scoonts.theminotaur-第76节

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　quaver；　the　distinct　pronunciation　of　each　word；　the　subtle　trace　of　outrage。　〃He　is　active　in　over　a　dozen　civic　organizations；　gives　over　half　a　million　dollars　a　year　to　charity　and　provides　employment　to　six　hundred　people；　every　one　of　whom　pays　the　taxes　that　provide　salaries　for　you　gentlemen。〃　He　had　just　the　slightest　little　bit　of　difficulty　pronouncing　the　word　〃gentlemen。〃
　Nash　continued；　listing　the　contributions　Homer　T。　Wiggins　had　made　to　the　arts；　the　people　of　the　great　state　of　Michigan　and　the　human　race。　Camacho　settled　into　his　chair　and　let　him　go；　occasionally　glancing　at　his　watch。
　Dreyfus　waited　until　he　had　Camacho's　eye；　then　winked　broadly。　Wiggins　saw　the　gesture　and　winced。
　Finally；　as　Nash　paused　for　breath；　Camacho　asked；　〃Are　you　a　criminal　lawyer？〃
　〃Well；　no；〃　admitted　the　pleader。　〃I　specialize　in　corporate　law。　My　firm　has　advised　Homer　for　ten　years　now。　We　handled　his　last　stock　offering；　over　ten　million　shares　on　the　American　Exchange；　and　the　subordinated　debenture…〃
　〃He　needs　a　criminal　lawyer。〃
　Deflated；　Nash　looked　to　his　left；　right　at　the　pasty；　perspiring　face　of　leading　citizen　Homer　T。　Wiggins；　who　was　staring　at　Camacho　and　licking　his　lips。
　〃Read　him　his　rights；　Dreyfus。〃
　Both　agents　knew　this　had　been　done　on　one　prior　occasion；　yesterday；　and　Wiggins　had　declined　to　answer　questions　unless　his　lawyer　was　present。　Dreyfus　removed　the　Miranda　card　from　his　credentials　folder　and　read　it　yet　again；　slowly；　with　feeling。　The　warning　usually　had　a　profound　effect　on　men　who　had　never　in　their　lives　thought　of　themselves　as　criminals。　All　the　color　drained　from　Wiggins'　face　and　he　began　to　breathe　in　short；　rapid　breaths。　It　was　as　if　he　could　hear　the　pillars　crumbling　and　see　the　plaster　falling　from　the　ceiling　of　that　magnificent　edifice　of　position；　responsibility　and　respect　that　had　housed　him　so　well　all　these　years。
　As　Dreyfus　put　the　card　away；　Wiggins　squeaked；　〃You　going　to　arrest　me？〃
　〃That　depends。〃
　〃On　what？〃　said　Martin　Prescott　Nash；　who　was　looking　a　little　pale　himself。
　〃On　whether　or　not　I　get　some　truthful　answers　to　the　questions　I　came　here　to　ask。〃
　〃Are　you　offering　immunity？〃
　〃No。　I　have　no　such　authority。　I　am　here　to　question　Mr。　Wiggins　as　a　principal　about　bribery　of　a　government　employee　and　illegally　obtaining　classified　defense　information。　Both　charges　are　felonies。　If　you　want　to　talk　to　us；　Mr。　Wiggins；　we'll　listen。　We　may　or　may　not　arrest　you　today。　I　haven't　decided。　Anything　you　say　will　be　included　in　our　reports　and　will　be　conveyed　to　the　Justice　Department。　The　attorneys　there　may　or　may　not　use　it　as　evidence　against　you。　They　may　take　it　into　account　when　they　are　trying　to　decide　if　prosecution　is　warranted；　or　they　may　not。　They　may　consider　your　cooperation　when　they　make　a　sentencing　remendation　after　your　conviction…if　there　is　one…or　again；　they　may　not。　I　have　nothing　to　offer。　You　have　the　right　to　remain　silent；　but　you've　heard　your　rights　and　your　attorney　is　here　with　you。　Or　you　can　decide　to　cooperate　with　the　government　that　you　and　your　six　hundred　employees　support　with　your　tax　dollars　by　telling　us　the　truth。　It's　up　to　you。〃
　Nash　wanted　to　talk　to　his　client　in　private。　The　agents　went　out　into　the　hall　and　walked　toward　the　cafeteria。
　〃Have　you　really　got　it？〃　Camacho　asked　Dreyfus…
　〃Chapter　and　verse。　He　turned　in　expense…account　reports　for　every　trip　to　Washington；　including　credit…card　receipts　for　dinners　with　the　name　Thomas　H。　Judy　on　the　back　as　a　business　guest　in　his　own　handwriting。　Apparently　he　didn't　want　any　more　trouble　with　those　IRS　troglodytes　about　his　expense　account。〃
　〃Can　you　tie　him　personally　to　the　data？〃
　〃Yep。　An　engineer　here　got　the　puter　printout　about　seven　months　ago…Wiggins　himself　handed　it　to　him。　Told　him　to　make　up　some　experimental　chips　to　see　if　they　could　validate　the　method　and　their　puter　stuff；　and　to　develop　a　cost　projection。　All　of　which　he　did。　Other　people　swear　to　that。　I've　got　a　sworn　statement　in　writing　from　this　engineer　burning　Wiggins　and　a　cassette　recording　of　him　telling　it　to　me　originally。　And　the　NSA　puter　records　show　Judy　as　one　of　the　officers　who　had　routine　access　to　the　E…PROM　data。　We've　got　Homer　T。　cold　as　a　frozen　steak。〃
　〃Is　this　the　right　time？〃　Camacho　muttered；　thinking　aloud。
　〃Well；　shit！〃　Dreyfus　hissed。　〃I　don't　know！　I　just　dig　this　stuff　up。　You…〃
　Camacho　silenced　him　with　a　glance。　Dreyfus　lit　his　pipe　and　walked　along　with　smoke　billowing。
　〃So　why　the　big　screw…up　with　the　chips？〃　Camacho　asked　when　they　reached　the　cafeteria；　which　housed　three　microwaves　and　a　wall　full　of　vending　machines。
　〃Oh；　AeroTech　got　in　four　or　five　different　data　dumps　from　TRX　and　even　one　from　the　Pentagon；　all　in　the　last　three　months。　The　first　three　chips　just　sat　there　on　the　engineer's　desk。　No　one　is　sure　how　or　when　they　went　to　the　mail　room。　No　one　knows　how　they　got　mixed　up　with　an　outgoing　shipment。　The　mail…room　guy　is　from　Haiti；　with　a　heavy　accent。　He　denies　everything。　Rumor　has　it　he　used　to　be　a　medical　doctor　in　his　former　life。〃　Dreyfus　shrugged。　〃Looks　like　human　error；　that　plus　the　usual　carelessness　and　a　tiny　pinch　of　rotten　luck。　Voila！　Anything　that　can　go　wrong；　will。　Isn't　that　the　fourth　or　fifth　law　of　thermodynamics　or　Murphy　or　the　Georgia　state　legislature？〃
　〃Something　like　that。〃　Camacho　removed　a　plastic　cup　full　of　decaffeinated　coffee　from　the　vending　machine　and　sat　on　a　plastic　chair　at　a　plastic　table　beneath　a　fluorescent　light　with　a　faulty　igniter…the　light　hummed　and　flickered。
　〃I　think　the　doctor　in　the　mail　room　is　an　illegal。〃
　〃You　asked　to　see　his　green　card？〃
　〃Nope。〃
　〃Going　to？〃
　〃Not　unless　you　tell　me　to。〃
　〃Let's　go　see　if　Wiggins　wants　to　talk。〃
　Dreyfus　stoked　his　pipe　again　on　the　stroll　down　the　hall。　Wiggins'　secretary　glared　at　them。　Dreyfus　gave　her　a　sympathetic　grin；　which　she　ignored。
　They　sat　silently　and　flipped　through　the　magazines　on　the　stand。　It　was　five　more　minutes　before　the　buzzer　sounded　and　they　were　waved　into　the　inner　sanctum。
　〃My　client；〃　said　the　counselor；　〃wishes　to　cooperate。　With　the　understanding；　of　course；　that　he　can　cease　answering　questions　at　any　time。〃
　Wiggins　had　met　Smoke　Judy　on　five　different　occasions。　Judy　knew　that　AeroTech　needed　contracts　and　offered　to　help　in　return　for　a　small　cash　payment　and　some　stock。　On　two　occasions　he　talked　about　a　job　after　he　retired。　Wiggins　had　been　nonmittal　about　the　job；　but　had　agreed　to　the　money　and　the　stock。　Five　thousand　dollars　cash　and　a　bearer　certificate　for　a　thousand　shares　of　AeroTech…currently　worth　12。75　each…had　bought　the　pany　an　advance　peek　at　the　flight　control　data　for　the　TRX　prototype。　The　navy　was　just　floating　a　Request　for　Proposal　（RFP）　for　the　fly…by…wire　system。　AeroTech　bid　for　the　chip　business　and　won　the　contract。
　All　this　Wiggins　admitted；　but　he　stoutly　denied　any　wrongdoing。　〃This　pany；　it　needs　the　business。　And　we　underbid　every　other　contractor　for　those　chips。　We　saved　the　government　a　lot　of　money。　We　didn't　do　anything　that　other　defense　contractors　don't　routinely　do。　It's　a　cutthroat　business。〃
　The　FBI　agents　seemed　unimpressed。
　〃Listen；　if　I　hadn't　agreed　to　Judy's　offer；　he　would　have　peddled　that　information　to　my　petitors。　Then　where　would　I　have　been？　No　contract。　I　have　a　duty　to　this　pany。〃　Color　returned　to　Homer　Wiggins'　cheeks。
　〃Of　course；〃　Dreyfus　said；　〃you　could　have　called　us　when　Judy　first　approached　you。〃
　〃I've　spent　fifteen　years　building　this　business。　I　did　it　with　my　bare　hands；　with　no　money；　with　a　ton　of　sweat；　taking　risks　that　would　scare　the　wits　out　of　a　Vegas　gambler。　I　built　it！〃　Camacho　found　himself　staring　at　Wiggins'　gold　wedding　ring　and　gold　class　ring。　Was　that　Yale？
　〃Now　the　navy　wants　me　to　make　E…PROMs　cheaper　than　anyone　else。　So　I　do。　And　this　is　the　gratitude；　this　is　the　reward！　I　am　treated　like　a　criminal！〃　He　sprayed　saliva　across　the　desk；　and　for　the　first　time　Camacho　saw　the　drive　and　determination　that　had　built　a　successful　corporation。
　〃I　am　treated　like　a　criminal/or　doing　what　everyone　else　does　and　for　making　E…PROM　chips　cheaper　than　anyone　else　can。〃
　Camacho　looked　at　his　watch：　5：30。　Maybe　he　was　still　in　the　office。　〃Do　you　want　to　go　to　jail　tonight？〃
　Wiggins　gaped。　The　blood　drained　from　his　face；　and　for　a　moment　Camacho　thought　he　had　stopped　breathing。
　〃No；〃　he　whispered。
　〃Now　see　here…〃　the　lawyer　began；　but　Camacho　cut　him　off　with　a　jab　of　his　hand。
　〃Have　you　talked　to　Judy　this　week？〃
　〃No。　No！〃
　〃I　want　you　to　call　him　for　me。　I'll　tell　you　what　to　say。　I'll　listen　on　an　extension。　You　will　say　precisely　what　I　tell　you　and　nothing　else。　Will　you　do　it？〃
　〃What　choice　do　I　have？〃　Wiggins　was　recovering。　This　man's　recuperative　powers　were　excellent。　He　could　handle　it。
　〃You　don't　go　to　jail　this　evening。　I　make　my　report　to　the　Justice　Department　and　they　take　it　from　there。　If　they　indict　you；　that's　their　business。　My　report　will　show　that　you　cooperated。〃
　〃I'll　make　the　call。〃
　〃Homer；〃　said　Nash；　〃maybe…〃
　〃I'll　make　the　call。　And　you　go　on　home；　Prescott。　T