scoonts.theminotaur-第95章

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　〃Sure。〃　As　Albright　started　the　car；　the　mechanic　raised　the　garage　door　and　kicked　the　lifting　blocks　out　of　the　way　of　the　tires。
　Albright　backed　out　carefully　and　drove　down　the　alley　toward　the　area　where　customers'　cars　were　parked。
　Yep；　another　guy　in　a　business　suit　hustling　this　way；　and　another　going　around　the　building　toward　the　front　entrance。　Albright　turned　left　and　drove　by　the　agent　walking　toward　the　main　showroom。　That　agent　looked　at　him　with　surprise。　As　Albright　paused　at　the　street；　he　glanced　in　the　rearview　mirror。　The　agent　was　talking　on　a　hand…held　radio　and　looking　this　way。
　Albright　fed　gas　and　slipped　the　car　into　traffic。
　They　would　be　right　behind　him。　He　jammed　the　accelerator　down　and　shot　across　the　next　intersection　just　as　the　light　turned　red。
　He　went　straight　for　three　more　blocks；　then　turned　right　for　a　block；　then　right　again。
　He　entered　the　dealership　lot　from　the　back　and　coasted　the　car　toward　the　service　parking　area；　watching　carefully　for　agents。　His　trip　around　town　had　taken　five　minutes。　Yes；　they　all　seemed　to　be　gone。
　He　parked　the　car　and　walked　back　inside。
　Joe　Talley　saw　him　ing。　〃Hey；　Harlan；　some　guys　were　here　looking　for　you。〃
　〃'S'at　right？〃
　〃Yeah。　Didn't　say；　but　they　were　cops。　Had　those　little　radios　and　charged　outta　here　like　their　tails　were　on　fire。　Just　a　couple　minutes　ago。　Say；　what've　you　done　anyway？　Robbed　a　bank？〃
　〃Nah。〃　Albright　quickly　sorted　through　the　rack　of　keys　of　cars　that　were　awaiting　service。　〃Forgot　to　put　a　quarter　in　the　meter。〃　This　one；　a　new　Taurus。　In　for　its　first　oil　change。
　〃Sons　of　bitches　came　after　me　two　years　ago；〃　Talley　said。　〃My　ex　swore　out　a　warrant。〃
　〃I　sent　her　the　fucking　check　last　week；〃　Albright　growled。　He　walked　back　toward　the　parking　area。　〃They　e　back；　you　tell　'em　I　went　out　to　feed　the　meter；〃　he　called。　〃See　you　after　a　while。〃
　〃Yeah；　sure；　Harlan。〃　Talley　laughed。
　〃Do　my　time　card　too；　will'ya；　Joe？〃
　〃You're　covered。〃　Talley　went　back　to　annotating　a　service　form。
　Albright　never　returned　to　the　dealership；　of　course。　Less　than　two　hours　later　he　abandoned　the　Taurus　in　a　parking　garage　in　downtown　Washington　and　walked　four　blocks　to　a　KGB　safe　house。
　
　〃Just　like　that；　cool　as　ice；　he　went　back　and　traded　cars？〃
　〃Yessir。〃　Dreyfus　tried　to　keep　his　eyes　on　Camacho's　face。　It　was　difficult。
　〃Two　guys　in　two　hours　go　through　our　fingers！　What　is　this；　Keystone　Kops？〃　Camacho　sighed　heavily。　〃Well；　what　are　we　doing　to　round　up　these　public　enemies？〃
　〃Warrants　for　them　both。　Murder　One　for　Judy　and　Accessory　Before　the　Fact　for　Albright。　Stakeouts。　Briefings　for　the　D。C。；　federal；　airport　and　suburban　police…every　pistol…packer　within　fifty　miles　of　the　Washington　Monument。　Photos　on　the　eleven　o'clock　news　and　in　tomorrow's　papers。　The　cover　story　is　drug。〃
　〃We　really　needed　Albright；　Lloyd。〃
　〃I　know；　sir。〃　Dreyfus　was　stunned。　Luis　Camacho　had　never　before　called　him　by　his　first　name　in　the　five　years　they　had　known　each　other。
　Camacho　sat　rubbing　his　forehead　with　the　first　two　fingers　of　his　left　hand。
　〃Drugs　in　the　Pentagon　is　going　to　get　a　lot　of　press；〃　Dreyfus　volunteered。　〃Already　Ted　Koppel　wants　the　Director　for　Nightline。　Some　nitwit　on　the　Hill　is　promising　a　congressional　investigation。　Everybody　on　the　west　side　of　the　Potomac　is　probably　going　to　have　to　pee　in　a　bottle　on　Monday　morning。〃
　If　Camacho　heard；　he　gave　no　sign。　After　a　moment　he　said　softly；　〃We'll　never　get　him　unless　he　es　to　us。〃
　
　27
　
　A　Saturday　in　August　is　a　terrible　time　to　be　in　Washington。　The　heat　and　humidity　make　any　trip　outdoors　an　endurance　trek。　The　summer　haze　diffuses　the　sunlight；　but　doesn't　soften　it。　Perspiration　oozes　from　every　square　inch　of　hide　and　clothes　bee　sodden　rags。
　By　eleven　o'clock　Saturday　morning。　Smoke　Judy　felt　as　if　he　had　lived　on　the　street　for　six　months。　He　had　managed　only　two　hours'　sleep　the　night　before；　most　of　it　in　fifteen…minute　spurts。　The　alley　he　now　called　home　housed　three　other　derelicts；　all　of　whom　were　atose　drunk　by　9　P。M。　They　had　no　trouble　at　all　sleeping。
　At　7　A。M。；　or　thereabouts…Judy　had　stowed　his　watch　in　his　gym　bag…his　panions　stirred　themselves　and　collected　their　traps。　He　followed　them　as　they　staggered　the　five　blocks　to　a　mission。　Two　of　them　vomited　along　the　way。　The　little　neon　sign　over　the　door　proclaimed：　〃Jesus　Saves。〃
　Breakfast　was　scrambled　eggs；　toast　and　black　coffee。　Judy　carefully　observed　the　men　and　four　women；　maybe　five…he　wasn't　sure　about　one…who　ate　listlessly　or　not　at　all。　The　alcoholics　in　the　final　stages　of　their　disease　drank　coffee　but　didn't　touch　the　food。　Almost　everyone　smoked　cigarettes。　A　man　across　from　him　offered　him　an　unfiltered　Pall　Mall；　which　Smoke　Judy　accepted。　He　hadn't　smoked　a　cigarette　since　he　was　twenty…four；　but　when　in　Rome。。。
　〃I　see　you　been　to　the　barber　college；〃　his　benefactor　said　as　he　blew　out　his　match。
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃Go　there　myself　from　time　to　time。〃
　Judy　concentrated　on　smoking　the　cigarette　until　the　man　beside　him　lost　interest　in　conversation。　Behind　the　screen　of　rising　smoke　he　studied　the　people　around　him。　He　was　apparently　the　only　one　who　showed　any　interest　in　his　panions。　Most　of　them　sat　with　vacant　eyes；　or　stared　at　their　plates；　or　the　wall；　or　the　smoke　rising　from　their　cigarettes。
　By　eight　o'clock　he　was　back　on　the　street。　The　humidity　was　bad　and　the　heat　was　building。　Already　the　concrete　sidewalks　had　bee　griddles。　His　panions　wandered　off　in　twos　and　threes；　looking　for　shady　spots　to　snooze；　spots　near　areas　of　heavy　pedestrian　traffic　that　later　in　the　day　could　be　mined　by　panhandling　for　enough　money　to　purchase　the　daily　bottle。
　Deciding　the　street　was　too　dangerous　for　a　man　with　only　a　day's　growth　of　beard；　Judy　ambled　back　toward　the　alley　where　he　had　spent　the　night。　He　concentrated　on　the　derelict's　shuffle；　the　head…down；　stoop…shouldered；　eyes…averted　gait　that　characterized　so　many　of　the　defeated　wanderers…
　His　eye　caught　a　headline　in　a　newspaper　rack。　The　photo…that　was　him！　He　walked　along；　wondering。　Up　ahead　was　a　trash　bin　with　a　paper　sticking　out。　He　snagged　it　and　took　it　back　to　the　alley。
　Drugs。　Cocaine　trafficking。　The　photo　of　him　in　uniform　was　that　service…record　shot　he　had　submitted　last　year。　The　picture　of　Harlan　Albright　was　a　candid　street　shot；　almost　as　if　he　had　been　unaware　of　the　camera。　Still；　it　was　a　good　likeness。　With　his　back　to　the　Dumpster；　sitting　on　the　asphalt；　Smoke　Judy　read　the　stories　carefully。　Vice　Admiral　Henry　was　dead；　according　to　the　Post；　killed　by　a　drug　dealer　resisting　arrest。　Well；　was　the　Post　ever　wrong？
　When　he　finished　the　story　he　threw　the　paper　in　the　Dumpster。
　Now　he　lay　in　the　heat；　his　head　on　his　blanket　roll；　watching　an　old　dog　search　for　edible　garbage。　A　slight　breeze　wafted　down　the　alley；　but　it　wasn't　much。　The　place　was　a　sauna。　After　the　dog　left；　the　only　creatures　vigorously　stirring　were　the　flies。
　Jesus；　who　would　have　believed　things　could　go　so　wrong　so　fast？　The　feds　must　have　been　monitoring　access　to　that　file；　and　the　instant　he　opened　it；　jumped　in　the　car　to　drive　over　and　arrest　him。　From　mander　in　the　U。S。　Navy　to　hunted　fugitive　killer　all　in　one　fifteen…minute　period…that　had　to　be　a　new　record　for　the　fastest　fall　in　the　history　of　the　navy。
　As　he　thought　about　it；　Smoke　Judy　did　not　agonize　over　the　split…second　decisions　he　had　made　or　torture　himself　with　whatifs。　He　had　spent　his　adult　life　in　a　discipline　posed　of　split…second　decisions；　and　he　had　long　ago　learned　to　live　with　them。　You　made　the　best　choice　you　could　on　the　information　you　had　and　never　wasted　time　later　regretting　the　choice。　He　didn't　now。
　Still；　as　he　looked　back；　he　couldn't　really　pinpoint　any　specific　decision　that　he　could　say　had　been　the　perfect　choice　to　make　when　he　made　it。　So　here　he　was；　lying　in　an　alley　ten　blocks　northeast　of　the　White　House。　Hell　must　be　like　this。　dirty　and　hot；　all　the　sinners　baking　slowly；　desperate　for　a　beer。　God；　a　cold　beer　would　taste　so　good！
　The　money。　After　that　phone　call　from　Homer　T。　Wiggins；　he　had　felt　it　unsafe　to