Yes；　it　wasdefinitely　voices；　they

weredefinitely　ing　from　inside；　and　there　was　something　very　familiar　about　one　of　the　voices。

Vanessa？s　older　sister　Ruby　had　been　on　a　whirlwind　tour　of　Europe　with　her　band；　SugarDaddy；

for　eight　weeks。　An　occasional　postcard　from　Madrid　or　Oslo　had　appeared　in　the　mailbox；　and

they？d　spoken　on　the　phone　once；　but　the　touring…rock…girl　lifestyle　wasn？t　all　that　conducive　to

staying　in　touch。

Vanessa　threw　the　door　open　excitedly。　？Ruby！？　Vanessa　cried；　taking　in　her　sister　in　her　purple

leather　pants　and　her　new　matching　sh