jg.thepartner-第8部分

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vidently；　this　workout　was　not　to　be　disturbed。
　〃I'm　Special　Agent　Cutter；　FBI；〃　he　said；　whipping　out　his　badge　and　walking　to　her。　〃We　met　once　before；　a　few　years　back。〃
　She　dabbed　her　face　with　a　towel；　a　yellow　one　that　matched　the　spandex。　She　was　hardly　breathing。
　She　flashed　perfect　teeth；　and　everything　was　okay。　〃What　can　I　do　for　you？〃　Lance　stood　beside　her。　Matching　ponytails。
　〃I　have　some　wonderful　news　for　you；〃　Cutter　said　with　a　broad　smile。
　〃What？〃
　〃We've　found　your　husband；　Mrs。　Lanigan；　and　he's　alive。〃
　A　slight　pause　as　it　registered。　〃Patrick？〃　she　said。
　〃He　would　be　the　one。〃
　〃You're　lying；〃　Lance　sneered。
　〃Afraid　not。　He's　in　custody　in　Puerto　Rico。　Should　make　it　back　here　in　a　week　or　so。　Just　thought　you　should　hear　the　good　news　before　we　release　it　to　the　press。〃
　Stunned　and　staggering；　she　backed　away　and　sat　on　a　workout　bench　next　to　a　weight　machine。　Her　glistening　bronze　flesh　was　growing　pale。　Her　pliant　body　was　crumbling。　Lance　scurried　to　help　her。　〃Oh　my　God；〃　she　kept　mumbling。
　Cutter　threw　a　card　in　front　of　them。　〃Call　me　if　I　can　be　of　any　help。〃　They　said　nothing　as　he　left。
　It　was　obvious　to　him　that　she　held　no　anger　at　having　been　duped　by　a　man　who　faked　his　death。　Nor　was　there　the　smallest　hint　of　joy　at　his　return。　No　relief　whatsoever　at　the　end　of　an　ordeal。
　There　was　nothing　but　fear；　the　horror　of　losing　the　money。　The　life　insurance　pany　would　sue　immediately。
　WHILE　CUTTER　was　in　Mobile；　another　agent　from　the　Biloxi　office　went　to　the　home　of　Patrick's　mother　in　New　Orleans；　and　delivered　the　same　news。　Mrs。　Lanigan　was　overe　with　emotion；　and　begged　the　agent　to　sit　for　a　while　and　answer　questions。　He　stayed　for　an　hour　but　had　few　answers　for　her。　She　cried　for　joy；　and　after　he　left　she　spent　the　rest　of　the　day　calling　friends　with　the　wonderful　news　that　her　only　child　was　alive　after　all。
　Six
　JACK　STEPHANO　was　arrested　by　the　FBI　in　his　D。C。　office。　He　spent　thirty　minutes　in　jail；　then
　was　rushed　to　a　small　courtroom　in　the　federal　courthouse　where　he　faced　a　U。S。　Magistrate　in　a　closed　hearing。　He　was　informed　that　he　would　be　released　immediately　on　his　own　recognizance；　that　he　couldn't　leave　the　area；　and　that　he　would　be　watched　by　the　FBI　around　the　clock。　While　he　was　in　court；　a　small　army　of　agents　entered　his　office；　seized　virtually　every　file；　and　sent　the　employees　home。
　After　being　dismissed　by　the　Magistrate；　Stephano　was　driven　to　the　Hoover　Building　on　Pennsylvania　Avenue　where　Hamilton　Jaynes　was　waiting。　When　the　two　were　alone　in　Jaynes'　office；　the　Deputy　Director　offered　a　lukewarm　apology　for　the　arrest。　But　he　had　no　choice。　You　can't　snatch　a　federal　fugitive；　drug　him；　torture　him；　and　damned　near　kill　him　without　being　charged　with　something。
　The　issue　was　the　money。　The　arrest　was　the　leverage。　Stephano　swore　Patrick　had　told　them　nothing。
　As　they　spoke；　the　doors　to　Stephano's　office　were　being　chained　shut　and　ominous　federal　bulletins　were　being　taped　to　the　windows。　His　home　phones　were　being　bugged　while　Mrs。　Stephano　played　bridge。
　After　the　brief　and　fruitless　meeting　with　Jaynes；　he　was　dropped　off　near　the　Supreme　Court。　Since　he'd　been　ordered　to　stay　away　from　his　office；　he　flagged　a　cab　and　told　the　driver　to　go　to　the　Hay…Adams　Hotel；　corner　of　H　and　Sixteenth。　He　sat　in　traffic；　calmly　reading　a　newspaper；　occasionally　rubbing　the　tracking　device　they'd　sewn　in　the　hem　of　his　jacket　when　they　booked　him。　It　was　called　a　tracing　cone；　a　tiny　but　powerful　transmitter　used　to　monitor　movements　of　people；　packages；　even　automobiles。　He'd　frisked　himself　while　chatting　with　Jaynes；　and　had　been　tempted　to　rip　out　the　cone　and　toss　it　on　his　desk。
　He　was　an　expert　at　surveillance。　He　stuffed　his　jacket　under　the　seat　of　the　cab；　and　walked　quickly　into　the　Hay…Adams　Hotel；　across　from　Lafayette　Park。　There　were　no　rooms；　he　was　told。　He　asked　to　see　the　manager；　a　former　client；　and　within　minutes　Mr。　Stephano　was　escorted　to　a　suite　on　the　fourth　floor；　with　a　splendid　view　of　the　White　House。　He　stripped　to　his　socks　and　shorts　and　carefully　placed　each　item　of　clothing　on　the　bed　where　he　examined　and　even　caressed　every　inch　of　fabric。　He　ordered　lunch。　He　called　his　wife；　but　there　was　no　answer。
　Then　he　called　Benny　Aricia；　his　client；　the　man　whose　ninety　million　got　diverted　just　minutes　after　it　had　arrived　at　the　bank　in　Nassau。　Aricia's　take　was　to　have　been　sixty　million；　with　thirty　going　to　his　lawyers；　Bogan　and　Vitrano　and　the　rest　of　those　filthy　crooks　in　Biloxi。　But　it　had　vanished；　just　before　it　reached　Benny。
　He　was　at　the　Willard　Hotel；　also　near　the　White　House；　hiding　and　waiting　to　hear　from　Stephano。
　They　met　an　hour　later　at　the　Four　Seasons　Hotel　in　Georgetown；　in　a　suite　Aricia　had　just　reserved　for　a　week。
　Benny　was　almost　sixty；　but　looked　ten　years　younger。　He　was　lean　and　bronze；　with　the　perpetual　tan　of　an　affluent　South　Florida　retiree　who　played　golf　every　day。　He　lived　in　a　condo　on　a　canal　with　a　Swedish　woman　who　was　young　enough　to　be　his　daughter。
　When　the　money　was　stolen；　the　law　firm　owned　an　insurance　policy　covering　fraud　and　theft　by　its　partners　and　employees。　Embezzlement　is　mon　in　law　firms。　The　policy；　sold　by　Monarch…Sierra　Insurance　pany；　had　a　limit　of　four　million　dollars；　payable　to　the　firm。　Aricia　sued　the　law　firm　with　a　vengeance。　His　lawsuit　demanded　sixty　million；　all　that　he　was　entitled　to。
　Because　there　was　little　else　to　collect；　and　because　the　firm　was　about　to　run　to　bankruptcy　court；　Benny　had　settled　for　the　four　million　paid　by　Monarch…Sierra。　He'd　spent　almost　half　of　that　searching　for　Patrick。　The　fancy　condo　in　Boca　had　cost　a　half　a　million。　Other　expenditures　here　and　there；　and　Benny　was　down　to　his　last　million。
　He　stood　in　the　window　and　sipped　decaffeinated　coffee。　〃Am　I　going　to　be　arrested？〃　he　asked。
　〃Probably　not。　But　I'd　keep　low　anyway。〃
　Benny　placed　his　coffee　on　the　table　and　sat　across　from　Stephano。　〃Have　you　talked　to　the　insurance　panies？〃　he　asked。
　〃Not　yet。　I'll　call　later。　You　guys　are　safe。〃
　Northern　Case　Mutual；　the　life　insurance　pany　which　had　made　Trudy　rich；　had　secretly　set　aside　half　a　million　for　the　search。　Monarch…Sierra　had　put　up　a　million。　In　all；　Stephano's　little　consortium　had　pledged　and　spent　over　three　million　dollars　in　the　hunt　for　Patrick。
　〃Any　luck　with　the　girl？〃　Aricia　asked。
　〃Not　yet。　Our　people　are　in　Rio。　They　found　her　father；　but　he　wouldn't　talk。　Same　at　her　law　firm。　She's　out　of　town　on　business；　they　say。〃
　Aricia　folded　his　hands　and　calmly　said；　〃Now　tell　me；　what　exactly　did　he　say？〃
　〃I　haven't　heard　the　tape　yet。　It　was　supposed　to　be　delivered　to　my　office　this　afternoon；　but　now　things　are　plicated。　Plus；　it　was　sent　from　the　jungles　of　Paraguay。〃
　〃I　know　that。〃
　〃According　to　Guy；　he　broke　after　five　hours　of　shock。　He　said　the　money　was　still　intact；　hidden　in　various　banks；　none　of　which　he　could　name。　Guy　damned　near　killed　him　when　he　couldn't；　or　wouldn't；　name　the　banks。　By　then；　Guy　figured；　correctly；　that　someone　else　had　control　of　the　money。　A　few　more　jolts；　and　the　girl's　name　came　out。　Guy's　men　immediately　called　Rio；　and　confirmed　her　identity。　She　had　already　vanished。〃
　〃I　want　to　hear　that　tape。〃
　〃It's　brutal；　Benny。　The　man's　skin　is　burning　and　he's　screaming　for　mercy。〃
　Benny　couldn't　stop　the　smile。　〃I　know。　That's　what　I　want　to　hear。〃
　THEY　PUT　PATRICK　at　the　end　of　a　wing　on　the　base　hospital。　His　was　the　only　room　with　doors　which　could　be　locked　from　the…　outside　and　windows　that　wouldn't　open。　The　blinds　were　closed。　Two　military　guards　sat　outside　the　hallway；　for　whatever　reason。
　Patrick　wasn't　going　anywhere。　The　voltage　had　severely　bruised　the　muscles　and　tissue　in　his　legs　and　chest。　Even　his　joints　and　bones　were　tender。　The　burns　had　laid　open　his　flesh　in　four　places；　two　on　his　chest；　one　on　his　thigh；　one　on　his　calf。　Four　other　spots　were　being　treated　as　second…degree　burns。
　The　pain　was　intense；　and　so　his　doctors；　all　four　of　them；　had　made　the　simple　decision　to　keep　him　sedated　for　the　time　being。　There　was　no　rush　to　move　him。　He　was　a　wanted　man；　but　it　would　take　a　few　days　to　determine　who　got　him　first。
　They　kept　the　room　dark；　the　music　low；　the　IV　full　of　delightful　narcotics；　and　poor　Patrick　snored　away　the　hours　dreaming　of　nothing　and　oblivious　to　the　storm　brewing　back　home。
　IN　AUGUST　of　1992；　five　months　after　the　money　vanished；　a　federal　grand　jury　in　Biloxi　indicted　Patrick　for　the　theft。　There　was　sufficient　evidence　that　he　had　pulled　the　heist；　and　there　was　not　the　slightest　hint　that　anyone　else　might　be　a　suspect。　It　occurred　internationally；　thus　the　feds　had　jurisdiction。
　The　Harrison　County　Sheriffs　Department　and　the　local　District　Attorney　had　started　a　joint　investigation　into　the　murder；　but　had　long　since　moved　on　to　other；　more　pressing　matters。　Suddenly　they　were　back　in　business。
　The　noon　press　conference　was　delayed　while　the　authorities　met　in　Cutter's　office　in　downtown　Biloxi　to　sort　things　out。　It　was　a　tense　meeting；　attended　by　people　with　peting　interests。　On　one　side　of　the　table　sat　Cutter　and　the　FBI；　who　took　their　orders　from　Maurice　Mast；　the　U。S。　Attorney　for　the　Western　District　of　Mississippi；　who　had　driven　in　from　Jackson。　On　the　other　side　sat　Raymond　Sweeney；　the　Sheriff　of　Harrison　County；　and　his　right…hand　man；　Grimshaw；　both　of　whom　despised　the　FBI。　Their　spokesman　was　T。L。　Parrish；　the　District　Attorney　for　Harrison　and　surrounding　counties。
　It　was　federal　versus　state；　big　budgets　versus　low；　with　serious　egos　around　the　room　and　everyone　wanting　most　of　the　Patrick　show。
　〃The　death　penalty　is　crucial　here；〃　D。A。　Parrish　said。
　〃We　can　use　the　federal　death　penalty；〃　U。S。　Attorney　Mast　said；　a　little　timid；　if　that　was　possible。
　Parrish　smiled　and　cast　his　eyes　down。　The　federal　death　penalty　had　just　recently　been　passed　by　a　Congress　with　little　clue　of　how　to　implement　it。　It　certainly　sounded　good　when　the　President　signed　it　into　law；　but　the　kinks　were　enormous。
　The　state；　on　the　other　hand；　had　a　rich　and　proven　history　of　legal　execut