tc.redrabbit-第105章

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　metro　station　and　checked　the　clock。　The　train；　of　course；　came　right　on　time。
　　　Foley　was　in　the　same　place；　doing　the　same　thing　in　exactly　the　same　way；　his　mind　racing　as　the　train　slowed　to　a　stop　at　this　station。　He　felt　the　tiny　vibration　from　the　boarding　passengers　and　the　grunts　of　people　bumping　into　one　another。　He　straightened　up　to　turn　the　page。　Then　the　train　lurched　off。　The　engineers…or　motormen；　whatever　the　hell　you　called　them…were　always　a　little　heavy　on　the　throttle。　A　moment　later；　there　was　a　presence　to　his　left。　Foley　didn't　see　it；　but　he　could　feel　it。　Two　minutes　later；　the　subway　train　slowed　for　another　station。　It　lurched　to　a　stop；　and　someone　bumped　into　him。　Foley　turned　slightly　to　see　who　it　was。
　　　〃Excuse　me；　rade；〃　the　Rabbit　said。　He　was　wearing　a　blue　tie　with　red　stripes。
　　　〃No　problem；〃　Foley　responded　dismissively；　as　his　heart　leapt　inside　his　chest。
　　　Okay；　two　days　from　now；　Kiev　Station。　The　train　to　Budapest。　The　Rabbit　moved　a　step　or　two　away；　and　that　was　that。　The　signal　had　been　passed。
　　　Skyrockets　in　flight。　Foley　folded　his　paper；　and　made　his　way　to　the　sliding　doors。　The　usual　walk　to　his　apartment。　Mary　Pat　was　fixing　dinner。
　　　〃Like　my　tie？　You　didn't　tell　me　this　morning。〃
　　　MP's　eyes　lit　up。　Day　after　tomorrow；　she　realized。　They'd　have　to　get　the　word　out；　but　that　was　just　a　procedural　thing。　She　hoped　Langley　was　ready。　BEATRIX　was　going　a　little　fast；　but　why　dawdle？
　　　〃So；　what's　for　dinner？〃
　　　〃Well；　I　wanted　to　get　a　steak；　but　I'm　afraid　you'll　have　to　settle　for　fried　chicken　today。〃
　　　〃That's　okay；　honey。　Steak　for　day　after　tomorrow；　maybe？〃　she　asked。
　　　〃Sounds　good　to　me。　Honey；　where's　Eddie？〃
　　　〃Watching　Transformers；　of　course。〃　She　pointed　to　the　living　room。
　　　〃That's　my　boy；〃　Ed　observed；　with　a　smile。　〃He　knows　the　important　stuff。〃　Foley　kissed　his　wife　tenderly。
　　　〃Later；　tiger；〃　Mary　Pat　breathed　back。　But　a　successful　operation　merited　a　discreet　celebration。　Not　that　this　one　was　successful　yet；　but　it　was　certainly　headed　that　way；　and　it　was　their　first　in　Moscow。　〃Got　the　pictures？〃　she　whispered。
　　　He　pulled　them　out　of　his　jacket　pocket。　They　were　not　exactly　magazine…cover　quality；　but　they　did　give　good　representations　of　the　Rabbit　and　his　little　bunny。　They　didn't　know　what　Mrs。　Rabbit　looked　like；　but　this　would　have　to　do。　They'd　get　the　shots　to　Nigel　and　Penny。　One　of　them　would　cover　the　train　station　to　make　sure　the　Rabbit　family　got　going　on　time。
　　　〃Ed；　there's　a　problem　with　the　shower；〃　Mary　Pat　said。　〃The　spray　thingee　isn't　right。〃
　　　〃I'll　see　if　Nigel　has　the　right　tools。〃　Foley　walked　out　the　door　and　down　the　hall。　In　a　few　minutes；　they　were　back；　Nigel　carrying　his　toolbox。
　　　〃Hello；　Mary。〃　Nigel　waved　on　his　way　to　the　bathroom。　Once　there；　he　made　a　fuss　about　opening　his　toolbox；　then　turning　on　the　water；　and　now　any　bug　the　KGB　might　have　here　was　jammed。
　　　〃Okay；　Ed；　what　is　it？〃
　　　Ed　handed　over　the　photos。　〃The　Rabbit　and　the　Bunny。　We　have　nothing　on　Mrs。　Rabbit　yet。　They'll　all　be　taking　the　one　P。M。　train　to　Budapest；　day　after　tomorrow。〃
　　　〃Kiev　Station；〃　Haydock　said；　with　a　nod。　〃You'll　want　me　to　get　a　picture　of　Mrs。　Rabbit。〃
　　　〃Correct。〃
　　　〃Very　well。　I　can　do　that。〃　The　wheels　started　turning　at　once。　As　mercial　Attache；　he　could　e　up　with　a　cock…and…bull　story　to　cover　it；　Haydock　reasoned。　He'd　get　a　tame　reporter　to　acpany　him　and　make　it　look　like　a　news　story…something　about　tourism；　perhaps。　Paul　Matthews　of　the　Times　would　play　along。　Easily　done。　He'd　have　Matthews　bring　a　photographer　and　take　professional　photos　of　the　whole　Rabbit　family　for　London　and　Langley　to　use。　And　Ivan　shouldn't　suspect　a　thing。　However　important　the　Rabbit's　information　might　be；　the　Rabbit　himself　was　just　a　cipher；　one　of　many　thousands　of　KGB　employees　not　important　enough　to　be　taken　any　note　of。　So　tomorrow　morning　Haydock　would　call　the　Soviet　state　railroad　and　say　that　the　Soviets'　sister　service　in　Britain…which　was　also　state…owned…was　interested　in　how　the　Russians　ran　theirs；　and　so。。。　yes；　that　would　work。　There　was　nothing　the　Soviets　liked　better　than　others　wanting　to　learn　from　their　glorious　system。　Good　for　their　egos。　Nigel　reached　over　to　turn　off　the　water。
　　　〃There；　I　think　that　has　it　fixed；　Edward。〃
　　　〃Thanks；　pal。　Any　good　places　in　Moscow　to　buy　tools？〃
　　　〃I　don't　know；　Ed。　I've　had　these　since　I　was　a　lad。　Belonged　to　my　father；　you　see。〃
　　　Then　Foley　remembered　what　had　happened　to　Nigel's　father。　Yeah；　he　wanted　BEATRIX　to　succeed。　He　wanted　to　take　every　opportunity　to　shove　a　big　one　up　the　Bear's　hairy　ass。　〃How's　Penny？〃
　　　〃The　baby　hasn't　dropped　yet。　So　at　least　another　week；　probably　more。　Strictly　speaking；　she　isn't　due　for　another　three　weeks；　but…〃
　　　〃But　the　docs　never　get　that　one　right；　buddy。　Never；〃　Foley　told　his　friend。　〃Best　advice；　stay　close。　When　you　planning　to　fly　home？〃
　　　〃Ten　days　should　be　about　right；　the　embassy　physician　tells　us。　It's　only　a　two…hour　flight；　after　all。〃
　　　〃Your　doc　is　an　optimist；　pal。　These　things　never　go　according　to　plan。　I　don't　suppose　you　want　a　little　Englishman　to　be　born　in　Moscow'；　eh？〃
　　　〃No；　Edward；　we　don't。〃
　　　〃Well；　keep　Penny　off　the　trampoline；〃　Foley　suggested　with　a　wink。
　　　〃Yes；　I　will　do　that；　Ed。〃　American　humor　could　be　rather　crass；　he　thought。
　　　This　could　be　interesting；　Foley　thought；　walking　his　friend　to　the　door。　He'd　always　thought　Brit　children　were　born　at　the　age　of　five　and　sent　immediately　off　to　boarding　school。　Did　they　raise　them　the　same　way　Americans　did？　He'd　have　to　see。
　　　The　body　of　Owen　Williams　was　never　collected…it　turned　out　he　had　no　immediate　family；　and　his　ex…wife　had　no　interest　in　him　at　all；　especially　dead。　The　local　police；　on　receipt　of　a　telex　from　Chief　Superintendent　Patrick　Nolan　of　London's　Metropolitan　Police；　transferred　the　body　to　an　aluminum　casket；　which　was　loaded　in　a　police　van　and　driven　south　toward　London。　But　not　quite。　The　van　stopped　at　a　preselected　location；　and　the　aluminum　box　was　transferred　to　another；　unmarked；　van　for　the　drive　into　the　city。　It　ended　up　in　a　mortuary　in　the　Swiss　Cottage　district　of　north　London。
　　　The　body　was　not　in　very　good　shape；　and；　since　it　had　not　yet　seen　a　mortician；　it　had　also　not　been　treated　in　any　way。　The　unburned　under　side　was　a　blue…crimson　shade　of　postmortem　lividity。　Once　the　heart　stops；　the　blood　is　pulled　by　gravity　to　the　lower　regions　of　the　body…in　this　case；　the　back…where；　lacking　oxygen；　it　tends　to　turn　the　Caucasian　body　a　pale　bluish　color；　leaving　the　upper　side　with　a　disagreeable　ivory　pallor。　The　mortician　here　was　a　civilian　who　occasionally　contracted　specialty　work　to　the　Secret　Intelligence　Service。　Along　with　a　forensic　pathologist；　he　examined　the　body　for　anything　unusual。　The　worst　thing　was　the　smell　of　roasted　human　meat；　but　their　noses　were　covered　with　surgical　masks　to　attenuate　the　odor。
　　　〃Tattoo；　underside　of　the　forearm；　partially　but　not　entirely　burned　off；〃　the　mortician　reported。
　　　〃Very　well。〃　The　pathologist　lit　the　flame　of　a　propane　blowtorch　and　applied　it　to　the　arm；　burning　all　evidence　of　the　tattoo　off　the　body。　〃Anything　else；　William？〃　he　asked　a　couple　minutes　later。
　　　〃Nothing　I　can　see。　The　upper　body　is　well　charred。　Hair　is　mainly　gone〃…the　smell　of　burned　human　hair　is　particularly　vile…〃and　one　ear　nearly　burned　off。　I　presume　this　chap　was　dead　before　he　burned。〃
　　　〃Ought　to　have　been；〃　the　pathologist　said。　〃The　blood　gasses　had　the　CO　well　spiked　into　lethal　range。　I　doubt　this　poor　bugger　felt　a　thing。〃　Then　he　burned　off　the　fingerprints；　lingering　to　sear　both　hands　with　the　torch　so　that　it　would　not　appear　to　have　been　a　deliberate　mutilation　of　the　body。
　　　〃There；〃　the　pathologist　said　finally。　〃If　there's　a　way　to　identify　this　body；　I　do　not　know　what　it　is。〃
　　　〃Freeze　it　now？〃　the　undertaker　asked。
　　　〃No；　I　don't　think　so。　If　we　chill　it　down　to；　oh；　two　or　three　degrees　Celsius；　no　noticeable　deposition　ought　to　take　place。〃
　　　〃Dry　ice；　then。〃
　　　〃Yes。　The　metal　casket　is　well　insulated　and　it　seals　hermetically。　Dry　ice　doesn't　melt；　you　know。　It　goes　d