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〃Sounds to me like you got a cylinder missing； but I'm no mechanic；〃 Albright said； and made notations on the service form。 〃We'll have a guy look at it this afternoon and give you a call。 I can't give you an estimate or tell you how long it'll take to fix until we find out what's wrong。〃
〃What neighborhood of finance are we talking here？ Checking； savings； or second mortgage？〃
Albright grinned and slid the form across the counter for Camacho to sign。 〃We'll call you。〃
〃Well； poo。 How about running me back downtown？〃
The service manager glanced at the wall clock； 〃I get off for lunch in about thirty minutes。 You wait and I'll take you。 Go browse in the showroom or get some coffee。〃
Albright was driving a new car with dealer plates。 Camacho settled into the passenger seat and fastened the seat belt as Albright pulled out into traffic。 〃Thought I oughta drop by and fill you in。 Sally and I have to go to a church dinner tonight。 The only thing wrong with my car is a bad spark plug。 Don't let your mechanical wizards screw me。〃
〃So what's happening？〃
〃We've got a letter from Terry Franklin's mother…in…law。 She says he's a spy and wants us to bust him。〃
Albright glanced at the FBI agent。 〃You must get letters like that all the time。〃
〃We do。 And we check them out。 Which is precisely what we're going to do with this one。 Sometime toward the end of next week we'll have to interview Franklin。 Thought you ought to know。〃
〃I appreciate that。 And the search for the Minotaur？〃
〃We need a letter from his mother…in…law。〃
〃Maybe you already got it。 Maybe Franklin is the Minotaur。〃
〃Yeah。 And I'm Donald Trump。 I just live like this because I think money is vulgar。 Jesus； you know damn well that little shit doesn't have the balls or the brains。〃
〃I've been thinking about it。〃 He coasted the car up to a stoplight and waited until it turned green。 〃It's possible he could be hacking the codes from the puter； mailing them to the embassy； then waiting for us to pay him to copy the files。 Maybe he's slicker than anyone suspected。 Maybe being a schlep is his idea of secondary cover。〃
〃Seriously； I thought of that some time back。 But I can't find a shred of evidence。 And this stuff you're getting…I thought you said it was good。〃
〃Excellent。〃
〃So the Minotaur knows quality。 It's not Franklin or any other puter clerk。 It's somebody so high they know what you need。〃
Albright acknowledged this logic。 In the world of espionage； need determines value。 He spotted a Burger King and turned in。 With the engine off； he leaned back in his seat and adjusted his testicles to a more fortable position。 〃You're stringing me along； Luis。〃
Camacho already had his door open； but he pulled it closed。 〃Say that again。〃
〃I think you're a lot closer to the Minotaur than you're telling me。 You may even know who he is。 That leads me to some interesting speculations。〃
Camacho had been expecting this； but now that it was here he still didn't know how to play it。 〃So I'm a double agent。 Is that it？〃
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 though