df.theedge-第4部分

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ector'　and　maintaining　a　total　silence　about　his　source　of　considerable　ine。
　　During　the　run…up　to　the　conspiracy　trial；　the　police　had　done　their　best　to　unravel　his　background　further；　but　Julius　Apollo　knew　a　thing　or　two　about　off…shore　panies　and　had　stayed　fortably　ravelled。　He　still　officially　lived　on　the　Isle　of　Man；　though　he　was　never　there　for　long。　During　the　Flat　season　he　mostly　divided　his　time　between　hotels　in　Newmarket　and　Paris；　and　in　the　winter　he　dropped　entirely　out　of　sight；　as　far　as　the　Security　Service　was　concerned。　Steeplechasing；　the　winter　sport；　never　drew　him。
　　During　my　first　summer　with　the　Service　he　had　bought；　to　everyone's　surprise；　one　of　the　most　promising　two…year…olds　in　the　country。　Surprise；　because　the　former　owner；　Ezra　Gideon；　was　one　of　the　naturals　aristocrats　of　racing；　a　much　respected　elderly　and　extremely　wealthy　man　who　lived　for　his　horses　and　delighted　in　their　successes。　No　one　had　been　able　to　persuade　him　to　say　why　he　had　parted　with　the　best　of　his　crop　or　for　what　price：　he　bore　its　subsequent　high…flying　autumn；　its　brilliant　three…year…old　season　and　its　eventual　multi…million…pound　syndication　for　stud　with　an　unvaryingly　stony　expression。
　　After　Filmer's　acquittal；　Ezra　Gideon　had　again　sold　him　a　two…year…old　of　great　promise。　The　Jockey　Club　mandarins　begged　Gideon　practically　on　their　knees　to　tell　them　why。　He　said　merely　that　it　was　a　private　arrangement：　and　since　then　he　had　not　been　seen　on　a　racecourse。
　　On　the　day　Derry　Welfram　died　I　drove　homewards　to　London　wondering　yet　again；　as　so　many　people　had　wondered　so　often；　just　what　leverage　Filmer　had　used　on　Gideon。　Blackmailers　had　gone　largely　out　of　business　since　adultery　and　homosexuality　had　been　blown　wide　open；　and　one　couldn't　see　old…fashioned　upright　Ezra　Gideon　as　one　of　the　newly　fashionable　brands　of　transgressor；　an　insider…trader　or　an　abuser　of　children。　Yet　without　some　overwhelming　reason　he　would　never　have　sold　Filmer　two　such　horses；　denying　himself　what　he　most　enjoyed　in　life。
　　Poor　old　man；　I　thought。　Derry　Welfram　or　someone　like　that　had　got　to　him；　as　to　the　witnesses；　as　to　Paul　Shacklebury　dead　in　his　ditch。　Poor　old　man；　too　afraid　of　the　consequences　to　let　anyone　help。
　　Before　I　reached　home　the　telephone　again　purred　in　my　car　and　I　picked　up　the　receiver　to　hear　Millington's　voice。
　　'The　boss　wants　to　see　you；'　he　said。　'This　evening　at　eight；　usual　place。　Any　problem？'
　　'No；'　I　said。　'I'll　be　there。　Do　you　know。。。　er。。。　why？'
　　'I　should　think；'　Millington　said；　'because　Ezra　Gideon　has　shot　himself。'
　　
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　Two
　　
　　The　boss；　Brigadier　Valentine　Catto；　Director　of　Security　to　the　Jockey　Club；　was　short；　spare；　and　a　manding　officer　from　his　polished　toecaps　to　the　thinning　blond　hair　on　his　crown。　He　had　all　the　organizational　skills　needed　to　rise　high　in　the　army；　and　he　was　intelligent　and　unhurried　and　listened　attentively　to　what　he　was　told。
　　I　met　him　first　on　a　day　when　old　Clement　Cornborough　asked　me　again　to　lunch　to　discuss　in　detail；　as　he　said；　the　winding　up　of　the　Trust　he'd　administered　on　my　behalf　for　twenty　years。　A　small　celebration；　he　said。　At　his　club。
　　His　club　turned　out　to　be　the　Hobbs　Sandwich　Club；　near　the　Oval　cricket　ground；　a　Victorian　mini…mansion　with　a　darkly　opulent　bar　and　club　rooms；　their　oak…panelled　walls　decorated　with　endless　pictures　of　gentlemen　in　small　cricket　caps；　large　white　flannels　and　（quite　often）　side…whiskers。
　　The　Hobbs　Sandwich；　he　said；　leading　the　way　through　stained…glass　panelled　doors；　was　named　for　two　great　Surrey　cricketers　from　between　the　wars；　Sir　Jack　Hobbs；　one　of　the　few　cricketers　ever　knighted；　and　Andrew　Sandham；　who　had　scored　one　hundred　and　seven　centuries　in　first…class　cricket。　Long　before　I　was　born；　he　said。
　　I　hadn't　played　cricket　since　distant　days　at　school；　nor　liked　it　particularly　even　then：　Clement　Cornborough　proved　to　be　a　lifelong　fanatic。
　　He　introduced　me　in　the　bar　to　an　equal　fanatic；　his　friend　Val　Catto；　who　then　joined　us　for　lunch。　Not　a　word　about　my　Trust　was　spoken。　The　two　of　them　talked　cricket　solidly　for　fifteen　minutes　and　then　the　friend　Catto　began　asking　questions　about　my　life。　It　dawned　on　me　uneasily　after　a　while　that　I　was　being　interviewed；　though　I　didn't　know　for　what；　and　I　learned　afterwards　that　in　conversation　one　day　during　the　tea　interval　of　a　cricket　match　Catto　had　lamented　to　Cornborough　that　what　he　really　needed　was　someone　who　knew　the　racing　scene　intimately；　but　whom　the　racing　scene　didn't　know　in　return。　An　eyes　and　ears　man。　A　silent；　unknown　investigator。　A　fly　on　racing's　wall　that　no　one　would　notice。　Such　a　person；　they　had　sighed　together；　was　unlikely　to　be　found。　And　that　when　a　few　weeks　later　I　walked　into　Cornborough's　office　（or　at　least　by　the　time　I　left　it）　the　lawyer　had　suffered　a　brainwave　which　he　passed　on　to　his　friend　Val。
　　The　Hobbs　Sandwich　lunch　（of　anything　but　sandwiches）　had　lasted　through　a　good　chunk　of　the　afternoon；　and　by　the　end　of　it　I　had　a　job。　I　hadn't　taken　a　lot　of　persuading；　as　it　seemed　interesting　to　me　from　the　start。　A　month's　trial　on　both　sides。　Brigadier　Catto　said；　and　mentioned　a　salary　that　had　Cornborough　smiling　broadly。
　　'What's　so　funny？'　the　Brigadier　asked。　'That's　normal。　We　pay　most　of　our　men　that　at　the　start。'
　　'I　forgot　to　mention　it。　Tor　here　is。。　um。。。'　He　paused；　perhaps　wondering　whether　finishing　the　sentence　came　under　the　heading　of　breaking　a　client's　right　to　confidentiality；　because　after　a　short　while　he　went　on；　'He'd　better　tell　you　himself。'
　　'I　accept　the　salary；'　I　said。
　　'What　have　you　not　told　me？'　Catto　asked；　suddenly　very　much　the　boss；　his　eyes　not　exactly　suspicious　but　unsmiling：　and　I　saw　that　I　was　not　binding　myself　to　some　slightly　eccentric　friendly　cricket　nut；　but　to　the　purposeful；　powerful　man　who　had　manded　a　brigade　and　was　currently　keeping　horseracing　honest。　I　was　not　going　to　be　playing　a　game；　he　was　meaning；　and　if　I　thought　so　we　would　go　no　further。
　　I　said　wryly；　'I　have　a　private　ine　after　tax　of　about　twenty　times　the　salary　you're　offering；　but　I'll　take　your　money　all　the　same；　sir；　and　I'll　work　for　it。'
　　He　listened　to　the　underlying　declaration　of　mitment　and　good　faith；　and　after　a　long　pause　he　smiled　briefly　and　nodded。
　　'Very　well；'　he　said。　'When　can　you　start？'
　　I　had　started　the　next　day　at　Epsom　races；　relearning　the　characters；　reawakening　sleeping　memories；　hearing　Aunt　Viv's　bright　voice　in　my　ear　about　as　clearly　as　if　she　were　alive。　'There's　Paddy　Fredericks。　Did　I　tell　you　he　used　to　be　married　to　Betsy　who's　now　Mrs　Glovebinder？　Brad　Glovebinder　used　to　have　horses　with　Paddy　Fredericks　but　when　he　pinched　Betsy；　he　took　his　horses　away　too。。。　no　justice　in　the　world。　Hello　Paddy；　how　are　things？　This　is　my　nephew　Torquil；　as　I　expect　you　remember；　you've　met　him　often　enough。　Well　done　with　your　winner；　Paddy　。。。'　and　Paddy　had　taken　us　off　for　a　drink；　buying　me　a　Coke。
　　I　came　face　to　face　unexpectedly　with　the　trainer　Paddy　Fredericks　that　first　day　at　Epsom　and　he　hadn't　known　me。　
　　There　hadn't　been　a　pause　or　a　flicker。　Aunt　Viv　had　been　dead　nearly　eight　years　and　I　had　changed　too　much；　and　I　had　been　reassured　from　that　early　moment　that　my　weird　new　non…identity　was　going　to　work。
　　On　the　grounds　that　racing　villains　made　it　their　business　to　know　the　Security　Service　prehensively　by　sight；　Brigadier　Catto　said　that　if　ever　he　wanted　to　speak　to　me　himself；　it　would　never　be　on　a　racecourse　but　always　in　the　bar　of　the　Hobbs　Sandwich；　and　so　it　had　been　for　the　past　three　years。　He　and　Clement　Cornborough　had　sponsored　me　for　full　membership　of　the　club　and　encouraged　me　to　go　there　occasionally　on　other　days　on　my　own；　and　although　I'd　thought　the　Brigadier's　passion　for　secrecy　a　shade　obsessive　I　had　fallen　in　with　his　wishes　and　e　to　enjoy　it；　even　if　I'd　learned　a　lot　more　about　cricket　than　I　really　wanted　to。
　　On　the　night　of　Derry　Welfram's　death；　I　walked　into　the　bar　at　ten　to　eight　and　ordered　a　glass　of　Burgundy　and　a　couple　of　beef　sandwiches　which　ca