按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃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 another possibility。 Perhaps you just wanted to see if I was so stupid as to be satisfied with the progress of the investigation to date。〃
〃I…〃 The upraised palm stopped him again。
〃I am satisfied。 Camacho has kept me fully informed of the activities of his subordinates； of which you are one； by the way。 His lines of inquiry have been initiated with my knowledge and； where necessary； my approval。 He has discussed his concerns with me and I have informed him of mine。 He has followed orders to the letter。 I am pletely satisfied with his performance。 He is one of the most talented senior officers in the bureau。〃
Dreyfus just stared。
〃Before you go back to work； do you wish for me to arrange a meeting for you with the Director？〃 Bigelow managed to make his face look interested and mildly amused at the same time。 Yes； Lloyd； you miserable； disloyal； alarmist peckerhead； you jumped from the top of the cliff； but you seem to nave had the luck to Strike a