tc.patriotgames-第90部分

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　the　agent　and　got　nothing　but　a　blank　stare。　The　public　defender　admitted　defeat　to　himself。　Well；　there　hadn't　been　much　of　a　chance　on　this。
　　　　〃That's　what　I　thought。〃　Shaw　stood。　〃Tell　your　client　that　unless　he　opens　up　by　the　day　after　tomorrow；　he's　flying　home　to　finish　out　a　life　sentence。　Make　sure　you　tell　him　that。　If　he　wants　to　talk　after　he　gets　back；　we'll　send　people　to　him。　They　say　the　beer's　pretty　good　over　there；　and　I　wouldn't　mind　flying　over　myself　to　find　out。〃　The　only　thing　the　Bureau　could　use　over　Clark　was　fear。　The　mission　he'd　been　part　of　had　hurt　the　Proves；　and　young；　dumb　Ned　might　not　like　the　reception　he　got。　He'd　be　safer　in　a　U。S。　penitentiary　than　he　would　be　in　a　British　one；　but　Shaw　doubted　that　he　understood　this；　or　that　he'd　crack　in　any　case。　Maybe　after　he　got　back；　something　might　be　arranged。
　　　　The　case　was　not　going　well；　not　that　he'd　expected　otherwise。　This　sort　of　thing　either　cracked　open　immediately；　or　took　months　　or　years。　The　people　they　were　after　were　too　clever　to　have　left　an　immediate　opening　to　be　exploited。　What　remained　to　him　and　his　men　was　the　day…by…day　grind。　But　that　was　the　textbook　definition　of　investigative　police　work。　Shaw　knew　this　well　enough：　he　had　written　one　of　the　standard　texts。

Chapter　18　Lights

　　　　Ashley　entered　the　bookshop　at　four　in　the　afternoon。　A　true　bibliophile；　he　paused　on　opening　the　door　to　appreciate　the　aroma。
　　　　〃Is　Mr。　Cooley　in　today？〃　he　asked　the　clerk。
　　　　〃No；　sir；〃　Beatrix　replied。　〃He's　abroad　on　business。　May　I　help　you？〃　
　　　　〃Yes。　I　understand　that　you've　made　some　new　acquisitions。〃　
　　　　〃Ah；　yes。　Have　you　heard　about　the　Marlowe　first　folio？〃　Beatrix　looked　remarkably　like　a　mouse。　Her　hair　was　exactly　the　proper　drab　shade　of　brown　and　ill…kept。　Her　face　was　puffy；　whether　from　too　much　food　or　too　much　drink；　Ashley　couldn't　say。　Her　eyes　were　hidden　behind　thick　glasses。　She　dressed　in　a　way　that　fitted　the　store　exactly　　everything　she　had　on　was　old　and　out　of　date。　Ashley　remembered　buying　his　wife　the　Bronte　here；　and　wondered　if　those　two　sad；　lonely　sisters　had　looked　like　this　girl。　It　was　too　bad；　really。　With　a　little　effort　she　might　actually　have　been　attractive。
　　　　〃A　Marlowe？〃　the　man　from　〃Five〃　asked。　〃First　folio；　you　said？〃
　　　　〃Yes；　sir；　from　the　collection　of　the　late　Earl　of　Crundale。　As　you　know；　Marlowe's　plays　were　not　actually　printed　until　forty　years　after　his　death。〃　She　went　on；　displaying　something　that　her　appearance　didn't　begin　to　hint　at。　Ashley　listened　with　respect。　The　mouse　knew　her　business　as　well　as　an　Oxford　don。
　　　　〃How　do　you　find　such　things？〃　Ashley　asked　when　she'd　finished　her　discourse。
　　　　She　smiled。　〃Mr。　Dennis　can　smell　them。　He　is　always　traveling；　working　with　other　dealers　and　lawyers　and　such。　He's　in　Ireland　today；　for　example。　It's　amazing　how　many　books　he　manages　to　obtain　over　there。　Those　horrid　people　have　the　most　marvelous　collections。〃　Beatrix　did　not　approve　of　the　Irish。
　　　　〃Indeed；〃　David　Ashley　noted。　He　didn't　react　to　this　bit　of　news　at　all。　At　least　not　physically；　but　a　switch　in　the　back　of　his　head　flipped　on。　〃Well；　that　is　one　of　the　contributions　our　friends　across　the　water　have　made。　A　few　rather　good　writers；　and　whiskey。〃
　　　　〃And　bombers；〃　Beatrix　noted。　〃I　shouldn't　want　to　travel　there　so　much　myself。〃
　　　　〃Oh；　I　take　my　holiday　there　quite　often。　The　fishing　is　marvelous。〃
　　　　〃That's　what　Lord　Louis　Mountbatten　thought；〃　the　clerk　observed。
　　　　〃How　often　does　Dennis　go　over？〃　
　　　　〃At　least　once　a　month。〃
　　　　〃Well；　on　this　Marlowe　you　have　　may　I　see　it？〃　Ashley　asked　with　an　enthusiasm　that　was　only　partially　feigned。
　　　　〃By　all　means。〃　The　girl　took　the　volume　from　a　shelf　and　opened　it　with　great　care。　〃As　you　see；　though　the　cover　is　in　poor　condition；　the　pages　are　in　a　remarkable　state　of　preservation。〃　
　　　　Ashley　hovered　over　the　book；　his　eyes　running　down　the　opened　page。　〃Indeed　they　are。　How　much　for　this　one？〃　
　　　　〃Mr。　Dennis　hasn't　set　a　price　yet。　I　believe　another　customer　is　already　very　interested　in　it；　however。〃　
　　　　〃Do　you　know　who　that　is？〃
　　　　〃No；　sir；　I　do　not；　and　I　would　not　be　able　to　reveal　his　name　in　any　case。　We　respect　our　customers'　confidentiality；〃　Beatrix　said　primly。
　　　　〃Quite　so。　That　is　entirely　proper；〃　Ashley　agreed。　〃So　when　will　Mr。　Cooley　be　back？　I　want　to　talk　to　him　about　this　myself。〃　
　　　　〃He'll　be　back　tomorrow　afternoon。〃　
　　　　〃Will　you　be　here　also？〃　Ashley　asked　with　a　charming　smile。　
　　　　〃No；　I'll　be　at　my　other　job。〃
　　　　〃Too　bad。　Well；　thank　you　very　much　for　showing　me　this。〃　Ashley　made　for　the　door。　
　　　　〃My　pleasure；　sir。〃　
　　　　The　security　officer　walked　out　of　the　arcade　and　turned　right。　He　waited　for　the　afternoon　traffic　to　clear　before　crossing　the　street。　He　decided　to　walk　back　to　Scotland　Yard　instead　of　taking　a　cab；　and　went　downhill　along　St。　James's　Street；　turning　left　to　go　around　the　Palace　to　the　east；　then　down　Marlborough　Road　to　The　Mall。
　　　　It　happened　right　there；　he　thought。　The　getaway　car　turned　here　to　make　its　escape。　The　ambush　was　a　mere　hundred　yards　west　of　where　I'm　standing　now。　He　stood　and　looked　for　a　few　seconds；　remembering。
　　　　The　personality　of　a　security　officer　is　much　the　same　all　over　the　world。　They　do　not　believe　in　coincidences；　though　they　do　believe　in　accidents。　They　lack　any　semblance　of　a　sense　of　humor　where　their　work　is　concerned。　This　es　from　the　knowledge　that　only　the　most　trusted　of　people　have　the　ability　to　be　traitors；　before　betraying　their　countries；　they　must　first　betray　the　people　who　trust　them。　Beneath　all　his　charm；　Ashley　was　a　man　who　hated　traitors　beyond　all　things；　who　suspected　everyone　and　trusted　no　one。
　　　　Ten　minutes　later　Ashley　got　past　the　security　checkpoint　at　Scotland　Yard　and　took　the　elevator　to　James　Owens'　office。　
　　　　〃That　Cooley　chap；〃　he　said。
　　　　〃Cooley？〃　Owens　was　puzzled　for　a　moment。　〃Oh；　the　book　dealer　Watkins　visited　yesterday。　Is　that　where　you　were？〃　
　　　　〃A　fine　little　shop。　Its　owner　is　in　Ireland　today；〃　Ashley　said　deadpan。
　　　　mander　Owens　nodded　thoughtfully　at　that。　What　had　been　unimportant　changed　with　a　word。　Ashley　outlined　what　he　had　learned　over　several　minutes。　It　wasn't　even　a　real　lead　yet；　but　it　was　something　to　be　looked　at。　Neither　man　said　anything　about　how　significant　it　might　be　　there　had　been　many　such　things　to　run　down；　all　of　which　to　date　had　ended　at　blank　walls。　Many　of　the　walls　had　also　been　checked　out　in　every　possible　detail。　The　investigation　wasn't　at　a　standstill。　People　were　still　out　on　the　street；　accumulating　information　　none　of　which　was　the　least　useful　to　the　case。　This　was　something　new　to　be　looked　at；　nothing　more　than　that；　but　for　the　moment　that　was　enough。

　　　　It　was　eleven　in　the　morning　at　Langley。　Ryan　was　not　admitted　to　the　meetings　between　CIA　and　FBI　people　coordinating　information　on　the　case。　Marty　Cantor　had　explained　to　him　that　the　FBI　might　be　uneasy　to　have　him　there。　Jack　didn't　mind。　He'd　get　the　information　summaries　after　lunch；　and　that　was　enough　for　the　moment。　Cantor　would　e　away　both　with　the　information　FBI　had　developed；　plus　the　thoughts　and　ideas　of　the　chief　investigators。　Ryan　didn't　want　that。　He　preferred　to　look　at　the　raw　data。　His　unprejudiced　outsider's　perspective　had　worked　before　and　it　might　work　again；　he　thought　　hoped。
　　　　The　wonderful　world　of　the　international　terrorist；　Murray　had　said　to　him　outside　the　Old　Bailey。　It　wasn't　very　wonderful；　Jack　thought；　but　it　was　a　fairly　plete　world；　including　all　of　what　the　Greeks　and　Romans　thought　the　civilized　world　was。　He　was　going　over　satellite　reconnaissance　data　at　the　moment。　The　bound　report　he　was　looking　at　contained　no　less　than　sixteen　maps。　In　addition　to　the　cities　and　roads　shown　on　them　were　little　red　triangles　designating　suspected　terrorist　training　camps　in　four　countries。　These　were　being　photographed　on　almost　a　daily　basis　by　the　photoreconnaissance　satellites　（Jack　was　not　allowed　to　know　their　number）　orbiting　the　globe。　He　concentrated　on　the　ones　in　Libya。　They　did　have　that　report　from　an　Italian　agent　that　Sean　Miller　had　been　s