dw.jimmythekid-第19节

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　〃All　right；　all　right；　let　it　go。　It's　a　hundred　fifty　thousand。　no　matter　what。〃
　〃Very　well。〃　He　sounded　a　bit　chilly　himself　by　this　time；　and　listening　to　the　recording　now　he　could　only　applaud　his　decision　then　to　let　the　woman　see　a　bit　of　his　irritation。
　〃Okay。　We'll　go　over　it　again。　Tomorrow　you　get…　Well。　As　soon　as　you　can；　okay？　As　soon　as　you　can；　you　get　a　hundred　fifty　thousand　dollars　in　cash。　In　old　bills。　You　pack　it　in　a　suitcase；　and　stay　by　your　phone。　I'll　call　again　to　give　you　the　next　instructions。〃
　（It　was　during　that　statement　of　the　woman's　that　the　head　FBI　man　had　extended　toward　Harrington　a　slip　of　paper　containing　the　penciled　words；　〃Tell　her　to　prove　it。〃）
　〃Urn。　Prove　it。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃I　said；　prove　it。〃
　〃Prove　what？　That　I'm　gonna　call　you　again？〃
　（During　which；　the　head　FBI　man　had　been　with　great　exaggeration　mouthing　the　sentence；　〃That　they　have　the　kid！〃）
　〃No；　urn…　Oh！　That　you　have　the　kid。　My　son。　Jimmy。〃
　〃Of　course　we　have　him；　why　would　I　call　you　if　we　didn't　have　him？〃
　〃Well；　I　just　want　you　to　prove　it；　that's　all。〃
　〃Prove　it　how？　He　isn't　here　by　the　phone。〃
　〃Well；　I　don't　know　how。〃
　〃Okay；　look。　Check　this　with　the　chauffeur。　The　Caddy　was　too　wide　for　the　truck。　The　planks　broke。　We　all　wore　Mickey　Mouse　masks。　We　drove　a　blue　Caprice。　Okay？〃
　（The　head　FBI　man　had　been　nodding。）　〃That's　fine。〃
　〃You're　satisfied；　hub？〃
　〃Yes。　Thank　you　very　much。〃
　〃Yeah。〃　It　sounded　very　sour　indeed。　〃I'll　call　you　by　four　o'clock　tomorrow　afternoon。〃
　〃Well；　there's　a　possibility…〃　（clkk）　〃…I'll　be　called　to　Washington　tomorrow　to　appear　before　the　SEC；　but…　Hello？　Hello？〃　（away　from　the　phone）　〃I　believe　she　hung　up。〃
　〃Okay；〃　the　head　FBI　man　said。　〃Switch　it　off。〃
　The　tape　technician　switched　it　off。
　The　head　FBI　man　said；　〃You　recognize　the　voice？〃
　〃I　didn't　recognize　either　voice；〃　Harrington　said。　〃Did　that　really　sound　like　me？〃
　〃Yeah；　it　sounded　like　you。　But　the　other　one　didn't　sound　like　anybody　else　you　know；　hub？〃
　〃How　could　it？〃
　〃Maybe　a　disgruntled　former　employee？　A　servant　out　here；　somebody　like　that？〃
　〃Well；　she　did　sound　disgruntled　enough；　I'll　say　that　for　her。　But　the　voice　doesn't　ring　any　bells　at　all。　I'm　sorry。〃
　The　head　FBI　man　shrugged。　〃Sometimes　it　pans　out；〃　he　said。　〃Usually　it　don't。〃　Nodding　thoughtfully　toward　the　tape　machine；　he　said；　〃There's　some　interesting　things　in　there。〃
　〃Really？〃
　'We　didn't　know　it　was　a　Caprice。〃
　〃A　caprice？　I'd　call　it　something　more　serious　than　that。〃
　〃The　kind　of　car；〃　the　head　FBI　man　said。　〃Your　chauffeur　just　said　it　was　a　blue　car；　so　that's　a　piece　of　information　we　picked　up。〃
　〃Oh；　very　good。〃
　〃And　that　slip　of　the　tongue　there。　Be　interesting　to　find　out　who　this　'Bobby'　is。〃
　〃Do　you　suppose　they　kidnapped　more　than　one　child　today？　Maybe　they're　making　a　whole　raft　of　phone　calls。〃
　The　head　FBI　man　frowned；　thinking　that　over。　〃Mass　kidnappings？〃　He　turned　to　one　of　the　assistant　FBI　men　who'd　been　hovering　all　evening　in　the　corners　of　the　room。　〃Look　into　that；　Kirby；〃　he　said。　〃See　do　we　have　any　more　kidnapping　reports　today。〃
　〃Right。〃　The　assistant　FBI　man　faded　from　the　room；　not　like　a　person　walking　out　of　a　room；　but　like　a　television　picture　fading　from　the　screen　when　the　power　has　been　turned　off。
　〃Another　thing；〃　the　head　FBI　man　said；　turning　back　to　Harrington。　〃It　sounded　at　one　point　there　like　she　was　reading　a　prepared　statement。〃
　〃Yes；　I　noticed　that；〃　Harrington　said。　〃I　think　she　lost　her　place　for　a　minute　there。〃
　〃Could　be　the　kidnappers　sent　a　dummy　out　to　make　the　call；　somebody　that　isn't　really　part　of　the　gang。　So　if　we　traced　the　call　and　got　her；　she　wouldn't　be　able　to　tell　us　anything。〃
　〃Very　clever；〃　Harrington　said。
　The　head　FBI　man　nodded。　〃We're　up　against　a　shrewd　gang　of　professionals；〃　he　said；　with　a　kind　of　gloomy　satisfaction。　〃That'll　make　it　tough　to　catch　them。　On　the　other　hand；　it　means　the　boy　is　probably　safe。　It's　your　amateurs　that　panic　and　start　killing　people；　your　professionals　don't　do　that。〃
　〃It　all　seemed　very　professional　to　me；　too；〃　Harrington　said。　〃Speaking　as　a　layman；　that　is。　But　the　truck；　and　the　school　bus；　and　so　forth。〃
　〃Very　carefully　planned。〃　The　head　FBI　man　stroked　his　craggy　jaw。　〃I　keep　thinking　I've　seen　that　MO　somewhere　before；〃　he　said。
　〃MO？〃
　〃Modus　operandi。　Method　of　operations。〃
　〃Isn't　that　interesting；〃　Harrington　said。　〃The　way　the　initials　work　in　both　Latin　and　English。〃
　〃Yeah；〃　the　head　FBI　man　said。　〃I'll　have　to　run　it　through　our　puters　down　in　Washington；　see　do　we　e　up　with　something。〃　He　nodded　thoughtfully；　then　became　more　brisk。　〃Now；〃　he　said；　〃about　the　payoff。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Harrington　said。　〃I　was　wondering　about　that。〃
　〃We'll　try　to　recover　your　money；　naturally；〃　the　head　FBI　man　said。　〃We'll　even　try　to　set　a　trap　with　it　if　we　can；　though　I　think　this　bunch　is　probably　too　sharp　for　that。〃
　〃I　got　that　impression；〃　Harrington　said。
　〃The　main　point　is　to　recover　the　child。　The　money　is　secondary。〃
　〃Certainly。〃
　The　head　FBI　man　nodded　again；　and　said；　〃How　long　do　you　think　it'll　take　to　get　the　money　together？〃
　'Well；　it's　too　late　to　do　anything　tonight。〃　Harrington　frowned；　considering　the　problem。　〃I'll　call　my　accountant　in　the　morning；　work　out　the　best　way　to　handle　this；　from　a　variety　of　points　of　view。　You　may　not　be　aware　of　this；　but　money　paid　to　a　kidnapper　is　not　deductible　on　your　ine　tax。〃
　The　head　FBI　man　looked　interested。　〃It　isn't？〃
　〃No。　I　remember　running　across　that　while　looking　up　something　for　a　client。　I　don't　recall　the　justification；　possibly　it's　considered　payment　for　a　service；　nonbusinessconnected。〃
　〃I've　never　had　much　to　do　over　on　the　Treasury　side；〃　the　head　FBI　man　said。
　〃In　any　event；　there　are　various　ways　of　going　about　it。　Sale　of　securities；　depending　on　whether　it　would　be　long…term　or　short…term　gains；　possibly　loans　against　my　margin　accounts　where　my　portfolio　has　increased　sufficiently　in　value；　various　possibilities。　Well；　I'll　talk　it　over　with　Markham　in　the　morning。〃
　〃But　how　long　do　you　figure　it'll　take？〃
　〃Really；　you　know；〃　Harrington　said；　〃the　most　difficult　part　is　going　to　be　conversion　of　assets　to　cash；　actual　paper　money。　I　don't　believe　I　know　anyone　who　deals　in　cash。〃
　〃Banks　do；〃　the　head　FBI　man　said。
　〃Eh？　Oh；　of　course！　I　never　think　of　them　that　way。〃
　〃I　still　want　to　know　how　long。　Two　days？　Three？〃
　〃Oh；　good　Lord；　no。　I　should　have　the　liquidity　by　noon。　One　at　the　latest。〃
　〃Tomorrow？〃
　〃Certainly　tomorrow。　Then　it　all　depends　how　long　it　takes　to　bring　the　currency　out　here。〃
　〃We'll　take　care　of　that；〃　the　head　FBI　man　said。　He　was　frowning　deeply；　studying　Harrington's　face。　〃Mr。　Harrington；〃　he　said。　〃Can　I　ask　you　a　question？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃That　business　about　the　eighty…five　thousand；　that　was　all　you　could　raise　tomorrow。　Do　you　mean　you　really　were　haggling？〃
　Harrington　thought　about　it。　In　sudden　surprise；　he　said；　〃Why；　yes！　I　do　believe　I　was。〃
　The　head　FBI　man　looked　at　him。　He　didn't　say　anything。
　〃It　was　just　force　of　habit；〃　Harrington　said。　Then；　when　the　head　FBI　man　continued　to　gaze　at　him　unspeaking；　he　added；　〃I　certainly　wasn't　going　to　turn　the　deal　down。〃
　
　18
　
　AFTER　DINNER；　Jimmy　went　back　to　work。　The　fact　that　the　boards　were　nailed　to　the　outside　of　the　window　frames　rather　than　the　inside　made　his　task　a　bit　more　difficult；　but　not　impossible。　He　had　removed　one　board　before　the　cooking　woman　had　brought　him　his　dinner…how　unearthly　an　adult　wearing　a　Mickey　Mouse　mask　could　look　in　just　the　glow　of　a　flashlight…and　now　he　was　removing　more。　They　were　fairly　narrow　boards；　and　he　thought　it　likely　he'd　have　to　deal　with　four　of　them　before　making　a　space　wide　enough　to　climb　out　through。
　His　method　was　simple；　but　time…consuming。　With　the　screwdriver；　he　would　pry　the　board　a　bit　loose；　then　oil　the　nails　as　he　worked　to　keep　them　from　squeaking。　A　bit　at　a　time；　prying　and　oiling；　prying　and　oiling；　he　would　loosen　the　board　from　the　window　frame。　The　final　fraction　was　always　the　trickiest；　since　he　didn't　want　the　board　to　fall　out　onto　the　ground　below；　managing　to　avoid　that；　he　would　bring　the　board　inside；　then　use　the　pliers　to　snap　each　nail　off　short。　After　oiling　the　nails　once　more；　he　would　put　the　board　back　in　place；　the　stubby　nails　slipping　a　short　distance　into　their　former　seats　in　the　window　frame。　The　boards　looked　the　same　as　before；　but　would　pop　out　at　the　touch　of　a　finger。
　It　was　that　last　part　that　took　the　extra　time。　The　job　would　have　been　much　quicker　and　simpler　if　all　he　had　to　do　was　bash　the　boards　out　and　depart。　But　in　the　first　place　he　never　knew　when　they　might　decide　to　e　back　up　and　double…check　on　him；　and　in　the　second　place　he　wanted　to　leave　them　with　a　certain　amount　of　misdirection　and　confusion。　Therefore　he　took　the　extra　time　to　do　the　job　right；　and　considered　it　time　well　spent。
　Outside；　in　those　intervals　when　he　had　a　board　out　of　the　window　space；　he　could　hear　the　rain　continuing　to　pound。　This　room　faced　the　back　of　the　house；　and　there　was　no　light　out