scoonts.theminotaur-第69部分

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umptions　about　where　the　ATA　program　would　be　then；　and　then　he　had　to　justify　the　assumptions。　Athena　was　still　buried　deep；　outside　the　normal　budgetary　process。　Still　he　would　need　staff　and　travel　money　and　all　the　rest　of　it　He　involved　everyone　be　could　lay　hands　on　and　cajoled　Admiral　Dunedin　into　finding　him　two　more　officers　and　another　yeoman。　He　didn't　have　desks　for　them。　They　had　to　share。
　But　things　were　being　acplished。　A　Request　for　Proposal　（RFP）　on　the　Athena　project　was　drafted；　chopped　by　everyone　up　and　down　the　line；　mitteed　and　lawyered　and　redrafted　twice　and　finally　approved。　Numbered　copies　went　by　courier　to　a　half　dozen　major　defense　contractors　who　were　believed　to　have　the　technical　facilities　and　staff　to　handle　development　of　a　small　superconducting　puter　for　aviation　use。　The　office　staff　had　to　be　informed；　and　this　had　been　done　by　the　admiral。
　Inevitably　the　number　of　people　who　knew　about　Athena　and　what　it　could　do　was　expanding　exponentially。　Access　was　still　strictly　need…to…know；　but　the　system　ensured　that　a　great　many　people　had　the　need；　or　could　claim　they　did；　citing　chapter　and　verse　of　some　regulation　or　directive　no　one　else　had　ever　read　or　even　seen。
　Callie　was　understanding　about　the　time　demands　Jake　faced。　She　had　spent　enough　years　as　a　navy　wife　to　know　how　the　service　worked。　Amy　was　less　so。　She　and　Callie　were　still　going　round　and　round；　and　she　found　Jake　a　pleasant　change。　He　made　rules　and　he　enforced　them；　and　he　tucked　her　into　bed　every　night。　She　wanted　more　of　his　time　and　he　had　precious　little　to　give。　The　weekends　became　their　special　time　together。
　〃Why　do　you　spend　so　much　time　at　work；　Jake？〃
　〃It's　my　job。　I　have　to。〃
　〃I'm　not　going　to　have　a　job　like　yours。　I'm　going　to　get　a　job　that　gives　me　plenty　of　time　to　spend　with　my　little　girl。〃
　〃Are　you　my　little　girl？〃
　〃No。　I'm　Amy。　I'm　not　anybody's　little　girl。　But　I'm　going　to　have　a　little　girl　of　my　own　someday。〃
　〃Do　you　ever　think　much　about　those　somedays？　What　they'll　be　like？〃
　〃Sure。　I'll　have　lots　of　money　and　lots　of　time　and　a　very　nice　little　girl　to　buy　stuff　for　and　spend　time　with。〃
　〃How　are　you　going　to　get　lots　of　money　if　you　don't　spend　much　time　earning　it？〃
　〃I'm　going　to　inherit　it。　From　you　and　Callie。〃
　〃Guess　we'd　better　work　hard　then。〃
　
　One　day　in　early　May；　Special　Agent　Lloyd　Dreyfus　made　an　appointment　to　see　Luis　Camacho's　boss；　P。　R。　Bigelow；　without　telling　Camacho。　He　had　thought　about　it　for　a　week　before　he　made　the　appointment　with　the　secretary；　and　then　he　had　two　more　days　to　wait。　Jumping　the　chain　of　mand　was　as　grievous　a　sin　in　the　FBI　as　it　was　in　the　military；　yet　he　had　decided　to　do　it　anyway　and　to　hell　with　what　Camacho　or　anyone　else　thought。　As　the　day　and　hour　approached；　however；　the　enormity　of　his　transgression　increased　with　each　passing　hour。　Surely　Bigelow　would　understand。　Even　if　he　didn't；　he　must　realize　Dreyfus　had　a　right　and　duty　to　voice　his　concerns。
　Dreyfus　rehearsed　his　speech　carefully。　It　wasn't　technically　a　speech：　perhaps　a　better　description　would　be　〃short；　panicky　monologue。〃　He　had　to　justify　himself　as　soon　as　he　opened　his　mouth；　get　Bigelow's　sympathetic　attention　before　he　had　a　chance　to　start　quoting　the　regulations；　before　he　lost　his　cool　and　went　ballistic。　Was　Bigelow　a　ballistic　kind　of　guy？　Dreyfus　couldn't　recall　Camacho　ever　saying。
　He　tried　to　recall　everything　he　had　ever　heard　about　P。　R。　Bigelow；　and　that　wasn't　much。　Strange；　when　you　stopped　to　think　about　it　Camacho　never　mentioned　his　superior　officer；　never　said；　〃Bigelow　wants　this；〃　or　〃Bigelow　is　pleased；〃　or　〃Bigelow　says　blah…blah。〃　e　to　think　of　it；　Camacho　never　talked　about　anyone。　If　the　Director　himself　told　Luis　Camacho　to　do　thus　and　so；　Camacho　would　just　tell　Dreyfus；　〃Do　this〃　or　〃Do　that。〃　He　sometimes　said　what　he　hoped　to　find　or　achieve；　but　he　never　even　hinted　who　had　told　him　to　cause　something　to　happen；　or　why　it　was　to　happen。　He　never　expressed　a　personal　opinion。　Curious　as　hell。　Camacho　was　one　weird　duck；　beyond　a　reasonable　doubt
　Sitting　in　Bigelow's　reception　area　with　the　secretary　checking　him　out　surreptitiously　as　she　did　her　nails；　Dreyfus　went　over　his　list　one　more　time。　He　wanted　everything　right　on　the　tip　of　his　tongue。　It　would　be　worse　than　disastrous　to　think　of　the　clincher　on　the　way　to　the　surgery　in　the　dungeon。　Once　again　he　assured　himself　he　was　doing　the　right　thing。　The　right　thing。　Doing　the　right　thing。　He　fondled　his　pipe　in　his　pocket　as　if　it　were　a　set　of　worry　beads。
　The　ten…button　phone　on　the　nail　polisher's　desk　buzzed　to　attract　its　owner's　attention。　After　listening　a　moment　and　grunting　into　the　instrument　in　a　pleasant；　respectful　way；　she　hung　up　and　said　to　Dreyfus；　〃He'll　see　you　now。〃　Her　painted　eyebrows　arched　knowingly；　condescendingly。
　P。　R。　Bigelow　was　eating　a　large　jelly　doughnut　at　his　desk。　He　mumbled　his　greeting　with　his　mouth　full；　a　glob　of　red　goo　in　the　corner　of　his　mouth。
　Dreyfus　took　a　chair　and　launched　into　his　prepared　remarks。　〃I've　asked　for　this　time；　sir；　to　ensure　you　know　what　is　going　on　with　the　Minotaur　investigation。　The　answer　is　almost　nothing。　For　months　now　we've　been　spinning　our　wheels；　begging　puter　time　to　try　and　crack　the　Minotaur's　letters　to　the　Soviet　ambassador；　following　a　few　people　hither　and　yon　all　over　Washington；　monitoring　some　phone　lines；　wasting　an　army　of　manpower　and　bushels　of　money；　and　we　are　going　essentially　nowhere。　I　thought　you　should　know　that。〃
　Bigelow　wiped　the　jam　from　his　lips　with　a　napkin；　sipped　coffee　from　a　white　mug　labeled　〃World's　Best　Dad〃　and　took　another　bite　of　doughnut。
　His　attitude　rattled　Dreyfus；　who　got　out　his　pipe　and　rubbed　the　bowl　carefully。　〃Our　best　lead　was　a　navy　enlisted　puter　technician　in　the　Pentagon；　a　guy　we　thought　was　tapping　the　puter　for　some　of　this　stuff。　Name　of　Terry　Franklin。　Yet　Camacho　never　let　us　pick　the　guy　up。　So　we　sat　and　watched　him　do　his　little　thing；　and　we　were　diligently　following　him；　right　on　his　tail；　in　March　when　his　car　blew　up　with　him　in　it。〃
　Bigelow　finished　the　doughnut　and　used　a　moist　finger　to　capture　and　convey　the　last　few　crumbs　to　his　mouth。　Then　he　dabbed　his　Ups　a　final　time　and　used　two　napkins　to　scrub　the　powdered　sugar　and　flecks　of　jelly　from　his　oak　desk。　He　put　this　trash　in　the　wastebasket　and；　sighing　contentedly；　rearranged　his　bottom　in　his　chair。
　〃And。。。？〃　said　P。　R。　Bigelow。
　〃A　hit　man　wiped　a　walk…in　witness　to　a　drop　with　Franklin。　Camacho　talked　to　her　a　couple　times；　but　she　got　eliminated　before　we　could　get　her　to　look　at　any　photos。　A　professional　hit。　Two　twenty…two　caliber　slugs　in　the　skull。　We've　got　the　autopsy　and　lab　reports　and　we've　talked　to　neighbors　up　and　down　the　street。　We've　got　nothing　at　all。　We're　absolutely　dry　on　this　one。〃
　〃Anything　else？〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　Lloyd　Dreyfus　with　an　edge　in　his　voice。　He　was　beginning　to　lose　his　temper　and　didn't　care　if　it　showed　a　little。　〃One　of　the　staff　officers　in　the　navy's　ATA　project…a　mander　Judy…is　trying　to　peddle　classified　inside　info　to　interested　defense　contractors。　We　got　interested　in　this　officer　when　the　project　manager　was　murdered　over　in　West　Virginia　one　Friday　evening　in　early　February。　That　murder　is　unsolved…no　one　is　doing　anything　on　it…and　Camacho　doesn't　appear　to　be　doing　any　follow…up　on　Judy's　contacts。　He　hasn't　even　turned　the　file　over　to　the　fraud　investigators　or　NIS。　We　know　some　of　the　people　Judy's　talked　to　and。。。〃　Dreyfus　threw　up　his　hands　in　frustration。
　〃Finished　yet？〃
　〃Yes；　I　think　that　about　covers　it。〃
　〃So　you　asked　for　this　appointment　on　the　off　chance　that　Camacho　has　been　lying　to　me　about　the　activities　of　his　office；　purposely　bungling　the　search　for　this　mole；　wasting　millions　of　dollars　and　thousands　of　man…hours　on　wild…goose　chases。〃　Dreyfus　opened　his　mouth　to　interrupt；　but　Bigelow　held　up　a　hand。　〃I　grant　that　you　can　probably　phrase　it　more　tactfully。　You　notice　I　did　not　suggest　that　you　came　up　here　to　tattle　and　gain　some　personal　advantage。　You　are　a　better　man　than　that。〃　He　sighed　heavily；　almost　a　belch。　〃Of　course　there　is　an