jg.thepelicanbrief-第58章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　was　seven；　and　he　was　sitting　at　his　desk　wearing　a　tie；　listening　to　Fletcher　Coal　suggest　what　they　ought　to　do　about　this　and　about　that。　Richard　Horton；　the　Attorney　General；　had　talked　to　Coal；　and　now　Coal　was　alarmed。　
　　
　　Someone　opened　the　door　and　Horton　entered　alone。　They　shook　hands　and　Horton　sat　across　the　desk。　Coal　stood　nearby；　and　this　really　irritated　the　President。　
　　
　　Horton　was　dull　but　sincere。　He　was　not　dumb　or　slow；　he　just　thought　carefully　about　everything　before　he　acted。　He　thought　about　each　word　before　he　said　it。　He　was　loyal　to　the　President；　and　could　be　trusted　for　sound　judgment。
　　
　　〃We　are　seriously　considering　a　formal　grand　jury　investigation　into　the　deaths　of　Rosenberg　and　Jensen；〃　he　announced　gravely。In　light　of　what's　happened　in　New　Orleans；　we　think　this　should　be　pursued　immediately。〃
　　
　　〃The　FBI　is　investigating；〃　the　President　said。　〃They've　got　three　hundred　agents　on　the　case。　Why　should　we　get　involved？〃
　　
　　〃Are　they　investigating　the　pelican　brief？〃　Horton　asked。　He　knew　the　answer。　He　knew　Voyles　was　in　New　Orleans　at　this　moment　with　hundreds　of　agents。　He　knew　they　had　talked　to　hundreds　of　people；　collected　a　pile　of　useless　evidence。　He　knew　the　President　had　asked　Voyles　to　back　off；　and　he　knew　Voyles　was　not　telling　the　President　everything。　
　　
　　Horton　had　never　mentioned　the　pelican　brief　to　the　President；　and　the　fact　that　he　even　knew　about　the　damned　thing　was　exasperating。　How　many　more　knew　about　it？　Probably　thousands。
　　
　　〃They　are　pursuing　all　leads；〃　Coal　said。　〃They　gave　us　a　copy　of　it　almost　two　weeks　ago；　so　we　assume　they're　pursuing　it。〃　
　　
　　Exactly　what　Horton　expected　out　of　Coal。　〃I　feel　strongly　that　the　Administration　should　investigate　this　matter　at　once。〃　He　spoke　as　though　this　was　all　memorized；　and　this　irritated　the　President。
　　
　　〃Why？〃　asked　the　President。
　　
　　〃What　if　the　brief　is　on　target？　If　we　do　nothing；　and　the　truth　eventually　surfaces；　the　damage　will　be　irreparable。〃
　　
　　〃Do　you　honestly　believe　there's　any　truth　to　it？〃　the　President　asked。
　　
　　〃It's　awfully　suspicious。　The　first　two　men　who　saw　it　are　dead；　and　the　person　who　wrote　it　has　disappeared。　It　is　perfectly　logical；　if　one　is　so　inclined　to　kill　Supreme　Court　Justices。　There　are　no　other　pelling　suspects。　From　what　I　hear；　the　FBI　is　baffled。　Yes；　it　needs　to　be　pursued。〃　
　　
　　Horton's　investigations　leaked　worse　than　the　White　House　basement；　and　Coal　was　terrified　of　this　clown　impaneling　a　grand　jury　and　calling　witnesses。　Horton　was　an　honorable　man；　but　the　Justice　Department　was　filled　with　lawyers　who　talked　too　much。
　　
　　〃Don't　you　think　it's　a　bit　premature？〃　Coal　asked。
　　
　　〃I　don't　think　so。〃
　　
　　〃Have　you　seen　the　papers　this　morning？〃　Coal　asked。　
　　
　　Horton　had　glanced　at　the　front　page　of　the　Post；　and　read　the　sports　section。　It　was　Saturday；　after　all。　He　had　heard　that　Coal　read　eight　newspapers　before　dawn；　so　he　didn't　like　this　question。
　　
　　〃I've　read　a　couple　of　them；〃　he　said。
　　
　　〃I've　looked　at　several；〃　Coal　said　modestly。And　there's　not　a　word　anywhere　about　those　two　dead　lawyers　or　the　girl　or　Mattiece　or　anything　related　to　the　brief。　If　you　start　a　formal　investigation　at　this　point；　it'll　be　front…page　news　for　a　month。〃
　　
　　〃Do　you　think　it　will　simply　go　away？〃　Horton　asked　Coal。
　　
　　〃It　might。　For　obvious　reasons；　we　hope　so。〃
　　
　　〃I　think　you're　optimistic；　Mr。　Coal。　We　don't　normally　sit　back　and　wait　for　the　press　to　do　our　investigating。〃　
　　
　　Coal　grinned　and　almost　laughed　at　this　one。　He　smiled　at　the　President；　who　shot　him　a　quick　look；　and　Horton　started　a　slow　burn。
　　
　　〃What's　wrong　with　waiting　a　week？〃　asked　the　President。
　　
　　〃Nothing；〃　shot　Coal。　
　　
　　Just　that　quick　the　decision　was　made　to　wait　a　week；　and　Horton　knew　it。　〃Things　could　blow　up　in　a　week；〃　he　said　without　conviction。
　　
　　〃Wait　a　week；〃　the　President　ordered。　〃We'll　meet　here　next　Friday；　and　go　from　there。　I'm　not　saying　no；　Richard；　just　wait　seven　days。〃　
　　
　　Horton　shrugged。　This　was　more　than　he　expected。　He'd　covered　his　rear。　He　would　go　straight　to　his　office　and　dictate　a　lengthy　memo　detailing　everything　he　could　remember　about　this　meeting；　and　his　neck　would　be　protected。　
　　
　　Coal　stepped　forward　and　handed　him　a　sheet　of　paper。
　　
　　〃What's　this？〃
　　
　　〃More　names。　Do　you　know　them？〃　
　　
　　It　was　the　bird…watcher　list：　four　judges　who　were　much　too　liberal　for　fort；　but　Plan　B　called　for　radical　environmentalists　on　the　Court。　
　　
　　Horton　blinked　several　times　and　studied　it　hard。　〃You　must　be　kidding。〃
　　
　　〃Check　'em　out；〃　said　the　President。
　　
　　〃These　guys　are　off…the…wall　liberals；〃　Horton　mumbled。
　　
　　〃Yes；　but　they　worship　the　sun　and　moon；　and　trees　and　birds；〃　Coal　explained　helpfully。　
　　
　　Horton　caught　on；　and　suddenly　smiled。　〃I　see。　Pelican　lovers。〃
　　
　　〃They're　almost　extinct；　you　know；〃　the　President　said。　
　　
　　Coal　headed　for　the　door。　〃I　wish　they'd　been　wiped　out　ten　years　ago。〃　
　　
　　*　　*　　*
　　
　　SHE　HADN'T　CALLED　by　nine　when　Gray　arrived　at　his　desk　in　the　newsroom。　He'd　read　the　Times　and　there　was　nothing　in　it。　He　spread　the　New　Orleans　paper　over　the　clutter　and　skimmed　it。　Nothing。　They　had　reported　all　they　knew。　Calla…han；　Verheek；　Darby；　and　a　thousand　unanswered　questions。　He　had　to　assume　the　Times　and　maybe　the　Times…Picayune　in　New　Orleans　had　seen　the　brief　or　heard　about　it；　and　thus　knew　of　Mattiece。　And　he　had　to　assume　they　were　clawing　like　cats　to　verify　it。　But　he　had　Darby；　and　they　would　find　Garcia；　and　if　Mattiece　could　be　verified；　they　would　do　it。　
　　
　　At　the　moment；　there　was　no　alternative　plan。　If　Garcia　was　gone　or　refused　to　help；　they　would　be　forced　to　explore　the　dark　and　murky　world　of　Victor　Mattiece。　Darby　would　not　last　long　at　that；　and　he　didn't　blame　her。　He　was　uncertain　how　long　he　would　last。　
　　
　　Smith　Keen　appeared　with　a　cup　of　coffee　and　sat　on　the　desk。　〃If　the　Times　had　it；　would　they　hold　off　until　tomorrow？〃　
　　
　　Gray　shook　his　head。　〃No。　If　they　had　more　than　the　Times…Picayune；　it　would've　run　today。〃
　　
　　〃Krauthammer　wants　to　run　what　we've　got。　He　thinks　we　can　name　Mattiece。〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　follow。〃
　　
　　〃He's　leaning　on　Feldman。　His　angle　is　that　we　can　run　the　whole　story　about　Callahan　and　Verheek　getting　killed　over　this　brief；　which　happens　to　name　Mattiece　who　happens　to　be　a　friend　of　the　President's；　without　directly　accusing　Mattiece。　He　says　we　can　be　extremely　cautious　and　make　sure　the　story　says　Mattiece　is　named　in　the　brief；　but　not　named　by　us。　And　since　the　brief　is　causing　all　this　death；　then　it　has　been　verified　to　some　extent。〃
　　
　　〃He　wants　to　hide　behind　the　brief。〃
　　
　　〃Exactly。〃
　　
　　〃But　it's　all　speculation　until　it's　confirmed。　Krauthammer's　losing　it。　Assume　for　a　second　that　Mr。　Mattiece　is　in　no　way　involved　with　this。　pletely　innocent。　We　run　the　story　with　his　name　in　it；　and　then　what？　We　look　like　fools；　and　we　get　sued　for　the　next　ten　years。　I'm　not　writing　the　story。〃
　　
　　〃He　wants　someone　else　to　write　it。〃
　　
　　〃If　this　paper　runs　a　pelican　story　not　written　by　me；　the　girl　is　gone；　okay。　I　thought　I　explained　that　yesterday。〃
　　
　　〃You　did。　And　Feldman　heard　you。　He's　on　your　side；　Gray；　and　I　am　too。　But　if　this　thing's　true；　it'll　blow　up　in　a　matter　of　days。　We　all　believe　that。　You　know　how　Krauthammer　hates　the　Times；　and　he's　afraid　those　bastards'll　run　it。〃
　　
　　〃They　can't　run　it；　Smith。　They　may　have　a　few　more　facts　than　the　Times…Picayune；　but　they　can't　name　Mattiece。　Look；　we'll　verify　before　anyone。　And　when　it's　nailed　down；　I'll　write　the　story　with　everyone's　name　along　with　that　cute　little　picture　of　Mattiece　and　his　friend　in　the　White　House；　and　the　fat　lady　will　sing。〃
　　
　　〃We？　You　said　it　again。　You　said；　'We'll　verify　it。'
　　
　　〃My　source　and　I；　okay。〃　Gray　opened　a　drawer　and　found　the　photo　of　Darby　and　the　Diet　Coke。