jg.thefirm-第78章

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not　on　the　first　and　second？　I　made　some　copies　on　the　fourth　floor　two　weeks　ago；　and　I　don't　think　it　was　a　good　idea。　I'm　getting　bad　vibes。　No　more　records　from　Front　Street。〃
　　〃What　about　the　girl？〃
　　〃She　no　longer　has　access。〃
　　Tarrance　chewed　his　fingernails；　rocking　back　and　forth。　Still　staring　at　the　window。　〃I　want　the　records；　McDeere；　and　I　want　them　real　soon。　Like　tomorrow。〃
　　〃When　does　Ray　get　his　walking　papers？〃
　　〃Today's　Monday。　I　think　it's　set　up　for　tomorrow　night。　You　wouldn't　believe　the　cussing　I've　taken　from　Voyles。
　　　He's　had　to　pull　every　string　in　the　book。　You　think　I'm　kidding？　He　called　in　both　senators　from　Tennessee；　and　they　personally　flew　to　Nashville　to　visit　the　governor。　Oh；　I've　been　cussed；　McDeere。　All　because　of　your　brother。〃
　　〃He　appreciates　it。〃
　　〃What's　he　gonna　do　when　he　gets　out？〃
　　〃I'll　take　care　of　that。　You　just　get　him　out。〃
　　〃No　guarantees。　If　he　gets　hurt；　it　ain't　our　fault。〃
　　Mitch　stood　and　looked　at　his　watch。　〃Gotta　run。　I'm　sure　someone's　out　there　waiting　for　me。〃
　　〃When　do　we　meet　again？〃
　　〃She'll　call。　Just　do　as　she　says。〃
　　〃Oh；　e　on；　Mitch！　Not　that　routine　again。　She　can　talk　to　me　on　my　phone。　I　swear！　We　keep　our　lines　clean。　Please；　not　that　again。〃
　　〃What's　your　mother's　name；　Tarrance？〃
　　〃What？　Doris。〃
　　〃Doris？〃
　　〃Yeah；　Doris。〃
　　〃Small　world。　We　can't　use　Doris。　Whom　did　you　take　to　your　senior　prom？〃
　　〃Uh；　I　don't　think　I　went。〃
　　〃I'm　not　surprised。　Who　was　your　first　date；　if　you　had　one？〃
　　〃Mary　Alice　Brenner。　She　was　hot　too。　She　wanted　me。〃
　　〃I'm　sure。　My　girl's　name　is　Mary　Alice。　The　next　time　Mary　Alice　calls；　you〃do　exactly　as　she　says；　okay？〃
　　〃I　can't　wait。〃
　　〃Do　me　a　favor；　Tarrance。　I　think　Tolar's　faking；　and　I've　got　a　weird　feeling　his　fake　heart　attack　is　somehow　related　to　me。　Get　your　boys　to　snoop　around　here　and　check　out　his　alleged　heart　attack。〃
　　〃Sure。　We　have　little　else　to　do。〃
　　　
　　　33
　　TUESDAY　morning　the　office　buzzed　with　concern　for　Avery　Tolar。　He　was　doing　fine。　Running　tests。　No　permanent　damage。　Overworked。　Stressed　out。　Capps　did　it。　Divorce　did　it。　Leave　of　absence。
　　Nina　brought　a　stack　of　letters　to　be　signed。　〃Mr。　Lambert　would　like　to　see　you；　if　you're　not　too　busy。　He　just　called。〃
　　〃Fine。　I'm　supposed　to　meet　Frank　Mulholland　at　ten。　Do　you　know　that？〃
　　〃Of　course　I　know　that。　I'm　the　secretary。　I　know　everything。　Your　office　or　his？〃
　　Mitch　looked　at　his　appointment　book　and　pretended　to　search。　Mulholland's　office。　In　the　Cotton　Exchange　Building。
　　〃His；〃　he　said　with　a　frown。
　　〃You　met　there　last　time；　didn't　you？　Didn't　they　teach　you　about　turf　hi　law　school？　Never；　I　repeat；　never　meet　two　times　in　a　row　on　the　adversary's　turf。　It's　unprofessional。　It's　uncool。　Shows　weakness。〃
　　〃How　can　you　ever　forgive　me？〃
　　〃Wait　till　I　tell　the　other　girls。　They　all　think　you're　so　cute　and　macho。　When　I　tell　them　you're　a　wimp；　they'll　be　shocked。〃
　　〃They　need　to　be　shocked；　with　a　cattle　prod。〃
　　　〃How's　Abby's　mother？〃
　　〃Much　better。　I'm　going　up　this　weekend。〃
　　She　picked　up　two　files。　〃Lambert's　waiting。〃
　　Oliver　Lambert　pointed　at　the　stiff　sofa　and　offered　coffee。　He　sat　perfectly　erect　in　a　wing　chair　and　held　his　cup　like　a　British　aristocrat。　〃I'm　worried　about　Avery；〃　he　said。
　　〃I　saw　him　last　night；〃　Mitch　said。　〃Doctor's　forcing　a　two…month　retirement。〃
　　〃Yes；　that's　why　you're　here。　I　want　you　to　work　with　Victor　Milligan　for　the　next　two　months。　He'll　get　most　of　Avery's　files；　so　it's　familiar　territory。〃
　　〃That's　fine。　Victor　and　I　are　good　friends。〃
　　〃You'll　learn　a　lot　from　him。　A　genius　at　taxation。　Reads　two　books　a　day。〃
　　Great；　thought　Mitch。　He　should　average　ten　a　day　in　prison。　〃Yes；　he's　a　very　smart　man。　He's　helped　me　out　of　a　jam　or　two。〃
　　〃Good。　I　think　you'll　get　along　fine。　Try　and　see　him　sometime　this　morning。　Now；　Avery　had　some　unfinished　business　in　the　Caymans。　He　goes　there　a　lot；　as　you　know；　to　meet　with　certain　bankers。　In　fact；　he　was　scheduled　to　leave　tomorrow　for　a　couple　of　days。　He　told　me　this　morning　you're　familiar　with　the　clients　and　the　accounts；　so　we　need　you　to　go。〃
　　The　Lear；　the　loot；　the　condo；　the　storage　room；　the　accounts。　A　thousand　thoughts　flashed　in　his　mind。　It　did　not　add　up。　〃The　Caymans？　Tomorrow？〃
　　〃Yes；　it's　quite　urgent。　Three　of　his　clients　are　in　dire　need　of　summaries　of　their　accounts　and　other　legal　work。　I　wanted　Milligan　to　go；　but　he's　due　in　Denver　in　the　morning。　Avery　said　you　could　handle　it。〃
　　〃Sure；　I　can　handle　it。〃
　　〃Fine。　The　Lear　will　take　you。　You'll　leave　around　noon　and　return　by　mercial　flight　late　Friday。　Any　problems？〃
　　Yes；　many　problems。　Ray　was　leaving　prison。　Tarrance　was　demanding　the　contraband。　A　half　million　bucks　had　to　be　collected。　And　he　was　scheduled　to　disappear　anytime。
　　〃No　problems。〃
　　He　walked　to　his　office　and　locked　the　door。　He　kicked　off　his　shoes；　lay　on　the　floor　and　closed　his　eyes。
　　The　elevator　stopped　on　the　seventh　floor；　and　Mitch　bolted　up　the　stairs　to　the　ninth。　Tammy　opened　the　door　and　locked　it　behind　him。　He　walked　to　the　window。
　　〃Were　you　watching？〃　he　asked。
　　〃Of　course。　The　guard　by　your　parking　lot　stood　on　the　sidewalk　and　watched　you　walk　here。〃
　　〃Wonderful。　Even　Dutch　follows　me。〃
　　He　turned　and　inspected　her。　〃You　look　tired。〃
　　〃Tired？　I'm　dead。　In　the　past　three　weeks　I've　been　a　janitor；　a　secretary；　a　lawyer；　a　banker；　a　whore；　a　courier　and　a　private　investigator。　I've　flown　to　Grand　Cayman　nine　times；　bought　nine　sets　of　new　luggage　and　hauled　back　a　ton　of　stolen　documents。　I've　driven　to　Nashville　four　times　and　flown　ten。　I've　read　so　many　bank　records　and　legal　crap　I'm　half　blind。　And　when　it's　bedtime；　I　put　on　my　little　Dustbusters　shirt　and　play　maid　for　six　hours。　I've　got　so　many　names；　I've　written　them　on　my　hand　so　I　won't　get　confused。〃
　　〃I've　got　another　for　you。〃
　　〃This　doesn't　surprise　me。　What？〃
　　〃Mary　Alice。　From　now　on；　when　you　talk　to　Tarrance；　you're　Mary　Alice。〃
　　〃Let　me　write　that　down。　I　don't　like　him。　He's　very　rude　on　the　phone。〃
　　〃I've　got　great　news　for　you。〃
　　〃I　can't　wait。〃
　　〃You　can　quit　Dustbusters。〃
　　〃I　think　I'll　lie　down　and　cry。　Why？〃
　　〃It's　hopeless。〃
　　〃I　told　you　that　a　week　ago。　Houdini　couldn't　get　files　out　of　there；　copy　them　and　sneak　them　back　in　without　getting　caught。〃
　　〃Did　you　talk　to　Abanks？〃　Mitch　asked。
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃Did　he　get　the　money？〃
　　〃Yes。　It　was　wired　Friday。〃
　　〃Is　he　ready？〃
　　〃Said　he　was。〃
　　〃Good。　What　about　the　forger？〃
　　〃I'm　meeting　with　him　this　afternoon。〃　…　〃Who　is　he？〃
　　〃An　ex…con。　He　and　Lomax　were　old　pals。　Eddie　said　he　was　the　best　documents　man　in　the　country。〃
　　〃He'd　better　be。　How　much？〃
　　〃Five　thousand。　Cash；　of　course。　New　IDs；　passports；　driver's　licenses　and　visas。〃
　　〃How　long　will　it　take　him？〃
　　〃I　don't　know。　When　do　you　need　it？〃
　　Mitch　sat　on　the　edge　of　the　rented　desk。　He　breathed　deeply　and　tried　to　think。　To　calculate。　〃As　soon　as　possible。　I　thought　I　had　a　week；　but　now　I　don't　know。　Just　get　it　as　soon　as　possible。　Can　you　drive　to　Nashville　tonight？〃
　　〃Oh　yes。　I'd　love　to。　I　haven't　been　there　in　two　days。〃
　　〃I　want　a　Sony　camcorder　with　a　tripod　set　up　in　the　bedroom。　Buy　a　case　of　tapes。　And　I　want　you　to　stay　there；　by　the　phone；　for　the　next　few　days。　Review　the　Bendini　Papers　again。　Work　on　your　summaries。〃
　　〃You　mean　I　have　to　stay　there？〃
　　〃Yeah。　Why？〃
　　〃I've　ruptured　two　disks　sleeping　on　that　couch。〃；
　　〃You　rented　it。〃
　　〃What　about　the　passports？〃
　　〃What's　the　guy's　name？〃
　　〃Doc　somebody。　I've　got　his　number。〃
　　〃Give　it　to　me。　Tell　him　I'll　call　in　a　day　or　so。　How　much　money　do　you　have？〃
　　〃I'm　glad　you　asked。　I　started　with　fifty　thousand；　right？　I've　spent　ten　thousand　on　airfare；　hotels；　luggage　and　rental　cars。　And　I'm　still　spending。　Now　you　want　a　video　camera。　And　fake　IDs。　I'd　hate　to　lose　money　on　this　deal。〃
　　Mitch　started　for　the　door。　〃How　about　another　fifty　thousand？〃
　　〃I'll　take　it。〃