rl.thebourneidentity-第85节

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　'Am　I　to　assume　I'm　taking　the　place　of　Pare　Monceau？'
　'That　would　be　impossible。　But　for　the　time　being　you　will　relay　my　decisions　to　whomever　they　concern。'
　'And　the　first　person　I　reach　is　Bergeron。　To　Athens。'
　'Yes。'
　'So　Lavier　and　the　colonial；　d'Anjou；　are　marked；　then？'
　'They　are　marked。　Bait　rarely　survives；　and　they　will　not。　You　may　also　relay　another　message；　to　the　two　teams　covering　Lavier　and　d'Anjou。　Tell　them　I'll　be　watching　them　…　all　the　time。　There　can　be　no　mistakes。'
　It　was　the　old　man's　turn　to　pause；　to　bid　silently　for　attention。　'I've　saved　the　best　for　last；　Carlos。　The　Renault　was　found　an　hour　and　a　half　ago　in　a　garage　in　Montmartre。　It　was　brought　in　last　night。'
　In　the　stillness　the　old　man　could　hear　the　slow；　deliberate　breathing　of　the　figure　beyond　the　cloth。　'I　assume　you've　taken　measures　to　have　it　watched　…　even　now　at　this　moment　…　and　followed　…　even　now　at　this　moment'
　The　one…time　beggar　laughed　softly。　'In　accordance　with　your　last　instructions；　I　took　the　liberty　of　hiring　a　friend；　a　friend　with　a　sound　car。　He　in　turn　has　employed　three　acquaintances；　and　together　they　are　on　four　six…hour　shifts　on　the　street　outside　the　garage。　They　know　nothing；　of　course；　except　that　they　are　to　follow　the　Renault　at　any　hour　of　day　or　night。'
　'You　do　not　disappoint　me。'
　'I　can't　afford　to。。。　And　since　Pare　Monceau　was　eliminated；　I　had　no　telephone　number　to　give　them　but　my　own；　which　as　you　know；　is　a　run…down　cafe　in　the　Quarter。　The　owner　and　I　were　friends　in　the　old　days；　the　better　days。　I　could　contact　him　every　five　minutes　for　messages　and　he　would　never　object。　I　know　where　he　got　the　money　to　pay　for　his　business；　and　who　he　had　to　kill　to　get　it。'
　'You've　behaved　well；　you　have　value。'
　'I　also　have　a　problem；　Carlos。　As　none　of　us　are　to　call　Pare　Monceau；　how　can　I　reach　you？　In　the　event　I　must　say；　for　instance；　the　Renault'
　'Yes；　I'm　aware　of　the　problem。　Are　you　aware　of　the　burden　you　ask　for？'
　'I　would　much　prefer　not　to　have　it　My　only　hope　is　that　when　this　is　over　and　Cain　is　dead　you　will　remember　my　contributions　and；　rather　than　killing　me；　change　the　number。'
　'You　do　anticipate。'
　〃In　the　old　days；　it　was　my　means　of　survival。'
　The　assassin　whispered　seven　figures。　'You　are　the　only　man　alive　who　has　this　number。　Naturally；　it　is　untraceable。'
　'Naturally。　Who　would　expect　an　old　beggar　to　have　it？'
　'Every　hour　brings　you　closer　to　a　better　standard　of　living。　The　net　is　closing；　every　hour　brings　him　nearer　to　one　of　several　traps。　Cain　will　be　caught；　and　an　impostor's　body　will　be　thrown　back　to　the　bewildered　strategists　who　created　him。　They　counted　on　a　monstrous　ego　and　he　gave　it　to　them。　At　the　end；　he　was　only　a　puppet；　an　expendable　puppet。　Everyone　knew　it　but　him。'
　Bourne　picked　up　the　telephone。　'Yes？'
　'Room　Four…twenty？'
　'Go　ahead。　General。'
　'The　telephone　calls　have　stopped。　She's　no　longer　being　contacted；　not　at　least　by　telephone。'
　'What　do　you　mean？'
　'Our　couple　was　out　and　the　phone　rang　twice。　Both　times　she　asked　me　to　answer　it。　She　really　wasn't　up　to　talking。'
　'Who　called？'
　'The　chemist　about　a　prescription　and　a　journalist　requesting　an　interview。　She　couldn't　have　known　either。'
　'Did　you　get　the　impression　she　was　trying　to　put　you　off　by　asking　you　to　take　the　calls？'
　Villiers　paused；　his　reply　laced　with　anger。　'It　was　there；　the　effect　less　than　subtle　in　so　far　as　she　mentioned　she　might　be　having　lunch　out　She　said　she　had　a　reservation　at　the　Georges　Cinq；　and　I　could　reach　her　there　if　she　decides　to　go。'
　'If　she　does；　I　want　to　get　there　first。'
　'I'll　let　you　know。'
　'You　said　she's　not　being　contacted　by　phone。　〃Not　at　least　by　telephone；〃　I　think　you　said。　Did　you　mean　something　by　that？'
　'Yes。　Thirty　minutes　ago　a　woman　came　to　the　house。　My　wife　was　reluctant　to　see　her　but；　nevertheless；　did　so。　I　only　saw　her　face　for　a　moment　in　the　parlour；　but　it　was　enough。　The　woman　was　in　panic。'
　'Describe　her。'
　Villiers　did。
　'Jacqueline　Lavier；'　said　Jason。
　'I　thought　it　might　be。　From　the　look　of　her；　the　wolfpack　was　eminently　successful；　it　was　obvious　she　had　not　slept。　Before　taking　her　into　the　library；　my　wife　told　me　she　was　an　old　friend　in　a　marriage　crisis。　A　fatuous　lie；　at　her　age　there　are　no　crises　left　in　marriage；　only　acceptance　and　extraction。〃
　'I　can't　understand　her　going　to　your　house。　It's　too　much　of　a　risk。　It　doesn't　make　sense。。。　Unless　she　did　it　on　her　own；　knowing　that　no　further　calls　were　to　be　made。'
　These　things　occurred　to　me；'　said　the　soldier。　'So　I　felt　the　need　of　a　little　air；　a　stroll　around　the　block。　My　aide　acpanied　me　…　a　doddering　old　man　taking　his　limited　constitutional　under　the　watchful　eye　of　an　escort。　But　my　eyes；　too；　were　watchful。　Lavier　was　followed。　Two　men　were　seated　in　a　car　four　houses　away；　the　vehicle　equipped　with　a　radio。　Those　men　did　not　belong　to　the　street。　It　was　in　their　faces；　in　the　way　they　watched　my　house。'
　'How　do　you　know　she　didn't　e　with　them？〃
　'We　live　on　a　quiet　street。　When　Lavier　arrived；　I　was　in　the　sitting…room　having　coffee　and　heard　her　running　up　the　steps。　I　went　to　the　window　in　time　to　see　a　taxi　drive　away。　She　came　in　a　taxi；　she　was　followed。'
　'When　did　she　leave？'
　'She　hasn't。　And　the　men　are　still　outside。'
　'What　kind　of　car　are　they　in？'
　'Citroen。　Grey。　The　first　three　letters　of　the　licence　plate　are
　N。Y。R。'
　'Birds　in　the　air；　following　a　contact。　Where　do　the　birds　e　from？'
　'I　beg　your　pardon。　What　did　you　say？'
　Jason　shook　his　head。　'I'm　not　sure。　Never　mind。。。　I'm　going　to　try　to　get　to　your　house　before　Lavier　leaves。　Do　what　you　can　to　help　me。　Interrupt　your　wife；　say　you　have　to　speak　to　her　for　a　few　minutes。　Insist　her　〃old　friend〃　stay；　say　anything；　just　make　sure　she　doesn't　leave。'
　'I　will　do　my　best。'
　Bourne　hung　up　and　looked　at　Marie；　standing　by　the　window　across　the　room。　'It's　working。　They're　starting　to　distrust　each　other。　Lavier　went　to　Pare　Monceau　and　she　was　followed。　They're　beginning　to　suspect　their　own。'
　'Birds　in　the　air；〃'　said　Marie。　'What　did　you　mean？'
　'I　don't　know；　it's　not　important。　There　isn't　time。〃
　'I　think　it　is　important；　Jason。'
　'Not　now。'　Bourne　walked　to　the　chair　where　he　had　dropped　his　overcoat　and　hat。　He　put　them　on　quickly　and　went　to　the　bureau；　opened　the　drawer　and　took　out　the　gun。　He　looked　at　it　for　a　moment；　remembering。　The　images　were　there；　the　past　that　was　his　whole　yet　not　his　whole　at　all。　Zurich。　The　Bahn…hofstrasse　and　the　Carillon　du　Lac；　the　Drei　Alpenhauser　and　the　Lowenstrasse；　a　filthy　boarding　house　on　Steppdeckstrasse　and　the　Guisan　Quai。　The　gun　symbolized　them　all；　for　it　had　once　nearly　taken　his　life　in　Zurich。
　But　this　was　Paris。　And　everything　started　in　Zurich　was　in　motion。
　Find　Carlos。　Trap　Carlos。　Cain　is　for　Charlie　and　Delta　is　for　Cain。
　False！　Goddamn　you；　false！
　Find　Treadstone！　Find　a　message！　Find　a　man！
　Jason　remained　in　the　far　corner　of　the　back　seat　as　the　taxi　entered　Villiers's　block　in　Pare　Monceau。　He　scanned　the　cars　lining　the　kerb；　there　was　no　grey　Citroen；　no　licence　plate　with　the　letters　NYR。
　But　there　was　Villiers。　The　old　soldier　was　standing　alone　on　the　pavement；　four　doors　away　from　his　house。
　Two　men。。。　in　a　car　four　houses　away。
　Villiers　was　standing　now　where　that　car　had　stood；　it　was　a　signal。
　'Arretez；　s'il　vous　plait'　said　Bourne　to　the　driver。　'Le　vieux　Horace。　Je　demande　a　lui。'　He　rolled　down　the　window　and　leaned　forward。　'Monsieur？'
　'In　English；'　replied　Villiers；　walking　towards　the　taxi；　an　old　man　summoned　by　a　stranger。
　'What　happened？'　asked　Jason。
　'I　could　not　detain　them。'
　Them？'
　'My　wife　left　with　the　Lavier　woman。　I　was　adamant；　however。　I　told　her　to　expect　my　call　at　the　Georges　Cinq。　It　was　a　matter　of　the　utmost　importance　and　I　required　her　council。'
　'What　did　she　say？'
　That　she　wasn't　sure　she'd　be　at　the　Georges　Cinq。　That　her　friend　insisted　on　seeing　a　priest　in　Neuilly…sur…Seine；　at　the　Church　of　the　Blessed　Sacrament。　She　said　she　felt　obliged　to　acpany　her。'
　'Did　you　object？'
　'Strenuously。　And　for　the　first　time　in　our　life　together；　she　stated　the　thoughts　in　my　own　mind。　She　said；　〃If　it's　your　desire　to　check　up　on　me；　Andrel；　why　not　call　the　parish？　I'm　sure　someone　might　recognize　me　and　bring　me　to　a　telephone。〃　Was　she　testing　me？'
　Bourne　tried　to　think。　'Perhaps。　Someone　would　see　her　there；　she'd　make　sure　of　it。　But　bringing　her　to　a　phone　might　be　something　else　again。　When　did　they　leave？'
　'Less　than　five　minutes　ago。　The　two　men　in　the　Citroen　followed　them。'
　'Were　they　in　your　car？'
　'No。　My　wife　called　a　taxi。
　'I'm　going　out　there；'　said　Jason。
　'I　thought　you　might；'　said　Villiers。　'I　looked　up　the　address　of　the　church。'
　Bourne　dropped　a　fifty…franc　note　over　the　back　of　the　front　seat。　The　driver　grabbed　it。　'It's　important　to　me　to　reach　Neuilly…sur…Seine　as　fast　as　possible；'　said　Jason；　'to　the　Church　of　the　Blessed　Sacrament。　Do　you　know　where　it　is？'
　'But　of　course；　Monsieur。　It　is　the　most　beautiful　church　in　the　district。'
　'Get　there　quick