dw.jimmythekid-第32部分

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　〃What？〃　Harrington　felt　more　and　more　nervous。　Had　the　kidnappers　discovered　the　transmitter　in　the　suitcase？　Were　they　about　to　make　further　demands？
　〃Hello；　Dad？〃
　〃Jimmy！〃　A　flood　of　warmth　suffused　him。　〃By　golly；　boy；　it's　good　to　hear　your　voice。〃
　〃You；　too；　Dad。〃
　〃I　wasn't　looking　forward　to　the　ride　out　tomorrow　without　you；　I　can　tell　you　that。〃
　〃Well；　I'll　be　there；　Dad；〃　Jimmy　said。
　〃I　know　you　will；〃　Harrington　said；　but　when　he　saw　the　head　FBI　man　gesturing　wildly　at　him　he　realized　he　must　be　sounding　too　confident。　It　wouldn't　do　to　make　the　kidnappers　suspicious　at　this　stage。　〃That　is；〃　he　amended；　〃I　was　hoping　you　would。〃
　Jimmy　said；　〃These　people　want　you　to　know　they　haven't　hurt　me；　and　they're　going　to　let　me　go　in　New　York　tomorrow　morning。〃
　〃In　New　York？〃　Harrington　and　the　head　FBI　man　stared　at　one　another；　both　startled。
　〃That's　right。　Should　I　e　down　to　your　office；　or　go　on　up　to　Dr。　Schraubenzieher？〃
　〃Well；　I…well…〃
　〃I　think　I'd　rather　go　to　Dr。　Schraubenzieher　first；〃　Jimmy　said。　〃If　that's　okay　with　you。〃
　〃Yes；　certainly；〃　Harrington　said。　〃After　this　ordeal；　I'm　sure　you'll　want　to　see　him；　talk　to　him。〃
　〃It　hasn't　been　much　of　an　ordeal；〃　Jimmy　said。　〃Anyway；　it's　almost　over。　Would　you　call　the　doctor　and　change　my　appointment？　Tell　him　I'd　want　to　get　there　around　noon。〃
　〃Yes；　I　will。〃
　〃And　I'll　call　you　from　his　office。〃
　〃That's　fine；〃　Harrington　said。
　〃Well；　I'd　better　go　now；〃　Jimmy　said。
　〃It　was　good　to　hear　from　you；〃　Harrington　said。　〃Urn；　perhaps　we　could　have　lunch。　After　your　appointment。〃
　〃Sure；〃　Jimmy　said。　〃I'll　he　free　all　afternoon。'
　〃Fine。　Good　talking　to　you；　son。〃
　〃So　long；　Dad。〃
　Harrington　hung　up；　and　the　head　FBI　man　said；　〃Sounds　like　he's　in　good　shape；　considering。〃
　〃Well；〃　Harrington　said；　〃he's　an　intelligent　boy；　he　wouldn't　make　a　lot　of　trouble。〃
　The　head　FBI　man　turned　to　the　technician。　〃Let's　hear　that　again；〃　he　said。
　〃I　think　I'd　rather　not；〃　Harrington　said。　〃If　you　don't　mind。〃
　The　head　FBI　man　frowned　at　him。　〃Why　not？〃
　〃Well；　I　think　I　might　weep　or　some　such　thing；〃　Harrington　said；　〃and　I　wouldn't　want　to　do　that。〃
　
　25
　
　AT　QUARTER　to　two　in　the　morning　Jimmy　used　the　tweezers　to　unlock　his　door　again；　and　went　downstairs。　A　few　embers　glowed　in　the　fireplace；　and　one　of　the　kerosene　lamps　was　still　lit；　standing　on　the　card　table　like　a　beacon　calling　ships　in　from　sea。　They'd　watched　The　Thing　tonight　（direction　credited　to　Christian　Nyby　but　more　probably　the　work　of　producer　Howard　Hawks；　with　a　screenplay　by　Charles　Lederer；　based　on　Who　Goes　There？；　a　short　story　by　John　W。　Campbell；　Jr。）　and　after。　ward　the　lady　called　Mom　had　insisted　that　a　light　be　left　on。　〃Otherwise；〃　she'd　said；　〃I　won't　sleep。〃
　She　was　asleep；　and　so　was　the　lady　called　May；　both　floating　peacefully　on　their　air　mattresses　under　mounds　of　blankets。　The　three　men；　called　John　and　Andy　and　Stan；　were　presumably　asleep　in　the　next　room；　from　which　no　light　at　all　shone。　（They'd　been　careful；　he'd　noticed；　not　to　use　their　last　names　around　him；　but　they'd　been　free　about　using　first　names；　so　they　were　probably　all　aliases。　That's　the　way　professional　criminals　like　these　operated；　he'd　been　impressed　by　their　constant　references　to　some　previously　worked…out　master　plan；　or　〃book；〃　that　they　were　following　through　this　crime。）
　It　took　less　than　ten　minutes　to　do　what　he　had　to　do　in　the　living　room；　and　then　he　moved　swiftly　and　silently　back　upstairs；　pausing　at　the　top　for　one　last　glance　down　at　the　sleeping　figures　in　the　soft　light；　they　weren't　such
　bad　people；　really。　Probably　given　psychological　scars　in　their　childhoods；　and　not　born　into　an　economic　level　where　treatment　could　be　given　at　an　early　age。　Understanding；　as　Dr。　Schraubenzieher　was　fond　of　pointing　out；　is　the　key　to　nothing　except　further　understanding；　but　in　the　last　analysis　what　else　is　there？　All　of　life　is　either　ignorance　or　knowledge；　there's　no　third　possibility。
　Back　in　the　room；　he　dressed　himself　as　warmly　as　possible　and　then　once　more　removed　the　boards　from　the　window。　With　his　Air　France　bag　over　his　shoulder；　out　the　window　he　went；　replaced　the　boards　as　before；　and　made　his　way　down　the　rope。
　He　had　no　flashlight　with　him　this　time；　but　on　the　other　hand　there　was　neither　wind　nor　rain　to　struggle　against；　and　a　flashlight　could　lead　to　his　being　discovered　before　he　was　ready。　The　clouded　sky　made　the　night　almost　as　dark　as　last　time；　but　now　he　had　traveled　the　dirt　road　un。　masked　and　in　daylight；　when　he'd　been　taken　out　to　call　his　father；　and　he　was　sure　he　could　find　the　road　in　the　dark　and；　once　having　found　it；　stay　on　it　by　the　sense　of　touch。
　This　time　he　went　around　the　house　the　opposite　way；　passing　the　new　car　Stan　and　Andy　had　stolen　to　replace　the　Caprice；　this　one　being　a　Ford　Country　Squire　station　wagon。　Jimmy　squeezed　by　it；　got　to　the　front　of　the　house；　found　the　dirt　road　by　scuffing　his　feet；　and　turned　right。　Though　he　couldn't　see　a　thing　he　strode　confidently　forward；　knowing　exactly　where　the　road　went。
　And　stopped　dead　when　he　heard　the　cough。　John？　Stan？　Andy？　The　women？　Had　there　been　any　bodies　under　those　mounds　of　blankets？
　No；　wait；　that's　just　irrational　fear。　There's　no　reason　for　any　member　of　the　gang　to　e　out　here　and　hide　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　no　reason　at　all。
　Therefore；　this　must　be　somebody　else。
　Even　as　he　was　thinking　that；　someone　yawned；　very　near；　on　the　right。　A　scratching　sound　followed；　as　of　someone　scratching　himself　through　clothing；　and　then　a　voice　Jimmy　had　never　heard　before　said；　〃God　damn；　this　is　boring。〃　The　volume　level　was　lower　than　normal；　but　it　was　by　no　means　a　whisper。
　A　second　voice；　speaking　more　softly　than　the　first；　said；　〃We'll　move　in　soon。　As　soon　as　those　lights　go　out。〃
　Turning；　Jimmy　could　see　the　lines　of　light　at　the　boarded…up　windows。　The　kerosene　lamp　seemed　much　brighter　when　seen　this　way。
　The　first　voice；　idly　plaining；　said；　〃I　don't　see　why　we　don't　go　in　now　and　get　it　over　with。〃
　〃We　don't　want　anything　to　happen　to　the　boy；〃　the　second　voice　told　him。　〃We'll　wait　till　they're　asleep。〃
　〃What　if　they　stay　up　all　night？〃
　〃We'll　have　to　go　in　before　dawn；　no　matter　what。〃
　〃I　still　say；〃　the　first　voice　said；　〃the　easiest　thing　is　let　them　go　tomorrow；　follow　them　with　the　radio　trucks；　and　pick　them　up　after　they　let　off　the　kid。〃
　〃Too　much　could　go　wrong；〃　the　second　voice　said。　〃They　could　split　up。　They　could　get　spooked　and　kill　the　kid。　And　they　could　still　get　rid　of　that　suitcase；　maybe　split　the　money　here　and　leave　it　behind。　No；　Bradford　knows　what　he's　doing。〃
　〃And　I　know　what　I'm　doing；〃　the　first　voice　said。　〃I'm　getting　goddam　bored；　that's　what　I'm　doing。　Why　don't　I　go　peek　through　the　boards　again；　see　if　they're　still　watching　television？〃
　〃Just　wait　here　like　we　were　told；〃　the　second　voice　said。　〃It　won't　be　long　now。〃
　At　that　point；　Jimmy　turned　and　headed　back　for　the　house；　moving　as　carefully　and　as　silently　as　he　knew　how。　The　two　men　continued　to　talk　behind　him；　but　he　didn't　listen　any　more；　he　already　knew　enough。　Bradford　was　the'　name　of　the　FBI　man　Mom　had　talked　to　on　the　phone。　And　there　must　be　some　sort　of　radio　transmitter　in　the　suitcase　containing　the　ransom。　And　now　the　house　was　surrounded。
　Or　was　it？　These　people　had　apparently　done　a　very　solid　surveillance　on　the　house；　including　creeping　up　on　the　porch　and　looking　through　the　window　at　them　watching　television。　So　they　must　know　that　the　house　was　pletely　boarded　up；　all　windows　and　doors；　except　the　main　entrance　in　front。　Isn't　that　where　they　would　concentrate　their　forces？　In　back；　where　pastureland　led　to　woods；　they　would　have　few　people　or　no　people　at　all。
　So　that's　the　way　they'd　have　to　get　out。　Thinking　it　over；　Jimmy　hurried　silently　toward　the　house。　He　didn't　want　the　gang　to　get　caught；　so　he'd　better　warn　them　pretty　fast。　Mostly　his　concern　had　an　ulterior　motive…if　they　were　caught　it　would　louse　up　his　own　plans…but　he　also　had　a　kind　of　reluctant　liking　for　the　different　members　of　the　gang　and　didn't　want　them　to　get