rl.thebourneultimatum-第66节

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　〃Yes；　that　must　be　faced。　It's　the　ugliest　part　of　our　work。〃
　〃Goddamn　it；　I　can't　dismiss　a　man　like　Mo　with　'That　must　be　faced'！〃
　〃I'm　not　asking　you　to。　I'm　only　remarking　upon　the　reality。　Your　feelings　are　meaningful　to　you；　but　they　don't　change　reality。　I　did　not　mean　to　offend　you。〃
　〃And　I　didn't　mean　to　mouth　off。　Sorry。　It's　just　that　he's　a　very　special　person。〃
　〃I　understand。　。。。　What　are　your　plans？　What　do　you　need？〃
　〃I　don't　know　yet；〃　answered　Bourne。　〃I'll　pick　up　the　car　in　the　Capucines　and　an　hour　or　so　later　I'll　know　more。　Will　you　be　home　or　at　the　Deuxième　Bureau？〃
　〃Until　I　hear　from　you　I　will　stay　in　my　flat　and　near　my　very　unique　telephone。　Under　the　circumstances　I　prefer　that　you　do　not　call　me　at　the　office。〃
　〃That's　an　astonishing　statement。〃
　〃I　don't　know　everyone　these　days　at　the　Deuxième；　and　at　my　age；　caution　is　not　merely　the　better　part　of　valor；　it's　frequently　a　substitute。　Besides；　to　call　off　my　protection　so　swiftly　might　generate　rumors　of　senility。　。。。　Speak　to　you　later；　mon　ami。〃
　Jason　replaced　the　phone；　tempted　to　pick　it　up　again　and　reach　the　Pont…Royal；　but　this　was　Paris；　the　city　of　discretion；　where　hotel　clerks　were　loath　to　give　information　over　the　telephone；　and　would　refuse　to　do　so　with　guests　they　did　not　know。　He　dressed　quickly；　went　down　to　pay　his　bill；　and　walked　out　onto　the　rue　Gay…Lussac。　There　was　a　taxi　stand　at　the　corner；　eight　minutes　later　he　walked　into　the　lobby　of　the　Pont…Royal　and　up　to　the　concierge。　〃Je　m'appelle　Monsieur　Simon；〃　he　said　to　the　man；　giving　his　room　number。　〃I　ran　into　a　friend　last　night；〃　he　continued　in　flawless　French；　〃and　I　stayed　at　her　place。　Would　you　know　if　anyone　came　around　looking　for　me；　perhaps　asking　for　me。〃　Bourne　removed　several　large　franc　notes；　his　eyes　telling　the　man　he　would　pay　generously　for　confidentiality。　〃Or　even　describing　someone　like　me；〃　he　added　softly。
　〃Merci　bien；　monsieur。　。。。　I　understand。　I　will　check　further　with　the　night　concierge；　but　I'm　sure　he　would　have　left　a　note　for　my　personal　attention　if　someone　had　e　here　seeking　you。〃
　〃Why　are　you　so　sure？〃
　〃Because　he　did　leave　such　a　note　for　me　to　speak　with　you。　I've　been　calling　your　room　since　seven　o'clock　this　morning　when　I　came　on　duty。〃
　〃What　did　the　note　say？〃　asked　Jason；　his　breathing　on　hold。
　〃It's　what　I'm　to　say　to　you。　'Reach　his　friend　across　the　Atlantic。　The　man　has　been　phoning　all　night。'　I　can　attest　to　the　accuracy　of　that；　monsieur。　The　switchboard　tells　me　that　last　call　was　less　than　thirty　minutes　ago。〃
　〃Thirty　minutes　ago？〃　said　Jason；　looking　hard　at　the　concierge　and　then　at　his　watch。　〃It's　five　A。M。　over　there　。。。　all　night？〃
　The　hotel　man　nodded　as　Bourne　started　for　the　elevator。
　〃Alex；　for　Christ's　sake；　what　is　it？　They　told　me　you've　been　calling　all…〃
　〃Are　you　at　the　hotel？〃　interrupted　Conklin　quickly。
　〃Yes；　I　am。〃
　〃Get　to　a　public　phone　in　the　street　and　call　me　back。　Hurry。〃
　Again　the　slow；　cumbersome　elevator；　the　faded　ornate　lobby　now　half　filled　with　Parisians　talking　manically；　many　heading　for　the　bar　and　their　prenoon　apéritifs；　and　again　the　hot　bright　summer　street　outside　and　the　maddening　congested　traffic。　Where　was　a　telephone？　He　walked　rapidly　down　the　pavement　toward　the　Seine…where　was　a　phone？　There！　Across　the　converging　rue　du　Bac；　a　red…domed　booth　with　posters　covering　the　sides。
　Dodging　the　onslaught　of　automobiles　and　small　trucks；　all　with　furious　drivers；　he　raced　to　the　other　side　of　the　street　and　down　to　the　booth。　He　sped　inside；　deposited　a　coin；　and　after　an　agonizing　few　moments　during　which　he　explained　that　he　was　not　calling　Austria；　the　international　operator　accepted　his　AT&T　credit　number　and　put　the　call　through　to　Vienna；　Virginia。
　〃Why　the　hell　couldn't　I　talk　from　the　hotel？〃　asked　Bourne　angrily。　〃I　called　you　last　night　from　there！〃
　〃That　was　last　night；　not　today。〃
　〃Any　news　about　Mo？〃
　〃Nothing　yet；　but　they　may　have　made　a　mistake。　We　may　have　a　line　on　the　army　doctor。〃
　〃Break　him！〃
　〃With　pleasure。　I'll　take　off　my　foot　and　smash　his　face　with　it　until　he　begs　to　cooperate…if　the　line　on　him　is　rumb。〃
　〃That's　not　why　you've　been　calling　me　all　night；　though；　is　it？〃
　〃No。　I　was　with　Peter　Holland　for　five　hours　yesterday。　I　went　over　to　see　him　after　we　talked；　and　his　reaction　was　exactly　what　I　thought　it　would　be；　with　a　few　generous　broadsides　in　the　bargain。〃
　〃Medusa？〃
　〃Yes。　He　insists　you　fly　back　immediately；　you're　the　only　one　with　direct　knowledge。　It's　an　order。〃
　〃Bullshit！　He　can't　insist　I　do　anything；　much　less　give　me　an　order！〃
　〃He　can　cut　you　off；　and　I　can't　do　anything　about　it。　If　you　need　something　in　a　hurry；　he　won't　deliver。〃
　〃Bernardine's　offered　to　help。　'Whatever　you　need；'　those　were　his　words。〃
　〃Bernardine's　limited。　Like　me；　he　can　call　in　debts；　but　without　access　to　the　machine　he's　too　restricted。〃
　〃Did　you　tell　Holland　I'm　writing　down　everything　I　know；　every　statement　that　was　made　to　me；　every　answer　to　every　question　I　asked？〃
　〃Are　you？〃
　〃I　will。〃
　〃He　doesn't　buy　it。　He　wants　to　question　you；　he　says　he　can't　question　pages　of　paper。〃
　〃I'm　too　close　to　the　Jackal！　I　won't　do　it。　He's　an　unreasonable　son　of　a　bitch！〃
　〃I　think　he　wanted　to　be　reasonable；〃　said　Conklin。　〃He　knows　what　you're　going　through；　what　you've　been　through；　but　after　seven　o'clock　last　night　he　closed　the　doors。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃Armbruster　was　shot　to　death　outside　his　house。　They're　calling　it　a　Georgetown　robbery；　which；　of　course；　it　isn't　and　wasn't。〃
　〃Oh；　Jesus！〃
　〃There　are　a　couple　of　other　things　you　ought　to　know。　To　begin　with；　we're　releasing　Swayne's　'suicide。'　〃
　〃For　God's　sake；　why？〃
　〃To　let　whoever　killed　him　think　he's　off　the　hook；　and；　more　important；　to　see　who　shows　up　during　the　next　week　or　so。
　〃At　the　funeral？〃
　〃No；　that's　a　'closed　family　affair；'　no　guests；　no　formal　ceremony。〃
　〃Then　who's　going　to　show　up　where？
　〃At　the　estate；　in　one　form　or　another。　We　checked　with　Swayne's　attorney；　very　officially；　of　course；　and　he　confirmed　what　Swayne's　wife　told　you　about　his　leaving　the　whole　place　to　a　foundation。〃
　〃Which　one？〃　asked　Bourne。
　〃One　you've　never　heard　of；　funded　privately　a　few　years　ago　by　wealthy　close　friends　of　the　august　'wealthy'　general。　It's　as　touching　as　can　be。　It　goes　under　the　title　of　the　Soldiers；　Sailors　and　Marines　Retreat；　the　board　of　directors　is　already　in　place。〃
　〃Medusans。〃
　〃Or　their　surrogates。　We'll　see。〃
　〃Alex；　what　about　the　names　I　gave　you；　the　six　or　seven　names　Flannagan　gave　me？　And　that　slew　of　license　plate　numbers　from　their　meetings？〃
　〃Cute；　real　cute；〃　said　Conklin　enigmatically。
　〃What's　cute？〃
　〃Take　the　names…they're　the　dregs　of　the　wing…ding　social　set；　no　relation　to　the　Georgetown　upper　crust。　They're　out　of　the　National　Enquirer；　not　The　Washington　Post。〃
　〃But　the　licenses；　the　meetings！　That's　got　to　be　the　ball　of　wax。〃
　〃Even　cuter；〃　observed　Alex。　〃A　ball　of　sheep　dip。　。。。　Every　one　of　those　licenses　is　registered　to　a　limousine　pany；　read　that　panies。　I　don't　have　to　tell　you　how　authentic　the　names　would　be　even　if　we　had　the　dates　to　trace　them。〃
　〃There's　a　cemetery　out　there！〃
　〃Where　is　it？　How　big；　how　small？　There　are　twenty…eight　acres…〃
　〃Start　looking！〃
　〃And　advertise　what　we　know？〃
　〃You're　right；　you're　playing　it　right。　。。。　Alex；　tell　Holland　you　couldn't　reach　me。〃
　〃You're　joking。〃
　〃No；　I　mean　it。　I've　got　the　concierge；　I　can　cover。　Give　Holland　the　hotel　and　the　name　and　tell　him　to　call　himself；　or　send　over　whoever　he　likes　from　the　embassy　to　verify。　The　concierge　will　swear　I　checked　in　yesterday　and　he　hasn't　seen　me　since。　Even　the　switchboard　will　confirm　it。　Buy　me　a　few　days；　please。〃
　〃Holland　could　still　pull　all　the　plugs　and　probably　will。〃
　〃He　won't　if　he　thinks　I'll　e　back　when　you　find　me。　I　just　want　him　to　keep　looking　for　Mo　and　keep　my　name　out　of　Paris。　Good　or　bad；　no　Webb；　no　Simon；　no　Bourne！〃
　〃I'll　try。〃
　〃Was　there　anything　else？　I've　got　a　lot　to　do。〃
　〃Yes。　Casset　is　flying　over　to　Brussels　in　the　morning。　He's　going　to　nail　Teagarten…him　we　can't　allow　and　it　won't　touch　you。〃
　〃Agreed。〃
　On　a　side　street　in　Anderlecht；　three　miles　south　of　Brussels；　a　military　sedan　bearing　the　flags　of　a　four…star　general　officer　pulled　up　to　the　curb　in　front　of　a　sidewalk　café。　General　James　Teagarten；　mander　of　NATO；　his　tunic　emblazoned　with　five　rows　of　ribbons；　stepped　gingerly　out　of　the　car　into　the　bright　early　afternoon　sunlight。　He　turned　and　offered　his　hand　to　a　stunning　WAC　major；　who　smiled　her　thanks　as　she　climbed　out　after　him。　Gallantly；　with　military　authority；　Teagarten　released　the　woman's　hand　and　took　her　elbow；　he　escorted　her　across　the　wide　pavement　toward　a　cluster　of　umbrella…topped　tables　behind　a　row　of　flowering　planter　boxes　that　was　the　alfresco　section　of　the　café。　They　reached　the　entrance；　a　latticework　archway　profusely　covered　with　baby　roses；　and　walked　inside。　All　the　tables　were　occupied　save　one　at　the　far　end　of　the　enclosed　pavement；　the　hum　of　luncheon　conversation　was　punctuated　by　th