jg.thepartner-第44部分

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　〃Am　I　under　arrest？〃　she　asked。
　〃Not　yet。〃
　〃I'm　a　lawyer。　I…〃
　〃We　know。　And　we　have　the　right　to　detain　you　for　questioning。　Our　offices　are　on　the　lower　level。　Let's　go〃　She　was　led　away　hurriedly；　clutching　her　purse；　her　eyes　still　covered。
　THE　LONG　TABLE　was　piled　with　papers　and　files；　with　crumpled　sheets　from　legal　pads　and　napkins　and　empty　cups　and　even　half…eaten　sandwiches　from　the　hospital　cafeteria。　Lunch　had　been　five　hours　earlier　but　neither　lawyer　had　thought　of　dinner。　Time　was　being　kept　outside　the　room。　Inside；　it　didn't　matter。
　Both　men　were　barefoot。　Patrick　wore　a　tee　shirt　and　gym　shorts。　Sandy　wore　a　very　wrinkled　cotton　button…down；　khakis；　no　socks；　the　same　attire　he'd　put　on　hours　earlier　in　the　beach　house。
　The　Aricia　box　was　empty　in　a　corner；　its　contents　all　on　the　table。
　The　door　opened　while　it　was　being　knocked　on；　and　Agent　Joshua　Cutter　entered　before　he　was　asked。　He　stayed　by　the　door。
　〃This　is　a　private　meeting；〃　Sandy　said；　very　near　Cutter's　face。　The　documents　on　the　table　could　not　be　seen　by　anyone。　Patrick　walked　to　the　door　and　helped　shield　the　view。
　〃Why　don't　you　knock　before　you　enter？〃　he　said　angrily。
　〃Sorry；〃　Cutter　said　calmly。　〃I'll　just　be　a　minute。　Just　thought　you'd　want　to　know　that　we　have　Eva　Miranda　in　custody。　Caught　her　sneaking　through　the　Miami　airport；　on　her　way　home　to　Brazil；　fake　passport　and　all。〃
　Patrick　froze　and　tried　to　think　of　something　to　say。
　〃Eva？〃　Sandy　asked。
　〃Yeah；　also　known　as　Leah　Pires。　That's　what　her　fake　passport　calls　her。〃　Cutter　was　looking　at　Patrick　while　answering　Sandy。
　〃Where　is　she？〃　Patrick　asked；　stunned。
　〃Jail；　in　Miami。〃
　Patrick　turned　and　walked　along　the　table。　Jail　would　be　horrible　anywhere；　but　jail　in　Miami　had　a　particularly　ominous　ring　to　it。
　〃Do　you　have　a　number　where　we　can　call　her？〃　Sandy　asked。
　〃No。〃
　〃She　has　the　right　to　a　telephone。〃
　〃We're　working　on　it。〃
　〃Get　me　a　number；　okay。〃
　〃We'll　see。〃　Cutter　continued　to　watch　Patrick　and　ignore　Sandy。　〃She　was　in　a　hurry。　No　luggage；　not　one　bag。　Just　trying　to　sneak　back　to　Brazil；　leaving　you　behind。〃
　〃Shut　up；〃　Patrick　said。
　〃You　can　leave　now；〃　Sandy　said。
　〃Just　thought　you'd　want　to　know；〃　Cutter　said　with　a　smile；　and　left。
　Patrick　sat　down　and　gently　massaged　his　temples。　His　head　had　been　aching　before　Cutter　arrived；　now　it　was　splitting。　He　and　Eva　had　gone　over　and　over　the　three　scenarios　Which　she　would　face　if　they　caught　him。　First；　and　the　one　according　to　plan；　was　that　she　would　remain　in　the　shadows；　assisting　Sandy　and　moving　at　will。　Second；　she　might　be　caught　by　Stephano　and　Aricia；　jyhich　was　by　far　the　most　frightening　possibility。　Third；　the　FBI　could　catch　her；　which　was　not　nearly　as　terrifying　as　the　second；　but　did　pose　enormous　problems。　At　least　she　was　safe。
　They　had　not　discussed　this　fourth　scenario；　her　return　to　Brazil　without　him。　He　would　not　believe　it　was　abandonment。
　Sandy　quietly　gathered　files　and　cleaned　up　the　table。
　〃What　time　did　you　leave　her？〃　Patrick　asked。
　〃About　eight。　She　was　fine；　Patrick。　I　told　you　that。〃
　〃No　mention　of　Miami　or　Brazil？〃
　〃No。　None　whatsoever。　I　left　with　the　impression　she　would　be　at　the　beach　house　for　a　while。　She　told　me　she　leased　it　for　a　month。〃
　〃Then　she　got　scared。　Why　else　would　she　run？〃
　〃I　don't　know。〃
　〃Find　a　lawyer　in　Miami；　Sandy。　And　quickly。〃
　〃I　know　a　couple。〃
　〃She　must　be　scared　to　death。〃
　Thirty
　IT　WAS　AFTER　SIX；　so　Havarac　was　probably　in　a　casino　at　the　blackjack　table；　sipping　free　whiskey　and　looking　for　women。　Rumors　about　his　gambling　debts　were　abundant。　No　doubt　Rapley　was　locked　away　in　his　attic；　a　place　the　rest　of　the　world　preferred　him　to　be。　The　secretaries　and　paralegals　were　gone。　Doug　Vitrano　locked　the　front　door　of　the　building　and　walked　to　the　rear　office；　the　largest　and　nicest　one；　where　Charlie　Bogan　was　waiting　behind　his　desk　with　his　sleeves　rolled　up。
　Patrick　had　managed　to　bug　every　office　except　the　senior　partner's；　a　fact　Bogan　had　relied　on　heavily　during　the　roaring　brawls　that　followed　the　loss　of　the　money。　If　Bogan　wasn't　hi　his　office；　or　somewhere　in　the　very　near　vicinity；　it　was　locked　with　a　deadbolt。　His　partners　had　been　much　too　careless；　he　had　reminded　them　repeatedly。　Especially　Vitrano；　whose　phone　had　been　used　during　those　last　fateful　chats　with　Graham　Dunlap　offshore；　which　was　how　Patrick　had　learned　the　direction　of　the　money。　This　had　been　rehashed　to　the　point　of　near　fistfights。
　Bogan　could　not；　in　all　fairness；　claim　he　suspected　espionage　in　his　own　firm。　If　so；　why　hadn't　he　warned　his　more　indifferent　partners？　He'd　simply　been　cautious；　and　lucky。　Important　conversations　were　held　in　Bogan's　office。　It　took　only　seconds　to　engage　the　deadbolt。　He　kept　the　only　key。　Not　even　the　janitors　could　get　in　without　Bogan's　presence。
　Vitrano　closed　the　door　firmly　and　dropped　into　the　soft　leather　chair　across　the　desk。
　〃I　saw　the　Senator　this　morning；〃　Bogan　said。　〃He　called　me　to　his　house。〃　Bogan's　mother　and　the　Senator's　father　were　siblings。　The　Senator　was　ten　years　older　than　Bogan。
　〃Is　he　in　a　good　mood？〃　Vitrano　asked。
　〃I　wouldn't　call　it　that。　He　wanted　an　update　on　Lanigan；　and　I　told　him　what　I　knew。　Still　no　sign　of　the　money。　He's　very　nervous　about　what　Lanigan　might　know。　I　assured　him；　as　I've　done　many　times；　that　all　munications　with　him　were　done　in　this　office；　and　that　this　office　was　clean。　So；　he　shouldn't　worry　about　what　Lanigan　might　know。〃
　〃But　he's　worried？〃
　〃Of　course　he's　worried。　He　asked　me　again　if　there　was　any　document　tying　him　to　Aricia；　and　I　again　said　no。〃
　〃Which　of　course　is　true。〃
　〃Yes。　There　are　no　documents　with　the　Senator's　name。　Everything　with　him　was　verbal。　Most　of　it　was　done　on　the　golf　course。　I've　told　him　this　a　thousand　times；　but　he　wanted　to　hear　it　again；　in　light　of　Patrick's　return。〃
　〃You　didn't　tell　him　about　the　Closet？〃
　〃No。〃
　They　both　watched　the　dust　on　Bogan's　desk　and　relived　what　happened　in　the　Closet。　In　January　of　1992；　a　month　after　the　Justice　Department　approved　the　Aricia　settlement；　and　about　two　months　before　they　were　to　receive　the　money；　Aricia　had　popped　in　one　day；　unscheduled　and　unannounced　and　in　a　foul　mood。　Patrick　was　still　around；　though　his　funeral　was　only　three　weeks　away。　The　firm　had　already　begun　an　extensive　renovation　of　its　offices；　and　for　this　reason　Bogan　couldn't　meet　with　Aricia　in　his　office。　Painters　were　on　ladders。　Drop　cloths　covered　the　furniture。　They　got　the　bative　Aricia　into　a　small　meeting　room　across　the　hall　from　Bogan's；　a　room　everyone　referred　to　simply　as　the　Closet　because　of　its　size。　A　small　square　table　with　a　chair　on　each　side。　No　windows。　The　ceiling　was　slanted　because　a　stairway　ran　above　it。
　Vitrano　was　fetched　because　he　was　second　in　mand；　and　a　meeting　of　sorts　menced。　It　didn't　last　long。　Aricia　was　chafed　because　the　lawyers　were　about　to　earn　thirty　million　dollars。　Now　that　his　settlement　had　been　approved；　reality　had　hit　hard；　and　he　thought　thirty　million　in　legal　fees　was　obscene。　Things　turned　nasty　quickly　as　Bogan　and　Vitrano　held　their　ground。　They　offered　to　find　their　contract　for　legal　services；　but　Aricia　cared　nothing　for　it。
　In　the　heat　of　the　moment；　Aricia　asked　how　much　of　the　thirty　million　the　Senator　would　get。　Bogan　grew　hostile　and　said　it　was　none　of　his　business。
　Aricia　claimed　that　it　was　his　business；　because；　after　all；　the　money　was　his；　and　then　he　launched　into　a　windy　diatribe　attacking　the　Senator　and　all　politicians　in　general。　He　made　much　of　the　fact　that　the　Senator　had　been　working　so　hard　in　Washington　to　pressure　the　Navy；　the　Pentagon；　and　the　Justice　Department　to　settle　his　claim。　〃How　much　will　he　get？〃　he　kept　asking。
　Bogan　kept　slipping　the　punches。　He　would　say　only　that　the　Senator　would　be　taken　care　of。　He　reminded　Aricia　that　he　had　carefully　chosen　the　firm　because　of　its　political　connections。　And　he　hotly　added　that　sixty　million　in　Aricia's　pocket　was　not　such　a　bad　deal；　considering　how　the　claim　was　bogus　to　begin　with。
　Too　much　was　said。
　Aricia　proposed　a　fee　of　only　ten　million。　Bogan　and　Vitrano　rejected　it　outright。　He　stormed　out　of　the　Closet；　swearing　every　step　of　the　way。
　There　were　no　phones　in　the　Closet；　but　two　mikes　were　found。　One　was　under　the　table；　hidden　in　a　corner　where　two　brackets　joined；　stuck　in　place　by　black　putty。　The　second　was　placed　between　two　dusty　ancient　law　books　on　the　only　shelf　in　the　room。　The　books　were　for　decorative　purposes。
　After　the　shock　of　the　vanishing　fortune；　and　the　subsequent　discovery　by　Stephano　of　all　the　bugs　and　wires；　Bogan　and　Vitrano　didn't　discuss　the　Closet　meeting　for　a　long　time。　Maybe　it　would　just　disappear。　They　never　spoke　to　Aricia　about　it；　primarily　because　he　had　sued　them　so　quickly　and　now　hated　the　mention　of　their　names。　The　incident　faded　from　their　memories。　Maybe　it　never　happened　after　all。
　Now　that　Patrick　was　back；　they　had　been　forced　to　timidly　confront　it。　There　was　always　the　chance　that　the　mikes　had　malfunctioned　or　that　Patrick　in　his　haste　had　missed　it。　There　were　certainly　enough　other　bugs　for　him　to　absorb　and　assimilate。　In　fact；　they　had　decided　there　was　a　very　good　chance　the　Closet　meeting　had　been　missed　by　Patrick。
　〃Surely　he　wouldn't　keep　the　tapes　for　four　years；　would　he？〃　Vitrano　asked。
　But　Bogan　didn't　answer。　He　sat　with　his　fingers　locked　over　his　stomach　and　watched　the　dust　settle　on　his　desk。　Oh；　what　could've　been。　He　would　get　five　million；　the　Senator　the　same。　No　bankruptcy；　no　divorce。　He　would　still　have　his　wife　and　family；　his　home　and　his　stature。　He　could've　taken　the　five　and　made　it　ten　by　now；　and　twenty　before　long；　serious　big　money　and　the　freedom　to　do　anything。　It　was　all　there；　a　feast　on　a　table；　then　Patrick　snatched　it。
　The　giddiness　of　finding　Patrick　had　lasted　a　couple　of　days；　then　vanished　slowly　when　it　became　obvious　that　the　money　was　not　following　him　back　to　Biloxi。　With　each　passing　day；　the　money　actually　seemed　farther　away。
　〃Do　you　think　we'll　get　the　money；　Charlie？〃　Vitrano　asked；　barely　audible；　h