tc.patriotgames-第46部分

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　　　　〃You　don't　believe　that　any　more　than　I　do！〃
　　　　It　had　e　as　a　piece　of　blind　luck。　A　Royal　Navy　mine…hunter　ship　conducting　an　ongoing　sonar　survey　of　the　English　Channel　had　found　a　new　object　on　the　bottom　and　immediately　sent　a　camera　sled　down　to　classify　it。　The　videotape　showed　the　remains　of　a　ten…meter　zodiac…type　inflatable　boat；　with　two　hundred…horse　outboard　motors。　It　had　clearly　sunk　as　the　result　of　an　explosion　near　the　gas　tanks；　but　there　was　no　evidence　of　the　men　who'd　been　aboard；　or　their　weapons。　The　vessel's　skipper　had　immediately　grasped　the　importance　of　the　discovery　and　informed　his　superiors。　A　salvage　crew　was　preparing　now　to　go　out　and　raise　the　wreck。
　　　　〃It's　a　possibility。　One　of　them　might　have　screwed　up；　the　boat　blew；　the　bad　guys　get　dumped　in　the　drink　。　。　。　〃　
　　　　〃And　the　bodies？〃
　　　　〃Fish　food。〃　Murray　smirked。　〃Makes　a　nice　image；　doesn't　it？〃
　　　　〃You　are　so　fond　of　punting；　Dan。　Just　what　percentage　of　your　salary　would　you　wager　on　that　hypothesis？〃　Owens　wasn't　in　the　mood　for　humor。　Murray　could　see　that　the　head　of　C…13　still　looked　on　this　as　a　very　personal　defeat。
　　　　〃Not　very　much；〃　the　FBI　representative　conceded。　〃So　you　think　a　ship　picked　them　up。〃
　　　　〃It's　the　only　thing　that　makes　the　least　bit　of　sense。　Nine　merchant　vessels　were　close　enough　to　have　been　involved。　We　have　the　list。〃
　　　　So　did　Murray。　It　had　already　been　forwarded　to　Washington；　where　the　FBI　and　CIA　would　both　work　on　it。　〃But　why　not　recover　the　boat；　too？〃
　　　　〃Obvious；　isn't　it？　What　if　one　of　our　helicopters　saw　them　doing　it？　Or　it　might　have　been　too　difficult　for　the　weather　conditions。　Or　they　might　just　not　have　wished　to　trouble　themselves。　They　do　have　ample　financial　resources；　don't　they？〃　
　　　　〃When　will　the　Navy　raise　the　wreck？〃
　　　　〃If　the　weather　holds；　day　after　tomorrow；〃　Owens　said。　That　was　the　one　thing　to　be　happy　about。　Then　they'd　have　physical　evidence。　Everything　made　in　the　world　carried　trademarks　and　serial　numbers。　Somewhere　there　would　be　records　of　sale。　That　was　how　many　successful　investigations　had　started　　a　single　sales　slip　in　a　single　shop　had　often　led　to　the　conviction　of　the　most　dangerous　criminals。　From　the　videotape；　the　outboards　on　the　boat　looked　like　American　Mercury　motors。　The　Bureau　had　already　been　alerted　to　run　that　lead　down　as　soon　as　the　engine　numbers　were　in。　Murray　had　already　learned　that　Mercury　motors　were　a　favorite　all　over　the　world。　It　would　make　matters　harder；　but　it　was　still　something；　and　something　was　always　better　than　nothing。　The　resources　of　the　Metropolitan　Police　and　the　Bureau　were　designed　for　precisely　such　a　task。
　　　　〃Any　breaks　on　the　leak？〃　Murray　asked。　This　touched　the　rawest　nerve　of　all。
　　　　〃He'd　better　pray　we　don't　find　him；〃　Owens　said　quietly。　There　was　as　yet　no　danger　that　this　would　happen。　There　had　been　a　total　of　thirty…one　people　who'd　known　the　time　and　route　for　the　prisoner　transfer；　and　five　of　them　were　dead　　even　the　driver　of　the　van　hadn't　known　beforehand。　That　left　twenty…six；　ranging　from　a　few　members　of　C…13；　two　more　high　officials　in　the　Metropolitan　Police；　ten　in　the　Home　Office；　a　few　more　in　MI…5；　the　Security　Service；　and　various　others。　Every　one　of　them　had　a　top…drawer　security　clearance。　Not　that　a　clearance　matters　a　damn；　Owens　told　himself　again。　By　definition　a　leak　had　to　e　from　some　bastard　with　a　top…drawer　clearance。
　　　　But　this　was　different。　This　was　treason　　it　was　worse　than　treason　　a　concept　that　Owens　hadn't　even　thought　possible　until　the　last　week。　Whoever　had　leaked　this　had　also　to　have　been　involved　in　the　attack　on　the　Royal　Family。　To　betray　national　security　secrets　to　a　foreign　power　was　sufficiently　heinous　to　make　the　mander　think　in　unprofessional　terms。　But　deliberately　to　endanger　the　Royal　Family　itself　was　so　inprehensible　a　crime　that　Owens　had　scarcely　been　able　to　believe　it　possible。　This　wasn't　someone　of　dubious　mental　state。　This　was　a　person　with　intelligence　and　considerable　skill　at　dissimulation；　someone　who　had　betrayed　a　trust　both　personal　and　national。　There　had　been　a　time　in　his　country　when　such　people　died　by　torture。　It　was　not　a　fact　that　Owens　was　proud　of；　but　now　he　understood　why　it　had　happened；　how　easily　one　might　countenance　such　punishment。　The　Royal　Family　served　so　many　functions　for　the　United　Kingdom；　was　so　greatly　loved　by　the　people。　And　someone；　probably　someone　very　close　to　them；　was　quite　willing　to　betray　them　to　a　small　band　of　terrorists。　Owens　wanted　that　person。　Wanted　to　see　him　dead；　wanted　to　watch　him　die。　There　could　be　no　other　punishment　for　this　kind　of　crime。
　　　　His　professionalism　returned　after　the　few　seconds　of　grim　revelry。　We　won't　find　the　bastard　by　wishing　him　dead。　Finding　him　means　police　work　　careful；　painstaking；　thorough　investigation。　Owens　knew　how　to　do　that。　Neither　he　nor　the　elite　team　of　men　on　the　investigation　would　rest　until　they　succeeded。　But　none　of　them　doubted　that　they　would　ultimately　succeed。
　　　　〃That's　two　breaks　you　have；　Jimmy；〃　Murray　said　after　reading　his　friend's　mind。　It　wasn't　hard　to　do。　Both　men　had　handled　hard　cases；　and　police　differ　little　over　the　world。
　　　　〃Indeed；〃　Owens　said；　almost　smiling。　〃They　ought　not　to　have　tipped　their　hand。　They　should　have　bent　every　effort　to　protect　their　source。　We　can　pare　the　lists　of　who　knew　that　His　Highness　was　ing　in　that　afternoon；　and　who　knew　that　young　Mr。　Miller　was　going　to　Lymington。〃
　　　　〃And　the　telephone　operators　who　put　the　calls　through；〃　Murray　reminded　him。　〃And　the　secretaries　and　co…workers　who　might　have　overheard；　and　the　girlfriends；　or　boyfriends；　who　might　have　heard　during　some　horizontal　conversation。〃　
　　　　〃Thank　you　ever　so　much　for　that；　Dan。　One　needs　encouragement　at　a　time　like　this。〃　The　Englishman　walked　over　to　Murray's　cabinet　and　found　a　bottle　of　whiskey　　a　Christmas　present；　still　unopened　on　New　Year's　Eve。
　　　　〃You're　right　that　they　should　have　protected　their　intel　source。　I　know　you'll　get　him；　Jimmy。　I　will　put　some　money　down　on　that。〃
　　　　Owens　poured　the　drinks。　It　was　gratifying　to　see　that　the　American　had　finally　learned　to　drink　his　whiskey　decently。　In　the　past　year　Owens　had　broken　Murray　of　the　need　to　put　ice　in　everything。　It　was　shameful　to　contaminate　single…malt　Scotch　whiskey。　He　frowned　at　another　recurring　thought。　〃What　does　that　tell　us　about　Sean　Miller？〃
　　　　Murray　stretched　his　arms　out。　〃More　important　than　you　thought；　maybe？　Maybe　they　were　afraid　you'd　break　information　out　of　him。　Maybe　they　just　wanted　to　keep　their　perfect　record。　Maybe　something　else？〃
　　　　Owens　nodded。　In　addition　to　the　close　working　relationship　Scotland　Yard　had　with　the　FBI；　Owens　valued　the　opinions　of　his　colleague。　Though　both　were　experienced　cops；　Murray　could　always　be　trusted　to　have　a　slightly　different　slant　on　things。　Two　years　before　Owens　had　been　surprised　to　learn　how　valuable　this　might　be。　Though　he　never　had　thought　about　it；　Murray　had　used　his　colleague's　brain　the　same　way　on　several　occasions。　
　　　　〃So　what　might　that　make　Miller？〃　Owens　wondered　aloud。　
　　　　〃Who　can　say？　Chief　of　operations？〃　Murray　waved　his　glass。
　　　　〃Awfully　young　for　that。〃
　　　　〃Jimmy；　the　guy　who　dropped　the　atomic　bomb　on　Hiroshima　was　a　full　colonel　in　the　Air　Force；　and　twenty…nine　years　old。　Hell；　how　old　is　this　O'Donnell　character？〃
　　　　〃That's　what　Bob　Highland　thinks。〃　Owens　stared　into　his　glass　for　a　moment；　frowning　again。
　　　　〃Bob's　a　smart　kid；　too。　God；　I　hope　you　can　put　him　back　on　the　street。〃
　　　　〃If　not；　we　can　still　use　him　in　the　office；〃　mander　Owens　said　positively。　〃He　does　have　a　fine　brain　for　the　business　of　investigations　　too　good　to　be　lost　now。　Well；　I　must　be　off。　New　Year's　Eve；　Dan。　What　do　we　drink　to？〃
　　　　〃That's　obvious。　A　successful　investigation。　You're　going　to　get　that　source；　Jimmy；　and　he's　going　to　give　you　the　information　you　need。〃　Murray　held　his　glass　up。　〃To　a　closed　case。〃　〃Yes。〃　Both　men　emptied　their　glasses。
　　　　〃Jimmy；　do　yourself　a　favor　and　give　it　a　night　off。　Clear　the　old　head　out　and　start　fresh　in　the　morning。〃
　　　　Owens　smiled。　〃I'll　try。〃　He　picked　up　his　overcoat　and　walked　toward　the　door。　〃One　last　thing。　It　hit　me　on　the　drive　over。　These　chaps；　the　ULA；　have　broken　all　the　rules；　haven't　they？〃
　　　　〃That's　true　enough；〃　Murray　replied　as　he　locked　up　his　files。　
　　　　〃There's　only　one　rule　they　haven't　broken。〃　
　　　　Murray　turned。　〃Oh？　What's　that？〃　
　　　　〃They've　never　done　anything　in　America。〃　
　　　　〃None　of　them　do　that。〃　Murray　dismissed　the　idea。　
　　　　〃None　have　had　much　of　a　reason　before。〃　
　　　　〃So？〃
　　　　〃Dan；　the　ULA　might　have　a　reason　now　　and　they've　never　been　reticent　about　breaking　the　rules。　It's　just　a　feeling；　no　more　than　that。〃　Owens　shrugged。　〃Well。　Good　night；　and　a　happy　new　year　to　you。　Special　Agent　Murray。〃
　　　　They　shook　hands　ceremonially。　〃And　to　you；　mander　Owens。　Give　my　love　to　Emily。〃
　　　　Dan　saw　him　to　the　door；　locked　it；　and　returned　to　his　office　to　make　sure　all　his　secure　files　were　locked　up　properly。　It　was　pitch　dark　outside　at　　he　checked　his　watch　　quarter　to　six。
　　　　〃Jimmy；　why　did　you　say　that？〃　Murray