jg.thepartner-第61部分

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　〃We're　leaving　Biloxi　now；　on　the　way　to　New　Orleans。　Yes；　I'm　fine。　I've　never　felt　better。　And　you？〃
　He　listened　for　a　long　time；　his　eyes　closed；　his　head　leaning　back。
　〃What's　today？〃　he　asked。
　〃Friday；　November　sixth；〃　Sandy　said。
　〃I'll　meet　you　in　Aix；　at　the　Villa　Gallici；　on　Sunday。　Right。　Yes。　I'm　fine；　dear。　I　love　you。　Go　back　to　sleep；　and　I'll　call　you　in　a　few　hours。〃
　They　crossed　into　Louisiana　in　silence；　and　somewhere　over　Lake　Pontchartrain；　Sandy　said；　〃I　had　a　very　interesting　visitor　this　afternoon。〃
　〃Really；　who？〃
　〃Jack　Stephano。〃
　〃Here；　in　Biloxi？〃
　〃Yes。　He　found　me　at　the　hotel；　said　he　was　finished　with　the　Aricia　case　and　was　on　his　way　to　Florida　for　a　vacation。〃
　〃Why　didn't　you　kill　him？〃
　〃He　said　he　was　sorry。　Said　his　boys　got　a　little　carried　away　down　there　when　they　caught　you；　wanted　me　to　pass　along　his　apologies。〃
　〃What　a　guy。　I'm　sure　he　didn't　stop　by　just　to　apologize。〃
　〃No；　he　didn't。　He　told　me　about　the　mole　in　Brazil；　about　the　Pluto　Group　and　the　rewards；　and　he　asked　me　point…blank　if　the　girl；　Eva；　was　your　Judas。　I　said　I　had　no　idea。〃
　〃Why　does　he　care？〃
　〃Good　question。　He　said　his　curiosity　has　the　best　of　him。　He　paid　over　a　million　bucks　in　rewards；　got　his　man；　but　didn't　get　the　money；　and　he　said　he　won't　be　able　to　sleep　until　he　knows。　I　sort　of　believed　him。〃
　〃Sounds　reasonable。〃
　〃He　doesn't　have　a　dog　in　the　fight　anymore；　or　something　like　that。　His　words；　not　mine。〃
　Patrick　put　his　left　ankle　on　his　right　knee；　and　gently　touched　the　burn。　〃What　does　he　look　like？〃　he　asked。
　〃Fifty…five；　very　Italian；　lots　of　groomed　gray　hair；　black　eyes；　a　handsome　man。　Why？〃
　〃Because　I've　seen　him　everywhere。　For　the　last　three　years；　half　the　strangers　I've　seen　in　the　outback　of　Brazil　have　been　Jack　Stephano。　I've　been　chased　in　my　sleep　by　a　hundred　men；　all　of　whom　turned　out　to　be　Jack　Stephano。　He　has　ducked　in　alleys；　hidden　behind　trees；　followed　on　foot　at　night　in　Sao　Paulo；　tagged　behind　me　on　motor　scooters　and　chased　me　in　cars。　I've　thought　about　Stephano　more　than　I　have　my　own　mother。〃
　〃The　chase　is　over。〃
　〃I　finally　got　tired　of　it；　Sandy。　I　gave　up。　Life　on　the　run　is　quite　an　adventure；　very　thrilling　and　romantic；　until　you　learn　that　someone　is　back　there。　While　you're　sleeping；　someone　is　trying　to　find　you。　While　you're　having　dinner　with　a　wonderful　woman　in　a　city　of　ten　million；　someone　is　knocking　on　doors；　quietly　showing　your　photo　to　a　clerk；　offering　small　bribes　for　information。　I　stole　too　much　money；　Sandy。　They　had　to　e　after　me；　and　when　I　learned　they　were　already　in　Brazil；　I　knew　the　end　would　e。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean；　you　gave　up？〃
　Patrick　breathed　heavily　and　shifted　his　weight。　He　looked　through　his　window　at　the　waters　below；　and　tried　to　organize　his　thoughts。　〃I　gave　up；　Sandy。　I　got　tired　of　running；　and　I　gave　up。〃
　〃Yeah；　I've　already　heard　that。〃
　〃I　knew　they　would　find　me；　so　I　decided　to　do　it　on　my　terms；　not　theirs。〃
　〃I'm　listening。〃
　〃The　rewards　were　my　idea；　Sandy。　Eva　would　fly　to　Madrid；　then　to　Atlanta；　where　she　would　meet　with　the　boys　from　Pluto。　They　were　paid　to　contact　Stephano　and　handle　the　flow　of　information　and　money。　We　milked　the　money　out　of　Stephano；　and　eventually　led　him　to　me；　to　my　little　house　in　Ponta　Pora。〃
　Sandy　turned　slowly；　his　face　blank；　mouth　open　and　crooked　to　one　side；　his　eyes　vacant。
　〃Watch　where　you're　going；〃　Patrick　said；　pointing　to　the　road。
　Sandy　jerked　the　wheel　and　brought　the　car　back　into　the　right　lane。　〃You're　lying；〃　he　said　without　moving　his　lips。　〃I　know　you're　lying。〃
　〃Nope。　We　collected　one　million；　one　hundred　fifty　thousand　bucks　from　Stephano；　and　it's　hidden　now；　probably　in　Switzerland　with　the　rest　of　it。〃
　〃You　don't　know　where　it　is？〃
　〃She's　been　taking　care　of　it。　I'll　find　out　when　I　see　her。〃
　Sandy　was　too　shocked　to　say　anything　else。　Patrick　decided　to　help。　〃I　knew　they　would　grab　me；　and　I　knew　they　would　try　to　…。　make　me　talk。　But　I　had　no　idea　this　would　happen。〃　He　pointed　to　the　burn　above　his　left　ankle。　〃I　thought　it　might　get　ugly；　but　they　damned　near　killed　me；　Sandy。　They　finally　broke　me；　and　I　told　them　about　Eva。　By　then；　she　was　gone；　and　so　was　the　money。〃
　〃You　could've　easily　been　killed；〃　Sandy　managed　to　say。　He　was　driving　with　his　right　hand；　scratching　his　head　with　his　left。
　〃That's　true。　Very　true。　But　two　hours　after　I　was　captured；　the　FBI　in　Washington　knew　Stephano　had　me。　That's　what　saved　my　life。　Stephano　couldn't　kill　me；　because　the　feds　knew　about　it。〃
　〃But　how…〃
　〃Eva　called　Cutter　in　Biloxi。　He　called　Washington。〃
　Sandy　wanted　to　stop　the　car；　get　out　and　scream。　Lean　over　the　side　of　the　bridge；　and　let　flow　an　endless　string　of　blue　profanities。　Just　when　he　thought　he　had　been　clued　in　to　Patrick's　past；　this　latest　twist　came　crashing　in。
　〃You　were　a　damned　fool　if　you　let　them　catch　you。〃
　〃Oh　really。　Did　I　not　just　walk　out　of　the　courtroom　a　free　man？　Did　I　not　just　talk　with　a　woman　I　love　dearly；　a　woman　who　happens　to　be　keeping　a　small　fortune　for　me？　The　past　is　finally　gone；　Sandy。　Don't　you　see？　There's　no　one　looking　for。　me　anymore。〃
　〃So　many　things　could've　gone　wrong。〃
　〃Yeah；　but　they　didn't。　I　had　the　money；　the　tapes；　the　Clovis　alibi。　And　I　had　four　years　to　plan　everything。〃
　〃The　torture　wasn't　planned。〃
　〃No；　but　the　scars　will　heal。　Don't　ruin　the　moment；　Sandy。　I'm　on　a　roll。〃
　Sandy　dropped　him　off　at　his　mother's　house；　his　childhood　home；　where　a　cake　was　in　the　oven。　Mrs。　Lanigan　asked　him　to　stay；　but　he　knew　they　needed　time　alone。　Plus　he　hadn't　seen　his　wife　and　kids　in　four　days。　Sandy　drove　away；　his　brain　still　swirling。
　Forty…three
　HE　AWOKE　before　sunrise　in　a　bed　he　hadn't　slept　in　in　almost　twenty　years；　in　a　room　he　hadn't　seen　in　almost　ten。　The　years　were　distant；　another　lifetime。　The　walls　were　closer　together　now；　the　ceiling　lower。　Over　the　years　his　things　had　been　removed；　the　boyhood　memorabilia；　the　Saints　banners；　the　posters　of　blond　models　in　tight　swimsuits。
　As　the　product　of　two　people　who　rarely　spoke　to　each　other；　he　had　made　his　room　his　sanctuary。　He'd　kept　the　door　locked　long　before　his　teen　years。　His　parents　entered　only　when　he　allowed　them。
　His　mother　was　cooking　downstairs；　the　smell　of　bacon　drifted　throughout　the　house。　They　had　stayed　up　late；　now　she　was　up　early；　anxious　to　talk。　And　who　could　blame　her？
　He　stretched　slowly　and　carefully。　The　crusted　skin　around　his　burns　cracked　and　pulled。　Too　much　of　a　stretch　and　the　skin　broke；　and　the　bleeding　started。
　He　touched　the　burns　on　his　chest；　desperately　wanting　to　dig　in　with　his　fingernails　and　scratch　with　a　fury。　He　crossed　his　feet　and　locked　his　hands　behind　his　head。　He　smiled　at　the　ceiling；　an　arrogant　smile　because　life　on　the　run　was　now　over。　Patrick　and　Danilo　were　gone；　and　the　shadows　behind　them　had　been　destroyed　in　a　crushing　defeat。　Stephano　and　Aricia　and　Bogan　et　al。；　and　the　feds　and　Parrish　with　his　insipid　little　indictment；　all　had　been　laid　to　waste。　There　was　no　one　left　to　chase　him。
　Sunlight　eased　through　the　window；　and　the　walls　inched　together。　He　showered　quickly　and　treated　his　wounds　with　a　cream　and　fresh　gauze。
　He　had　promised　his　mother　some　new　grandchildren；　a　fresh　batch　of　them　to　take　the　place　of　Ashley　Nicole；　a　child　she　still　dreamed　of　seeing　again。　He　told　her　wonderful　things　about　Eva；　and　promised　to　bring　her　to　New　Orleans　in　the　very　near　future。　No　definite　plans　to　get　married；　but　it　was　inevitable。
　They　ate　waffles　and　bacon　and　drank　coffee　on　the　patio　as　the　old　streets　came　to　life。　Before　the　neighbors　could　begin　stopping　by　to　applaud　the　good　news；　they　left　for　a　long　drive。　Patrick　wanted　to　at　least　see　his　city　again；　if　only　briefly。
　At　nine；　he　and　his　mother　walked　into　Robilio　Brothers　on　Canal；　where　he　bought　new　khakis　and　shirts　and　a　handsome　leather　travel　bag。　They　ate　beignets　at　Cafe　du　Monde　on　Decatur；　then　a　late　lunch　at　a　nearby　cafe。
　They　sat　at　his　gate　at　the　airport　for　an　hour；　holding　hands　and　saying　little。　When　his　flight　was　called；　Patrick　hugged　his　mother　tightly　and　promised　to　call　every　day。　She　wanted　to　see　the　new　grandkids；　and　quickly；　she　said；　with　a　sad　smile。
　He　flew　to　Atlanta。　Using　his　legitimate　Patrick　Lanigan　passport；　given　to　Sandy　by　Eva；　he　boarded　a　flight　to　Nice。
　HE　HAD　LAST　SEEN　Eva　a　month　earlier；　in　Rio；　over　a　long　weekend　in　which　they　spent　every　moment　together。　The　chase　was　almost　over　and　Patrick　knew　it。　The　end　was　near。
　They　clung　to　each　other　as　they　walked　the　crowded　beaches　of　Ipanema　and　Leblon；　ignoring　the　happy　voices　around　them。　They　had　late；　quiet　dinners　in　their　favorite　restaurants…Antiquarius　and　Antonio's…but　they　had　little　appetite　for　food。　When　they　spoke；　the　sentences　were　soft　and　short。　The　long　conversations　ended　in　tears。
　At　one　point；　she　had　convinced　him　to　flee　again；　to　leave　with　her　while　he　was　still　able；　to　hide　in　a　castle　in　Scotland　or　a　tiny　apartment　in　Rome；　where　no　one　would　ever　find　them。　But　the　moment　passed。　He　was　simply　tired　of　running。
　Late　in　the　afternoon；　they　rode　a　cable　car　to　the　top　of　Sugarloaf　Mountain　to　watch　the　sunset　over　Rio。　The　view　of　the　city　at　night　was　spectacular；　but　difficult　to　appreciate　under　the　circumstances。　He　held　her　closely　as　the　wind　chilled　them；　and　he　promised　her　that　some　day；　when　it　was　all　over；　they　would　stand　in　this　exact　spot；　and　watch　the　sunset；　and　plan　their　future。　She　tried　to　believe　him。
　They　said　good…bye　on　a　street　corner；　near　her　apartment。　He　kissed　her　on　the　forehead　and　walked　away；　into　the　crowd。　He　left　her　crying　there　because　it　was　better　than　a　messy　scene　at　the　crowded　airport。　He　left　the　city；　and　flew　west；　changing　flights　as　the　planes　and　airports　got　smaller。　He　arrived　in　Ponta　Pora　after　dark；　found　his　Beetle　parked　where　he'd　left　it　at　the　airport；　and　drove　the　quiet　streets　to　Rua　Tiradentes；　to　his　modest　home；　where　he　arranged　his　things；　and　began　his　wait。
　He　called　her　every　day　between　4　and　6　P。M。；　a　coded　call　with　different　names。
　And　th