rl.thebourneidentity-第39章

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　'Peter　makes　it　a　point　to　know　someone　everywhere。　It's　one　of　his　more　useful　but　less　attractive　traits。'
　'Sounds　like　he　will。'　Bourne　got　their　coats。　'After　your　call　we'll　have　dinner。　I　think　we　could　both　use　a　drink。'
　'Let's　go　past　the　bank　on　rue　Madeleine。　I　want　to　see　something。'
　'What　can　you　see　at　night？！　'A　telephone　TJOX。　I　hope　there's　one　nearby。〃　There　was。　Diagonally　across　the　street　from　the　entrance。
　The　tall　blond　man　wearing　tortoise…shell　glasses　checked　his　watch　under　the　afternoon　sun　on　the　rue　Madeleine。　The　pavements　were　crowded；　the　traffic　in　the　street　unreasonable；　as　most　traffic　was　in　Paris。　He　entered　the　telephone　box　and　untangled　the　telephone　which　had　been　hanging　free　of　its　cradle；　the　line　knotted。　It　was　a　courteous　sign　to　the　next　would…be　user　that　the　phone　was　out　of　mission；　it　reduced　the　chance　that　the　box　would　be　occupied。　It　had　worked。
　He　glanced　at　his　watch　again；　the　time　span　had　begun。　Marie　inside　the　bank。　She　would　call　within　the　next　few　minutes。　He　took　several　coins　from　his　pocket；　put　them　on　the　ledge；　and　leaned　against　the　glass　panel；　his　eyes　on　the　bank　across　the　street。　A　cloud　diminished　the　sunlight　and　he　could　see　his　reflection　in　the　glass。。　He　approved　of　what　he　saw；　recalling　the　startled　reaction　of　a　hairdresser　in　Montparnasse　who　had　sequestered　him　in　a　curtained　booth　while　performing　the　blond　transformation。　The　cloud　passed；　the　sunlight　returned；　and　the　telephone　rang。
　'It's　you？'　asked　Marie　St　Jacques。
　'It's　me；'　said　Bourne。
　'Make　sure　you　get　the　name　and　the　location　of　the　office。　And　rough　up　your　French。　Mispronounce　a　few　words　so　he　knows　you're　American。　Tell　him　you're　not　used　to　the　telephones　in　Paris。　Then　do　everything　in　sequence。　I'll　call　you　back　in　exactly　five　minutes。〃
　'Clock's　on。'
　'What？'
　'Nothing。　I　mean；　let's　go。〃
　'All　right。。。　The　clock　is　on。　Good　luck。！
　Thanks。'　Jason　depressed　the　lever；　released　it；　and　dialled　the　number　he　had　memorized。
　'La　Banque　de　Valois。　Ban　jour。'
　'I　need　assistance；'　said　Bourne；　continuing　with　the　approximate　words　Marie　had　told　him　to　use。　'I　recently　transferred　sizeable　funds　from　Switzerland　on　a　pouch…courier　basis。　I'd　like　to　know　if　they've　cleared。'
　'That　would　be　our　Foreign　Services　Department；　sir。　I'll　connect　you。'
　A　click；　then　another　female　voice。　'Foreign　Services。'
　Jason　repeated　his　request。
　'May　I　have　your　name；　please？'
　'I'd　prefer　speaking　with　an　officer　of　the　bank　before　giving　it。'
　There　was　a　pause　on　the　line。　'Very　well；　sir。　I'll　switch　you　to　the　office　of　Vice…President　d'Amacourt。'
　Monsieur　d'Amacourt's　secretary　was　less　acmodating；　the　bank　officer's　screening　process　activated；　as　Marie　had　predicted。　So　Bourne　once　more　used　Marie's　words。　'I'm　referring　to　a　transfer　from　Zurich；　from　the　Gememschaft
　Bank　on　the　Bahnhofstrasse；　and　I'm　talking　in　the　area　of　several　figures。　Monsieur　d'Amacourt；　if　you　please。　I　have　very　little　time。'
　It　was　not　a　secretary's　place　to　be　the　cause　of　further　delay。　A　perplexed　first　vice…president　got　on　the　line。
　'May　I　help　you？'
　'Are　you　d'Amacourt？'　asked　Jason。
　'I　am　Antoine　d'Amacourt；　yes。　And　who；　may　I　ask；　is　calling？'
　'Good！　I　should　have　been　given　your　name　in　Zurich。　I'll　make　certain　next　time　certainly；'　said　Bourne；　the　redundancy　intended；　his　accent　American。
　'I　beg　your　pardon？　Would　you　be　more　fortable　speaking　English；　monsieur？〃
　'Yes；'　replied　Jason；　doing　so。　'I'm　having　enough　trouble　with　this　damn　phone。'　He　looked　at　his　watch；　he　had　less　than　two　minutes。　'My　name's　Bourne；　Jason　Bourne；　and　eight　days　ago　I　transferred　four　million　francs　from　the　Gememschaft　Bank　in　Zurich。　They　assured　me　the　transaction　would　be　confidential。。。'
　'All　transactions　are　confidential；　sir。〃
　'Fine。　Good。　What　I　want　to　know　is；　has　everything　cleared？'
　'I　should　explain；'　continued　the　bank　officer；　'that　confidentiality　excludes　blanket　confirmations　of　such　transactions　to　unknown　parties　over　the　telephone。'
　Marie　bad　been　right；　the　logic　of　her　trap　became　clearer　to　Jason。
　'I　would　hope　so；　but　as　I　told　your　secretary　I'm　in　a　hurry。　I'm　leaving　Pans　in　a　couple　of　hours　and　I　have　to　put　everything　in　order！
　'Then　I　suggest　you　e　to　the　bank。'
　'I　know　that；'　said　Bourne；　satisfied　that　the　conversation　was　going　precisely　the　way　Marie　had　foreseen。　'I　just　wanted　everything　ready　when　I　got　there。　Where's　your　office？'
　'On　the　main　floor；　Monsieur。　At　the　rear；　beyond　the　gate；　centre　door。　A　receptionist　is　there。〃
　'And　I'll　be　dealing　only　with　you；　right？〃
　'If　you　wish；　although　any　officer。。。〃
　'Look；　mister；'　exclaimed　the　ugly　American；　'we're　talking　about　millions　of　francs
　'Only　with　me；　Monsieur　Bourne。'
　Fine。　Good。'　Jason　put　his　fingers　on　the　cradle　bar。　He　had　fifteen　seconds　to　go。　'Look；　it's　two…thirty…five　now。。。〃　He　pressed　down　twice　on　the　lever；　breaking　the　line；　but　not　disconnecting　it。　'Hello？　Hello？〃
　'I　am　here；　Monsieur。'
　'Damn　phones！　Listen；　I'll。。。'　He　pressed　down　again；　now　three　times　in　rapid　succession。　'Hello？　Hello？'
　'Monsieur；　please；　if　you'll　give　me　your　telephone　number。！
　'Operator？　Operator！？'
　'Monsieur　Bourne；　please。。。'
　'I　can't　hear　you！'　Four　seconds；　three　seconds。；　two　seconds。　'Wait　a　minute。　I'll　call　you　back。'　He　held　the　lever　down；　breaking　the　connection。　Three　more　seconds　elapsed　and　the　phone　rang；　he　picked　it　up。　'His　name's　d'Amacourt；　office　on　the　main　floor；　rear；　centre　door。'
　'I've　got　it；'　said　Marie；　hanging　up。
　Bourne　dialled　the　bank　again；　inserted　coins　again。　'Je　parlais　avec　Monsieur　d'Amacourt　quand　le　telephone　coupe。。。〃
　'Je　regrette；　monsieur。'
　'Monsieur　Bourne？'
　'D'Amacourt？'
　'Yes；　I'm　so　terribly　sorry　you're　having　such　trouble。　You　were　saying？　About　the　time？'
　'Oh；　yeah。　It's　a　link　after　two…thirty。　I'll　get　there　by　three　o'clock。'
　'I　look　forward　to　meeting　you；　Monsieur。'
　Jason　reknotted　the　phone；　letting　it　hang　free；　then　left　the　box　and　walked　quickly　through　crowds　to　the　shade　of　a　shop　front　canopy。　He　turned　and　waited；　his　eyes　on　the　bank　across　the　way；　remembering　another　bank　in　Zurich　and　the　sound　of　sirens　on　the　Bahnhofstrasse。　The　next　twenty　minutes　would　tell　whether　Marie　was　right　or　not。　If　she　was；　there　would　be　no　sirens　on　the　rue　Madeleine。
　The　slender　woman　in　the　wide…brimmed　hat　that　partially　covered　the　side　of　her　face　hung　up　the　public　phone　on　the　wall　to　the　right　of　the　bank's　entrance。　She　opened　her　bag；　removed　a　pact　and　ostensibly　checked　her　make…up；　angling　the　small　mirror　first　to　the　left；　then　to　the　right。　Satisfied；　she　replaced　the　pact；　closed　her　bag；　and　walked　past　the　tellers'　cages　towards　the　rear　of　the　main　floor。　She　stopped　at　a　counter　in　the　centre；　picked　up　a　chained　ballpoint　pen；　and　began　writing　aimless　numbers　on　a　form　that　had　been　left　on　the　marble　surface。　Less　than　ten　feet　away　was　a　small；　brass…framed　gate；　flanked　by　a　low　wooden　railing　that　extended　the　width　of　the　lobby。　Beyond　the　gate　and　the　railing　were　the　desks　of　the　lesser　executives　and　behind　them　the　desks　of　the　major　secretaries　…　five　in　all　…　in　front　of　five　doors　in　the　rear　wall。　Marie　read　the　name　painted　in　gold　script　on　the　centre　door。
　M。　A。　R。　d'Amacourt。　Affaires　Etrangeres
　Premier　Vice…President
　It　would　happen　any　moment　now　…　if　it　was　going　to　happen；　if　she　was　right。　And　if　she　was；　she　had　to　know　what　M。　A。　R。　d'Amacourt　looked　like；　he　would　be　the　man　Jason　could　reach。　Reach　him　and　talk　to　him；　but　not　in　the　bank。
　It　happened。　There　was　a　flurry　of　controlled　activity。　The　secretary　at　the　desk　in　front　of　d'Amacourt's　office　rushed　inside　with　her　note　pad；　emerged　thirty　seconds　later；　and　picked　up　the　phone。　She　dialled　three　digits　…　an　inside　call　…and　spoke；　reading　from　her　pad。
　Two　minutes　passed；　the　door　of　d'Amacourt's　office　opened　and　the　vice…president　stood　in　the　frame；　an　anxious　executive　concerned　over　an　unwarranted　delay。　He　was　a　middle…aged　man　with　a　face　older　than　his　age；　but　striving　to　look