scoonts.theminotaur-第60部分

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　Harlan　Albright　raised　an　eyebrow；　then　looked　away。
　〃Start　the　fucking　car。　Take　me　to　the　office。　I　don't　have　time　to　sit　around　and　shoot　the　shit　with　you　over　a　greaseburger。〃
　Albright　turned　the　key。　The　engine　caught。　Two　blocks　later　he　said；　〃You　going　to　deny　it？〃
　〃Why　bother？　You　have　never　given　me　a　list　of　the　stuff　you　got　from　the　Minotaur。　Now　today　you　give　me　this　crap　about　Franklin　being　the　Minotaur　and　I'm　supposed　to　go　charging　off　like　Inspector　Qouseau。　Why　don't　you　go　back　to　Moscow　and　tell　Gorby　you　screwed　the　pooch？　Mail　me　a　postcard　when　you　get　to　Siberia。　I　hear　it's　lovely　in　the　snow。〃
　〃I　don't　know　the　file　names。　Even　if　I　did；　I　don't　have　the　authority　to　give　them　to　you。〃
　〃Go　tell　it　to　somebody　who　gives　a　shit。　I　don't。〃
　〃What　about　Smoke　Judy？〃
　〃What　about　him？〃
　〃What's　he　up　to？〃
　〃He's　trying　to　peddle　inside　knowledge　of　defense　contracts。　So　far　without　much　success；　as　far　as　I　can　tell。　Apparently　he　doesn't　think　money　is　vulgar。〃
　〃Are　the　fraud　people　onto　him？　IG　or　NIS？〃　IG　was　the　Inspector　General。　NIS　meant　Naval　Investigative　Service。
　〃If　somebody's　opened　a　file　on　him；　I　don't　know　about　it。〃
　〃Don't　turn　him　over　to　them。〃
　〃Why　not？〃
　〃Because　I'm　asking　you　not　to。〃
　〃Well；　kiss　my　ass。　You're　taking　a　big　chance；　asking　a　double　agent　for　a　favor。　Stop　up　here　at　the　corner。〃　They　were　going　west　on　Constitution　Avenue。　〃This　is　close　enough。　I　need　some　air。〃
　Albright　pulled　over　to　the　curb　and　braked　to　a　stop。　〃Don't　torn　him　over。〃
　〃Up　yours。〃
　〃I　was　just　trying　to　motivate　you。　You　know　I　don't　doubt　your　loyalty。〃
　〃If　I　was　a　double　agent　we　would　have　pulled　in　Terry　Franklin　a　long　time　ago　and　squeezed　him　for　the　name　of　every　file　that　you　don't　want　me　to　know。　He'd　sing　like　a　canary。〃
　〃I　know；〃　Albright　replied　as　Camacho　opened　the　car　door　and　stepped　out。
　〃You　don't　know　shit。　You　don't　know　how　many　anonymous　fraud　waste　and　abuse　hot　lines　there　are　over　at　the　Pentagon。　The　damn　numbers　are　posted　everywhere。　Don't　like　your　boss？　Nail　him　to　the　cross　on　your　coffee　break。　Busybodies　and　prissy　fat　ladies　are　burning　up　the　wires。　Somebody　could　drop　a　dime　on　Judy　any　minute。　Then　I'll　be　your　guy；　the　double　agent。〃
　〃Find　the　Minotaur。〃
　〃That　mechanic　screws　me；　I'll　break　your　nose。〃　Luis　Camacho　shut　the　door　firmly　and　walked　away。
　As　he　trudged　through　the　tourists　and　secretaries　on　lunch　break　he　tried　to　decide　if　he　had　handled　it　well　or　poorly。　The　lies　were　plausible；　he　concluded；　but　he　was　suspect。　Peter　Aleksandrovich　was　nobody's　fool。　And　〃schlep〃…what　an　interesting　word　for　a　mie　to　use。　Underestimating　this　man　could　be　fatal。
　
　The　new　Amy　Carol　Grafton　frowned　at　the　peas　on　her　plate。　She　glowered　at　the　carrots。　She　carved　herself　a　tiny　chunk　of　meat　loaf　and　put　it　in　her　mouth；　where　she　held　it　without　chewing　as　she　stared　at　the　offending　vegetables。
　〃What's　the　matter；　Amy？〃　Callie　asked。
　Amy　Carol　sat　erect　in　her　chair　and　tossed　her　black　pageboy　hair。　〃I　don't　like　vegetables。〃
　〃They're　good　for　you。　You　need　to　eat　some　of　them。〃　Amy's　brand…new　mom　was　the　soul　of　reason。　Jake　Grafton　took　another　sip　of　coffee　and　the　last　bite　of　his　meat　loaf。
　〃I　don't　like　green　food。〃
　〃Then　eat　your　carrots；　dear。〃　Callie　smiled　distractedly。　If　the　child　didn't　eat　her　peas；　what　would　be　her　vitamin　count　for　vegetables　today？　Callie　had　spent　the　past　week　researching　diets　for　diabetics。　Right　now　she　was　swamped　with　strange　facts。
　〃I　don't　like　orange　stuff　either。〃
　〃Amy；〃　said　the　new　father　with　a　glint　in　his　eye；　〃I　don't　care　what　you　like　or　don't　like。　Your　mom　put　this　stuff　on　the　table；　so　you're　going　to　eat　it。　Now　start。〃
　〃She　isn't　my　mom。　And　you're　not　my　dad。　My　parents　are　dead。　You're　Callie　and　Jake。　And　I　don't　like　you；　Jake；　not　one　little　bit。〃
　〃Fine。　But　you're　going　to　sit　there　until　you　finish　those　vegetables　and　I　say　you　can　get　up。〃
　〃Why？〃　Her　lower　lip　began　to　quiver　and　her　brows　knitted。　Callie　thought　Amy　looked　so　cute　and　helpless　when　she　clouded　up。　Jake　thought　Callie　had　a　lot　to　learn。
　〃Because　I　said　so。〃　Jake　picked　up　the　newspaper；　opened　it　ostentatiously　and　hid　behind　it。
　Callie　got　up　and　went　to　the　sink；　rinsing　dishes。　Jake　reached　around　the　paper　every　so　often　for　a　sip　of　coffee。　Their　second　meal　with　their　new　daughter。　Another　disaster。
　The　youngster　was　trying　to　establish　who's　in　charge；　Jake　told　his　wife。　He　thought　Callie　was　making　the　same　mistake　Neville　Chamberlain　did。　He　used　precisely　those　words　to　the　new　mother　last　night；　after　the　first；　opening…day　debacle　at　the　dinner　table；　when　the　youngster　was　finally　in　bed；　and　had　been　told　in　no　uncertain　terms　that　he　was　a　lout。
　Lout　or　not；　〃I　am　wearing　the　trousers；〃　he　said　with　his　right　trigger　finger　pointed　straight　up；　〃and　we　are　going　to　establish　very　early　that　I　have　the　last　say　on　junior…senior　relations　around　here。　Somebody　has　to　be　in　charge　and　it's　not　going　to　be　an　eleven…year…old。〃
　〃Just　because　you　wear　trousers；　huh？〃
　〃No。　Because　when　I　was　growing　up　my　father　was　the　head　of　his　family；　and　I　intend　to　be　the　head　of　mine。　It's　a　tried　and　true　system　with　ancient　tradition　to　mend　it。　We're　going　to　stick　with　it。〃
　〃You　can't　issue　orders　around　here；　Captain　Grafton。　Amy　and　I　don't　wear　uniforms。〃　She　raised　a　finger；　mimicking　his　gesture。
　This　evening　was　also　off　to　a　rocky　start。
　Jake　put　down　his　newspaper　and　examined　the　vegetable　situation。　The　child　apparently　hadn't　touched　a　pea　or　a　carrot。　She　was　staring　fixedly　at　her　plate　with　a　sullen；　defiant　look。
　〃How　was　school　today？〃　Jake　asked。
　No　answer。
　〃I　asked　you　a　question；　Amy。〃
　〃Okay。〃
　〃Tell　me　about　your　teachers。〃
　〃What　do　you　want　to　know？〃
　〃Their　names；　what　subjects　they　teach；　what　they　look　tike；　whether　you　like　them。　That　kind　of　stuff。〃
　〃Wellll；〃　Amy　said；　her　gaze　flicking　across　Jake's　face；　〃some　of　them　are　nice　and　some　aren't。〃　And　away　she　went　on　a　five…minute　exposition　that　covered　the　school　day　from　opening　to　closing　bell。　Jake　tossed　in　an　occasional　question　when　she　paused　for　air。
　When　she　had　exhausted　the　teacher　subject；　Jake　asked；　〃What　subjects　do　you　think　you're　going　to　like　best？〃
　Away　she　went　again；　debating　the　merits　of　math　versus　English；　social　studies　versus　science。　This…time　when　she　ran　down；　Jake　asked　if　she　had　any　homework。
　〃Some　math　problems。〃
　〃Need　any　help　with　them？〃
　〃The　division　ones；〃　she　said　tentatively。
　〃Eat　some　of　those　peas　and　carrots　and　we'll　clear　the　table　and　work　on　the　problems。〃
　〃How　many　do　I　have　to　eat？〃
　〃Two　spoonfuls　of　each。〃
　She　made　a　face　and　did　as　she　was　bid。　As　he　carried　the　dishes　to　the　sink；　Jake　asked；　〃Just　what　vegetables　do　you　like？〃
　〃Not　any　of　them。〃
　〃Well；　do　you　have　some　that　you　don't　hate　as　much　as　others？〃
　〃Corn。　Corn　is　okay。　But　not　the　creamed　kind。〃　She　squirmed。　〃And　I　like　lima　beans。〃
　〃No　kidding？　So　do　I。　Maybe　we　can　have　some　tomorrow　night。　How　about　it；　Callie？〃　His　wife　was　standing　by　the　little　desk　that　served　as　a　paper　catchall；　looking　once　again　at　the　diet　book。　She　turned　to　Jake　and　nodded。　She　had　tears　in　her　eyes。　He　winked　at　her。
　〃Amy；　better　get　your　school　books。　And；　Callie；　don't　we　have　some　sugarless　dessert　around　here　for　little　girls　who　eat　their　dinner？〃
　
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　A　woman　from　the　garage　called　at　10　A。M。　and　said　his　car　was　ready：　119。26。　Camacho　told　her　he　would　stop　by　after　work。　She　hung　up　before　he　could　even　ask　what　the　problem　had　been。
　Dreyfus　gave　him　a　ride　and　dropped　him　in　front　of　the　showroom。
　The　new　cars　gleamed　shamelessly　and　flashed　their　chrome　with　wanton　abandon　as　he　walked　by。　Light；　easy…listening　music　sounded　everywhere。　Two　salesmen　asked　if　he　needed　help。
　He　paid　for　the　repairs　at　a　window　where　a　harried　young　woman　juggled　two　phones　as　she　pounded　numbers　into　a　puter。　He　surrendered　his　driver's　license　for　her　scrutiny　before　she　asked。　Without　even　glancing　to　see　if　his　pass　matched　the　photo；　s