tc.redrabbit-第118部分

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　　　〃Yes；〃　Jack　confirmed。　〃That　is　one　we　do　know。〃　That　was　when　his　ears　popped。　The　airliner　was　descending。　Ryan　gunned　down　the　last　of　his　third　white　wine　and　told　himself　it　would　all　be　over　in　a　few　minutes。　One　thing　he'd　learned　from　Operation　BEATRIX：　This　field　work　wasn't　for　him。
　　　The　no…smoking　sign　dinged　back　on。　Ryan　brought　his　chair　to　its　full　upright　position；　and　then　the　lights　of　Manchester　appeared　through　the　windows；　the　car　headlights　and　the　airport　fence；　and　in　a　few　more　seconds。。。　thump；　the　wheels　touched　down　in　Merry　Old　England。　It　might　not　be　the　same　as　America；　but　for　the　moment　it　would　do。
　　　Oleg；　he　saw；　had　his　face　against　the　window；　checking　out　the　tail　colors　of　the　aircraft。　There　were　too　many　for　this　to　be　a　Soviet　Air　Force　base　and　a　huge　maskirovka。　He　visibly　started　to　relax。
　　　〃We　wele　you　to　Manchester；〃　the　pilot　said　over　the　inter。　〃The　time　is　three…forty；　and　the　temperature　outside　is　fifty…four　degrees　Fahrenheit。　We　appreciate　your　patience　earlier　today；　and　we　hope　to　see　you　again　soon　in　British　Midlands　Airways。〃
　　　Yeah；　Jack　thought。　In　your　dreams；　skipper。
　　　Ryan　sat　and　waited　as　the　aircraft　taxied　to　the　international…arrivals　area。　A　truck…borne　stairway　came　to　the　front　door；　which　the　lead　stew　duly　opened。　Ryan　and　the　Rabbit　family　were　first　off　and　down　the　steps；　where　they　were　guided　to　some　cars　instead　of　the　waiting　transfer　bus。
　　　Alan　Kingshot　was　there　to　take　his　hand。　〃How　was　it；　Jack？〃
　　　〃Just　like　a　trip　to　Disney　World；〃　Ryan　answered；　without　a　trace　of　audible　irony　in　his　voice。
　　　〃Right。　Let's　get　you　all　loaded　and　off　to　a　fortable　place。〃
　　　〃Works　for　me；　pal。　What　is　it；　quarter　of　three？〃　Ryan　hadn't　changed　his　watch　back　yet。　Britain　was　an　hour　behind　the　rest　of　Europe。
　　　〃That's　right；〃　the　field　spook　confirmed。
　　　〃Damn；〃　Jack　reacted。　Too　damned　late　to　call　home　and　tell　Cathy　he　was　back。　But；　then；　he　wasn't　really　back。　Now　he　had　to　play　CIA　representative　for　the　first　interview　of　the　Red　Rabbit。　Probably　Sir　Basil　had　him　doing　this　because　he　was　too　junior　to　be　very　effective。　Well；　maybe　he'd　show　his　British　host　just　how　dumb　he　was；　Ryan　growled　to　himself。　But　first　it　was　time　for　sleep。　Stress；　he'd　learned；　was　about　as　tiring　as　jogging…just　harder　on　the　heart。
　　　Back　in　Budapest；　the　three　bodies　were　at　the　city　morgue；　an　institution　as　depressing　behind　the　Iron　Curtain　as　in　front　of　it。　When　Zaitzev's　identity　as　a　Russian　citizen　had　been　confirmed；　a　call　had　been　made　to　the　Soviet　Embassy；　where　it　was　speedily　established　that　the　man　in　question　was　a　KGB　officer。　That　generated　interest　in　the　rezidentura；　just　across　the　street　from　the　hotel　where　he'd　ostensibly　died；　and　more　telephone　calls　were　made。
　　　Before　five　in　the　morning；　Professor　Zoltan　Biro　was　awakened　in　his　bed　by　the　AVH。　Biro　was　professor　of　pathology　at　the　Ignaz　Semmelweis　Medical　College。　Named　for　one　of　the　fathers　of　the　germ　theory　that　had　transformed　the　science　of　medicine　in　the　nineteenth　century；　it　remained　a　good　one；　even　attracting　students　from　West　Germany；　none　of　whom　would　attend　the　postmortem　examinations　ordered　by　the　country's　Belugyminiszterium；　which　would　also　be　attended　by　the　physician…in…residence　at　the　Soviet　Embassy。
　　　The　first　done　would　be　the　adult　male。　Technicians　took　blood　samples　from　all　three　bodies　for　analysis　in　the　adjacent　laboratory。
　　　〃This　is　the　body　of　a　male　Caucasian；　approximately　thirty…five　years　of　age；　length　approximately　one　hundred　seventy…five　centimeters；　weight　approximately　seventy…six　kilograms。　Color　of　hair　cannot　be　determined　due　to　extensive　charring　from　a　domestic　fire。　Initial　impression　is　death　by　fire…more　probably　from　carbon　monoxide　intoxication；　as　the　body　shows　no　evidence　of　death　throes。〃　Then　the　dissection　began　with　the　classical　Y　incision　to　open　the　body　cavity　for　viewing　of　the　internal　organs。
　　　He　was　examining　the　heart…unremarkable…when　the　lab　reports　came　in。
　　　〃Professor　Biro；　carbon　monoxide　in　all　three　blood　samples　are　well　into　lethal　range；〃　the　voice　on　the　speaker　said；　giving　the　exact　numbers。
　　　Biro　looked　over　at　his　Russian　colleague。　〃Anything　else　you　need？　I　can　do　a　full　postmortem　on　all　three　victims　here；　but　the　cause　of　death　is　determined。　This　man　was　not　shot。　We　will　do　fuller　blood…chemistry　checks；　of　course；　but　it's　unlikely　that　they　were　poisoned；　and　there　is　clearly　no　bullet　wound　or　other　penetrating　trauma　in　this　man。　They　were　all　killed　by　fire。　I　will　send　you　the　full　laboratory　report　this　afternoon。〃　Biro　let　out　a　long　breath。　〃A　kurva　eletbe！〃　he　concluded　with　a　popular　Magyar　epithet。
　　　〃Such　a　pretty　little　girl；〃　the　Russian　internist　observed。　Zaitzev's　wallet　had　somehow　survived　the　fire；　along　with　its　family　photos。　The　picture　of　Svetlana　had　been　particularly　engaging。
　　　〃Death　is　never　sentimental；　my　friend；〃　Biro　told　him。　As　a　pathologist；　he　knew　that　fact　all　too　well。
　　　〃Very　well。　Thank　you；　rade　Professor。〃　And　the　Russian　took　his　leave；　already　thinking　through　his　official　report　to　Moscow。
　　　
　　　CHAPTER　29　…　REVELATION
　　　The　safe　house　was　palatial；　the　country　home　of　somebody　with　both　money　and　taste；　built　in　the　previous　century　by　the　look　of　it；　with　stucco　and　the　sort　of　heavy　oaken　timbers　used　to　build　ships　like　HMS
　　　Victory　once　upon　a　time。　But　landlocked；　it　was　about　as　far　from　blue　water　as　one　could　get　on　this　island　kingdom。
　　　Evidently；　Alan　Kingshot　knew　it　well　enough；　since　he　drove　them　there　and　then　got　them　settled　inside。　The　two…person　staff　that　ran　the　place　looked　like　cops　to　Ryan；　probably　married　and　retired　from　the　Police　Force　of　the　Metropolis；　as　the　London　Constabulary　was　officially　known。　They　kindly　escorted　their　new　guests　to　a　rather　nice　suite　of　rooms。　Irina　Zaitzev's　eyes　were　agog　at　the　acmodations；　which　were　impressive　even　by　Ryan's　standards。　All　Oleg　Ivanovich　did　was　set　his　shaving　kit　in　the　bathroom；　strip　off　his　clothes；　and　collapse　onto　the　bed；　where　alcohol…aided　sleep　proved　to　be　less　than　five　minutes　away。
　　　Word　got　TO　Judge　Moore　just　before　midnight　that　the　package　was　safely　ensconced　in　a　very　secure　location；　and　with　that　information　he　also　went　to　bed。　All　that　remained　was　to　tell　the　Air　Force　to　get　a　KC…135　or　a　similar　aircraft　ready　to　fly　the　package　home；　and　that　would　take　a　mere　telephone　call　to　an　officer　in　the　Pentagon。　He　wondered　what　the　Rabbit　would　say；　but　he　could　wait　for　that。　Patience；　once　the　dangerous　stuff　was　behind；　was　not　all　that　difficult　for　the　Director　of　Central　Intelligence。　It　was　like　Christmas　Eve；　and　while　he　wasn't　exactly　sure　what　would　be　under　the　tree；　he　could　be　confident　that　it　wouldn't　be　anything　bad。
　　　For　Sir　Basil　Charleston　at　his　Belgravia　house；　the　news　came　before　breakfast；　when　a　messenger　from　Century　House　arrived　with　the　word。　An　altogether　pleasant　way　to　start　a　working　day；　he　thought；　certainly　better　than　some　others　he'd　had。　He　left　home　for　the　office　just　before　seven　A。M。；　ready　for　his　morning　brief　to　outline　the　success　of　Operation　BEATRIX。
　　　Ryan　was　awakened　by　traffic　noise。　Whoever　had　built　this　magnificent　country　home　hadn't　anticipated　the　construction　of　a　motorway　just　three　hundred　yards　away；　but　somehow　Ryan　had　avoided　a　hangover　from　all　the　drinks　on　the　flight　in；　and　the　lingering　excitement　of　the　moment　had　gotten　him　fully　awake　after　a　mere　six　and　a　half　hours　of　slumber。　He　washed　up　and　made　his　way　to　the　pleasant　not…so…little　breakfast　room。　Alan　Kingshot　was　there；　working　on　his　morning　tea。
　　　〃Probably　coffee　for　you；　eh？〃
　　　〃If　you　have　any。〃
　　　〃Only　instant；〃　Kingshot　warned。
　　　Jack　stifled　his　disappointment。　〃Better　than　no　coffee　at　all。〃
　　　〃Eggs　Benedict？〃　the　retired　woman　cop　asked。
　　　〃Ma'am；　for　that　I　will　forgive　the　absence　of　Starbucks；〃　Jack　replied；　with　a　smile。　Then　he　saw　the　morning　papers；　and　he　thought　that　reality　and　normality　had　finally　returned　to　his　life。　Well；　almost。
　　　〃Mr。　and　Mrs。　Thompson　run　this　house　for　us；〃　Kingshot　explained。　〃Nick　was　a　homicide　detective　with　the　Yard；　and　Emma　was　in　administration。〃
　　　〃That's　what　my　dad　used　to　do；〃　Ryan　observed。　〃How　did　you　guys　get　working　for　SIS？〃
　　　〃Nick　worked　on　the　Markov　case；〃　Mrs。　Thompson　answered。
　　　〃And　did　a　damned　good　job　of　it；　too；〃　Kingshot　told　Ryan。　〃He　would　have　been　a　fine　field　officer　for　us。〃
　　　〃Bond；　James　Bond？〃　Nick　Thompson　said；　walking　into　the　kitchen。　〃I　think　not。　Our　guests　are　moving　about。　It　sounds　as　though　the　little　girl　got　them　up。〃
　　　〃Yeah；〃　Jack　observed。　〃Kids　will　do　that。　So；　we　do　the　debrief　here　or　somewhere　else？〃
　　　〃We　were　planning　to　do　it　in　Somerset；　but　I　decided　last　night　not　to　drive　them　around　too　much。　Why　stress　them　out？〃　Kingshot　asked　rhetorically。　〃We　just　took　title　to　this　house　last　year；　and　it's　as　fortable　a　place　as　any。　The　one　in　Somerset…near　Taunton…is　a　touch　more　isolated；　but　these　people　ought　not　to　bolt；　you　think？〃
　　　〃If　he　goes　home；　he's　one　dead　Rabbit；〃　Ryan　thought　out　loud。　〃He　has　to