jg.thefirm-第66节

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merely　copying　everything。　Sounds　pretty　legitimate；　right？　Except　the　secretaries　always　make　the　copies；　and　what　the　hell　was　he　doing　on　the　fourth　floor　at　three　A。M。　running　two　thousand　copies？　And　this　was　the　morning　of　April　7。　How　many　of　your　boys　finish　their　April　15　work　and　run　all　the　copies　a　week　early？〃
　　He　stopped　pacing　and　watched　them。　They　were　thinking。　He　had　them。　〃And　here's　the　kicker。　Five　days　later　his　secretary　entered　the　same　eighteen　access　numbers　on　her　copier　on　the　second　floor。　She　ran　about　three　hundred　copies；　which；　I　ain't　no　lawyer；　but　I　figure　to　be　more　in　line。　Don't　you　think？〃
　　They　both　nodded；　but　said　nothing。　They　were　lawyers；　trained　to　argue　five　sides　of　every　issue。　But　they　said　nothing。　DeVasher　smiled　wickedly　and　returned　to　his　pacing。　〃Now；　we　caught　him　making　two　thousand　copies　that　cannot　be　explained。　So　the　big　question　is：　What　was　he　copying？　If　he　was　using　wrong　access　numbers　to　run　the　machine；　what　the　hell　was　he　copying？　I　don't　know。　All　of　the　offices　were　locked；　except；　of　course；　Avery's。　So　I　asked　Avery。　He's　got　a　row　of　metal　cabinets　where　he　keeps　the　real　files。　He　keeps　'em　locked；　but　he　and　McDeere　and　the　secretaries　have　been　rummaging　through　those　files　all　day。　Could've　forgot　to　lock　'em　when　he　ran　to　meet　the　plane。　Big　deal。　Why　would　McDeere　copy　legitimate　files？　He　wouldn't。　Like　everybody　else　on　the　fourth　floor；　Avery's　got　those　four　wooden　cabinets　with　the　secret　stuff。　No　one　touches　them；　right？　Firm　rules。　Not　even　other　partners。　Locked　up　tighter　than　my　files。　So　McDeere　can't　get　in　without　a　key。　Avery　showed　me　his　keys。　Told　me　he　hadn't　touched　those　cabinets　in　two　days；　before　the　seventh。　Avery　has　gone　through　those　files；　and　everything　seems　in　order。　He　can't　tell　if　they've　been　tampered　with。　But　can　you　look　at　one　of　your　files　and　tell　if　it's　been　copied？　No；　you　can't。　Neither　can　I。　So　I　pulled　the　files　this　morning；　and　I'm　sending　them　to　Chicago。　They're　gonna　check　'em　for　fingerprints。　Take　about　a　week。〃
　　〃He　couldn't　copy　those　files；〃　Lambert　said。
　　〃What　else　would　he　copy；　Ollie？　I　mean；　everything's　locked　on　the　fourth　floor　and　the　third　floor。　Everything；　except　Avery's　office。　And　assuming　he　and　Tarrance　are　whispering　in　each　other's　ears；　what　would　he　want　from　Avery's　office。　Nothing　but　the　secret　files。〃
　　〃Now　you're　assuming　he's　got　keys；〃　Locke　said。
　　〃Yes。　I'm　assuming　he's　made　a　set　of　Avery's　keys。〃
　　Ollie　snorted　and　gave　an　exasperated　laugh。　〃This　is　incredible。　I　don't　believe　it。〃
　　Black　Eyes　glared　at　DeVasher　with　a　nasty　smile。　〃How　would　he　get　a　copy　of　the　keys？〃
　　〃Good　question；　and　one　that　I　can't　answer。　Avery　showed　me　his　keys。　Two　rings；　eleven　keys。　He　keeps　'em　with　him　at　all　times。　Firm　rule；　right？　Like　a　good　little　lawyer's　supposed　to　do。　When　he's　awake；　the　keys　are　in　his　pocket。　When　he's　asleep　away　from　home；　the　keys　are　under　the　mattress。〃
　　〃Where's　he　traveled　in　the　last　month？〃　Black　Eyes　asked。
　　〃Forget　the　trip　to　see　Capps　in　Houston　last　week。　Too　recent。　Before　that；　he　went　to　Grand　Cayman　for　two　days　on　April　1。〃
　　〃I　remember；〃　said　Ollie；　listening　intently。
　　〃Good　for　you；　Ollie。　I　asked　him　what　he　did　both　nights；　and　he　said　nothing　but　work。　Sat　at　a　bar　one　night；　but　that's　it。　Swears　he　slept　by　himself　both　nights。〃　De…Vasher　pushed　a　button　on　a　portable　tape　recorder。　〃But　he's　lying。　This　call　was　made　at　nine…fifteen；　April　2；　from　the　phone　in　the　master　bedroom　of　Unit　A。〃　The　tape　began：
　　〃He's　in　the　shower。〃　First　female　voice。
　　〃Are　you　okay？〃　Second　female　voice。
　　〃Yeah。　Fine。　He　couldn't　do　it　if　he　had　to。〃
　　〃What　took　so　long？〃
　　〃He　wouldn't　wake　up。〃
　　〃Is　he　suspicious？〃
　　〃No。　He　remembers　nothing。　I　think　he's　in　pain。〃
　　〃How　long　will　you　be　there？〃
　　〃I'll　kiss　him　goodbye　when　he　gets　out　of　the　shower。　Ten；　maybe　fifteen　minutes。〃
　　〃Okay。　Hurry。〃
　　DeVasher　punched　another　button　and　continued　pacing。　〃I　have　no　idea　who　they　are；　and　I　haven't　confronted　Avery。　Yet。　He　worries　me。　His　wife　has　filed　for　divorce；　and　he's　lost　control。　Chases　women　all　the　time。　This　is　a　pretty　serious　breach　of　security；　and　I　suspect　Lazarov　will　go　through　the　roof。〃
　　〃She　talked　like　it　was　a　bad　hangover；〃　Locke　said。

　　〃Evidently。〃
　　〃You　think　she　copied　the　keys？〃　Ollie　asked。
　　DeVasher　shrugged　and　sat　in　his　worn　leather　chair。　The　cockiness　vanished。　〃It's　possible；　but　I　doubt　it。　I've　thought　about　it　for　hours。　Assuming　it　was　some　woman　he　picked　up　in　a　bar；　and　they　got　drunk；　then　it　was　probably　late　when　they　went　to　bed。　How　would　she　make　copies　of　the　keys　in　the　middle　of　the　night　on　that　tiny　island？　I　just　don't　think　so。〃
　　〃But　she　had　an　acplice；〃　Locke　insisted。
　　〃Yeah；　and　I　can't　figure　that　out。　Maybe　they　were　trying　to　steal　his　wallet　and　something　went　wrong。　He　carries　a　couple　of　thousand　in　cash；　and　if　he　got　drunk；　who　knows　what　he　told　them。　Maybe　she　planned　to　lift　the　money　at　the　last　second　and　haul　ass。　She　didn't　do　it。　I　don't　know。〃
　　〃No　more　assumptions？〃　Ollie　asked。
　　〃Not　now。　I　love　to　make　them；　but　it　goes　too　far　to　assume　these　women　took　the　keys；　somehow　managed　to　copy　them　in　the　middle　of　the　night　on　the　island；　without　his　knowledge；　and　then　the　first　one　crawled　back　in　the　bed　with　him。　And　that　somehow　all　of　this　is　related　to　McDeere　and　his　use　of　the　copier　on　the　fourth　floor。　It's　just　too　much。〃
　　〃I　agree；〃　said　Ollie。
　　〃What　about　the　storage　room？〃　asked　Black　Eyes。
　　〃I've　thought　about　that；　Nat。　In　fact；　I've　lost　sleep　thinking　about　it。　If　she　was　interested　in　the　records　in　the　storage　room；　there　must　be　some　connection　with　McDeere；　or　someone　else　poking　around。　And　I　can't　make　that　connection。　Let's　say　she　found　the　room　and　the　records；　what　could　she　do　with　them　in　the　middle　of　the　night　with　Avery　asleep　upstairs？〃
　　〃She　could　read　them。〃
　　〃Yeah；　there's　only　a　million。　Keep　in　mind；　now；　she　must　have　been　drinking　along　with　Avery；　or　he　would've　been　suspicious。　So　she's　spent　the　night　drinking　and　screwing。　She　waits　until　he　goes　to　sleep；　then　suddenly　she　has　this　urge　to　go　downstairs　and　read　bank　records。　It　don't　work；　boys。〃
　　　〃She　could　work　for　the　FBI；〃　Ollie　said　proudly。
　　〃No；　she　couldn't。〃
　　〃Why？〃
　　〃It's　simple；　Ollie。　The　FBI　wouldn't　do　it　because　the　search　would　be　illegal　and　the　records　would　be　inadmissible。　And　there's　a　much　better　reason。〃
　　〃What？〃
　　〃If　she　was　a　Fibbie；　she　wouldn't　have　used　the　phone。　No　professional　would've　made　that　call。　I　think　she　was　a　pickpocket。〃
　　The　pickpocket　theory　was　explained　to　Lazarov；　who　poked　a　hundred　holes　but　could　devise　nothing　better。　He　ordered　changes　in　all　the　locks　on　the　third　and　fourth　floors；　and　the　basement；　and　both　condos　on　Grand　Cayman。　He　ordered　a　search　for　all　the　locksmiths　on　the　island…there　couldn't　be　many；　he　said…to　determine　if　any　had　reproduced　keys　the　night　of　April　1　or　the　early　morning　of　April　2。　Bribe　them；　he　told　DeVasher。　They'll　talk　for　a　little　money。　He　ordered　a　fingerprint　examination　of　the　files　from　Avery's　office。　DeVasher　proudly　explained　he　had　already　started　this。　McDeere's　prints　were　on　file　with　the　state　bar　association。
　　He　also　ordered　a　sixty…day　suspension　of　Avery　Tolar。　DeVasher　suggested　this　might　alert　McDeere　to　something　unusual。　Fine；　said　Lazarov；　tell　Tolar　to　check　into　the　hospital　with　chest　pains。　Two　months　off…doctor's　orders。　Tell　Tolar　to　clean　up　his　act。　Lock　up　his　office。　Assign　McDeere　to　Victor　Milligan。
　　〃You　said　you　had　a　good　plan　to　eliminate　McDeere；〃　DeVasher　said。
　　Lazarov　grinned　and　picked　his　nose。　〃Yeah。　I　think　we'll　use　the　plane。　We'll　send　him　down　to　the　islands　on　a　little　business　trip；　and　there　will　be　this　mysterious　explosion。〃
　　〃Waste　two　pilots？〃　asked　DeVasher。
　　〃Yeah。　It　needs　to　look　good。〃
　　〃Don't　do　it　anywhere　around　the　Caymans。　That'll　be　too　coincidental。〃
　　〃Okay；　but　it　needs　to　happen　over　water。　Less　debris。　We'll　use　a　big　device；　so　they　won't　find　much。〃
　　〃That　plane's　expensive。〃
　　〃Yeah。　I'll　run　it　by　Joey　first。〃
　　〃You're　the　boss。　Let　me　know　if　we　can　help　down　there。〃
　　〃Sure。　Start　thinking　about　it。〃
　　〃What　about　your　man　in　Washington？〃　DeVasher　asked。
　　〃I'm　waiting。　I　called　New　York　this　morning；　and　they're　checking　into　it。　We　should　know　in　a　week。〃
　　〃That　would　make　it　easy。〃
　　〃Yeah。　If　the　answer　is　yes；　we　need　to　eliminate　him　within　twenty…four　hours。〃
　　〃I'll　start　planning。〃
　　The　office　was　quiet　for　a　Saturday　morning。　A　handful　of　partners　and　a　dozen　associates　loitered　about　in　khakis　and　polos。　There　were　no　secretaries。　Mitch　checked　his　mail　and　dictated　correspondence。　After　two　hours　he　left。　It　was　time　to　visit　Ray。
　　For　five　hours；　he　drove　east　on　Interstate　40。　Drove　like　an　idiot。　He　drove　forty…five；　then　eighty…five。　He　darted　into　every　rest　stop　and　weigh　station。　He　made　sudden　exits　from　the　left　lane。　He　stopped　at　an　underpass　and　w