jg.thepartner-第19部分

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　There　was　a　certain；　very　small　fort　in　the　end　of　the　chase。　Horrendous　problems　lay　ahead；　but　for　now　he　could　ignore　what　was　behind。　The　truth　was；　Patrick　had　never　been　able　to　pletely　relax　and　enjoy　his　new　life。　Not　even　the　money　could　calm　his　fears。　This　very　day　was　inevitable；　he'd　known　it　all　along。　He　had　stolen　too　much　money。　A　lot　less；　and　the　victims　might　not　have　been　so　determined。
　He　noticed　small　things　as　he　rode　along。　The　driveways　were　paved；　which　was　quite　rare　in　Brazil；　at　least　in　Ponta　Pora。　And　the　children　wore　sneakers　as　they　played。　In　Brazil；　they　were　always　barefoot；　the　soles　of　their　feet　as　tough　as　rubber。　He　suddenly　missed　his　quiet　street；　Rua　Tiradentes；　with　the　groups　of　boys　dribbling　soccer　balls　in　search　of　a　game。
　〃Are　you　okay？〃　Sandy　asked。　He　nodded；　still　wearing　the　aviator　shades。　Sandy　reached　into　his　briefcase　and　removed　a　copy　of　the　Coast　paper。　The　headline　screamed；
　LANIGAN　SUES　FBI　FOR　TORTURE　AND　ABUSE
　The　two　photos　consumed　half　the　front　page。
　Patrick　admired　it　for　a　moment。　〃I'll　read　it　later。〃
　Cutter　sat　directly　in　front　of　Patrick；　and　of　course　he　was　listening　to　his　prisoner　breathe。　Conversation　was　out　of　the　question；　which　suited　Patrick　fine。　The　van　entered　the　parking　lot　of　the　base　hospital；　and　stopped　at　the　emergency　entrance。　They　took　Patrick　through　a　service　door；　then　along　a　hallway　where　the　nurses　were　waiting　for　a　quick　inspection　of　their　new　patient。　Two　lab　technicians　stopped　ahead　of　them；　and　one　actually　said；　〃Wele　home；　Patrick。〃　A　real　smartass。
　No　red　tape　here。　No　preadmission　forms。　No　questions　about　insurance　or　who's　paying　for　what。　He　was　taken　straight　to　the　third　floor　and　placed　in　a　room　at　the　end　of　the　hall。　Cutter　had　a　few　banal　ments　and　instructions；　as　did　the　Sheriff。　Limited　phone　use；　guards　by　the　door；　meals　in　the　room。　What　else　can　you　say　to　a　prisoner？　They　left；　and　only　Sandy　remained。
　Patrick　sat　on　the　edge　of　his　bed；　his　feet　dangling。　〃I'd　like　to　see　my　mother；〃　he　said。
　〃She's　on　her　way。　She'll　be　here　at　one。〃
　〃Thanks。〃
　〃What　about　your　wife　and　daughter？〃
　〃I'd　like　to　see　Ashley　Nicole；　but　not　now。　I'm　sure　she　doesn't　remember　me。　By　now；　she　thinks　I'm　a　monster。　For　obvious　reasons；　I'd　rather　not　see　Trudy。〃
　There　was　a　loud　knock　on　the　door；　and　Sheriff　Sweeney　was　back；　now　holding　a　rather　thick　stack　of　papers。　〃Sorry　to　disturb；　Patrick；　but　this　is　business。　I　thought　it　best　to　get　this　over　with。〃
　〃Sure；　Sheriff；〃　Patrick　said；　bracing　for　the　onslaught。
　〃I　need　to　serve　these　on　you。　First；　this　here　is　an　indictment　returned　by　the　grand　jury　of　Harrison　County　for　capital　murder。〃
　Patrick　took　it　and；　without　looking　at　it；　handed　it　to　Sandy。
　〃This　here　is　a　summons　and　a　plaint　for　divorce；　filed　by　Trudy　Lanigan　over　in　Mobile。〃
　〃What　a　surprise；〃　Patrick　said　as　he　took　it；　〃On　what　grounds？〃
　〃I　haven't　read　it。　This　is　a　summons　and　plaint　filed　by　a　Mr。　Benjamin　Aricia。〃
　〃Who？〃　Patrick　asked；　in　a　flat　effort　at　humor。　The　Sheriff　didn't　crack　a　smile。
　〃This　is　a　summons　and　plaint　filed　by　your　old　law　firm。〃
　〃How　much　are　they　after？〃　Patrick　asked；　taking　the　summons　^and　plaint。
　〃I　haven't　read　it。　This　is　a　summons　and　plaint　filed　by　Monarch…Sierra　Insurance　pany。〃
　〃Oh　yes。　I　remember　those　boys。〃　He　passed　it　to　Sandy；　whose　hands　were　now　full　while　the　Sheriff's　were　empty。
　〃Sorry；　Patrick；〃　Sweeney　said。
　〃Is　that　all？〃
　〃For　now。　I'll　stop　by　the　clerk's　office　in　town　to　see　if　any　more　suits　have　been　filed。〃
　〃Send　'em　over。　Sandy　here　works　fast。〃
　They　shook　hands；　this　time　without　the　intrusion　of　cuffs；　and　the　Sheriff　left。
　〃I　always　liked　Raymond；〃　Patrick　said；　hands　on　hips；　slowly　bending　at　the　knees。　He　made　it　halfway　down　before　stopping　and　easing　up。　〃A　long　way　to　go；　Sandy。　I'm　bruised　to　the　bone。〃
　〃Great。　Helps　our　lawsuit。〃　Sandy　flipped　through　the　papers。　〃Seems　Trudy　is　really　upset　with　you。　She　wants　you　out　of　her　life。〃
　〃I've　tried　my　best。　What　are　the　grounds？〃
　〃Abandonment　and　desertion。　Mental　cruelty。〃
　〃Poor　thing。〃
　〃Are　you　planning　to　contest　it？〃
　〃Depends　on　what　she　wants。〃
　Sandy　flipped　another　page。　〃Well；　just　scanning　here；　it　appears　she　wants　a　divorce；　full　custody　of　the　child　with　the　termination　of　all　your　parental　rights；　including　the　right　of　visitation；　all　real　and　personal　property　jointly　owned　at　the　time　of　your　disappearance…that's　what　she's　calling　it；　your　disappearance　…plus；　oh　yes；　here　it　is；　a　fair　and　reasonable　percentage　of　the　assets　you　may　have　acquired　since　your　disappearance。〃
　〃Surprise；　surprise。〃
　〃That's　all　she　wants；　for　now　anyway。〃
　〃I'll　give　her　the　divorce；　Sandy；　and　gladly。　But　it　won't　be　as　easy　as　she　thinks。〃
　〃What　do　you　have　in　mind？〃
　〃We'll　talk　about　it　later。　I'm　tired。〃
　〃We　have　to　talk　sometime；　Patrick。　Whether　you　realize　it　or　not；　we　have　many　things　to　discuss。〃
　〃Later。　I　need　to　rest　now。　Mom　will　be　here　in　a　minute。〃
　〃Fine。　By　the　time　I　drive；　fight　New　Orleans　traffic；　park　and　walk；　it　takes　two　hours　to　get　from　here　to　my　office。　When；　exactly；　might　you　want　to　meet　again？〃
　〃I'm　sorry；　Sandy。　I'm　tired；　okay？　How　about　tomorrow　morning？　I'll　get　rested　up；　and　we'll　work　all　day。〃
　Sandy　relaxed　and　placed　the　papers　in　his　briefcase。　〃Sure；　pal。　I'll　be　here　at　ten。〃
　〃Thanks；　Sandy。〃
　He　left；　and　Patrick　rested　fortably　for　about　eight　minutes　before　his　room　was　suddenly　filled　with　all　sorts　of　health　care　professionals；　an　all…female　team。　〃Hi；　I'm　Rose；　your　head　nurse。　We　need　to　examine　you。　Can　we　take　off　your　shirt　here？〃　It　was　not　a　request。　Rose　was　already　pulling　on　the　shirt。　Two　other　nurses；　equally　as　thick　as　Rose；　appeared　on　each　side　and　began　to　undress　Patrick。　They　seemed　to　enjoy　it。　Another　nurse　stood　ready　with　a　thermometer　and　a　box　of　other　dreadful　instruments。　A　technician　of　some　variety　gawked　from　the　end　of　the　bed。　An　orderly　in　an　orange　coat　hovered　near　the　door。
　They　had　invaded　as　a　team；　and　for　fifteen　minutes　performed　various　tasks　upon　his　body。　He　closed　his　eyes　and　simply　took　it。　They　left　as　fast　as　they　had　e。
　PATRICK　AND　HIS　MOTHER　had　a　tearful　reunion。　He　apologized　only　once；　for　everything。　She　lovingly　accepted；　and　forgave　him；　as　only　a　mother　can　do。　Her　joy　at　seeing　him　displaced　any　ill　will　and　bitterness　that　had　naturally　crept　up　during　the　past　four　days。
　Joyce　Lanigan　was　sixty…eight　years　old；　in　reasonably　good　health　with　only　high　blood　pressure　to　struggle　with。　Her　husband；　Patrick's　father；　had　left　her　for　a　younger　woman　twenty　years　earlier；　then　promptly　died　of　a　heart　attack。　Neither　she　nor　Patrick　attended　his　funeral　in　Texas。　The　second　wife　was　pregnant　at　the　time。　Her　child；　Patrick's　half　brother；　killed　two　undercover　narcotics　officers　when　he　was　seventeen；　and　now　sat　on　death　row　in　Hunts…ville；　Texas。　This　little　bit　of　dirty　family　laundry　was　unknown　in　New　Orleans　and　Biloxi。　Patrick　had　never　told　Trudy；　his　wife　of　four　years。　Nor　had　he　told　Eva。　Why　should　he？
　What　a　cruel　twist。　Both　sons　of　Patrick's　father　were　now　charged　with　capital　murder。　One　had　been　convicted。　The　other　was　well　on　his　way。
　Patrick　was　in　college　when　his　father　left；　then　died。　His　mother　adjusted　badly　to　the　life　of　a　divorced　middle…aged　woman　with　no　professional　skills　and　no　history　of　employment。　The　divorce　settlement　allowed　her　to　keep　the　house　and　provided　her　with　barely　enough　money　to　live　on　without　having　to　find　a　job。　She　occasionally　worked　as　a　substitute　teacher　in　a　local　elementary　school；　but　she　preferred　to　stay　at　home；　puttering　in　the　garden；　watching　soap　operas；　drinking　tea　with　old　ladies　in　the　neighborhood。
　Patrick　had　always　found　his　mother　to　be　a　depressing　person；　especially　after　his　father　left；　an　event　that　didn't　particularly　bother　him　because　he　wasn't　much　of　a　father　anyway。　And　he　wasn't　much　of　a　husband　either。　Patrick　had　encouraged　his　mother　to　get　out　of　the　house；　find　a　job；　find　a　cause；　live　a　little。　She　had　a　new　lease　on　life。
　But　she　enjoyed　the　misery　too　much。　Over　the　years；　as　Patrick　got　busier　and　busier　with　his　law…yering；　he　spent　less　time　with　her。　He　moved　to　Bi…loxi；　married　a　woman　his　mother　couldn't　tolerate；　and　on　and　on。
　HE　ASKED　about　aunts　and　uncles　and　cousins；　people　he　had　lost　contact　with　long　before　his　death；　people　he　had　hardly　thought　of　in　the　past　four　years。　He　asked　only　because　he　was　expected　to　ask。　For　the　most　part；　they　were　doing　fine。
　No；　he　did　not　want　to　see　any　of　them。
　They　were　anxious　to　see　him。
　Odd。　They'd　never　been　anxious　to　see　him　before。
　They　were　very　concerned　about　him。
　Odd；　too。
　They　chatted　warmly　for　two　hours；　and　the　passage　of　time　was　quickly　erased。　She　scolded　him　about　his　weight。　〃Sickly〃　was　her　word。　She　quizzed　him　about　his　new　chin　and　nose；　and　his　dark　hair。　She　said　all　sorts　of　motherly　things；　then　she　left　for　New　Orleans。　He　promised　to　keep　in　touch。
　He　had　always　promised　that；　she　thought　to　herself　as　she　drove　away。　But　he'd　rarely　kept　in　touch。
　Fifteen
　OPERATING　FROM　A　SUITE　at　the　Hay…Adams　Hotel；　Stephano　spent　the　morning　playing　telephone　tag　with　harried　corporate　executives。　It　had　been　easy　to　convince　Benny　Aticia　that　he　was　about　to　be　arrested；　photographed；　printed；　and　otherwise　harassed　by　the　FBI。　Convincing　egos　like　Paul　Atterson　at　Monarch…Sierra　Insurance　and　Frank　Jill　at　Northern　Case　Mutual　was　another　matter。　Both　were　typical　CEO's；　serious　white　men　with　huge　salaries　and　large　staffs　to　keep　away　anything　unpleasant。　Arrests　and　prosecutions　were　for　the　lower　classes。
　The　FBI　proved　quite　helpful。　Hamilton　Jaynes　dispatched　agents　to　both　headquarters…Monarch's　in　Palo　Alto　and　Northern　Case　MutuaPs　in　St。　Paul…　with　instructions　to　call　on　both　men　and　ask　a　bunch　of　questions　about　the　search　and　capture　of　one　Patrick　Lanigan。
　Both　threw　in　the　towel　by　lunch。　Call　off　the　dogs；　they　said　to　Stephano。　The　search　is　over。　Cooperate　fully　with　the　FBI；　and　for　heaven's　sakes