scoonts.theminotaur-第45部分

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Strong　blunt　and　profane；　all　the　letters　with　their　penciled　block　words　that　said　nothing　at　all　and　yet　whispered　of　something；　something　just　beyond　his　understanding。。。　It　was　a　long　time　before　Luis　Camacho　drifted　off　to　sleep。
　He　awoke　to　the　smell　of　coffee　and　bacon。　Breakfast　was　strained；　as　usual。　In　a　crisis　of　identity　last　fall；　their　sixteen…year…old　son　had　transformed　himself　into　a　punk　all　in　the　course　of　one　sunny　Saturday　at　the　mall。　The　boy　sat　sullenly　at　the　table　this　morning　with　his　remaining　hair　hanging　over　his　forehead　and　obscuring　his　eyes。　The　shaved　place　above　his　left　ear；　clear　up　to　where　his　part　used　to　be　back　in　those　old；　〃normal〃　days；　looked　extraordinarily　white　and　obscenely　naked；　his　father　thought；　rather　like　a　swatch　of　an　old　maid's　thigh。　Luis　Camacho　sipped　coffee　and　studied　the　tense；　quivering　lips　visible　below　the　cascading　hair。
　When　the　boy　had　left　the　table　and　ascended　the　stairs；　Luis　remarked；　〃What　is　his　problem？〃
　〃He's　sixteen　years　old；〃　Sally　said　crossly。　〃He's　not　popular；　he's　not　a　good　student；　he's　not　an　athlete；　and　the　girls　don't　know　he's　alive。　The　only　thing　he　does　have　is　acne。〃
　〃Sounds　like　an　epitaph。〃
　〃It's　his　whole　life。〃
　Camacho　was　just　starting　on　the　Sunday　paper　when　the　phone　rang。　His　wife　answered。　〃It's　for　you；〃　she　called。
　It　was　Dreyfus；　calling　from　a　car　phone。　〃Luis；　it's　Smoke　Judy。　He's　out　driving　this　morning。　Left　his　house　in　Momingside　ten　minutes　ago。　Maybe　a　meet。〃
　〃Where　is　he　now？〃
　〃Going　north　on　the　beltway。　We　just　passed　the　Capital　Centre　arena。〃
　〃You　guys　got　the　van　in　standby？〃
　〃Nope。　It's　back　at　the　shop。〃　The　shop　was　headquarters；　the　J。　Edgar　Hoover　Building。　〃Nobody　thought　we'd　need　it　today。〃
　〃Get　it。　I　want　a　record　this　time。　Any　idea　where　he's　going？〃
　〃Not　a　glimmer。〃
　〃I've　got　to　get　dressed　and　shaved。　I'll　be　in　the　car　in　fifteen　minutes。　Call　me　on　the　car　phone　then。〃
　〃Sure。〃
　Sally　came　into　the　bathroom　while　he　was　shaving。　〃You're　in　the　paper　today。〃　She　showed　him　the　story　and　the　photo。　〃You　didn't　tell　me　there　was　a　shooting。〃
　〃Friday　night。　Dreyfus　shot　a　guy。〃
　〃It　says　here　the　dead　man　had　already　shot　at　you。〃
　He　eyed　her　in　the　mirror；　then　attacked　his　upper　lip。
　〃Luis；　you　could　have　been　killed。〃
　〃Then　Gerald　could　shave　his　bead　as　bare　as　his　ass　and　run　around　in　a　loincloth。〃
　She　closed　her　eyes　and　shook　her　hair。　〃Weren't　you　scared？〃
　He　bugged　her。　〃Yeah。　I　seem　to　be　spending　more　and　more　time　in　that　condition。〃
　Camacho　was　driving　south　on　New　Hampshire　Avenue　past　the　old　Naval　Ordnance　Lab；　now　the　navy's　Surface　Weapons　Center；　when　the　car　phone　buzzed。　It　was　only　9：30　on　Sunday　morning；　but　already　a　good　volume　of　traffic　was　flowing　along　the　avenue。　It　seemed　as　if　all　the　Silver　Spring　suburbanites　had　big　plans　for　this　spring　day；　which　was　partly　overcast。　He　wondered　if　it　would　rain　as　he　picked　up　the　phone。　〃Camacho。〃
　〃He　turned　off　the　beltway　and　is　headed　north　on　1…95　toward　Baltimore。〃
　〃How　many　cars　do　you　have？〃
　〃Seven。〃
　〃Stay　loose。　He'll　be　looking。〃　A　car　would　be　in　front　of　the　suspect　vehicle　and　another　well　behind；　but　in　sight。　The　additional　cars　would　be　at　least　a　mile　back。　Every　four　or　five　minutes　the　car　behind　would　pass　Judy　as　the　lead　car　accelerated　away　and　got　off　at　the　next　exit；　where　it　would　watch　the　cavalcade　pass　and　join　as　the　last　car。　The　third　car　would　assume　the　position　immediately　behind　Judy。　If　this　was　done　properly；　Judy　would　never　notice　he　was　being　followed。　Had　the　agents　had　a　helicopter　or　light　plane　this　morning；　none　of　the　cars　would　have　even　been　in　sight　of　the　suspect。
　Camacho　drove　onto　the　beltway　eastbound　and　went　down　two　miles　to　the　1…95　exit；　where　he　merged　with　a　string　of　cars　and　trucks　headed　north。　He　eased　the　car　up　to　five　miles　per　hour　over　the　speed　limit　and　stayed　in　the　right…hand　lane。
　In　the　two　weeks　that　Camacho's　men　had　had　mander　Smoke　Judy　under　surveillance；　be　had　gone　driving　on　only　one　occasion。　That　time　he　had　gone　to　a　mall　and　spent　forty…five　minutes　in　an　electronics　store　watching　college　basketball　on　television；　eaten　two　slices　of　pepperoni　pizza　and　swizzled　a　medium…sized　Sprite；　and　gawked　for　five　minutes　in　a　store　that　specialized　in　racy　lingerie。　Just　another　debonair　bon　vivant　out　on　the　town。
　As　he　passed　the　Fort　Meade　exit　rain　began　to　fall。　Dreyfus　called　once。　The　subject　was　still　headed　north。　Dreyfus　had　had　the　lead　car　take　the　Route　32　exit　in　case　Judy　was　on　his　way　to　Baltimore…Washington　International　Airport；　but　Judy　passed　it　by。　After　a　U…turn　the　FBI　car　was　back　on　1…95　chasing　the　cavalcade。　Camacho　hung　up　the　telephone　and　listened　to　the　wipers。　Since　this　was　his　personal　car；　he　didn't　have　a　radio　to　monitor　the　surveillance。
　In　a　few　minutes　the　rain　ceased。　The　clouds　still　looked　threatening　with　patches　of　blue　here　and　there。　The　car　ahead　flung　up　a　spray　from　the　wet　road　that　kept　Camacho　fiddling　with　his　wiper　control　and　wishing　he　had　taken　the　intermittent　wiper　option。
　Following　the　ribbon　of　interstate　highways；　Smoke　Judy　circled　Baltimore　and　headed　north　toward　York。　Just　short　of　the　Pennsylvania　line　he　began　to　slow　in　the　left　lane。　Dreyfus　was　in　the　car　immediately　behind　and　used　the　radio　to　call　the　trailing　car；　which　was　three　miles　back。　When　Judy　swung　through　an　emergency　vehicle　turnaround　and　accelerated　south；　the　trailing　car　was　already　southbound　at　fifty　miles　per　hour；　waiting　for　Judy　to　catch　up。　Dreyfus　and　the　drivers　of　the　other　car　waited　until　Judy　was　pletely　out　of　sight　before　they　gunned　across　the　median　throwing　mud　and　turf　and　resumed　the　pursuit。　One　of　the　cars　almost　got　stuck。
　〃He　thinks　he's　being　cute；〃　Dreyfus　told　Camacho；　who　took　the　first　exit　he　came　to　and　crossed　over　the　highway；　then　sat　at　the　head　of　the　on…ramp　to　wait。
　〃Think　he's　spotted　you？〃
　〃I　don't…we'll　see。　He'll　go　straight　home　if　he　has。〃
　Smoke　Judy　didn't　go　home。　He　went　to　the　inner　harbor　of　Baltimore　and　parked　in　an　outlying　lot；　then　walked　unhurriedly　past　the　aquarium　and　the　head　of　the　pier　where　the　three…masted　frigate　Constellation　was　berthed　and　sat　in　front　of　the　giant　indoor　food　mall；　near　the　water。　He　sat　for　almost　twenty　minutes　watching　the　gulls　and　people　as　a　gentle　wind　blew　in　from　the　bay。
　Camacho　and　Dreyfus　watched　him　through　one…way　glass　mounted　in　the　side　of　a　Potomac　Power　van　parked　on　a　yellow　line　near　the　frigate　pier。　From　the　outside　of　the　van　the　glass　appeared　to　be　a　sign　unless　one　inspected　it　from　close　range。　A　man　wearing　jeans　and　a　tool　belt　had　rigged　yellow　ropes　around　the　vehicle　as　soon　as　it　came　to　a　stop　to　ensure　that　no　one　got　that　close。
　The　distance　from　the　van　to　where　Judy　sat　was　a　little　over　a　hundred　yards。　Camacho　aimed　a　small　television　camera　mounted　on　a　pedestal　while　Dreyfus　snapped　photos　with　a　35mm　camera　with　a　telephoto　lens。　Beside　them　an　agent　wearing　earphones　huddled　over　a　cassette　recorder。　A　parabolic　microphone　on　top　of　the　van　was　slaved　to　the　video　camera；　but　right　now　the　audio　was　a　background　murmur；　like　the　background　noise　of　a　baseball　radio　broadcast。
　〃He　isn't　saying　anything；〃　Camacho　muttered　to　reassure　the　audio　technician。
　〃I'll　bet　he　goes　inside；〃　Dreyfus　said。
　〃More　than　likely。　Too　chilly　to　sit　outside　for　long。〃
　〃He's　looked　at　his　watch　twice。〃
　Camacho　turned　the　pedestal　camera　over　to　the　second　technician　and　helped　himself　to　coffee　from　a　thermos。　〃Appreciate　you　guys　ing　out　this　morning。〃
　〃Sure。〃
　As　he　sipped　his　coffee；　Camacho　glanced　at　his　watch。　11：47。　The　meet　was　probably　scheduled　for　twelve　o'clock。　Albright？　If　not；　then　who？
　〃Have　we　got　the　camera　and　audio　units　inside？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　The　guys　are　already　in　the　food　court。〃
　Camacho　took　another　large　swig　of　coffee；　then　tapped　the　man　at　the　camera　on　the　shoulder。　He　moved　aside。　The　camera　had　a　powerful　zoom。　Camacho　could　see　the　expression　on　Judy's　face。　He　looked　like　a　tourist　until　you　studied　his　face…alert；　ready；　in