jg.thepelicanbrief-第57部分

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　　〃It　takes　several　days　for　it　to　bee　real。　At　first；　the　pain　is　horrible。　Just　horrible。　I　couldn't　move　my　body　without　hurting。　I　couldn't　think　because　of　the　shock　and　disbelief。　I　went　through　the　motions　to　get　through　the　funeral；　which　now　seems　like　a　bad　dream。　Is　this　boring？〃
　　
　　〃Not　at　all。〃
　　
　　〃I've　got　to　get　off　these　pills。　I　sleep　so　much　I　don't　get　to　talk　to　adults。　Plus；　my　father　tends　to　run　people　off。　Are　you　taping　this？〃
　　
　　〃No。　I'm　just　listening。〃
　　
　　〃He　was　killed　a　week　ago　tonight。　I　thought　he　was　working　very　late；　which　was　not　unusual。　They　shot　him　and　took　his　wallet；　so　the　cops　couldn't　identify　him。　I　saw　on　the　late　news　where　a　young　lawyer　had　been　murdered　downtown；　and　I　knew　it　was　Curtis。　Don't　ask　me　how　they　knew　he　was　a　lawyer　without　knowing　his　name。　It's　strange；　all　the　little　weird　things　that　go　with　a　murder。〃
　　
　　〃Why　was　he　working　late？〃
　　
　　〃He　worked　eighty　hours　a　week；　sometimes　more。　White　and　Blazevich　is　a　sweatshop。　They　try　to　kill　the　associates　for　seven　years；　and　if　they　can't　kill　them　they　make　them　partners。　Curtis　hated　the　place。　He　was　tired　of　being　a　lawyer。〃
　　
　　〃How　long　was　he　there？〃
　　
　　〃Five　years。　He　was　making　ninety　thousand　a　year；　so　he　put　up　with　the　hassle。〃
　　
　　〃Did　you　know　he　called　me？〃
　　
　　〃No。　My　father　told　me　you　said　that；　and　I've　thought　about　it　all　night。　What　did　he　say？〃
　　
　　〃He　never　identified　himself。　He　used　the　code　name　of　Garcia。　Don't　ask　how　I　learned　his　identityit'll　take　hours。　He　said　he　possibly　knew　something　about　the　assassinations　of　Justices　Rosenberg　and　Jensen；　and　he　wanted　to　tell　me　what　he　knew。〃
　　
　　〃Randy　Garcia　was　his　best　friend　in　elementary　school。〃
　　
　　〃I　got　the　impression　he　had　seen　something　at　the　office；　and　perhaps　someone　at　the　office　knew　he　had　seen　it。　He　was　very　nervous；　and　always　called　from　pay　phones。　He　thought　he　was　being　followed。　We　had　planned　to　meet　early　Saturday　before　last；　but　he　called　that　morning　and　said　no。　He　was　scared；　and　said　he　had　to　protect　his　family。　Did　you　know　any　of　this？〃
　　
　　〃No。　I　knew　he　was　under　a　great　deal　of　stress；　but　he'd　been　that　way　for　five　years。　He　never　brought　the　office　home　with　him。　He　hated　the　place；　really。〃
　　
　　〃Why'd　he　hate　the　place？〃
　　
　　〃He　worked　for　a　bunch　of　cutthroats；　a　bunch　of　thugs　who'd　watch　you　bleed　for　a　buck。　They　spend　tons　of　money　on　this　marvelous　facade　of　respectability；　but　they　are　scum。　Curtis　was　a　top　student　and　had　his　pick　of　jobs。　They　were　such　a　great　bunch　of　guys　when　they　recruited　him；　and　plete　monsters　to　work　with。　Very　unethical。〃
　　
　　〃Why　did　he　stay　with　the　firm？〃
　　
　　〃The　money　kept　getting　better。　He　almost　left　a　year　ago；　but　the　job　offer　fell　through。　He　was　very　unhappy；　but　he　tried　to　keep　it　to　himself。　I　think　he　felt　guilty　for　making　such　a　big　mistake。　We　had　a　little　routine　around　here。　When　he　came　home；　I　would　ask　him　how　his　day　went。　Sometimes　this　was　at　ten　at　night；　so　I　knew　it　was　a　bad　day。　But　he　always　said　the　day　had　been　profitable；　that　was　the　word；　profitable。　And　then　we　talked　about　our　baby。　He　didn't　want　to　talk　about　the　office；　and　I　didn't　want　to　hear　it。〃　
　　
　　〃Well；　so　much　for　Garcia。　He's　dead；　and　he　told　his　wife　nothing。Who　cleaned　out　his　desk？〃
　　
　　Someone　at　the　office。　They　brought　his　stuff　Friday；　all　neatly　packaged　and　taped　in　three　cardboard　boxes。　You're　wele　to　go　〃through　it。〃
　　
　　〃No；　thanks。　I'm　sure　it's　been　sanitized。　How　much　life　insurance　did　he　have？〃　
　　
　　She　paused　for　a　second。　〃You're　a　smart　man；　Mr。　Grantham。　Two　weeks　ago；　he　bought　a　million…dollar　term　policy　with　double　indemnity　for　accidental　death。〃
　　
　　〃That's　two　million　dollars。〃
　　
　　〃Yes　sir。　I　guess　you're　right。　I　guess　he　was　suspicious。〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　think　he　was　killed　by　muggers；　Mrs。　Morgan。〃
　　
　　〃I　can't　believe　this。〃　She　choked　a　little；　but　fought　it　off。
　　
　　〃Have　the　cops　asked　you　a　lot　of　questions？〃
　　
　　〃No。　It's　just　another　D。C。　mugging　that　went　one　step　further。　No　big　deal。　Happens　every　day。〃　
　　
　　The　insurance　bit　was　interesting；　but　useless。　Gray　was　getting　tired　of　Mrs。　Morgan　and　her　unhurried　monotone。　He　was　sorry　for　her；　but　if　she　knew　nothing；　it　was　time　to　say　good…bye。
　　
　　〃What　do　you　think　he　knew？〃　she　asked。　
　　
　　This　could　take　hours。　〃I　don't　know；〃　Gray　answered；　glancing　at　his　watch。　〃He　said　he　knew　something　about　the　killings；　but　that's　as　far　as　he　would　go。　I　was　convinced　we　would　meet　somewhere　and　he　would　spill　his　guts　and　show　me　something。　I　was　wrong。〃
　　
　　〃How　would　he　know　anything　about　those　dead　judges？〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　know。　He　just　called　me　out　of　the　blue。〃
　　
　　〃If　he　had　something　to　show　you；　what　would　it　be？〃　she　asked。　
　　
　　〃He　was　the　reporter。　He　was　supposed　to　ask　the　questions。I　have　no　idea。　He　never　hinted。〃
　　
　　〃Where　would　he　hide　such　a　thing？〃　The　question　was　sin　cere；　but　irritating。　Then　it　hit　him。　She　was　going　somewhere　with　this。
　　
　　〃I　don't　know。　Where　did　he　keep　his　valuable　papers？〃
　　
　　〃We　have　a　lockbox　at　the　bank　for　deeds　and　wills　and　stuff。　I've　always　known　about　the　lockbox。　He　handled　all　the　legal　business；　Mr。　Grantham。　I　looked　at　the　lockbox　last　Thursday　with　my　father；　and　there　was　nothing　unusual　in　it。〃
　　
　　〃You　didn't　expect　anything　unusual；　did　you？〃
　　
　　〃No。　Then　Saturday　morning；　early；　it　was　still　dark；　I　was　going　through　his　papers　in　his　desk　in　the　bedroom。　We　have　this　antique　rolltop　desk　that　he　used　for　his　personal　correspondence　and　papers；　and　I　found　something　a　bit　unusual。〃　
　　
　　Gray　was　on　his　feet；　holding　the　phone；　and　staring　wildly　at　the　floor。　She　had　called　at　four　in　the　morning。　She　had　chitchatted　for　twenty　minutes。　And　she　waited　until　he　was　ready　to　hang　up　to　drop　the　bomb。
　　
　　〃What　is　it？〃　he　asked　as　coolly　as　possible。
　　
　　〃It's　a　key。〃　
　　
　　He　had　a　lump　in　his　throat。　〃A　key　to　what？〃
　　
　　〃Another　lockbox。〃
　　
　　〃Which　bank？〃
　　
　　〃First　Columbia。　We've　never　banked　there。〃
　　
　　〃I　see。　And　you　knew　nothing　about　this　other　lockbox？〃
　　
　　〃Oh　no。　Not　until　Saturday　morning。　I　was　puzzled　by　it；　still　am；　but　I　found　all　of　our　legal　papers　in　the　old　lockbox；　so　I　had　no　reason　to　check　this　one。　I　figured　I'd　run　by　when　I　felt　like　it。〃
　　
　　〃Would　you　like　me　to　check　it　for　you？〃
　　
　　〃I　thought　you　would　say　that。　What　if　you　find　what　you're　looking　for？〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　know　what　I'm　looking　for。　But　what　if　I　find　something　he　left　behind；　and　this　something　proves　to　be　very；　let's　say；　newsworthy？〃
　　
　　〃Use　it。〃
　　
　　〃No　conditions？〃
　　
　　〃One。　If　it　disparages　my　husband　in　any　way；　you　can't　use　it。〃
　　
　　〃It's　a　deal。　I　swear。〃
　　
　　〃When　do　you　want　the　key？〃
　　
　　〃Do　you　have　it　in　your　hand？〃
　　
　　〃Yes。〃
　　
　　〃If　you'll　stand　on　the　front　porch；　I'll　be　there　in　about　three　seconds。〃　
　　
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　　THE　PRIVATE　JET　from　Miami　had　brought　only　five　men；　so　Edwin　Sneller　had　only　seven　to　plan　with。　Seven　men；　no　time；　and　precious　little　equipment。　He　had　not　slept　Monday　night。　His　hotel　suite　was　a　mini…mand　center　as　they　stared　at　maps　through　the　night；　and　tried　to　plan　the　next　twenty…four　hours。　A　few　things　were　certain。　Grantham　had　an　apartment；　but　he　was　not　there。　He　had　a　car　he　was　not　using。　He　worked　at　the　Post；　and　it　was　on　Fifteenth　Street。　White　and　Blazevich　was　in　a　building　on　Tenth　near　New　York；　but　she　would　not　return　there。　Morgan's　widow　lived　in　Alexandria。　Beyond　that；　they　were　searching　for　two　people　out　of　three　million。　
　　
　　These　were　not　the　type　of　men　you　could　rustle　out　of　the　bunkhouse　and　send　in　to　fight。　They　had　to　be　found　and　hired；　and　he'd　been　promised　as　many　as　possible　by　the　end　of　the　day。　
　　
　　Sneller　was　no　novice　at　the　killing　game；　and　this　was　hopeless。　This　was　desperation。　The　sky　was　falling。　He　would　do　his　best　under　the　circumstances；　but　Edwin　Sneller　had　one　foot　out　the　back　door。　
　　
　　She　was　on　his　mind。　She　had　met　Khamel　on　his　terms；　and　walked　away　from　it。　She　had　dodged　bullets　and　bombs；　and　evaded　the　best　in　the　business。　He　would　love　to　see　her；　not　to　kill　her；　but　to　congratulate　her。　A　rookie　running　loose　and　living　to　tell　about　it。　
　　
　　They　would　concentrate　on　the　Post　building。　It　was　the　one　spot　he　had　to　e　back　to。　
　　
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　　THE　DOWNTOWN　TRAFFIC　was　bumper　to　bumper；　and　that　suited　Darby　just　fine。　She　was　in　no　hurry。　The　bank　lobby　opened　at　nine…thirty；　and　some　time　around　seven；　over　coffee　and　untouched　bagels　in　her　room；　he　had　convinced　her　that　she　should　be　the　one　to　visit　the　vault。　She　was　not　really　convinced；　but　a　woman　should　do　it；　and　there　weren't　many　available。　Beverly　Morgan　told　Gray　that　her　bank；　First　Hamilton；　froze　their　box　as　soon　as　they　learned　of　Curtis's　death；　and　that　she　was　allowed　only　to　view　the　contents　and　make　an　inventory。　She　was　also　allowed　to　copy　the　will；　but　the　original　was　placed　back　in　the　box　and　secured　in　the　vault。　The　box　would　be　released　only　after　the　tax　auditors　finished　their　work。　
　　
　　So　the　immediate　question　was　whether　or　not　First　Columbia　knew　he　was　dead。　The　Morgans　had　never　banked　there。　Beverly　had　no　idea　why　he　chose　it。　It　was　a　huge　bank　with　a　million　customers；　and　they　decided　that　the　odds　were　against　it。　
　　
　　Darby　was　tired　of　playing　the　odds。　She'd　blown　a　wonderful　opportunity　last　night　to　get　on　a　plane；　and　now　here　she　was　about　to　be　Beverly　Morgan　matching　wits　with　First　Columbia　so　she　could　steal　from　a　dead　man。　And　what　was　her　sidekick　going　to　do？　He　was　going　to　protect　her。　He　had　this　gun；　which　scared　her　to　death　and　had　the　same　effect　on　him　though　he　wouldn't　admit　it；　and　he　planned　to　play　bodyguard　by　the　front　door　while　she　pilfered　the　lockbox。
　　
　　〃What　if