tc.patriotgames-第68章

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e　Jack　to　get　a　nanny。　Her　husband　was　a　little　too　working…class　in　that　respect。　He'd　resisted　the　idea　of　hiring　a　part…time　maid　to　help　with　the　housework　　that　was　all　the　more　crazy　since　Cathy　knew　her　husband　tended　to　be　something　of　a　slob；　slow　to　hang　up　his　clothing。　Getting　the　maid　had　changed　that　a　little。　Now；　nights　before　the　maid　was　due　in；　Jack　scurried　around　picking　things　up　so　that　she　wouldn't　think　the　Ryans　were　a　family　of　slovens。　Jack　could　be　so　funny。　Yes；　she　thought；　we'll　get　a　nanny。　After　all；　Jack's　a　knight　now。　Cathy　smiled　at　the　traffic。　Pushing　him　in　the　right　direction　wouldn't　be　all　that　hard。　Jack　was　very　easy　to　manipulate。　She　changed　lanes　and　darted　past　a　dump　truck　in　third　gear。　The　Porsche　made　it　so　easy　to　accelerate　around　things。
　　　　She　turned　right　into　the　Giant　Steps　parking　lot　two　minutes　later。　The　sports　car　bumped　over　the　uneven　driveway　and　she　brought　it　to　a　stop　in　the　usual　spot。　Cathy　locked　the　car　on　getting　out；　of　course。　Her　Porsche　was　six　years　old；　but　meticulously　maintained。　It　had　been　her　present　to　herself　on　getting　through　her　intern　year　at　Hopkins。　There　wasn't　a　single　scratch　on　the　British　Racing　Green　finish；　and　only　a　Hopkins　parking　sticker　marred　the　gleaming　chrome　bumper。　
　　　　〃Mommy！〃　Sally　met　her　at　the　door。
　　　　Cathy　bent　to　pick　her　up。　It　was　getting　harder　to　bend　over；　and　harder　still　to　stand　up　with　Sally　around　her　neck。　She　hoped　that　their　daughter　would　not　feel　threatened　by　the　arrival　of　the　baby。　Some　kids　were；　she　knew；　but　she　had　already　explained　to　the　little　girl　what　was　going　on；　and　Sally　seemed　to　like　the　idea　of　a　new　brother　or　sister。
　　　　〃So　what　did　my　big　girl　do　today？〃　Dr。　Ryan　asked。　Sally　liked　being　called　a　Big　Girl；　and　this　was　Cathy's　subterfuge　for　ensuring　that　sibling　rivalry　would　be　minimized　by　the　arrival　of　a　〃little〃　boy　or　girl。
　　　　Sally　wriggled　free　to　drop　back　to　the　floor；　and　held　up　a　finger　painting　done　on　what　looked　like　wide…carriage　puter　paper。　It　was　a　credible　abstract　work　of　purple　and　orange。　Together；　mother　and　daughter　went　to　the　back　and　got　her　coat　and　lunch　box。　Cathy　made　sure　that　Sally's　coat　was　zipped　and　the　hood　up　　it　was　only　a　few　degrees　above　freezing　outside；　and　they　didn't　want　Sally　to　get　another　cold。　It　took　a　total　of　five　minutes　from　the　time　Cathy　stopped　the　car　until　she　was　back　out　the　door；　walking　toward　it　again。
　　　　She　didn't　really　notice　the　routineness　of　her　daily　schedule。　Cathy　unlocked　the　door；　got　Sally　into　her　seat；　and　made　sure　the　seat　belt　was　fastened　snugly　before　closing　and　locking　the　door　and　going　around　to　the　left　side　of　the　car。
　　　　She　looked　up　briefly。　Across　Ritchie　Highway　was　a　small　shopping　center；　a　7…Eleven　Store；　a　cleaners；　a　video　store；　and　a　hardware　dealer。　There　was　a　blue　van　parked　at　the　7…Eleven　again。　She'd　noticed　it　twice　the　previous　week。　Cathy　shrugged　it　off。　7…Eleven　was　a　convenience　store；　and　lots　of　people　made　it　a　regular　stop　on　the　way　home。

　　　　〃Hello；　Lady　Ryan；〃　Miller　said　inside　the　van。　The　two　windows　in　the　rear　doors　　they　reminded　Miller　of　the　police　transport　van；　he　smiled　to　himself　at　that　　were　made　of　coated　glass　so　that　an　outsider　couldn't　see　in。　Alex　was　in　the　store　getting　a　six…pack　of　Cokes；　as　he'd　done　on　a　fairly　regular　basis　the　previous　two　weeks。
　　　　Miller　checked　his　watch：　She'd　arrived　at　4：46　and　was　leaving　at　4：52。　Next　to　him；　a　man　with　a　camera　was　shooting　away。　Miller　raised　binoculars。　The　green　Porsche　would　be　easy　to　spot；　plus　it　had　a　customized　license　plate；　CR…SRGN。　Alex　had　explained　how　license　plates　in　Maryland　could　be　bought　to　individual　specifications；　and　Scan　wondered　who'd　be　using　that　code　next　year。　Surely　there　was　another　surgeon　with　the　initials　CR。
　　　　Alex　got　back　in　and　started　the　engine。　The　van　left　the　parking　lot　just　as　the　target's　Porsche　did。　Alex　did　his　own　driving。　He　went　north　on　Ritchie　Highway；　hung　a　quick　U…turn；　and　raced　south　to　keep　the　Porsche　in　sight。　Miller　joined　him　in　the　right…side　seat。
　　　　〃She　takes　this　road　south　to　Route　50；　across　the　Severn　River　bridge；　then　gets　off　50　onto　Route　2。　We　want　to　hit　her　before　she　does　that。　We'll　proceed；　take　the　same　exit；　and　switch　cars　where　I　showed　you。　Too　bad；〃　Alex　said。　〃I　was　beginning　to　like　this　here　van。〃　
　　　　〃You　can　buy　another　with　what　we're　paying　you。〃　
　　　　A　grin　split　the　black　face。　〃Yeah；　I　'spect　so。　Have　a　better　interior　on　the　next　one；　too。〃　He　turned　right；　taking　the　exit　onto　Route　50。　It　was　a　divided；　multilane　highway。　Traffic　was　moderate　to　heavy。　Alex　explained　that　this　was　normal。　
　　　　〃No　problem　getting　the　job　done；〃　he　assured　Miller。
　　　　〃Excellent；〃　Miller　agreed。　〃Good　work；　Alex。〃　Even　if　you　do　have　a　big　mouth。

　　　　Cathy　always　drove　more　sedately　with　Sally　aboard。　The　little　girl　craned　her　neck　to　see　over　the　dashboard；　her　left　hand　fiddling　with　the　seat　belt　buckle　as　it　usually　did。　Her　mother　was　relaxing　now。　It　generally　took　her　about　this　length　of　time　to　settle　down　from　a　hard　day　　there　were　few　easy　ones　　at　the　Wilmer　Eye　Institute。　It　wasn't　stress　so　much。　She'd　had　two　procedures　today　and　would　have　two　more　the　next　day。　She　loved　her　work。　There　were　a　lot　of　people　now　who　could　see　only　because　of　her　professional　skill；　and　the　satisfaction　of　that　was　not　something　easily　municated；　even　to　Jack。　The　price　of　it　was　that　her　days　were　rarely　easy　ones。　The　minute　precision　demanded　by　ophthalmic　surgery　denied　her　coffee　　she　couldn't　risk　the　slight　tremor　in　her　hands　that　might　e　from　caffeine　　and　imposed　a　degree　of　concentration　on　her　that　few　professions　demanded。　There　were　more　difficult　medical　skills；　but　not　many。　This　was　the　main　reason　she　drove　her　911。　It　was　as　though　in　pushing　through　the　air；　or　taking　a　tight　corner　at　twenty…five　in　second　gear；　the　car　drained　the　excess　energy　from　the　driver　and　spread　it　into　the　environment。　She　almost　always　got　home　in　a　good　mood。　Tonight　would　be　better　still　since　it　was　Jack's　turn　to　fix　dinner。　If　the　car　had　been　built　with　a　brain；　it　would　have　noticed　the　reduced　pressure　on　accelerator　and　brakes　as　they　took　the　Route　2　exit。　It　was　being　pampered　now；　like　a　faithful　horse　that　had　jumped　all　the　fences　properly。

　　　　〃Okay？〃　Alex　asked；　keeping　west　on　Route　50　toward　Washington。
　　　　The　other　man　in　the　back　handed　Miller　the　clipboard　with　the　new　time　notation。　There　was　a　total　of　seven　entries；　all　but　the　last　plete　with　photographs。　Scan　looked　at　the　numbers。　The　target　was　on　a　beautifully　regular　schedule。　
　　　　〃Fine；〃　he　said　after　a　moment。
　　　　〃I　can't　give　you　a　precise　spot　for　the　hit　　traffic　can　make　things　go　a　little　funny。　I'd　say　we　should　try　on　the　east　side　of　the　bridge。〃　
　　　　〃Agreed。〃

　　　　Cathy　Ryan　walked　into　her　house　fifteen　minutes　later。　She　unzipped　Sally's　coat　and　watched　her　little　　〃big〃　　girl　struggle　out　of　the　sleeves；　a　skill　she　was　just　beginning　to　acquire。　Cathy　took　it　and　hung　it　up　before　getting　out　of　her　coat。　Mother　and　daughter　then　proceeded　to　the　kitchen；　where　they　heard　the　unmistakable　noise　of　a　husband　trying　to　fix　dinner　and　a　television　tuned　to　the　MacNeil…Lehrer　Report。　
　　　　〃Daddy；　look　what　I　did！〃　Sally　said　first。
　　　　〃Oh；　great！〃　Jack　took　the　picture　and　examined　it　with　great　care。　〃I　think　we'll　hang　this　one　up。〃　All　of　them　got　hung　up。　The　art　gallery　in　question　was　the　front　of　the　family　refrigerator。　A　magnetized　holder　gave　the　finger　painting　a　semi…permanent　place　over　the　ice　and　cold…water　dispenser。　Sally　never　noticed　that　there　was　a　new　hanging　spot　every　day。　Nor　did　she　know　that　every　such　painting　was　saved；　tucked　away　in　a　box　in　the　foyer　closet。
　　　　〃Hi；　babe。〃　Jack　kissed　his　wife　next。　〃How　were　things　today？〃
　　　　〃Two　cornea　replacements。　Bernie　assisted　on　the　second　one　　it　was　a　bear。　Tomorrow；　I'm　scheduled　for　a　vitrectomy。　Bernie　says　hi；　by　the　way。〃　
　　　　〃How's　his　kid？〃　Jack　asked。
　　　　〃Just　an　appendectomy；　she'll　be　climbing　the　monkey　bars　next　week；〃　Cathy　replied；　surveying　the　kitchen。　She　often　wo