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riting from this engineer burning Wiggins and a cassette recording of him telling it to me originally。 And the NSA puter records show Judy as one of the officers who had routine access to the E…PROM data。 We've got Homer T。 cold as a frozen steak。〃
〃Is this the right time？〃 Camacho muttered； thinking aloud。
〃Well； shit！〃 Dreyfus hissed。 〃I don't know！ I just dig this stuff up。 You…〃
Camacho silenced him with a glance。 Dreyfus lit his pipe and walked along with smoke billowing。
〃So why the big screw…up with the chips？〃 Camacho asked when they reached the cafeteria； which housed three microwaves and a wall full of vending machines。
〃Oh； AeroTech got in four or five different data dumps from TRX and even one from the Pentagon； all in the last three months。 The first three chips just sat there on the engineer's desk。 No one is sure how or when they went to the mail room。 No one knows how they got mixed up with an outgoing shipment。 The mail…room guy is from Haiti； with a heavy accent。 He denies everything。 Rumor has it he used to be a medical doctor in his former life。〃 Dreyfus shrugged。 〃Looks like human error； that plus the usual carelessness and a tiny pinch of rotten luck。 Voila！ Anything that can go wrong； will。 Isn't that the fourth or fifth law of thermodynamics or Murphy or the Georgia state legislature？〃
〃Something like that。〃 Camacho removed a plastic cup full of decaffeinated coffee from the vending machine and sat on a plastic chair at a plastic table beneath a fluorescent light with a faulty igniter…the light hummed and flickered。
〃I think the doctor in the mail room is an illegal。〃
〃You asked to see his green card？〃
〃Nope。〃
〃Going to？〃
〃Not unless you tell me to。〃
〃Let's go see if Wiggins wants to talk。〃
Dreyfus stoked his pipe again on the stroll down the hall。 Wiggins' secretary glared at them。 Dreyfus gave her a sympathetic grin； which she ignored。
They sat silently and flipped through the magazines on the stand。 It was five more minutes before the buzzer sounded and they were waved into the inner sanctum。
〃My client；〃 said the counselor； 〃wishes to cooperate。 With the understanding； of course； that he can cease answering questions at any time。〃
Wiggins had met Smoke Judy on five different occasions。 Judy knew that AeroTech needed contracts and offered to help in return for a small cash payment and some stock。 On two occasions he talked about a job after he retired。 Wiggins had been nonmittal about the job； but had agreed to the money and the stock。 Five thousand dollars cash and a bearer certificate for a thousand shares of AeroTech…currently worth 12。75 each…had bought the pany an advance peek at the flight control data for the TRX prototype。 The navy was just floating a Request for Proposal （RFP） for the fly…by…wire system。 AeroTech bid for the chip business and won the contract。
All this Wiggins admitted； but he stoutly denied any wrongdoing。 〃This pany； it needs the business。 And we underbid every other contractor for those chips。 We saved the government a lot of money。 We didn't do anything that other defense contractors don't routinely do。 It's a cutthroat business。〃
The FBI agents seemed unimpressed。
〃Listen； if I hadn't agreed to Judy's offer； he would have peddled that information to my petitors。 Then where would I have been？ No contract。 I have a duty to this pany。〃 Color returned to Homer Wiggins' cheeks。
〃Of course；〃 Dreyfus said； 〃you could have called us when Judy first approached you。〃
〃I've spent fifteen years building this business。 I did it with my bare hands； with no money； with a ton of sweat； taking risks that would scare the wits out of a Vegas gambler。 I built it！〃 Camacho found himself staring at Wiggins' gold wedding ring and gold class ring。 Was that Yale？
〃Now the navy wants me to make E…PROMs cheaper than anyone else。 So I do。 And this is the gratitude； this is the reward！ I am treated like a criminal！〃 He sprayed saliva across the desk； and for the first time Camacho saw the drive and determination that had built a successful corporation。
〃I am treated like a criminal/or doing what everyone else does and for making E…PROM chips cheaper than anyone else can。〃
Camacho looked at his watch： 5：30。 Maybe he was still in the office。 〃Do you want to go to jail tonight？〃
Wiggins gaped。 The blood drained from his face； and for a moment Camacho thought he had stopped breathing。
〃No；〃 he whispered。
〃Now see here…〃 the lawyer began； but Camacho cut him off with a jab of his hand。
〃Have you talked to Judy this week？〃
〃No。 No！〃
〃I want you to call him for me。 I'll tell you what to say。 I'll listen on an extension。 You will say precisely what I tell you and nothing else。 Will you do it？〃
〃What choice do I have？〃 Wiggins was recovering。 This man's recuperative powers were excellent。 He could handle it。
〃You don't go to jail this evening。 I make my report to the Justice Department and they take it from there。 If they indict you； that's their business。 My report will show that you cooperated。〃
〃I'll make the call。〃
〃Homer；〃 said Nash； 〃maybe…〃
〃I'll make the call。 And you go on home； Prescott。 Thanks for being here this afternoon。 I'll call you。〃
〃Are you sure you…？〃
Wiggins was examining his hands。 Martin Prescott Nash rose from his chair and went out the door。 It swung shut behind him。
〃Smoke； this is Homer Wiggins。〃
〃I told you never to call me…〃
〃Something's e up。 The FBI are here； in Detroit。 They're checking out the chips。 I'm just letting you know。〃
Smoke Judy was silent for several seconds。 〃Have they talked to you？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃What…？〃 His voice fell。 〃Do they know？〃
〃About you？ I don't know。 I think…they might。 Definitely。〃
〃Did you…？〃
〃I've got to go now； Smoke。 I just wanted you to know。〃 Wiggins held the instrument away from his ear； and at a nod from Camacho； Dreyfus simultaneously depressed the buttons on both telephones； severing the connection。
When they were alone in the car on the way back to the airport； Camacho said； 〃I got a little job for you tomorrow； Dreyfus。 We're going to need all our people； and you'll probably have to borrow a bunch。〃
Dreyfus fished out his pipe and tobacco and merely glanced at his boss。
〃I want to keep track of a man。 We'll need discreet surveillance teams； couple of choppers and the electronics boys。〃
〃Anyone I know。〃
〃Nope。 It's my next…door neighbor； guy named Harlan Albright。〃
〃You know； in my fifteen years in the FBI I have never felt more like a mushroom than I have working for you。 You've kept me in the dark and shoveled shit at me for eighteen months now。 If you got croaked tomorrow； I couldn't even tell the old man what the hell you were working on。 I don't know。〃
Camacho； behind the wheel； kept his eyes on the road。 〃The electronics guys already put listening devices in his house； three days ago when his air conditioning went out。 It was too good an opportunity to pass up。〃
Dreyfus got his pipe going strongly and rolled down his window。 The car's air conditioning was going full blast。 〃Think he's screwing your wife？〃
〃Read the security regulations lately； Dreyfus？〃
〃Listen； boss。 And list