dw.jimmythekid-第20部分

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　Operating　now　in　darkness；　the　flashlight　in　his　hip　pocket；　Jimmy　unlocked　the　door　and　tiptoed　out　to　the　corridor。　Could　it　really　be　this　easy；　or　were　they　testing　his　resourcefulness；　leaving　one　of　them　hidden　on　guard　upstairs　here；　to　see　what　he　might　do？
　But　apparently　not。　A　little　light　showed　from　his　right；　and　when　he　moved　that　way　he　could　hear　the　voices　downstairs。　He　already　knew　there　were　five　of　them；　and　when　he　reached　the　head　of　the　stairs　and　looked　down　all　five　were　there。　One　of　the　men　and　the　older　woman　were　putting　on　coats。　The　other　woman　was　fiddling　with　a　hibachi　in　the　fireplace。　The　second　man　was　playing　solitaire　at　a　card　table　（and　from　the　looks　of　things　cheating）；　and　the　third　one　was　prowling　back　and　forth；　holding　a　wet　shirt　out　and　shaking　it　as　though　to　hurry　its　drying。
　Five。　They　were　either　underestimating　him　or　overestimating　themselves；　probably　both。　He　waited　till　the　couple　with　coats　on　went　out　and　then；　turning　away　from　the　staircase；　he　went　exploring。
　It　took　ten　minutes　to　discover　that　all　the　windows　up　here　were　boarded；　and　that　there　was　no　second　staircase　down。　He　also　discovered；　in　that　time；　a　wire　coat…hanger；　an　eight…inch…piece　of　galvanized　pipe；　and　a　hall…full　squirt　can　of　3…in…i　oil。
　But　the　big　finds　were　in　the　attic；　which　he　gained　access　to　via　a　trapdoor　in　a　bedroom　closet。　In　the　mountain　school　in　Switzerland　last　summer　he'd　learned　the　chimney　climb；　going　up　funnel…type　openings　by　pressing　one's　back　against　one　side　and　walking　one's　feet　up　the　other。　He　went　up　the　closet　walls　that　way；　got　into　the　attic；　and　made　both　finds　almost　at　once。　In　an　old　metal　toolbox　were　several　rusty　abandoned　tools：　a　hammer；　a　screwdriver；　pliers；　a　long　slender　tweezers。　And　off　in　a　corner；　behind　several　stacks　of　Grit；　was　a　good　long　coil　of　rope。
　Pleased　with　himself；　Jimmy　used　the　rope　to　lower　the　toolbox；　then　dropped　the　rest　of　the　rope　down　after　it　and　walked　his　way　back　down　the　closet　walls。　It　took　two　trips　to　carry　everything　back　to　his　room；　and　on　the　second　trip　he　paused　at　the　head　of　the　stairs　again　to　see　how　his　kidnappers　were　doing。　The　woman　was　now　boiling　water　on　the　hibachi；　and　the　two　men　were　playing　rummy。　From　the　looks　of　things　the　woman　would　be　bringing　him　food　pretty　soon　so　he　shouldn't　stand　around　here　wasting　time。
　Going　back　to　his　room；　he　put　the　key　in　the　lock　on　the　outside；　went　into　the　room；　and　pulled　the　door　shut。　Then；　using　the　tweezers　from　the　toolbox；　he　carefully　turned　the　key　from　inside；　one　revolution　all　the　way　around　and　the　lock　clicked　into　place。
　Now；　to　work。
　
　17
　
　HANGING　UP　the　phone　after　talking　with　the　kidnapper；　Herbert　Harrington　said；　〃Well。　I　can't　say　I　cared　for　that　at　all。〃
　〃Let's　listen　to　it；〃　the　head　FBI　man　said；　and　they　all　waited　in　silence　while　the　technician　ran　the　tape　back　to　the　beginning　again。
　Herbert　Harrington　plucked　his　white　handkerchief　from　his　suit　coat's　breast　pocket　and　patted　the　tiny　beads　of　perspiration　that　gleamed　on　his　pale　high　forehead。　A　calm；　methodical；　successful　corporation　attorney　of　fifty…seven；　he　was　used　to　emergencies　and　crises　that　ran　at　a　Wall　Street　pace：　weeks　of　gathering　storm　clouds；　spotted　with　occasional　conferences　or　public　rumor　denials；　then　a　flurry　of　phone　calls；　a　massing　of　capital　along　the　disputed　border；　and　then　perhaps　three　days　or　a　week　or　even　a　month　of　concentrated　buying；　selling；　merging；　bankruptcy　declarations　and　the　like。　Drama　with　sweep　to　it；　emotional　climaxes　as　carefully　grounded　and　prepared　for　as　in　grand　opera。
　But　this。　They　kidnap　the　boy　at　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　and　by　nine　o'clock　the　same　night　they're　demanding　one　hundred　fifty　thousand　dollars　for　him。　In　old　bills。　In　an　equivalent　situation　on　Wall　Street；　it　would　be　three　or　four　working　days　before　anybody　even　admitted　the　boy　had　been　taken。　Then；　there'd　be　a　period　of　weeks　or　months　when　the　kidnappers　would　publicly　maintain　the　posture　that　they　meant　to　keep　the　boy；　had　no　interest　in　selling　him；；　and　wouldn't　even　consider　any　offers　that　might　e　their　way。　This　logjam；　assisted　by　continued　denials　from　Herbert　Harrington　or　his　spokesmen　that　（a）　he　was　interested　in　negotiating　a　repurchase；　（b）　that　he　was　in　a　cash　or　tax　position　to　make　such　a　repurchase　possible；　or　（c）　that　in　fact　he　had　ever　had　such　a　son　at　all；　would　eventually　be　broken　by　tentative　feelers　from　both　sides。　Dickering；　threats；　go…betweens；　all　the　panoply　of　negotiation　would　then　be　mounted　and　gone　through　like　the　ritual　of　High　Mass；　and　it　would　be　even　more　weeks　before　anything　like　a　dollar　amount　was　ever　mentioned。　And　in　fact　dollars　would　be　the　very　least　of　it；　there　would　be　stock　options；　rebates；　one…for…one　stock　transfers；　sliding　scales；　an　agreement　with　some　meat　on　it。　Instead　of　which…　〃All　set；〃　the　tape　technician　said。
　〃Run　it；〃　the　head　FBI　man　said。　They　all　talked　in　clipped　little　sentences　like　that；　Harrington　felt　himself　getting　a　headache。
　From　the　machine；　a　voice　said；　〃Hello？〃　and　another　voice　said；　〃Is　that　Herbert　Har…〃
　Talking　over　the　second　voice；　Harrington　said；　〃Is　that　me？　It　doesn't　sound　like　me。〃
　〃Hold　it；〃　the　head　FBI　man　said；　and　the　technician　stopped　the　tape　and　ran　it　backward　again。　To　Harrington　the　head　FBI　man　said；　〃Let's　just　listen。〃
　〃Oh；　of　course；〃　Harrington　said。　〃I'm　sorry；　I　didn't　mean　to　interrupt；　I　was　merely　startled。〃
　〃Run　it；〃　the　head　FBI　man　said；　and　the　tape　started　forward　again。
　〃Hello？〃　His　own　voice　sounded　lighter　to　him　than　he　would　have　guessed；　not　so　manly。　He　didn't　much　like　it。
　〃Is　that　Herbert　Harrington？〃　It　was　a　female　voice；　middle…aged；　New　York　City　accent；　rather　truculent。　An　irascible…sounding　woman；　like　one　of　your　lady　cabdrivers。
　〃Yes；　it　is。　Who's　calling；　please？〃
　〃We　have　your　boy。〃
　〃I　beg　your　pardon？〃
　〃I　said；　'We　have　your　boy。'　It　means　we　kidnapped　him；　we're　the　kidnappers。　I'm　one　of　the　kidnappers；　this　is　the　phone　call。〃
　〃Oh；　yes！　Of　course；　I'm　sorry。　Maurice　phoned　me　when　he　got　home。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃My　chauffeur。　He　was　very　upset；　he　said　it　was　extremely　difficult　to　drive　while　chained　to　the　steering　wheel。〃
　Small　pause。　Then；　the　woman's　voice　again：　〃Look；　let's　start　all　over。　We　have　your　boy。〃
　〃Yes；　you　said　that。　And　this　is　the　phone　call。〃
　〃Right。　All　right。　Your　Bobby's　fine。　And　he'll…〃
　〃What　say？〃
　〃I　said；　'Your　Bobby's　fine。　And　he'll　stay…〃
　〃Are　you　sure　you　have　the　right　number？〃
　〃Jimmy！　I　didn't　mean…I　meant　Jimmy。　Your　Jimmy's　fine。　And　he'll　stay　fine　just　as　long　as　you　cooperate。〃
　Silence。　Far　in　the　background　one　of　those　telephone　pany　noises　took　place：　boop…boop…boop…boop…boopboop…beep…boop…boop…boop。
　The　woman's　voice：　〃Did　you　hear　me？〃
　〃Yes；　of　course。〃
　〃Well？　You　gonna　cooperate　or　aren't　you　gonna　cooperate？〃
　〃Of　course　I'll　cooperate。〃
　〃At　last。　Okay。　That's　good。　And　the　first　thing　is；　you　don't　call　the　police。〃
　〃Oh；　dear。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃I　do　wish　you'd　told　me　before。　Or　told　Maurice；　that　would　have　been　best。〃
　〃What　the　hell　are　you　talking　about？〃
　〃Well；　the　fact　is；　I've　already　called　them。　In　fact；　they're　here　right　now。〃　（That　had　been　the　moment　when　the　head　FBI　man　had　started　waving　his　arms　back　and　forth　in　a　negative　manner；　Harrington　remembered　now　his　decision　at　that　point　not　to　mention　to　the　woman　that　the　call　was　being　recorded。　But　weren't　there　court　decisions　to　the　effect　that　people　had　to　be　informed　if　their　calls　were　being　recorded？）
　〃You　already　called　them。〃
　〃Well；　it　did　seem　the　thing　to　do。　Maurice　said　you　people　carried　guns　and　seemed　extremely　menacing。〃
　〃All　right；　all　right。　We'll　forget　that　part。　The　point　is；　you　want　your　kid　back；　right？〃
　Slight　hesitation。　〃Well；　of　course。〃　（Listening　to　the　tape　now；　Harrington　could　see　where　that　hesitation　might　very　easily　be　misconstrued。　But　he　hadn't　been　thinking　it　over；　or　anything　like　that；　it　was　merely　that　the　question　had　been　raised　so　suddenly　it　had　startled　him。　Naturally　he　wante