jg.thepelicanbrief-第57章

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　　〃We've　got　to　find　out　if　the　brief　is　true；〃　Coal　said　to　the　window。
　　
　　〃If　people　are　dying；　then　it's　true。　Give　me　a　better　reason　for　killing　Callahan　and　Verheek。〃　
　　
　　There　was　no　other　reason；　and　Coal　knew　it。　〃I　want　you　to　do　something。〃
　　
　　〃Find　the　girl。〃
　　
　　〃No。　She's　either　dead　or　hiding　in　a　cave　somewhere。　I　want　you　to　talk　to　Mattiece。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　sure　he's　in　the　yellow　pages。〃
　　
　　〃You　can　find　him。　We　need　to　establish　a　link　that　the　President　knows　nothing　about。　We　need　to　first　determine　how　much　of　this　is　true。〃
　　
　　〃And　you　think　Victor　will　take　me　into　his　confidence　and　tell　me　his　secrets。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　eventually。　You're　not　a　cop；　remember。　Assume　it's　true；　and　he　thinks　he's　about　to　be　exposed。　He's　desperate　and　he's　killing　people。　What　if　you　told　him　the　press　had　the　story　and　the　end　was　near；　and　if　he　is　inclined　to　disappear；　then　now's　the　time？　You're　ing　to　him　from　Washington；　remember？　From　the　inside。　From　the　President；　or　so　he　thinks。　He'll　listen　to　you。〃
　　
　　〃Okay。　What　if　he　tells　me　it's　true？　What's　in　it　for　us？〃
　　
　　〃I've　got　some　ideas；　all　in　the　category　of　damage　control。　The　first　thing　we'll　do　is　immediately　appoint　two　nature　lovers　to　the　Court。　I　mean；　wild…eyed　radical　bird　watchers。　It　would　show　that　down　deep　we're　good　little　environmentalists。　And　it　would　kill　Mattiece　and　his　oil　field；　etc。　We　could　do　this　in　a　matter　of　hours。　Almost　simultaneously；　the　President　will　call　in　Voyles　and　the　Attorney　General　and　Justice　and　demand　an　immediate　investigation　into　Mattiece。　We'll　leak　copies　of　the　brief　to　every　reporter　in　town；　then　hunker　down　and　ride　out　the　storm。〃　
　　
　　Barr　was　smiling　with　admiration。　
　　
　　Coal　continued。　〃It　won't　be　pretty；　but　it's　far　better　than　sitting　back　and　hoping　the　brief　is　a　work　of　fiction。〃
　　
　　〃How　do　you　explain　that　photograph？〃
　　
　　〃You　can't。　It'll　hurt　for　a　while；　but　it　was　seven　years　ago；　and　people　go　crazy。　We'll　portray　Mattiece　as　a　good　citizen　back　then；　but　now　he's　a　madman。〃
　　
　　〃He　is　a　madman。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　he　is。　And　right　now　he's　like　a　wounded　dog　backed　in　a　corner。　You　must　convince　him　to　throw　in　the　towel；　and　haul　ass。　I　think　he'll　listen　to　you。　And　I　think　we'll　find　out　from　him　if　it's　true。〃
　　
　　〃So　how　do　I　find　him？〃
　　
　　〃I've　got　a　man　working　on　that。　I'll　pull　some　strings；　and　make　a　contact。　Be　ready　to　go　on　Sunday。〃　
　　
　　Barr　smiled　to　the　window。　He　would　like　to　meet　Mattiece。　
　　
　　The　traffic　slowed。　Coal　slowly　sipped　his　water。　〃Anything　on　Grantham？〃
　　
　　〃Not　really。　We're　listening　and　watching；　but　nothing　exciting。　He　talks　to　his　mother　and　a　couple　of　gals；　but　nothing　worth　reporting。　He　works　a　lot。　He　left　town　Wednesday　and　returned　Thursday。〃
　　
　　〃Where　did　he　go？〃
　　
　　〃New　York。　Probably　working　on　some　story。〃　
　　
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　　CLEVE　WAS　SUPPOSED　to　be　at　the　corner　of　Rhode　Island　and　Sixth　at　exactly　10　P。M。；　but　he　wasn't。　Gray　was　supposed　to　race　down　Rhode　Island　until　Cleve　caught　him；　so　that　if　anyone　was　indeed　following　him　they　would　think　he　was　simply　a　dangerous　driver。　He　raced　down　Rhode　Island；　through　Sixth　at　fifty　miles　per　hour；　and　watched　for　blue　lights。　There　were　none。　He　looped　around；　and　fifteen　minutes　later　barreled　down　Rhode　Island　again。　There！　He　saw　blue　lights　and　pulled　to　the　curb。　
　　
　　It　was　not　Cleve。　It　was　a　white　cop　who　was　very　agitated。　He　jerked　Gray's　license；　examined　it；　and　asked　if　he'd　been　drinking。　No　sir；　he　said。　The　cop　wrote　the　ticket；　and　proudly　handed　it　to　Gray；　who　sat　behind　the　wheel　staring　at　the　ticket　until　he　heard　voices　ing　from　the　rear　bumper。　
　　
　　Another　cop　was　on　the　scene；　and　they　were　arguing。　It　was　Cleve；　and　he　wanted　the　white　cop　to　forget　the　ticket；　but　the　white　cop　explained　it　had　already　been　written　and　besides　the　idiot　was　doing　fifty…six　miles　an　hour　through　the　intersection。　He's　a　friend；　Cleve　said。　Then　teach　him　how　to　drive　before　he　kills　somebody；　the　white　cop　said　as　he　got　in　his　patrol　car　and　drove　away。　
　　
　　Cleve　was　snickering　as　he　looked　in　Gray's　window。　〃Sorry　about　that；〃　he　said　with　a　smile。
　　
　　〃It's　all　your　fault。〃
　　
　　〃Slow　it　down　next　time。〃　
　　
　　Gray　threw　the　ticket　on　the　floorboard。　〃Let's　talk　quick。　You　said　Sarge　said　the　boys　in　the　West　Wing　are　talking　about　me。　Right？〃
　　
　　〃Right。〃
　　
　　〃Okay；　I　need　to　know　from　Sarge　if　they're　talking　about　any　other　reporters；　especially　from　the　New　York　Times。　I　need　to　know　if　they　think　anybody　else　is　hot　on　the　story。〃
　　
　　〃Is　that　all？〃
　　
　　〃Yes。　I　need　it　quick。〃
　　
　　〃Slow　it　down；〃　Cleve　said　loudly　and　walked　to　his　car。　
　　
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　　DARBY　PAID　for　the　room　for　the　next　seven　days；　in　part　because　she　wanted　a　familiar　place　to　return　to　if　necessary；　and　in　part　because　she　wanted　to　leave　some　new　clothes　she　had　purchased。　It　was　sinful；　this　running　and　leaving　everything　behind。　The　clothes　were　nothing　fancy；　sort　of　upscale　safari　law　school；　but　they　cost　even　more　in　New　York；　and　it　would　be　nice　to　keep　them。　She　would　not　take　risks　over　clothes；　but　she　liked　the　room　and　she　liked　the　city　and　she　wanted　the　clothes。　
　　
　　It　was　time　to　run　again；　and　she　would　travel　light。　She　carried　a　small　canvas　bag　when　she　darted　from　the　St。　Moritz　into　a　waiting　cab。　It　was　almost　11　P。M。；　Friday；　and　Central　Park　South　was　busy。　Across　the　street；　a　line　of　horses　and　carriages　waited　for　customers　and　brief　excursions　through　the　park。　
　　
　　The　cab　took　ten　minutes　to　get　to　Seventy…second　and　Broadway；　which　was　the　wrong　direction；　but　this　entire　journey　should　be　hard　to　follow。　She　walked　thirty　feet；　and　disappeared　into　the　subway。　She　had　studied　a　map　and　a　book　of　the　system；　and　she　hoped　it　would　be　easy。　The　subway　was　not　appealing　because　she'd　never　used　it　and　she'd　heard　the　stories。　But　this　was　the　Broadway　line；　the　most　monly　used　train　in　Manhattan；　and　it　was　rumored　to　be　safe；　at　times。　And　things　weren't　so　swell　above　the　ground。　The　subway　could　hardly　be　worse。　
　　
　　She　waited　in　the　correct　spot　with　a　group　of　drunk　but　well…dressed　teenagers；　and　the　train　arrived　in　a　couple　of　minutes。　It　wasn't　crowded；　and　she　took　a　seat　near　the　center　doors。　Stare　at　the　floor　and　hold　the　bag；　she　kept　telling　herself。　She　looked　at　the　floor；　but　from　behind　the　dark　shades；　she　studied　the　people。　It　was　her　lucky　night。　No　street　punks　with　knives。　No　beggars。　No　perverts；　at　least　none　she　could　spot。　But　for　a　novice；　it　was　nerve…racking　anyway。　
　　
　　The　drunk　kids　exited　at　Times　Square；　and　she　got　off　quickly　at　the　next　stop。　She　had　never　seen　Penn　Station；　but　this　was　not　the　time　to　sightsee。　Maybe　one　day　she　could　return　and　spend　a　month　and　admire　the　city　without　watching　for　Stump　and　Thin　Man　and　who　knows　who　else　who　was　out　there。　But　not　now。　
　　
　　She　had　five　minutes；　and　found　her　train　as　it　was　boarding。　Again；　she　sat　in　the　rear　and　watched　every　passenger。　There　were　no　familiar　faces。　Surely；　please；　surely；　they　had　not　stuck　to　her　on　this　jagged　escape。　Once　again；　her　mistake　had　been　credit　cards。　She　had　bought　four　tickets　at　O'Hare　with　American　Express；　and　somehow　they　knew　she　was　in　New　York。　She　was　certain　Stump　had　not　seen　her；　but　he　was　in　the　city；　and　of　course　he　had　friends。　There　could　be　twenty　of　them。　But　then；　she　was　not　certain　of　anything。　
　　
　　The　train　left　six　minutes　late。　It　was　half　empty。　She　pulled　a　paperback　from　the　bag　and　pretended　to　read　it。　
　　
　　Fifteen　minutes　later；　they　stopped　in　Newark；　and　she　got　off。　She　was　a　lucky　girl。　There　were　cabs　lined　up　outside　the　station；　and　ten　minutes　later　she　was　at　the　airport。　
　　
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　　IT　WAS　SATURDAY　MORNING；　and　the　Queen　was　in　Florida　taking　money　from　the　rich；　and　it　was　clear　and　cool　outside。　He　wanted　to　sleep　late；　then　play　golf　whenever　he　woke　up。　But　it　was