ericlustbader.the ninja-第47节

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　'What's　the　matter？'　Nicholas　said。　His　heart　was　racing。
　'A　slight　accident。　Nothing　to　worry　about。　But　I　think　you　ought　to　e　out　if　your　work　permits。'
　'What　happened？'

　'Justine　was　caught　in　the　undertow。　She's　all　right。'
　'Are　you　certain　that's　what　it　was？'
　'Reasonably。　What　do　you　mean？'
　'Were　there　other　people　around？　Did　anyone　see　anything　suspicious？'
　'There　were　plenty　of　people。　A　neighbour　helped　drag　her　out　of　the　surf。　No　one　mentioned　anything　else。'
　'Can　you　stay　with　her　until　I　get　there？　I'll　take　the　first　train　out。'　He　looked　at　his　watch。
　'Sure。　There's　nothing　pressing。　My　service　knows　where　I　am。　But　if　there's　an　emergency　…'
　'I　understand。　Doc　…　tell　her　I'll　be　there。'
　'When　she　wakes　up。　Don't　worry。'
　He　hung　up　and　hailed　a　cab；　took　it　to　Penn　Station。　Downstairs　at　the　Long　Island　Rail　Road　counter　he　bought　a　ticket；　found　that　he　had　twenty…five　minutes　to　spare。　He　called　Tomkin。　There　was　a　considerable　delay。　He　stared　out　at　the　passing　parade　of　people；　scanning　unconsciously。　A　pair　of　teenagers　struggled　with　enormous　knapsacks　and；　just　behind　them；　a　young　woman　stood　against　a　pillar　waiting　impatiently　to　be　met。　He　wondered　whether　it　was　her　boss　who　was　late。
　'Nicholas？'　The　voice　came　crisply　into　his　car。
　'Tomkin。'
　'I'm　glad　you　called。　Have　you　thought　about　my　offer？'
　Bastard；　he　thought。　Bastard　to　bring　Justine　into　it。　But　now　he　knew　that　Justine　was　a　part　of　it。　He　hated　to　be　in　this　position。　Methodically；　he　calmed　himself。　'I've　thought　about　it。　I'll　start　work　for　you　today。'
　'Good。　Why　don't　you　e　up　to　the　tower　and　…'
　〃No。　I'm　at　Penn　Station。　I'm　taking　the　next　train　out　to　the　Island。'

　〃I　don't　understand　…'
　'There's　work　to　do　out　there。　Justine's　out　there。'
　'I　see。'
　'I'm　sure　you　do；'　Nicholas　said　savagely。　'I'll　be　in　touch　tomorrow。'
　'Nick　…'
　The　voice　was　cut　off　as　he　cradled　the　receiver。
　The　man　was　on　the　job。　He　had　e　to　work　for　Lubin　Bros　over　a　week　ago。　He　had　been　assigned　to　a　construction　site　on　Ralph　Avenue　in　Brooklyn　until　Edwards　had　turned　up　sick　and　he　had　been　transferred　to　the　Park　Avenue　job。　Tomkin　was　paying　extra　to　make　certain　construction　did　not　fall　behind　schedule　and　the　management　of　Lubin　Bros　was　doing　everything　in　its　power　to　keep　things　moving　along。　That　included　making　sure　there　was　always　a　full　plement　of　workers。
　The　man　worked　tirelessly　at　every　assignment　he　was　given。　He　was　a　good　worker　and　spoke　very　little；　no　one　noticed　him。　When　he　reported　that　day；　his　mind　had　been　filled　with　his　work　of　the　night　before：　early　morning；　that　is。　It　was　a　way　of　thinking　about　today's　assignment。　Some　new　wrinkles　were　needed；　and　while　his　forebrain　was　recounting　last　night's　work；　the　subconscious　dissected　the　present　problem。
　It　had　been　no　trouble　at　all　to　gain　access　to　the　Actium　House　sub…basement　parking　lot；　he　had　e　in　the　empty　back　seat　of　a　Lincoln　Continental　which　had　disgorged　its　passengers　at　the　street…level　entrance。　Then　it　had　simply　been　a　matter　of　waiting。
　Tomkin's　limo　had　e　down　the　ramp　at　ten　minutes　past　three　in　the　morning。　He　was　a　notorious　insomniac　and　spent　the　better　part　of　each　weekday　night　in　his　office　at　the　new　building。
　The　powerful　headlights　had　scored　the　roof　of　the　lot；　then　dipped　as　the　limo　came　down　the　last　part　of　the　ramp。　The　motor　thrummed　quietly　in　the　dark　as　the　chauffeur　rolled　it　to　the　parking　space　and　slid　in。　The　motor　died。
　The　man　knew　by　heart　the　next　movements　of　the　chauffeur；　but　even　so　he　waited　a　full　hour　after　the　other　had　left。　Time　was　one　element　that　he　had　plenty　of　now。　It　could　be　the　best　of　friends　or　the　most　implacable　of　enemies；　thus　he　treated　it　with　respect。　It　never　paid　to　be　hasty。
　At　last　he　uncoiled　himself　and　moved　towards　the　limo。　It　was　like　a　shadow　on　the　prowl。　In　seconds　he　had　the　back　door　of　the　car　open　and　closed　again。　Inside；　he　used　a　pencil　flash　and　a　surgeon's　scalpel。　Where　the　plush　carpet　met　the　edge　of　the　rear　seat；　he　scored　a　line　with　the　scalpel。　He　made　a　second　cut　so　that　the　two　were　in　a　T　shape。　Then　he　peeled　back　the　small　flaps　and　inserted　a　round　object　no　more　than　half　an　inch　in　diameter　and；　using　an　odourless　epoxy　resin；　he　closed　the　flaps　carefully。　Next　he　turned　his　attention　to　the　phone。　He　opened　the　box　and；　ignoring　the　receiver；　placed　a　second　disk　on　the　inside　wall　of　the　box。　He　sat　in　the　back　seat　precisely　where　he　knew　Tomkin　sat　and　opened　the　box；　looking　down　at　the　receiver。　He　could　not　see　the　disk。　Satisfied；　he　closed　the　box。　He　turned　off　the　pencil　flash　and　let　himself　out　of　the　limo。　Within　twenty　seconds　he　was　walking　down　Fifty…first　Street；　hunched　over　in　his　black　nylon　windbreaker。　In　all；　he　had　been　in　the　limo　precisely　nine　minutes。
　Now　as　he　worked　on　the　riveting　in　the　atrium　lobby　of　Tomkin　Industries；　the　man　worked　on　the　problem　of　getting　upstairs。
　At　lunchtime　he　took　the　outside　cage　elevator　up　as　far　as　it　would　go；　one　floor　below　Tomkin's　office。　Here　the　hallways　were　still　raw　plaster。　Pencil　marks　were　strewn　about　like　engineering　graffiti。　The　corridors　were　deserted　but　he　was　careful　enough　and　there　were　numerous　doorways　to　plunge　into。　Every　so　often　he　paused　and；　pletely　still；　listened　to　the　sounds　of　the　building。　He　would　know　instantly　if　there　was　the　slightest　change。
　He　was　not　worried　about　his　face。　There　was　flesh…coloured　putty　on　his　cheeks　and　the　bridge　of　his　nose　had　been　built　up。　Treated　cotton　rolls　were　placed　in　his　mouth　between　gums　and　cheek。　Too；　his　posture　had　changed　from　the　man　who　had　entered　Terry　Tanaka's　dojo。　He　had　bee　slightly　stoop…shouldered　arid　he　walked　with　a　noticeable　limp；　as　if　one　leg　were　shorter　than　the　other。　This　was　due　to　an　inch　lift　in　his　right　shoe。　Disguising　one's　face　was　all　well　and　good　but　there　were　a　myriad　ways　one　could　be　identified　by　an　expert。　One　had　to　be　as　meticulous　about　all　parts　of　the　body　as　one　was　about　the　face　…　the　overall　image。　A　disguise　had　to　be　total。　One　needed　only　the　slightest　alterations；　however；　because　the　idea　was　camouflage　and　it　did　not　do　to　overdo　specific　characteristics。
　He　found　the　fire　stairs；　went　carefully　up　to　the　top　floor。　Here　there　was　much　activity。　Both　workers　and　Tomkin's　staff　were　present。　All　the　better；　he　thought。
　Tomkin's　office；　a　full　corner　of　the　floor；　was　nine…tenths　plete　but　it　had　priority　because　he　was　already　working　out　of　it。　Therefore　lunch　breaks　were　not　observed　up　here。　The　morning　shift　went　down　to　eat　while　a　swing　shift　arrived　to　continue　the　work。　The　man　was　just　in　time　to　join　them。　He　walked　past　the　steady　gaze　of　Frank；　who　stood　just　inside　the　thick　metal　doors　to　the　office。　This　was　hardly　the　most　difficult　part。　It　was　doing　what　he　had　to　do　in　plain　sight　of　everyone。
　The　answer；　of　course；　was　easy。　He　merely　had　to　look　as　if　he　knew　what　he　was　doing　and　no　one　paid　him　the　slightest　attention。　It　might　even　have　been　amusing；　the　way　in　which　he　performed　the　most　clandestine　of　movements　out　in　the　open　like　the　living　embodiment　of　'The　Purloined　Letter'；　if　he　had　allowed　himself　the　luxury　of　feeling。　That；　however；　was　quite　impossible　for　him　in　this　context；　thus　it　was　merely　an　object　of　intellectual　curiosity　like　a　peculiarly　striated　rock　brought　home　from　a　summer　field　trip。
　He　had；　of　course；　to　work　in　fits　and　starts：　that　is；　to　work　on　what　was　his　own　in　between　what　he　was　given。
　This　presented　no　problems　other　than　extending　his　time　in　the　office。
　He　turned　it；　however；　to　his　own　advantage；　as　was　his　wont；　by　using　the　time　to　memorize　the　contours；　the　tiny　nooks　and　crannies；　the　open　spaces　and　the　closed。　He　found　where　the　wall　was　baffled　and　where　it　was　bare　beneath　the　paint　and　plaster；　where　the　wiring　went　and　the　placement　of　all　of　the　electrical　outlets；　where　the　circuit　breakers　were　and　where　the　auxiliary　lighting。　At　the　moment　none　of　these　things　fitted　in　with　his　plans　but　one　never　knew　when　the　knowledge　might　be　crucial。　Meticulous　planning　was　essential；　however；　one　always　had　to　build　into　one's　plans　a　bit　of　leeway　because　events　had　a　peculiar　way　of　determining　themselves　and　often；　too　often；　a　random　element　…　an　extra　guard；　a　rainstorm；　even　an　unexpected　sound；　a　minute　thing　that　could　not　be　foreseen　…　slipped　in。　One　never　knew。
　By　one…thirty　he　was　finished　and；　still　under　the　jaundiced　eye　of　Frank；　he　went　out　with　the　rest　of　the　swing　crew。　Outside　the　metal　doors；　they　turned　to　their　right；　heading　towards　the　outside　cage　elevator　one　floor　below。　As　he　was　turning　the　corner；　the　elevator　at　the　end　of　the　hallway　sighed　open　and　Tomkin；　acpanied　by　Whistle；　appeared。
　The　man　paused　for　a　moment；　his　dead　eyes　glittery。　How　easy　it　would　be；　he　thought　languidly；　to　take　him　out　now。　Whistle　dead　on　his　knees　and　the　big　man　tumbling　through　the　hot　air　to　the　unfinished　pavement　below。　He　liked　it；　it　had　a　certain　irony　to　it。　But　he　did　not　admire　it　and　that　made　all　the　difference　in　the　world。　It　was　not　elega