jg.thepelicanbrief-第45部分

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s　Croft　in　the　lobby　near　the　pay　phones。　Cool　it；　he　told　himself。　
　　
　　They　left　the　building　together。　〃Didn't　work；〃　Gray　said。
　　
　　〃Did　you　talk　to　him？〃　
　　
　　〃Yep。　Wrong　man。〃
　　
　　Dammit。　I　knew　it　was　him。　It　was　the　kid　in　the　photos；　wasn't　it？〃
　　
　　〃No。　Close　but　no　cigar。　Keep　trying。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　really　tired　of　this；　Grantham。　I've〃
　　
　　〃You're　getting　paid；　aren't　you？　Do　it　for　one　more　week；　okay？　I　can　think　of　harder　work。〃　
　　
　　〃Croft　stopped　on　the　sidewalk；　and　Gray　kept　walking。One　more　week；　and　I'm　through；〃　Croft　yelled　to　him。　Grantham　waved　him　off。　
　　
　　He　unlocked　the　illegally　parked　Volvo　and　sped　back　to　the　Post。　It　was　not　a　smart　move。　It　was　quite　stupid；　and　he　was　much　too　experienced　for　such　a　mistake。　He　would　omit　it　from　his　daily　chat　with　Jackson　Feldman　and　Smith　Keen。　
　　
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　　FELDMAN　WAS　LOOKING　for　him；　another　reporter　said；　and　he　walked　quickly　to　his　office。　He　smiled　sweetly　to　the　secretary；　who　was　poised　to　attack。　Keen　and　Howard　Krauthammer；　the　managing　editor；　were　waiting　with　Feldman。　Keen　closed　the　door　and　handed　Gray　a　newspaper。Have　you　seen　this？〃　
　　
　　It　was　the　New　Orleans　paper；　the　Times…Picayune；　and　the　front…page　story　was　about　the　deaths　of　Verheek　and　Callahan；　along　with　big　photos。　He　read　it　quickly　while　they　watched　him。　It　talked　about　their　friendship；　and　their　strange　deaths　just　six　days　apart。　And　it　mentioned　Darby　Shaw；　who　had　disappeared。　But　no　link　to　the　brief。
　　
　　〃I　guess　the　cat's　out　of　the　bag；〃　Feldman　said。
　　
　　〃It's　nothing　but　the　basics；〃　Gray　said。　〃We　could've　run　this　three　days　ago。〃
　　
　　〃Why　didn't　we？〃　asked　Krauthammer。
　　
　　〃There's　nothing　here。　It's　two　dead　bodies；　the　name　of　the　girl；　and　a　thousand　questions；　none　of　which　they　answered。　They've　found　a　cop　who'll　talk；　but　he　knows　nothing　beyond　the　blood　and　gore。〃
　　
　　〃But　they're　digging；　Gray；〃　Keen　said。
　　
　　〃You　want　me　to　stop　them？〃
　　
　　〃The　Times　has　picked　it　up；〃　Feldman　said。They're　run　ning　something　tomorrow　or　Sunday。　How　much　can　they　know？〃
　　
　　〃Why　ask　me？　Look；　it's　possible　they　have　a　copy　of　the　brief。　Very　unlikely；　but　possible。　But　they　haven't　talked　to　the　girl。　We've　got　the　girl；　okay。　She's　ours。〃
　　
　　〃We　hope；〃　said　Krauthammer。　
　　
　　Feldman　rubbed　his　eyes　and　stared　at　the　ceiling。　〃Let's　say　they　have　a　copy　of　the　brief；　and　that　they　know　she　wrote　it；　and　now　she's　vanished。　They　can't　verify　it　right　now；　but　they're　not　afraid　to　mention　the　brief　without　naming　Mattiece。　Let's　say　they　know　Callahan　was　her　professor；　among　other　things；　and　that　he　brought　the　brief　here　and　gave　it　to　his　good　friend　Verheek。　And　now　they're　dead　and　she's　on　the　run。　That's　a　pretty　damned　good　story；　wouldn't　you　say；　Gray？〃
　　
　　〃It's　a　big　story；〃　Krauthammer　said。
　　
　　〃It's　peanuts　pared　to　what's　ing；〃　Gray　said。　〃I　don't　want　to　run　it　because　it's　the　tip　of　the　iceberg；　and　it'll　attract　every　paper　in　the　country。　We　don't　need　a　thousand　reporters　bumping　into　each　other。〃
　　
　　〃I　say　we　run　it；〃　Krauthammer　said。　〃If　not；　the　Times　will　beat　our　ass　with　it。〃
　　
　　〃We　can't　run　the　story；〃　Gray　said。
　　
　　〃Why　not？〃　asked　Krauthammer。
　　
　　〃Because　I'm　not　going　to　write　it；　and　if　it's　written　by　someone　else　here；　then　we　lose　the　girl。　It's　that　simple。　She's　debating　right　now　about　whether　to　jump　on　a　plane　and　leave　the　country；　and　one　mistake　by　us　and　she's　gone。〃
　　
　　〃But　she's　already　spilled　her　guts；〃　Keen　said。
　　
　　〃I　gave　her　my　word；　okay。　I　will　not　write　the　story　until　it's　pieced　together　and　Mattiece　can　be　named。　It's　very　simple。〃
　　
　　〃You're　using　her；　aren't　you？〃　Keen　asked。
　　
　　〃She's　a　source。　But　she's　not　in　the　city。〃
　　
　　〃If　the　Times　has　the　brief；　then　they　know　about　Mattiece；〃　Feldman　said。　〃And　if　they　know　about　Mattiece；　you　can　bet　they'ie　digging　like　hell　to　verify　it。　What　if　they　beat　us？〃　
　　
　　Krauthammer　grunted　in　disgust。　〃We're　going　to　sit　on　our　asses　and　lose　the　biggest　story　I've　seen　in　twenty　years。　I　say　we　run　what　we've　got。　It's　just　the　surface；　but　it's　a　helluva　story　right　now。〃
　　
　　〃No；〃　Gray　said。I　won't　write　it　until　I　have　all　of　it。〃
　　
　　〃And　how　long　might　that　take？〃　Feldman　asked。
　　
　　〃A　week；　maybe。〃
　　
　　〃We　don't　have　a　week；〃　Krauthammer　said。　
　　
　　Gray　was　desperate。　〃I　can　find　out　how　much　the　Times　knows。　Give　me　forty…eight　hours。〃
　　
　　〃They're　running　something　tomorrow　or　Sunday；〃　Feldman　said　again。
　　
　　〃Let　'em　run　it。　I'll　bet　money　it'll　be　the　same　story　with　probably　the　same　mug　shots。　You　guys　are　assuming　a　hell　of　a　lot。　You're　assuming　they've　got　a　copy　of　the　brief；　but　its　author　doesn't　have　a　copy　of　it。　We　don't　have　a　copy　of　it。　Let's　wait；　and　read　their　little　story；　then　go　from　there。〃　
　　
　　The　editors　studied　each　other。　Krauthammer　was　frustrated。　Keen　was　anxious。　But　the　boss　was　Feldman；　and　he　said；　〃Okay。　If　they　run　something　in　the　morning；　we'll　meet　here　at　noon　and　look　at　it。〃
　　
　　〃Fine；〃　Gray　said　quickly　and　reached　for　the　door。
　　
　　〃You'd　better　move　fast；　Grantham；〃　Feldman　said。　〃We　can't　sit　on　this　much　longer。〃　
　　
　　Grantham　was　gone。　
　　
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　　THE　LIMOUSINE　moved　patiently　in　the　Beltway　rush　hour。　It　was　dark；　and　Matthew　Barr　read　with　the　aid　of　a　reading　light　in　the　ceiling。　Coal　sipped　Perrier　and　watched　the　traffic。　He　had　the　brief　memorized；　and　could　have　simply　explained　it　to　Barr；　but　he　wanted　to　watch　his　reaction。　
　　
　　Barr　had　no　reaction　until　he　got　to　the　photograph；　then　slowly　shook　his　head。　He　laid　it　on　the　seat；　and　thought　about　it　for　a　moment。　〃Very　nasty；〃　he　said。　
　　
　　Coal　grunted。
　　
　　〃How　true　is　it？〃　Barr　asked。
　　
　　〃I'd　love　to　know。〃
　　
　　〃When　did　you　first　see　it？〃
　　
　　〃Tuesday　of　last　week。　It　came　over　from　the　FBI　in　one　of　their　daily　reports。〃
　　
　　〃What'd　the　President　say？〃
　　
　　〃He　was　not　that　happy　with　it；　but　there　was　no　cause　for　alarm。　It's　just　another　wild　shot　in　the　dark；　we　thought。　He　talked　to　Voyles　about　it；　and　Voyles　agreed　to　leave　it　alone　for　a　while。　Now　I'm　not　so　sure。〃
　　
　　〃Did　the　President　ask　Voyles　to　back　off？〃　Barr　asked　the　question　slowly。
　　
　　〃Yes。〃
　　
　　〃That's　awfully　close　to　obstruction　of　justice；　assuming　of　course　the　brief　turns　out　to　be　true。〃
　　
　　〃And　what　if　it's　true？〃
　　
　　〃Then　the　President　has　problems。　I've　got　one　conviction　for　obstruction；　so　I've　been　there。　It's　like　mail　fraud。　It's　broad　and　wide　and　fairly　easy　to　prove。　Were　you　in　on　it？〃
　　
　　〃What　do　you　think？〃
　　
　　〃Then　I　think　you've　got　problems　too。〃　
　　
　　They　rode　in　silence　and　watched　the　traffic。　Coal　had　thought　through　the　obstruction　angle；　but　he　wanted　Barr's　opinion。　He　wasn't　worried　about　criminal　charges。　The　President　had　one　brief　little　chat　with　Voyles；　asked　him　to　look　elsewhere　for　the　time　being；　and　that　was　it。　Hardly　the　work　of　felons。　But　Coal　was　terribly　concerned　with　reelection；　and　a　scandal　involving　a　major　contributor　like　Mattiece　would　be　devastating。　The　thought　was　sickening…a　man　the　President　knew　and　took　millions　from　paid　money　to　have　two　Supreme　Court　Justices　knocked　off　so　his　pal　the　President　could　appoint　more　reasonable　men　to　the　bench　so　that　the　oil　could　be　harvested。　The　Democrats　would　fall　in　the　streets　howling　with　glee。　Every　submittee　in　Congress　would　hold　hearings。　Every　newspaper　would　run　it　every　day　for　a　year。　The　Justice　Department　would　be　forced　to　investigate。　Coal　would　be　forced　to　take　the　blame　and　resign。　Hell；　everyone　in　the　White　House；　except　the　President；　would　have　to　go。　
　　
　　It　was　a　nightmare　of　horrific　proportions。
　　
　　〃We've　got　to　find　out　if　the　brief　is　true；〃　Coal　said　to　the　window。
　　
　　〃If　people　are　dying；　then　it's　true。　Give　me　a　better　reason　for　killing　Callahan　and　Verheek。〃　
　　
　　There　was　no　other　reason；　and　Coal　knew　it。　〃I　want　you　to　do　something。〃
　　
　　〃Find　the　girl。〃
　　
　　〃No。　She's　either　dead　or　hiding　in　a　cave　somewhere。　I　want　you　to　talk　to　Mattiece。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　sure　he's　in　the　yellow　pages。〃
　　
　　〃You　can　find　him。　We　need　to　establish　a　link　that　the　President　knows　nothing　about。　We　need　to　first　determine　how　much　of　this　is　true。〃
　　
　　〃And　you　think　Victor　will　take　me　into　his　confidence　and　tell　me　his　secrets。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　eventually。　You're　not　a　cop；　remember。　Assume　it's　true；　and　he　thinks　he's　about　to　be　exposed。　He's　desperate　and　he's　killing　people。　What　if　you　told　him　the　press　had　the　story　and　the　end　was　near；　and　if　he　is　inclined　to　disappear；　then　now's　the　time？　You're　ing　to　him　from　Washington；　remember？　From　the　inside。　From　the　President；　or　so　he　thinks。　He'll　listen　to　you。〃
　　
　　〃Okay。　What　if　he　tells　me　it's　true？　What's　in　it　for　us？〃
　　
　　〃I've　got　some　ideas；　all　in　the　category　of　damage　control。　The　first　thing　we'll　do　is　immediately　appoint　two　nature　lovers　to　the　Court。　I　mean；　wild…eyed　radical　bird　watchers。　It　would　show　that　down　deep　we're　good　little　environmentalists。　And　it　would　kill　Mattiece　and　his　oil　field；　etc。　We　could　do　this　in　a　matter　of　hours。　Almost　simultaneously；　the　President　will　call　in　Voyles　and　the　Attorney　General　and　Justice　and　demand　an　immediate　investigation　into　Mattiece。　We'll　leak　copies　of　the　brief　to　every　reporter　in　town；　then　hunker　down　and　ride　out　the　storm。〃　
　　
　　Barr　was　smiling　with　admiration。　
　　
　　Coal　continued。　〃It　won't　be　pretty；　but　it's　far　better　than　sitting　back　and　hoping　the　brief　is　a　work　of　fiction。〃
　　
　　〃How　do　you　explain　that　photograph？〃
　　
　　〃You　can't。　It'll　hurt　for　a　while；　but　it　was　seven　years　ago；　and　people　go　crazy。　We'll　portray　Mattiece　as　a　good　citizen　back　then；　but　now　he's　a　madman。〃
　　
　　〃He　is　a　madman。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　he　is。　And　right　now　he's　like　a　wound