tc.redrabbit-第126节

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　　　〃Sounds　reasonable；　Basil。　Why　did　you　call　me　over？〃
　　　〃I　was　hoping　you'd　have　an　idea　that's　eluded　me；　George。〃　A　final　sip　from　the　snifter。　As　much　as　he　felt　like　some　more　brandy　for　the　night；　he　demurred。
　　　〃One　can　only　do　what　one　can；〃　Hendley　sympathized。
　　　〃He's　too　good　a　man　to　be　cut　down　this　way…at　the　hands　of　the　bloody　Russians。　And　for　what？　For　standing　up　for　his　own　people。　That　sort　of　loyalty　is　supposed　to　be　rewarded；　not　murdered　in　public。〃
　　　〃And　the　PM　feels　the　same　way。〃
　　　〃She　is　fortable　taking　a　stand。〃　For　which　the　PM　was　famous　throughout　the　world。
　　　〃The　Americans？〃　Hendley　asked。
　　　Charleston　shrugged。　〃They　haven't　had　a　chance　to　speak　to　the　defector　yet。　They　trust　us；　George；　but　not　that　much。〃
　　　〃Well；　do　what　you　can。　This　KGB　operation　probably　will　not　happen　in　the　immediate　future；　anyway。　How　efficient　are　the　Soviets；　anyway？〃
　　　〃We　shall　see〃　was　all　C　had　to　say。
　　　It　was　quieter　here　than　in　his　own　house；　despite　the　nearby　presence　of　the　motorway；　Ryan　thought；　rolling　out　of　bed　at　6：50。　The　sink　continued　the　eccentric　British　way　of　having　two　faucets；　one　hot　and　one　cold；　making　sure　that　your　left　hand　boiled　while　the　right　one　froze　when　you　washed　your　hands。　As　usual；　it　felt　good　to　shave　and　brush　and　otherwise　get　yourself　ready　for　the　day；　even　if　you　had　to　start　it　with　Taster's　Choice。
　　　Kingshot　was　already　in　the　kitchen　when　Jack　got　there。　Funny　how　people　slept　late　on　Sunday　but　frequently　not　on　Saturday。
　　　〃Message　from　London；〃　Al　said　by　way　of　greeting。
　　　〃What's　that？〃
　　　〃A　question。　How　would　you　feel　about　a　flight　to　Rome　this　afternoon？〃
　　　〃What's　up？〃
　　　〃Sir　Basil　is　sending　some　people　to　the　Vatican　to　suss　things　out。　He　wants　to　know　if　you　want　to　go。　It's　a　CIA　op；　after　all。〃
　　　〃Tell　him　yes；〃　Jack　said　without　a　moment's　thought。　〃When？〃　Then　he　realized　he　was　being　impetuous　again。　Damn。
　　　〃Noon　flight　out　of　Heathrow。　You　ought　to　have　time　to　go　home　and　change　clothes。〃
　　　〃Car？〃
　　　〃Nick　will　drive　you　over；〃　Kingshot　told　him。
　　　〃What　are　you　going　to　tell　Oleg？〃
　　　〃The　truth。　It　ought　to　make　him　feel　more　important；〃　Al　thought　aloud。　It　was　always　a　good　thing　for　defectors。
　　　Ryan　and　Thompson　left　within　the　hour；　with　Jack's　bags　in　the　〃boot。〃
　　　〃This　Zaitzev　chap；〃　Nick　said　out　on　the　motorway。　〃He　seems　rather　an　important　defector。〃
　　　〃Bet　your　ass；　Nick。　He's　got　all　kinds　of　hot　information　between　his　ears。　We're　going　to　treat　him　like　a　hod　full　of　gold　bricks。〃
　　　〃Good　of　CIA　to　let　us　talk　to　him。〃
　　　〃It'd　be　kinda　churlish　not　to。　You　guys　got　him　out　for　us；　and　covering　the　defection　up　was　pretty　slick。〃　Jack　couldn't　say　too　much　more。　As　trusted　as　Nick　Thompson　was；　Jack　couldn't　know　how　much　clearance　he　had。
　　　The　good　news　was　that　Thompson　knew　what　not　to　ask。　〃So；　your　father　was　a　police　officer？〃
　　　〃Detective；　yeah。　Mainly　homicide。　Did　that　more　than　twenty　years。　He　topped　out　at　lieutenant。　Said　captains　never　got　to　do　anything　more　than　administrative　stuff；　and　dad　wasn't　into　that。　He　liked　busting　bad　guys　and　sending　them　to　the　joint。〃
　　　〃The　what？〃
　　　〃Prison。　The　Maryland　State　Prison　is　one　evil…looking　structure　in　Baltimore；　by　Jones　Falls。　Kinda　like　a　medieval　fortress；　but　more　forbidding。　The　inmates　call　it　Frankenstein's　Castle。〃
　　　〃Fine　with　me；　Sir　John。　I've　never　had　much　sympathy　for　murderers。〃
　　　〃Dad　didn't　talk　about　them　much。　Didn't　bring　his　work　home。　Mom　didn't　like　hearing　about　it。　Except　once；　a　father　killed　his　son　over　a　crab　cake。　That's　like　a　little　hamburger　made　out　of　crab　meat；〃　Jack　explained。　〃Dad　said　it　seemed　like　a　shitty　thing　to　get　killed　over。　The　father…the　killer…copped　right　out；　all　broken　up　about　it。　But　it　didn't　do　his　son　much　good。〃
　　　〃Amazing　how　many　murderers　react　that　way。　They　gather　up　the　rage　to　take　a　life；　then　afterwards　they　are　consumed　by　remorse。〃
　　　〃Too　soon　old；　too　late　smart；〃　Jack　quoted　from　the　Old　West。
　　　〃Indeed。　The　whole　business　can　be　so　bloody　sad。〃
　　　〃What　about　this　Strokov　guy？〃
　　　〃Different　color　of　horse；　entirely；〃　Thompson　replied。　〃You　don't　see　many　of　those。　For　them　it's　part　of　the　job；　ending　a　life。　No　motive　in　the　usual　sense；　and　they　leave　little　behind　in　the　way　of　physical　evidence。　They　can　be　very　difficult　to　find；　but　mainly　we　do　find　them。　We　have　time　on　our　side；　and　sooner　or　later　someone　talks　and　it　gets　to　our　ear。　Most　criminals　talk　their　own　way　into　prison；〃　Nick　explained。　〃But　people　like　this　Strokov　fellow；　they　do　not　talk…except　when　he　gets　home　and　writes　up　his　official　report。　But　we　never　see　those。　Getting　a　line　on　him　was　plain　luck。　Mr。　Markov　remembered　being　poked　by　the　umbrella；　remembered　the　color　suit　the　man　was　wearing。　One　of　our　constables　saw　him　wearing　the　same　suit　and　thought　there　was　something　odd　about　him…you　know；　instead　of　flying　right　home；　he　waited　to　make　sure　Markov　died。　They'd　bungled　two　previous　attempts；　you　see；　and　so　they　called　him　in　because　of　his　expertise。　Good　professional；　Strokov。　He　wanted　to　be　pletely　sure；　and　he　waited　to　read　the　death　notice　in　the　newspapers。　In　that　time；　we　talked　to　the　staff　at　his　hotel　and　started　assembling　information。　The　Security　Service　got　involved；　and　they　were　helpful　in　some　ways　but　not　in　others…and　the　government　got　involved。　The　government　was　worried　about　creating　an　international　incident；　and　so　they　held　us　up…cost　us　two　days；　I　reckon。　On　the　first　of　those　two　days；　Strokov　took　a　taxi　to　Heathrow　and　flew　off　to　Paris。　I　was　on　the　surveillance　team。　Stood　within　fifteen　feet　of　him。　We　had　two　detectives　with　cameras；　shot　a　lot　of　pictures。　The　last　was　of　Strokov　walking　down　the　jetway　to　the　Boeing。　Next　day；　the　government　gave　us　permission　to　detain　him　for　questioning。〃
　　　〃Day　late　and　a　dollar　short；　eh？〃
　　　Thompson　nodded。　〃Quite。　I　would　have　liked　to　put　him　in　the　dock　at　the　Old　Bailey；　but　that　fish　got　away。　The　French　shadowed　him　at　De　Gaulle　International；　but　he　never　left　the　international　terminal；　never　talked　with　anyone。　The　bugger　showed　no　remorse　at　all。　I　suppose　for　him　it　was　like　chopping　firewood；〃　the　former　detective　said。
　　　〃Yeah。　In　the　movies　you　make　your　hit　and　have　a　martini；　shaken　not　stirred。　But　it's　different　when　you　kill　a　good　guy。〃
　　　〃All　Markov　ever　did　was　broadcast　over　BBC　World　Service；〃　Nick　said；　gripping　the　wheel　a　little　tightly。　〃I　imagine　the　people　in　Sofia　were　somewhat　put　out　with　what　he　said。〃
　　　〃The　people　on　the　other　side　of　the　Curtain　aren't　real　big　on　Freedom　of　Speech；〃　Ryan　reminded　him。
　　　〃Bloody　barbarians。　And　now　this　chap　is　planning　to　kill　the　Pope？　I　am　not　a　Catholic；　but　he　is　a　man　of　God；　and　he　seems　rather　a　good　chap。　You　know；　the　most　vicious　criminal　hesitates　before　trifling　with　a　man　of　the　clergy。〃
　　　〃Yeah；　I　know。　Doesn't　do　to　piss　God　off。　But　they　don't　believe　in　God；　Nick。〃
　　　〃Fortunate　for　them　that　I　am　not　God。〃
　　　〃Yeah；　it　would　be　nice　to　have　the　power　to　right　all　the　wrongs　in　the　world。　The　problem　is；　that's　what　Strokov's　bosses　think　they're　doing。〃
　　　〃That　is　why　we　have　laws；　Jack…yes；　I　know；　they　make　up　their　own。〃
　　　〃That's　the　problem；〃　Jack　agreed　as　they　came　into　Chatham。
　　　〃This　is　a　pleasant　area；〃　Thompson　said；　turning　up　the　hill　on　City　Way。
　　　〃Not　a　bad　neighborhood。　Cathy　likes　it。　I　would　have　preferred　closer　to　London；　but；　well；　she　got　her　way。〃
　　　〃Women　usually　do。〃　Thompson　chuckled；　turning　right　onto　Fristow　Way　and　then　left　on　Grizedale　Close。　And　there　was　the　house。　Ryan　got　out　and　retrieved　his　bags。
　　　〃Daddy！〃　Sally　screamed　when　he　walked　in　the　door。　Ryan　dropped　his　bags　and　scooped　her　up。　Little　girls；　he'd　long　since　learned；　gave　the　best　hugs；　though　their　kisses　tended　to　be　a　little　sloppy。
　　　〃How's　my　little　Sally？〃
　　　〃Fine。〃　It　was　oddly　like　a　cat；　ing　out　of　her　mouth。
　　　〃Oh；　hello；　Dr。　Ryan；〃　Miss　Margaret　said　in　greeting。　〃I　didn't　expect　you。〃
　　　〃Just　making　a　low　pass。　Have　to　change　cleans　for　dirties　and　head　back　out。〃
　　　〃You　going　away　again？〃　Sally　asked　with　crushing　disappointment　in　her　voice。
　　　〃Sorry；　Sally。　Daddy　has　business。〃
　　　Sally　wriggled　out　of　his　arms。　〃Phooey。〃　And　she　went　back　to　the　TV；　putting　her　father　firmly　in　his　place。
　　　Jack　took　the　cue　to　go　upstairs。　Three…no；　four…clean　shirts；　five　sets　of　underwear；　four　new　ties；　and。。。　yes；　some　casual　wear；　too。　Two　new　jackets；　two　pairs　of　slacks。　His　Marine　tie　bar。　That　about　did　it。　He　left　the　pile　of　dirties　on　the　bed　and；　with　his　bags　packed；　headed　back　down。　Oops。　He　set　his　bags　down　and　went　back　upstairs　for　his　passport。　No　sense　using　the　fake　Brit　one　anymore。
　　　〃Bye；　Sally。〃
　　　〃Bye；　Daddy。〃　But　then　she　thought　again　and　jumped　to　her　feet　to　give　him　another　hug。　She　wouldn't　grow　up　to　break　hearts；　but　to　rip　them　out　and　cook　them　over　charcoal。　But　that　was　a　long　way　off；　and　for　now　her　father　had　the　chance　to　enjoy　her。　Little　Jack　was　asleep　on　his　back　in　the　playpen；　and　his　father　decided　not　to　disturb　him。
　　　〃See　ya；　buddy；〃　Ryan　said　as　he　turne