jg.thefirm-第70部分

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　　In　a　file　by　a　coffee　table　inside　were　the　warrants。　For　Ray　McDeere；　the　warrant　read：　escape；　unlawful　flight；　robbery　and　rape。　Abby's　sin　was　merely　being　an　acplice。　The　charges　for　Mitch　required　more　creativity。　Obstruction　of　justice　and　a　nebulous　racketeering　charge。　And　of　course　the　old　standby；　mail　fraud。　Tarrance　was　not　sure　where　the　mail　fraud　fit；　but　he　worked　for　the　FBI　and　had　never　seen　a　case　that　did　not　include　mail　fraud。
　　The　warrants　were　issued　and　ready　and　had　been　fully　discussed　with　dozens　of　reporters　from　newspapers　and　television　stations　throughout　the　Southeast。　Trained　to　maintain　a　stone　face　and　loathe　the　press；　Tarrance　was　having　a　delightful　time　with　the　reporters。
　　Publicity　was　needed。　Publicity　was　critical。　The　authorities　must　find　the　McDeeres　before　the　Mob　did。
　　Rick　Acklin　ran　through　the　room　to　the　balcony。　〃They've　found　the　car！〃
　　Tarrance　and　Voyles　jumped　to　their　feet。　〃Where？〃
　　〃Panama　City　Beach。　In　the　parking　lot　of　a　high　rise。〃
　　〃Call　our　men　in；　every　one　of　them！〃　Voyles　yelled。　〃Stop　searching　everywhere。　I　want　every　agent　in　Panama　City　Beach。　We'll　turn　the　place　inside　out。　Get　all　the　locals　you　can。　Tell　them　to　set　up　roadblocks　on　every　highway　and　gravel　road　in　and　out　of　there。　Dust　the　car　for　prints。　What's　the　town　look　like？〃
　　〃Similar　to　Destin。　A　twelve…mile　strip　along　the　beach　with　hotels；　motels；　condos；　the　works；〃　Acklin　answered。
　　〃Start　our　men　door　to　door　at　the　hotels。　Is　her　posite　ready？〃
　　〃Should　be；〃　Acklin　said。
　　〃Get　her　posite；　Mitch's　posite；　Ray's　posite　and　Ray's　mug　shot　in　the　hands　of　every　agent　and　cop。　I　want　people　walking　up　and　down　the　Strip　waving　those　damn　posites。〃
　　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　　〃How　far　away　is　Panama　City　Beach？〃
　　〃About　fifty　minutes　due　east。〃
　　〃Get　my　car。〃
　　The　phone　woke　Aaron　Rimmer　in　his　room　at　the　Perdido　Beach　Hilton。　It　was　the　investigator　with　the　Baldwin　County　Sheriff's　Department。　They　found　the　car；　Mr。　Rimmer；　he　said；　in　Panama　City　Beach。　Just　a　few　minutes　ago。　About　a　mile　from　the　Holiday　Inn。　On　Highway　98。　Sorry　again　about　the　girl；　he　said。　Hope　she's　doing　better；　he　said。
　　Mr。　Rimmer　said　thanks；　and　immediately　called　Lazarov　at　the　Sandpiper。　Ten　minutes　later；　he　and　his　roommate；　Tony；　and　DeVasher　and　fourteen　others　were　speeding　east。　Panama　City　Beach　was　three　hours　away。
　　In　Destin；　Lazarov　mobilized　the　storm　troopers。　They　moved　out　quickly；　piled　into　the　vans　and　headed　east。　The　blitzkrieg　had　begun。
　　It　took　only　a　matter　of　minutes　for　the　U…Haul　to　bee　a　hot　item。　The　assistant　manager　of　the　rental　pany　in　Nashville　was　a　guy　named　Billy　Weaver。　He　opened　the　office　early　Friday　morning；　fixed　his　coffee　and　scanned　the　paper。　On　the　bottom　half　of　the　front　page；　Billy　read　with　interest　the　story　about　Ray　McDeere　and　the　search　along　the　coast。　And　then　Abby　was　mentioned。　Then　the　escapee's　brother；　Mitch　McDeere；　was　mentioned。　The　name　rang　a　bell。
　　Billy　opened　a　drawer　and　flipped　through　the　records　of　outstanding　rentals。　Sure　enough；　a　man　named　McDeere　had　rented　a　sixteen…footer　late　Wednesday　night。　M。　Y。　McDeere；　said　the　signature；　but　the　driver's　license　read　Mitchell　Y。　From　Memphis。
　　Being　a　patriot　and　honest　taxpayer；　Billy　called　his　cousin　at　Metro　Police。　The　cousin　called　the　Nashville　FBI　office；　and　fifteen　minutes　later；　the　U…Haul　was　a　hot　item。
　　Tarrance　took　the　call　on　the　radio　while　Acklin　drove。　Voyles　was　in　the　back　seat。　A　U…Haul？　Why　would　he　need　a　U…Haul？　He　left　Memphis　without　his　car；　clothes；　shoes　or　toothbrush。　He　left　the　dog　unfed。　He　took　nothing　with　him；　so　why　the　U…Haul？
　　The　Bendini　records；　of　course。　Either　he　left　Nashville　with　the　records　in　the　truck　or　he　was　in　the　truck　en　route　to　get　them。　But　why　Nashville？
　　Mitch　was　up　with　the　sun。　He　took　one　long；　lustful　look　at　his　wife　with　the　cute　blond　hair　and　forgot　about　sex。　It　could　wait。　He　let　her　sleep。　He　walked　around　the　stacks　of　boxes　in　the　small　room　and　went　to　the　bathroom。　He　showered　quickly　and　slipped　on　a　gray　sweat　suit　he'd　bought　at　a　Wal…Mart　in　Montgomery。　He　eased　along　the　beach　for　a　half　mile　until　he　found　a　convenience　store。　He　bought　a　sackful　of　Cokes；　pastries　and　chips；　sunglasses；　caps　and　three　newspapers。
　　Ray　was　waiting　by　the　U…Haul　when　he　returned。　They　spread　the　papers　on　Ray's　bed。　It　was　worse　than　they　expected。　Mobile；　Pensacola　and　Montgomery　had　frontpage　stories　with　posites　of　Ray　and　Mitch；　along　with　the　mug　shot　again。　Abby's　posite　had　not　been　released；　according　to　the　Pensacola　paper。
　　As　posites　go；　they　were　close　here　and　there　and　badly　off　in　other　areas。　But　it　was　hard　to　be　objective。
　　Hell；　Mitch　was　staring　at　his　own　posite　and　trying　to　give　an　unbiased　opinion　about　how　close　it　was。　The　stories　were　full　of　all　sorts　of　wild　statements　from　one　Wayne　Tarrance；　special　agent；　FBI。　Tarrance　said　Mitchell　McDeere　had　been　spotted　in　the　Gulf　Shores…Pensacola　area；　that　he　and　Ray　both　were　known　to　be　heavily　armed　and　extremely　dangerous；　that　they　had　vowed　not　to　be　taken　alive；　that　reward　money　was　being　gathered；　that　if　anyone　saw　a　man　who　faintly　resembled　either　of　the　McDeere　brothers；　please　call　the　local　police。
　　They　ate　pastries　and　decided　the　posites　were　not　close。　The　mug　shot　was　even　ical。　They　eased　next　door　and　woke　Abby。　They　began　unpacking　the　Bendini　Papers　and　assembling　the　video　camera。
　　At　nine；　Mitch　called　Tammy；　collect。　She　had　the　new　IDs　and　passports。　He　instructed　her　to　Federal　Express　them　to　Sam　Fortune；　front　desk；　Sea　Gull's　Rest　Motel；　16694　Highway　98；　West　Panama　City　Beach；　Florida。　She　read　to　him　the　front…page　story　about　himself　and　his　small　gang。　No　posites。
　　He　told　her　to　ship　the　passports；　then　leave　Nashville。　Drive　four　hours　to　Knoxville；　check　into　a　big　motel　and　call　him　at　Room　39；　Sea　Gull's　Rest。　He　gave　her　the　number。
　　Two　FBI　agents　knocked　on　the　door　of　the　old　ragged　trailer　at　486　San　Luis。　Mr。　Ainsworth　came　to　the　door　in　his　underwear。　They　flashed　their　badges。
　　〃So　whatta　you　want　with　me？〃　he　growled。
　　An　agent　handed　him　the　morning　paper。　〃Do　you　know　those　two　men？〃
　　He　studied　the　paper。　〃I　guess　they're　my　wife's　boys。　Never　met　them。〃
　　〃And　your　wife's　name　is？〃
　　〃Eva　Ainsworth。〃
　　〃Where　is　she？〃
　　Mr。　Ainsworth　was　scanning　the　paper。　〃At　work。　At　the　Waffle　Hut。　Say　they're　around　here；　huh？〃
　　〃Yes；　sir。　You　haven't　seen　them？〃
　　〃Hell　no。　But　I'll　get　my　gun。〃
　　〃Has　your　wife　seen　them？〃
　　〃Not　to　my　knowledge。〃
　　〃Thanks；　Mr。　Ainsworth。　We've　got　orders　to　set　up　watch　here　in　the　street；　but　we　won't　bother　you。〃
　　〃Good。　These　boys　are　crazy。　I've　always　said　that。〃
　　A　mile　away；　another　pair　of　agents　parked　discreetly　next　to　a　Waffle　Hut　and　set　up　watch。
　　By　noon；　all　highways　and　county　roads　into　the　coast　around　Panama　City　Beach　were　blocked。　Along　the　Strip；　cops　stopped　traffic　every　four　miles。　They　walked　from　one　T…shirt　shop　to　the　next；　handing　out　posites。　They　posted　them　on　the　bulletin　boards　in　Shoney's；　Pizza　Hut；　Taco　Bell　and　a　dozen　more　fast…food　places。　They　told　the　cashiers　and　waitresses　to　keep　their　eyes　open　for　the　McDeeres。　Very　dangerous　people。
　　Lazarov　and　his　men　camped　at　the　Best　Western；　two　miles　west　of　the　Sea　Gull's　Rest。　He　rented　a　large　conference　room　and　set　up　mand。　Four　of　his　troops　were　dispatched　to　raid　a　T…shirt　shop；　and　they　returned　with　all　sorts　of　tourist　clothes　and　straw　hats　and　caps。　He　rented　two　Ford　Escorts　and　equipped　them　with　police　scanners。　They　patrolled　the　Strip　and　listened　to　the　endless　squawking。　They　immediately　caught　the　search　for　the　U…Haul　and　joined　in。　DeVasher　strategically　spread　the　rented　vans　along　the　Strip。　They　sat　innocently　in　large　parking　lots　and　waited　with　their　radios。
　　Around　two；　Lazarov　received　an　emergency　call　from　an　employee　on　the　fifth　floor　of　the　Bendini　Building。　Two　things。　First；　an　employee　snooping　around　the　Caymans　had　found　an　old　locksmith　who；　after　being　paid；　recalled　making　eleven　keys　around　midnight　of　April　1。　Eleven　keys；　on　two　rings。　Said　the　woman；　a　very　attractive　American；　a　brunette　with　nice　legs；　had　paid　cash　and　was　in　a　hurry。　Said　the　keys　had　been　easy；　except　for　the　Mercedes　key。　He　wasn't　sure　about　that　one。　Second；　a　banker　from　Grand　Cayman　called。　Thursday　at　9：33　A。M。；　ten　million　dollars　had　been　wired　from　the　Royal　Bank　of　Montreal　to　the　Southeastern　Bank　in　Nashville。
　　Between　four　and　four…thirty；　the　police　scanners　went　wild。　The　squawking　was　nonstop。　A　clerk　at　the　Holiday　Inn　made　a　probable　ID　of　Abby；　as　the　woman　who　paid　cash　for　two　rooms　at　4：17　A。M。；　Thursday。　She　paid　for　three　nights；　but　had　not　been　seen　since　the　rooms　were　cleaned　around　one　on　Thursday。　Evidently；　neither　room　had　been　slept　in　Thursday　night。　She　had　not　checked　out；　and　the　rooms　were　paid　for　through　noon　Saturday。　The　clerk　saw　no　sign　of　a　male　acplice。　The　Holiday　Inn　was　swamped　with　cops　and　FBI　agents　and　Morolto　thugs　for　an　hour。　Tarrance　himself　interrogated　the　clerk。
　　They　were　there！　Somewhere　in　Panama　City　Beach。　Ray　and　Abby　were　confirmed。　It　was　suspected　Mitch　was　with　them；　but　it　was　unconfirmed。　Until　4：58；　Friday　afternoon。
　　The　bombshell。　A　county　deputy　pulled　into　a　cheap　motel　and　noticed　the　gray…and…white　hood　of　a　truck。　He　walked　between　two　buildings　and　smiled　at　the　small　U…Haul　truck　hidden　neatly　between　a　row　of　two…story　rooms　and　a　large　garbage　Dumpster。　He　wrote　down　all　the　numbers　on　the　truck　and　called　it　in。
　　It　hit！　In　five　minutes　the　motel　was　surrounded。　The　owner　charged　from　the　front　office　and　demanded　an　explanation。　He　looked　at　the　posites　and　shook　his　head。　Five　FBI　badges　napped　in　his　face；　and　he　became　cooperative。
　　Acpanied　by　a　dozen　agents；　he　took　the　keys　and　went　door　to　door。　Forty…eight　doors。
　　Only　seven　were〃　occupied。　The　owner　explained　as　he　unlocked　doors　that　it　was　a　slow　time　of　the　year　at　the　Beachber　Inn。　All　of　the　smaller　motels　struggle　until　Memorial