scoonts.theminotaur-第69部分

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rything。　Rumor　has　it　he　used　to　be　a　medical　doctor　in　his　former　life。〃　Dreyfus　shrugged。　〃Looks　like　human　error；　that　plus　the　usual　carelessness　and　a　tiny　pinch　of　rotten　luck。　Voila！　Anything　that　can　go　wrong；　will。　Isn't　that　the　fourth　or　fifth　law　of　thermodynamics　or　Murphy　or　the　Georgia　state　legislature？〃
　〃Something　like　that。〃　Camacho　removed　a　plastic　cup　full　of　decaffeinated　coffee　from　the　vending　machine　and　sat　on　a　plastic　chair　at　a　plastic　table　beneath　a　fluorescent　light　with　a　faulty　igniter…the　light　hummed　and　flickered。
　〃I　think　the　doctor　in　the　mail　room　is　an　illegal。〃
　〃You　asked　to　see　his　green　card？〃
　〃Nope。〃
　〃Going　to？〃
　〃Not　unless　you　tell　me　to。〃
　〃Let's　go　see　if　Wiggins　wants　to　talk。〃
　Dreyfus　stoked　his　pipe　again　on　the　stroll　down　the　hall。　Wiggins'　secretary　glared　at　them。　Dreyfus　gave　her　a　sympathetic　grin；　which　she　ignored。
　They　sat　silently　and　flipped　through　the　magazines　on　the　stand。　It　was　five　more　minutes　before　the　buzzer　sounded　and　they　were　waved　into　the　inner　sanctum。
　〃My　client；〃　said　the　counselor；　〃wishes　to　cooperate。　With　the　understanding；　of　course；　that　he　can　cease　answering　questions　at　any　time。〃
　Wiggins　had　met　Smoke　Judy　on　five　different　occasions。　Judy　knew　that　AeroTech　needed　contracts　and　offered　to　help　in　return　for　a　small　cash　payment　and　some　stock。　On　two　occasions　he　talked　about　a　job　after　he　retired。　Wiggins　had　been　nonmittal　about　the　job；　but　had　agreed　to　the　money　and　the　stock。　Five　thousand　dollars　cash　and　a　bearer　certificate　for　a　thousand　shares　of　AeroTech…currently　worth　12。75　each…had　bought　the　pany　an　advance　peek　at　the　flight　control　data　for　the　TRX　prototype。　The　navy　was　just　floating　a　Request　for　Proposal　（RFP）　for　the　fly…by…wire　system。　AeroTech　bid　for　the　chip　business　and　won　the　contract。
　All　this　Wiggins　admitted；　but　he　stoutly　denied　any　wrongdoing。　〃This　pany；　it　needs　the　business。　And　we　underbid　every　other　contractor　for　those　chips。　We　saved　the　government　a　lot　of　money。　We　didn't　do　anything　that　other　defense　contractors　don't　routinely　do。　It's　a　cutthroat　business。〃
　The　FBI　agents　seemed　unimpressed。
　〃Listen；　if　I　hadn't　agreed　to　Judy's　offer；　he　would　have　peddled　that　information　to　my　petitors。　Then　where　would　I　have　been？　No　contract。　I　have　a　duty　to　this　pany。〃　Color　returned　to　Homer　Wiggins'　cheeks。
　〃Of　course；〃　Dreyfus　said；　〃you　could　have　called　us　when　Judy　first　approached　you。〃
　〃I've　spent　fifteen　years　building　this　business。　I　did　it　with　my　bare　hands；　with　no　money；　with　a　ton　of　sweat；　taking　risks　that　would　scare　the　wits　out　of　a　Vegas　gambler。　I　built　it！〃　Camacho　found　himself　staring　at　Wiggins'　gold　wedding　ring　and　gold　class　ring。　Was　that　Yale？
　〃Now　the　navy　wants　me　to　make　E…PROMs　cheaper　than　anyone　else。　So　I　do。　And　this　is　the　gratitude；　this　is　the　reward！　I　am　treated　like　a　criminal！〃　He　sprayed　saliva　across　the　desk；　and　for　the　first　time　Camacho　saw　the　drive　and　determination　that　had　built　a　successful　corporation。
　〃I　am　treated　like　a　criminal/or　doing　what　everyone　else　does　and　for　making　E…PROM　chips　cheaper　than　anyone　else　can。〃
　Camacho　looked　at　his　watch：　5：30。　Maybe　he　was　still　in　the　office。　〃Do　you　want　to　go　to　jail　tonight？〃
　Wiggins　gaped。　The　blood　drained　from　his　face；　and　for　a　moment　Camacho　thought　he　had　stopped　breathing。
　〃No；〃　he　whispered。
　〃Now　see　here…〃　the　lawyer　began；　but　Camacho　cut　him　off　with　a　jab　of　his　hand。
　〃Have　you　talked　to　Judy　this　week？〃
　〃No。　No！〃
　〃I　want　you　to　call　him　for　me。　I'll　tell　you　what　to　say。　I'll　listen　on　an　extension。　You　will　say　precisely　what　I　tell　you　and　nothing　else。　Will　you　do　it？〃
　〃What　choice　do　I　have？〃　Wiggins　was　recovering。　This　man's　recuperative　powers　were　excellent。　He　could　handle　it。
　〃You　don't　go　to　jail　this　evening。　I　make　my　report　to　the　Justice　Department　and　they　take　it　from　there。　If　they　indict　you；　that's　their　business。　My　report　will　show　that　you　cooperated。〃
　〃I'll　make　the　call。〃
　〃Homer；〃　said　Nash；　〃maybe…〃
　〃I'll　make　the　call。　And　you　go　on　home；　Prescott。　Thanks　for　being　here　this　afternoon。　I'll　call　you。〃
　〃Are　you　sure　you…？〃
　Wiggins　was　examining　his　hands。　Martin　Prescott　Nash　rose　from　his　chair　and　went　out　the　door。　It　swung　shut　behind　him。
　〃Smoke；　this　is　Homer　Wiggins。〃
　〃I　told　you　never　to　call　me…〃
　〃Something's　e　up。　The　FBI　are　here；　in　Detroit。　They're　checking　out　the　chips。　I'm　just　letting　you　know。〃
　Smoke　Judy　was　silent　for　several　seconds。　〃Have　they　talked　to　you？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃What…？〃　His　voice　fell。　〃Do　they　know？〃
　〃About　you？　I　don't　know。　I　think…they　might。　Definitely。〃
　〃Did　you…？〃
　〃I've　got　to　go　now；　Smoke。　I　just　wanted　you　to　know。〃　Wiggins　held　the　instrument　away　from　his　ear；　and　at　a　nod　from　Camacho；　Dreyfus　simultaneously　depressed　the　buttons　on　both　telephones；　severing　the　connection。
　When　they　were　alone　in　the　car　on　the　way　back　to　the　airport；　Camacho　said；　〃I　got　a　little　job　for　you　tomorrow；　Dreyfus。　We're　going　to　need　all　our　people；　and　you'll　probably　have　to　borrow　a　bunch。〃
　Dreyfus　fished　out　his　pipe　and　tobacco　and　merely　glanced　at　his　boss。
　〃I　want　to　keep　track　of　a　man。　We'll　need　discreet　surveillance　teams；　couple　of　choppers　and　the　electronics　boys。〃
　〃Anyone　I　know。〃
　〃Nope。　It's　my　next…door　neighbor；　guy　named　Harlan　Albright。〃
　〃You　know；　in　my　fifteen　years　in　the　FBI　I　have　never　felt　more　like　a　mushroom　than　I　have　working　for　you。　You've　kept　me　in　the　dark　and　shoveled　shit　at　me　for　eighteen　months　now。　If　you　got　croaked　tomorrow；　I　couldn't　even　tell　the　old　man　what　the　hell　you　were　working　on。　I　don't　know。〃
　Camacho；　behind　the　wheel；　kept　his　eyes　on　the　road。　〃The　electronics　guys　already　put　listening　devices　in　his　house；　three　days　ago　when　his　air　conditioning　went　out。　It　was　too　good　an　opportunity　to　pass　up。〃
　Dreyfus　got　his　pipe　going　strongly　and　rolled　down　his　window。　The　car's　air　conditioning　was　going　full　blast。　〃Think　he's　screwing　your　wife？〃
　〃Read　the　security　regulations　lately；　Dreyfus？〃
　〃Listen；　boss。　And　listen　good。　You　want　good　solid　work　from　me　but　you　don't　want　me　to　know　anything。　Now　I　am　just　about　one　day　away　from　submitting　my　resignation。　I　don't　need　this　shit　and　I'm　not　gonna　keep　taking　it！　Not　for　you；　not　for　the　old　man；　not　for　the　Director；　not　for　any　of　you　spook　dingdongs。　And　you　can　put　that　in　my　final　evaluation！〃
　Camacho　braked　the　car　to　a　stop　at　a　light。　He　just　sat　there　behind　the　wheel；　watching　the　light；　waiting　for　it　to　change。　When　it　did；　he　glanced　left　and　hesitated。　An　old　junker　car　was　going　to　run　the　red。　As　it　hurled　by；　Dreyfus　leaned　out　his　window　with　his　middle　finger　jabbed　prominently　aloft。　Camacho　took　his　foot　off　the　brake　and　fed　gas。
　〃Okay；〃　Luis　Camacho　said。　〃You　want　to　know　what's　going　on。　I'll　tell　you。〃　And　he　did。
　
　25
　
　On　Saturday　the　sun　rose　into　a　clean；　bright　sky；　a　pleasant　change　from　the　haze　that　had　been　stalled　over　the　Potomac　River　basin　for　a　week。　The　morning　weatherman　credited　a　cold　front　that　had　swept　through　during　the　night　and　blessed　the　metropolitan　Washington　area　with　some　much…needed　showers。
　mander　Smoke　Judy　absorbed　the　weather　information　while　he　scraped　at　his　chin。　He　had　acquired　the　habit　of　listening　to　the　morning　forecasts　during　his　twenty　years　in　naval　aviation；　and　it　was　hard　to　break。　Yet　he　wasn't　paying　much　attention。　His　mind　was　on　other　things。
　After　finishing　at　the　sink　and　dressing；　he　poured　himself　a　glass　of　orange　juice　and　opened　the　sliding　glass　door　to　his　apartment　balcony。　The　view　was　excellent；　considering　he　was　only　six　floors　up。　From　out　here　he　could　see　the　gleam　of　the　Potomac　and；　on　the　horizon；　the　jutting　spire　of　the　Washington　Monument。　As　usual；　the　jets　were　droning　into　and　out　of　National　Airport。　Even　with　that　cold　front　last　night　today　would　be　hot　Already　the　sun　had　a　bite　to　it。
　He　sat　on　the　little　folding　chair　in　the　sun　and　thought　once　again　about　Harold　Strong　and　the　flight　control　data　and　Homer　T。　Wiggins　of　AeroTech。　Nothing　in　life　ever　works　out　just　the　way　you　think　it　will；　he　told　himself　bitterly。　They　should　put　that　over　the　door　of　every　public　building　in　Washington。
　Strong　had　gotten　suspicious。　Judy　had　spent　one　too　many　evenings　in　the　office；　asked　one　too　many　questions　about　that　TRX　fly…by…wire　system。　So　Strong　had　doctored　the　data；　rendering　it　worthless　unless　one　knew　exactly　how　and　where　it　had　been　changed。
　When　Smoke　found　out；　it　was　too　late。　He　had　already　given　the　data　to　AeroTech；　to　Homer　T。　Wiggins。　Oh；　even　defective　it　was　good　for　what　Homer　wanted　it　for；　to　check　the　AeroTech　manufacturing　capability　and　cost　out　the　manufacturing　process。　Heck；　he　could　have　written　Homer　a　purely　fictitious　report　that　would　have　allowed　AeroTech　to　acplish　the　same　thing。　So　it　wasn't　like　he　had　stiffed　Homer。　And　both　he　and　Homer　knew　that　the　preliminary　data　would　be　changed；　probably　many　times；　during　the　course　of　development。　There　was　no　possibility　that　the　erroneous　stuff　would　end　up　in　an　airplane　that　someone　was　going　to　try　to　fly。
　And　still；　it　happened！　It　happened。　All　the　checks　that　were　supposed　to　be　done；　the　fail…safe；　zero…defects　program；　all　of　it　went　down　the　crapper　in　an　unbelievable　series　of　coincidences。　Now　TRX　was　going　to　fire　a　couple　of　clowns　who　each　thought　the　other　guy　had　done　the　checks。　So　neither　did　them。
　He　tossed　off　the　last　gulp　of　orange　juice　and　wiped　his　mouth　with　his　fingers。　He　sat　the　empty　glass　on　the　concrete　beside　his　chair　and　sat　looking　at　the　city。
　Nothing　he　had　ever　attempted　in　his　whole　life　had　worked　out　right。　What　was　it　the　hippies　called　it？　Karma？
　Funny；　killing　Harold　Strong　had　been　easier　than　he　thought　it　would　be。　Probably　too　easy。　No　doubt　someway；　somehow；　he　had　fucked　that　up　too。
　Looking　back；　it　had　been　a　bad　decision。　Strong　probably　had　nothing　but　a　few　baseless　suspicions　that　he　couldn't　prove…
　Ah　well；　what　was　done　was　done。　You　signed　for　the　plane　and　flew　it　as　best　you　cou