搜索
Unfortunately,acrimewasabouttocommittedbutatthatmomentLesleywasunawareoftheimpendingevent,whichwouldaffectherlifesodrasticallyforthenexttwoyears.一项犯罪就要得逞了。而不幸的是，就在那时，莱斯利对即将发生的事毫无察觉。这件事将彻底改变她此后两年的生活。Forthemomentatleast,herholidayatthecottagehadbeenideal.Shehadspentmanyidlehoursrelaxingonthedeck:reading,eatingasandwichwhenshewashungryandintheeveningwatchingtheskyturnfrombrilliantorangetopeachandfinallytopalepurple,eventuallythelightbecomingdim.Itwasaboutthistimethatthemistwouldbegintorisefromthecoolwaterhidinginthedenseforestthathuggedtheshoreline.Lateeveningdewglistenedoneverybushandsoontheloons’callwouldresoundacrossthewater.Shedecidedtotakeonelastdipinthelake.Asthecoolnightairtouchedherarms,shegavealittleshiveranddecideditwastimetomoveinside.至少在那个时候，她在小别墅的假期还是很惬意的。她在平台上度过了很多闲适轻松的时光，读书、饿了吃块三明治；晚上，看着天空由鲜橙色变为桃红色，然后变为淡紫色，最后光线终于黯淡下来。就在这时，薄雾开始从隐藏在环绕岸边的密林里的冷水中升起；再晚些，灌木上的露珠开始闪烁，不久，潜水鸟的叫声就会在水面上回荡起来。她决定在湖里最后再泡一会儿。当她的手臂触到夜晚凉爽的空气时，不禁有些发抖，于是她决定该是回到屋里去的时候了。ThiswastobeherlasteveningaloneasJeff,herformermate,wouldbereturningZactoherearlyinthemorning.Asthecaseinmanymarriagesthesedays,problemshadarisenbetweenLesleyandJeff,buttheydidnotextendtoZac.Hewasagoodkid,justenteringkindergarten.Thecouplehadcometoamutualagreement,asdictatedbythelegalcustodyagreement.ItstatedthateachparentwouldshareZac’scareeverysecondweekendandthishadbeenherweekendtobealone.这是她在家中独处的最后一个晚上，因为她的前夫杰夫会在早上把扎克送回来。与当时许多婚姻情况一样，莱斯利和杰夫之间出现了许多问题，但并未影响到扎克。他是个好孩子，刚刚上幼儿园。他们达成了一个依法监护的协议，协议规定双亲每两个周末轮换照顾孩子，这是她独处的周末。Jeffwasanarchitect,withahigh-profilereputation,whoworkedindowntownToronto,apartnernaprivatecorporationwhichmostlydidconsultantworkfortheuniversity.Lesley’scompanyhadbeenhiredtoadvertisethenewsciencecomplexinordertoraisecorporatemoneyfortheproposedbuilding.Shelikedherworkandsheharboredasecretambitiontomanageherdivisionofthecompanysomeday.杰夫是个建筑师，名声很大，在多伦多市区工作，是一家私人公司的合伙人，该公司主要为大学做咨询工作。莱斯利的公司已经接下了为新的科学综合大楼做广告的工作，以便为计划中的大楼筹集合作基金。她喜欢她的工作，并且心怀抱负：有一天她要管理这个部门。Afterawhirlwindcourtshipandafairytaleweddingthecouplehadsettleddowntoanurbanlifestyle.However,afterthreeyearsandonechildthedreamlikemarriagecamesmashingdown.Onedisadvantageofbeingyoungandambitiouswasthatbothofthemneededtodevoteuntoldhourstotheirbusyschedules.Asaresultoftheselatehours,LesleybecamesuspiciousofJeff’safterhoursactivities.Sheaccusedhimofmakingherpartofalovetriangle.Thewholemiserablescenewastosettheproceedingsforanuglydivorceinmotion.在一段旋风般的热恋和一个童话式的婚礼之后，夫妻俩定居下来，过起了都市生活。然而，在过了三年并有了孩子之后，这段梦幻般的婚姻开始破裂了。年轻而又雄心勃勃的不利之处，就是两个人都要把数不清的时间花在忙不完的事业上。由于经常工作到很晚，莱斯利开始怀疑杰夫工作之余的活动，她指责他让她成了三角爱情的一部分。事情发展到最痛苦的场面就是提出不愉快的离婚诉讼。Daydreamingaboutthoseearlierdayswouldnothelptonight.Sowithashrugofhershouldersshetackledtheadvertisingassignmentsheneededtocomplete.TomorrowwouldbeabusydaywithZacarrivinghome.那些对最初美好时光的回忆，对今夜也无济于事。于是，她耸了耸肩，着手处理她必须完成的广告业务。明天扎克到家后将会非常忙碌。Thenextday,asthemorningworeon,Lesleybecamemoreandmoreagitated,andhermoodbecameapprehensive,whenJeffdidnotappear.Whennoonhourarrivedandhestillhadnotappeared,shestartedmakingsomephonecalls.NoneoftheirmutualfriendshadeitherseenortalkedwithJeffthatday.Untiltoday,Jeffhadalwaysbeenverypunctualaboutreturningtheboyattheappointedtime.Lesleyfeltaknotforminginherstomachasacrazythoughtpersistedatthebackofhermind.Shewasabsolutelysuresomethingwaswrong.第二天，随着上午的时间慢慢逝去，莱斯利越来越感到不安。杰夫没有出现，她变得焦躁起来。到了中午，他还没出现，于是她开始打电话。他们共同的朋友都说那天没看见他，也没和他通过电话。以前，杰夫总是非常准时地将孩子送回来。一种不祥的想法在下意识地困扰着她，莱斯利感到恐惧。她绝对肯定是出事了。Jeffsatwithhisheadbowed.Hewasundecidedwhattodo.Thedomesticarrangementwithhisformerwifewasprovingtobeawkward.HewasfrustratedatbeingabletoseehissononlyonweekendsandfelthewasalwaysmakingconcessionstoaccommodateLesley’sworkschedule.Everymeetingwasturningintoacompetitionfortheboy’saffection.HisonedesirewastotakeZacawayforgood.Theenormousdecisiontoundertakethisplanappearedtobepresentingitself.TodayhewoulddepartforaconferenceinCalifornia.Thisappearedtobeamarvelousopportunitytotaketheboyandleavethecountryforgood.Hebetthathecouldpacksufficientbaggageintohisvehicleandthendisappearsacrosstheborder,gainingentrytheU.S.A.hegavelittlethoughttowhatsoeverofthefactthatthisactcouldleadtohisconvictionifhewastrackeddownbythecops.杰夫低头坐着，他不知该做些什么。和前妻商定的对家庭的安排看来是蠢笨的，只能在周末看看儿子令他沮丧极了。为了莱斯利的工作安排，他觉得一直在迁就。每次相见都变成一场争夺“孩子到底爱谁”的竞争。他有一个心愿就是把扎克永远带走，现在就应做出实施这个计划的重大决定了。今天，他要前往加利福尼亚参加一个会议，这显然是一个带走孩子，永远离开这个国家的绝好机会。他确信他能够把足够多的行李装上车，然后跨过边境，进入美国后就消失掉。如果被警察抓住，这种行为是可以构成犯罪的，可他不再多想了。Meanwhile,forLesleythenightmarecontinuedtounfoldastherealityofthesituationdeepened.After48hours,thespokesmanforthedistrictpolicedepartmentassuredhertheywouldinvestigateZac’sdisappearance.Herfaiththatjusticewouldberealizedwasfaint.Theshockofthepasttwodays’eventsmadeherrealizethatpossiblyhersonwouldbecomeonemorestatisticinthemissingchildrenfile.Thepolicecompletedapreliminarysurveyafteraskinghundredsofdetailedquestions.Hotlinesprovedoffruitless.与此同时，对于莱斯利，随着事件真相的不断深入，噩梦也在继续显现。48小时后，地区警察部门发言人向她保证，他们将对扎克的失踪展开调查。她对正义会得到伸张的信心减弱了。最近两天发生的事使她认识到，他的儿子很可能成为失踪儿童名单中增加的又一个新数字。在询问了许许多多的细节问题之后，警察完成了初步调查。热线电话丝毫没有结果。Meanwhile,overthenextyeartherewerecountlessvisitsandinterviewsat