《4 breaking dawn破晓》第152章

〃Is　something　going　on　here　besides　visiting　your　dad？〃　
〃Jake；　you　know　how　you"re　pretty　good　at　controlling　your　thoughts　around　Edward？〃　
He　raised　one　thick　black　brow。　〃Yeah？〃　
I　just　nodded；　cutting　my　eyes　to　Renesmee。　She　was　looking　out　the　window；　and　I　couldn"t　tell　how　
interested　she　was　in　our　conversation；　but　I　decided　not　to　risk　going　any　further。　
Jacob　waited　for　me　to　add　something　else；　and　then　his　lower　lip　pushed　out　while　he　thought　about　
what　little　
I"d　said。　
As　we　drove　in　silence；　I　squinted　through　the　annoying　contacts　into　the　cold　rain；　it　wasn"t　quite　cold　
enough　for　snow。　My　eyes　were　not　as　ghoulish　as　they　had　been　in　the　beginning—definitely　closer　to　a　
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dull　reddish　orange　than　to　bright　crimson。　Soon　they"d　be　amber　enough　for　me　to　quit　the　contacts；　i　
hoped　the　change　wouldn"t　upset　Charlie　too　much。　
Jacob　was　still　chewing　over　our　truncated　conversation　when　we　got　to　Charlie"s。　We　didn"t　talk　as　we　
walked　at　a　quick　human　pace　through　the　falling　rain。　My　dad　was　waiting　for　us；　he　had　the　door　open　
before　I　could　knock。　
〃Hey；　guys！　It　seems　like　it"s　been　years！　Look　at　you；　Nessie！　e　to　Grampa！　I　swear　you"ve　grown　
half　a　foot。　And　you　look　skinny；　Ness。〃　He　glared　at　me。　〃Aren"t　they　feeding　you　up　there？〃　
〃It"s　just　the　growth　spurt；〃　I　muttered。　〃Hey；　Sue；〃　I　called　over　his　shoulder。　The　smell　of　chicken；　
tomato；　garlic；　and　cheese　issued　from　the　kitchen；　it　probably　smelled　good　to　everyone　else。　I　could　
also　smell　fresh　pine　and　packing　dust。　
Renesmee　flashed　her　dimples。　She　never　spoke　in　front　of　Charlie。　
〃Well；　e　on　in　out　of　the　cold；　kids。　Where"s　my　soninlaw？〃　
〃Entertaining　friends；〃　Jacob　said；　and　then　snorted。　〃You"re　so　lucky　you"re　out　of　the　loop；　Charlie。　
That"s　all　I"m　going　to　say。〃　
I　punched　Jacob　lightly　in　the　kidney　while　Charlie　cringed。　
〃Ow；〃　Jacob　plained　under　his　breath；　well；　I"d　thought　I"d　punched　lightly。　
〃Actually；　Charlie；　I　have　some　errands　to　run。〃　
Jacob　shot　a　glance　at　me　but　said　nothing。　
〃Behind　on　your　Christmas　shopping；　Bells？　You　only　have　a　few　days；　you　know。〃　
〃Yeah；　Christmas　shopping；〃　I　said　lamely。　That　explained　the　packing　dust。　Charlie　must　have　put　the　
old　decorations　up。　
〃Don"t　worry；　Nessie；〃　he　whispered　in　her　ear。　〃I　got　you　covered　if　your　mom　drops　the　ball。〃　
I　rolled　my　eyes　at　him；　but　in　truth；　I　hadn"t　thought　about　the　holidays　at　all。　
〃Lunch"s　on　the　table；〃　Sue　called　from　the　kitchen。　〃C"mon；　guys。〃　
〃See　you　later；　Dad；〃　I　said；　and　exchanged　a　quick　look　with　Jacob。　Even　if　he　couldn"t　help　but　think　
about　this　near　Edward；　at　least　there　wasn"t　much　for　him　to　share。　He　had　no　idea　what　I　was　up　to。　
Of　course；　I　thought　to　myself　as　I　got　into　the　car；　it　wasn"t　like　I　had　much　idea；　either。　
The　roads　were　slick　and　dark；　but　driving　didn"t　intimidate　me　anymore。　My　reflexes　were　well　up　to　
the　job；　and　I　barely　paid　attention　to　the　road。　The　problem　was　keeping　my　speed　from　attracting　
attention　when　I　had　pany。　I　wanted　to　be　done　with　today"s　mission；　to　have　the　mystery　sorted　out　
so　that　I　could　get　back　to　the　vital　task　of　learning。　Learning　to　protect　some；　learning　to　kill　others。　
I　was　getting　better　and　better　with　my　shield。　Kate　didn"t　feel　the　need　to　motivate　me　anymore—it　
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wasn"t　hard　to　find　reasons　to　feel　angry；　now　that　I　knew　that　was　the　key—and　so　I　mostly　worked　
with　Zafrina。　She　was　
pleased　with　my　extension；　I　was　able　to　cover　almost　a　tenfoot　area　for　more　than　a　minute；　though　it　
exhausted　me。　This　morning　she"d　been　trying　to　find　out　if　I　could　push　the　shield　away　from　my　mind　
altogether。　I　didn"t　see　what　the　use　of　that　would　be；　but　Zafrina　thought　it　would　help　strengthen　me；　
like　exercising　muscles　in　the　stomach　and　back　rather　than　just　the　arms。　Eventually；　you　could　lift　more　
weight　when　all　the　muscles　were　stronger。　
I　wasn"t　very　good　at　it。　I　had　only　gotten　one　glimpse　of　the　jungle　river　she　was　trying　to　show　me。　
But　there　were　different　ways　to　prepare　for　what　was　ing；　and　with　only　two　weeks　left；　I　worried　
that　I　might　be　neglecting　the　most　important。　Today　I　would　rectify　that　oversight。　
I"d　memorized　the　appropriate　maps；　and　I　had　no　problem　finding　my　way　to　the　address　that　didn"t　
exist　online；　the　one　for　J。　Jenks。　My　next　step　would　be　Jason　Jenks　at　the　other　address；　the　one　Alice　
had　not　given　me。　
To　say　that　it　wasn"t　a　nice　neighborhood　would　be　an　understatement。　The　most　nondescript　of　all　the　
Cullens"　cars　was　still　outrageous　on　this　street。　My　old　Chevy　would　have　looked　healthy　here。　During　
my　human　years；　I　would　have　locked　the　doors　and　driven　away　as　fast　as　I　dared。　As　it　was；　I　was　a　
little　fascinated。　I　tried　to　imagine　Alice　in　this　place　for　any　reason；　and　failed。　
The　buildings—all　three　stories；　all　narrow；　all　leaning　slightly　as　if　bowed　by　the　pounding　rain—were　
mostly　old　houses　divided　up　into　multiple　apartments。　It　was　hard　to　tell　what　color　the　peeling　paint　was　
supposed　to　be。　Everything　had　faded　to　shades　of　gray。　A　few　of　the　buildings　had　businesses　on　the　
first　floor：　a　dirty　bar　with　the　windows　painted　black；　a　psychic"s　supply　store　with　neon　hands　and　tarot　
cards　glowing　fitfully　on　the　door；　a　tattoo　parlor；　and　a　daycare　with　duct　tape　holding　the　broken　front　
window　together。　There　were　no　lamps　on　inside　any　of　the　rooms；　though　it　was　grim　enough　outside　
that　the　humans　should　have　needed　the　light。　I　could　hear　the　low　mumbling　of　voices　in　the　distance；　it　
sounded　like　TV。　
There　were　a　few　people　about；　two　shuffling　through　the　rain　in　opposite　directions　and　one　sitting　on　
the　shallow　porch　of　a　boardedup　cutrate　law　office；　reading　a　wet　newspaper　and　whistling。　The　
sound　was　much　too　cheerful　for　the　setting。　
I　was　so　bemused　by　the　carefree　whistler；　I　didn"t　realize　at　first　that　the　abandoned　building