dk.watchers-第90部分

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　did　not　seem　to　care　that　he　had　at　last　tracked　them　down。
　He　said；　〃Aren't　you　interested　in　how　we　located　you？〃
　The　woman　shook　her　head。
　Cornell　said；　〃If　you　really　want　to　tell　us；　go　ahead　and　have　your　fun。〃
　Frowning；　puzzled；　Lem　said；　〃Well；　it　was　simple。　We　knew　that　Mr。　Dilworth　had　to've　called　you　from　some　house　or　business　within　a　few　blocks　of　that　park　north　of　the　harbor。　So　we　tied　our　own　puters　into　the　telephone　pany's　records…with　their　permission；　of　course…and　put　men　to　work　examining　all　the　long…distance　calls　charged　to　all　the　numbers　within　three　blocks　of　that　park；　on　that　one　night。　Nothing　led　us　to　you。　But　then　we　realized　that；　when　charges　are　reversed；　the　call　isn't　billed　to　the　number　from　which　the　call　is　placed；　it　appears　on　the　records　of　the　person　who　accepts　the　reversed　charges…which　was　you。　But　it　also　appears　in　a　special　phone…pany　file　so　they'll　be　able　to　document　the　call　if　the　person　who　accepted　the　charges　later　refuses　to　pay。　We　went　through　that　special　file；　which　is　very　small；　and　quickly　found　a　call　placed　from　a　house　along　the　coast；　just　north　of　the　beach　park；　to　your　number　here。　When　we　went　around　to　talk　to　the　people　there…the　Essenby　family…we　focused　on　their　son；　a　teenager　named　Tommy；　and　although　it　took　some　time；　we　ascertained　that　it　had；　indeed；　been　Dilworth　who　used　their　phone。　The　first　part　was　terribly　time…consuming；　weeks　and　weeks；　but　after　that　。　。　。　child's　play。〃
　〃Do　you　want　a　medal　or　what？〃　Cornell　asked。
　The　woman　picked　up　another　apple；　quartered　it；　and　began　to　strip　off　the　peel。
　They　were　not　making　this　easy　for　him…but　then　his　intentions　were　much　different　from　what　they　would　be　expecting。　They　could　not　be　criticized　for　being　cool　toward　him　when　they　did　not　yet　know　that　he　had　e　as　a　friend。
　He　said；　〃Listen；　I've　left　my　men　at　the　end　of　the　lane。　Told　them　you　might　panic；　do　something　stupid；　if　you　saw　us　ing　in　a　group。　But　why　I　really　came　alone　was　。　。　。　to　make　you　an　offer。〃
　They　both　met　his　eyes　at　last；　with　interest。
　He　said；　〃I'm　getting　out　of　this　goddamn　job　by　spring。　Why　I'm　getting　Out　。　。　。　you　don't　have　to　know　or　care。　Just　say　that　I've　gone　through　a　sea　change。　Learned　to　deal　with　failure；　and　now　it　doesn't　scare　me　any　more。〃　He　sighed　and　shrugged。　〃Anyway；　the　dog　doesn't　belong　in　a　cage。　I　don't　give　a　good　goddamn　what　they　say；　what　they　want…I　know　what's　right。　I　know　what　it's　like　being　in　a　cage。　I've　been　in　one　most　of　my　life；　Until　recently。　The　dog　shouldn't　have　to　go　back　to　that。　What　I'm　going　to　Suggest　is　that　you　get　him　out　of　here　now；　Mr。　Cornell；　take　him　off　through　the　woods；　let　him　somewhere　that　he'll　be　safe；　then　e　back　and　face　the　music。　Say　that　the　dog　ran　off　a　couple　of　months　ago；　in　some　other
　place；　and　you　think　he　must　be　dead　by　now；　or　in　the　hands　of　people　who're　taking　good　care　of　him。　There'll　still　be　the　problem　of　The　Outsider；　which　you　must　know　about；　but　you　and　I　can　work　up　a　way　to　deal　with　that　when　it　es。　I'll　put　men　on　a　surveillance　of　you；　but　after　a　few　weeks　I'll　pull　them；　say　it's　a　lost　cause…〃
　Cornell　stood　up　and　stepped　to　Lem's　chair。　With　his　left　hand　he　grabbed　hold　of　Lem's　shirt　and　hauled　him　to　his　feet。　〃You're　sixteen　days　too　late；　you　son　of　a　bitch。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃The　dog　is　dead。　The　Outsider　killed　him；　and　I　killed　The　Outsider。〃
　The　woman　laid　down　her　paring　knife　and　a　piece　of　apple。　She　put　her　face　in　her　hands　and　sat　forward　in　her　chair；　shoulders　hunched；　making　soft；　sad　sounds。
　〃Ah；　Jesus；〃　Lem　said。
　Cornell　let　go　of　him。　Embarrassed；　depressed；　Lem　straightened　his　tie；　smoothed　the　wrinkles　out　of　his　shirt。　He　looked　down　at　his　pants…brushed　them　off。
　〃Ah；　Jesus；〃　he　repeated。
　　　
　Cornell　was　willing　to　lead　them　to　the　place　in　the　forest　where　he　had　buried　The　Outsider。
　Lem's　men　dug　it　up。　The　monstrosity　was　wrapped　in　plastic；　but　they　didn't　have　to　unwrap　it　to　know　that　it　was　Yarbeck's　creation。
　The　weather　had　been　cool　since　the　thing　had　been　killed；　but　it　was　getting　rank。
　Cornell　would　not　tell　them　where　the　dog　was　buried。　〃He　never　had　much　of　a　chance　to　live　in　peace；〃　Cornell　said　sullenly。　〃But；　by　God；　he's　going　to　rest　in　peace　now。　No　one's　going　to　put　him　on　an　autopsy　table　and　hack　him　up。　No　way。〃
　〃In　a　case　where　the　national　security　is　at　stake；　you　can　be　forced…〃
　〃Let　them；〃　Cornell　said。　〃If　they　haul　me　up　before　a　judge　and　try　to　make　me　tell　them　where　I　buried　Einstein；　I'll　spill　the　whole　story　to　the　press。　But　if　they　leave　Einstein　alone；　if　they　leave　me　and　mine　alone；　I'll　keep　my　mouth　shut。　I　don't　intend　to　go　back　to　Santa　Barbara；　to　pick　up　as　Travis　Cornell。　I'm　Hyatt　now；　and　that's　what　I'm　going　to　stay。　My　old　life's　gone　forever。　There's　no　reason　to　go　back。　And　if　the　government's　smart；　it'll　let　me　be　Hyatt　and　stay　out　of　my　way。〃
　Lem　stared　at　him　a　long　time。　Then：　〃Yeah；　if　they're　smart；　I　think　they'll　do　just　that。〃
　　　
　Later　that　same　day；　as　Jim　Keene　was　cooking　dinner；　his　phone　rang。　It　was　Garrison　Dilworth；　whom　he　had　never　met　but　had　gotten　to　know
　during　the　past　week　by　acting　as　liaison　between　the　attorney　and　Travis　and　Nora。　Garrison　was　calling　from　a　pay　phone　in　Santa　Barbara。
　〃They　show　up　yet？〃　the　attorney　asked。
　〃Early　this　afternoon；〃　Jim　said。　〃That　Tommy　Essenby　must　be　a　good　kid。〃
　〃Not　bad；　really。　But　he　didn't　e　to　see　me　and　warn　me　out　of　the　goodness　of　his　heart。　He's　in　rebellion　against　authority。　When　they　pressured　him　into　admitting　that　I　made　the　call　from　his　house　that　night；　he　resented　them。　As　inevitably　as　billy　goats　ram　their　heads　into　board　fences；　Tommy　came　straight　to　me。〃
　〃They　took　away　The　Outsider。〃
　〃What　about　the　dog？〃
　〃Travis　said　he　wouldn't　show　them　where　the　grave　was。　Made　them　believe　that　he'd　kick　a　lot　of　ass　and　pull　down　the　whole　temple　on　everyone's　heads　if　they　pushed　him。〃
　〃How's　Nora？〃　Dilworth　asked。
　〃She　won't　lose　the　baby。〃
　〃Thank　God。　That　must　be　a　great　fort。〃
　　
　2
　Eight　months　later；　on　the　big　Labor　Day　weekend　in　September；　the　Johnson　and　Gaines　families　got　together　for　a　barbecue　at　the　sheriffs　house。　They　played　bridge　most　of　the　afternoon。　Lem　and　Karen　won　more　often　than　they　lost；　which　was　unusual　these　days；　because　Lem　no　longer　approached　the　game　with　the　fanatical　need　to　win　that　had　once　been　his　Style。
　He　had　left　the　NSA　in　June。　Since　then；　he　had　been　living　on　the　ine　from　the　money　he　had　long　ago　inherited　from　his　father。　By　next　spring；　he　expected　to　settle　on　a　new　line　of　work；　a　small　business　of　some　kind；　in　which　he　would　be　his　own　boss；　able　to　set　his　own　hours。
　Late　in　the　afternoon；　while　their　wives　made　salads　in　the　kitchen；　Lem　and　Walt　stood　out　on　the　patio；　tending　to　the　steaks　on　the　barbecue。
　〃So　you're　still　known　at　the　Agency　as　the　man　who　screwed　up　the　Banodyne　crisis？〃
　〃That's　how　I'll　be　known　until　time　immemorial。〃
　〃Still　get　a　pension　though；〃　Walt　said。
　〃Well；　I　did　put　in　twenty…three　years。〃
　〃Doesn't　seem　right；　though；　that　a　man　could　screw　up　the　biggest　case　Of　the　century　and　stilt　walk　away；　at　forty…six；　with　a　full　pension。〃
　〃Three…quarter　pension。〃
　Walt　breathed　deeply　of　the　fragrant　smoke　rising　off　the　charring　steaks。　Still。　What　is　our　country　ing　to？　In　less　liberal　times；　screwups　like　you　Would　have　been　flogged　and　put　in　the　stocks；　at　least。〃　He　took　another
　deep　whiff　of　the　steaks　and　said；　〃Tell　me　again　about　that　moment　in　their　kitchen。〃
　Lem　had　told　it　a　hundred　times；　but　Walt　never　got　tired　of　hearing　it　again。　〃Well；　the　place　was　neat　as　a　pin。　Everything　gleamed。　And　both　Cornell　and　his　wife　are　neat　about　themselves；　too。　They're　well…groomed；　well…scrubbed　people。　So　they　tell　me　the　dog's　been　dead　two　weeks；　dead　and　buried。　Cornell　throws　this　angry　fit；　hauls　me　out　of　my　chair　by　my　shirt；　and　glares　at　me　like　maybe　he's　going　to　rip　my　head　off。　When　he　lets　go　of　me；　I　straighten　my　tie；　smooth　my　shirt　。　。　。　and　I　look　down　at　my　pants；　sort　of　out　of　habit；　and　I　notice　these　golden　hairs。　Dog　hairs。　Retriever　hairs；　sure　as　hell。　Now　could　it　have　been　that　these　neat　people；　especially　trying　to　fill　their　empty　days　and　take　their　minds　off　their　tragedy；　didn't　find　the　time　to　clean　the　house　in　more　than　two　weeks？〃
　〃Hairs　were　just　all　over　your　pants；〃　Walt　said。
　〃A　hundred　hairs。〃
　〃Like　the　dog　had　just　been　sitting　there　minutes　before　you　came　in。〃
　〃Like；　if　I'd　been　two　minutes　sooner；　I'd　have　set　right　down　on　the　dog　himself。〃
　Walt　turned　the　steaks　on　the　barbecue。　〃You're　a　pretty　observant　man；　Lem；　which　ought　to've　taken　you　far　in　the　line　of　work　you　were　in。　I　just　don't　understand　how；　with　all　your　talents；　you　managed　to　screw　up　the　Banodyne　case　so　thoroughly。〃
　They　both　laughed；　as　they　always　did。
　〃Just　luck；　I　guess；〃　Lem　said；　which　was　what　he　always　said；　and　he　laughed　again。
　　
　3
　When　James　Garrison　Hyatt　celebrated　his　third　birthday　on　June　28；　his　mother　was　pregnant　with　his　first　sibling；　who　eventually　became　his　sister。
　They　threw　a　party　at　the　bleached…wood　house　on　the　forested　slopes　above　the　Pacific。　Because　the　Hyatts　would　soon　be　moving　to　a　new　and　larger　house　a　bit　farther　up　the　coast；　they　made　it　a　party　to　remember；　not　merely　a　birthday　bash　but　a　goodbye　to　the　house　that　had　first　sheltered　them　as　a　family。
　Jim　Keene　drove　in　from　Carmel　with　Pooka　and　Sadie；　his　two　black　labs；　and　his　young　golden　retriever；　Leonardo；　who　was　usually　called　Leo。　A　few　close　friends　came　in　from　the　real…estate　office　where　Sam…〃Travis〃　to　everyone…worked　in　Carmel　Highlands；　and　from　the　gallery　in　Cannel　where　Nora's　paintings　were　exhibited　and　sold。　These　friends　brought　their　retrievers；　too；　all　of　them　second…litter　offspring　of　Einstein　and　his　mate；　Minnie。
　Only　Garrison　Dilworth　was　missing。　He　had　died　in　his　sleep　the　previous　year。
　They　had　a　fine　day；　a　grand　time；　not　merely　because　they　were　friends　and　happy　to　be　with　one　another；　but　because　they