jg.thefirm-第59部分

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！


st。　The　breathing　became　heavy。
　　〃Sleep　well；　lover　boy；〃　she　said　to　herself。
　　With　a　man　of　a　hundred　eighty　pounds；　one　shot　of　chloral　hydrate　would　induce　a　dead　sleep　for　ten　hours。　She　took　his　glass　and　gauged　what　was　left。　Not　much。　Eight　hours；　to　be　safe。　She　rolled　him　out　of　the　chair　and　dragged　him　to　the　bed。　Head　first；　then　feet。　Very　gently；　she　pulled　his　yellow…and…blue　surfer　shorts　down　his　legs　and　laid　them　on　the　floor。　She　stared　for　a　long　second；　then　tucked　the　sheets　and　blankets　around　him。　She　kissed　him　good　night。
　　On　the　dresser　she　found　two　key　rings；　eleven　keys。　Downstairs　in　the　hall　between　the　kitchen　and　the　great　room　with　a　view　of　the　beach；　she　found　the　mysterious　locked　door　Mitch　had　found　in　November。　He　had　paced　off　every　room；　upstairs　and　down；　and　determined　this　room　to　be　at　least　fifteen　by　fifteen。　It　was　suspicious　because　the　door　was　metal；　and　because　it　was　locked；　and　because　a　small　STORAGE　sign　was　affixed　to　it。　It　was　the　only　labeled　room　in　the　condo。　A　week　earlier　in　Unit　B；　he　and　Abby　had　found　no　such　room。
　　One　key　ring　held　a　key　to　a　Mercedes；　two　keys　to　the　Bendini　Building；　a　house　key；　two　apartment　keys　and　a　desk　key。　The　keys　on　the　other　ring　were　unmarked　and　fairly　generic。　She　tried　it　first；　and　the　fourth　key　fit。　She　held　her　breath　and　opened　the　door。　No　electric　shocks；　no　alarms；　nothing。　Mitch　told　her　to　open　the　door；　wait　five　minutes　and；　if　nothing　happened；　then　turn　on　the　light。
　　She　waited　ten　minutes。　Ten　long　and　frightful　minutes。　Mitch　had　speculated　that　Unit　A　was　used　by　the　partners　and　trusted　guests；　and　that　Unit　B　was　used　by　the　associates　and　others　who　required　constant　surveillance。　Thus；　he　hoped；　Unit　A　would　not　be　laden　with　wires　and　cameras　and　recorders　and　alarms。　After　ten　minutes；　she　opened　the　door　wide　and　turned　on　the　light。　She　waited　again；　and　heard　nothing。　The　room　was　square；　about　fifteen　by　fifteen；　with　white　walls；　no　carpet；　and；　as　she　counted；　twelve　fireproof　legal…size　file　cabinets。　Slowly；　she　walked　over　to　one　and　pulled　the　top　drawer。　It　was　unlocked。
　　She　turned　off　the　light；　closed　the　door　and　returned　to　the　bedroom　upstairs；　where　Avery　was　now　atose　and　snoring　loudly。　It　was　ten…thirty。　She　would　work　like　crazy　for　eight　hours　and　quit　at　six　in　the　morning。
　　Near　a　desk　in　a　corner；　three　large　briefcases　sat　neatly　in　a　row。　She　grabbed　them；　turned　off　the　lights　and　left　through　the　front　door。　The　small　parking　lot　was　dark　and　empty　with　a　gravel　drive　leading　to　the　highway。　A　sidewalk　ran　next　to　the　shrubbery　in　front　of　both　units　and　stopped　at　a　white　board　fence　along　the　property　line。　A　gate　led　to　a　slight　grassy　knoll；　with　the　first　building　of　the　Palms　just　over　it。
　　It　was　a　short　walk　from　the　condos　to　the　Palms；　but　the　briefcases　had　grown　much　heavier　when　she　reached　Room　188。　It　was　on　the　first　floor；　front　side；　with　a　view　of　the　pool　but　not　of　the　beach。　She　was　panting　and　sweating　when　she　knocked　on　the　door。
　　Abby　yanked　it　open。　She　took　the　briefcases　and　placed　them　on　the　bed。　〃Any　problems？〃
　　〃Not　yet。　I　think　he's　dead。〃　Tammy　wiped　her　face　with　a　towel　and　opened　a　can　of　Coke。
　　〃Where　is　he？〃　Abby　was　all　business；　no　smiles。
　　〃In　his　bed。　I　figure　we've　got　eight　hours。　Until　six。〃
　　〃Did　you　get　in　the　room？〃　Abby　asked　as　she　handed　her　a　pair　of　shorts　and　a　bulky　cotton　shirt。
　　〃Yeah。　There's　a　dozen　big　file　cabinets；　unlocked。　A　few　cardboard　boxes　and　other　junk；　but　not　much　else。〃
　　〃A　dozen？〃
　　〃Yeah；　tall　ones。　All　legal　size。　We'll　be　lucky　to　finish　by　six。〃
　　It　was　a　single　motel　room　with　a　queen…size　bed。　The　sofa；　coffee　table　and　bed　were　pushed　to　the　wall；　and　a　Canon　Model　8580　copier　with　automatic　feed　and　collator　sat　in　the　center　with　engines　running。　On　lease　from　Island　Office　Supply；　it　came　at　the　scalper's　price　of　three　hundred　dollars　for　twenty…four　hours；　delivered。　It　was　the　newest　and　largest　rental　copier　on　the　island；　the　salesman　had　explained；　and　he　was　not　excited　about　parting　with　it　for　only　a　day。　But　Abby　charmed　him　and　began　laying　hundred…dollar　bills　on　the　counter。　Two　cases　of　copy　paper；　ten　thousand　sheets；　sat　next　to　the　bed。
　　They　opened　the　first　briefcase　and　removed　six　thin　files。　〃Same　type　of　files；〃　Tammy　mumbled　to　herself。　She　unhitched　the　two…prong　clasp　on　the　inside　of　the　file　and　removed　the　papers。　〃Mitch　says　they're　very　particular　about　their　files；〃　Tammy　explained　as　she　unstapled　a　ten…page　document。　〃He　says　lawyers　have　a　sixth　sense　and　can　almost　smell　if　a　secretary　or　a　clerk　has　been　in　a　file。　So　you'll　have　to　be　careful。　Work　slowly。　Copy　one　document；　and　when　you　restaple　it；　try　to　line　up　with　the　old　staple　holes。　It's　tedious。　Copy　only　one　document　at　a　time；　regardless　of　the　number　of　pages。　Then　put　it　back　together　slowly　and　in　order。　Then　staple　your　copy　so　everything　stays　in　order。〃
　　With　the　automatic　feed；　the　ten…page　document　took　eight　seconds。
　　〃Pretty　fast；〃　Tammy　said。
　　The　first　briefcase　was　finished　in　twenty　minutes。　Tammy　handed　the　two　key　rings　to　Abby　and　picked　up　two　new；　empty；　all…canvas　Samsonite　handbags。　She　left　for　the　condo。
　　Abby　followed　her　out　the　door；　then　locked　it。　She　walked　to　the　front　of　the　Palms；　to　Tammy's　rented　Nissan　Stanza。　Dodging　at　oning　traffic　from　the　wrong　side　of　the　road；　she　drove　along　Seven　Mile　Beach　and　into　Georgetown。　Two　blocks　behind　the　stately　Swiss　Bank　Building；　on　a　narrow　street　lined　with　neat　frame　houses；　she　found　the　one　owned　by　the　only　locksmith　on　the　island　of　Grand　Cayman。　At　least；　he　was　the　only　one　she'd　been　able　to　locate　without　assistance。　He　owned　a　green　house　with　open　windows　and　white　trim　around　the　shutters　and　the　doors。
　　She　parked　in　the　street　and　walked　through　the　sand　to　the　tiny　front　porch；　where　the　locksmith　and　his　neighbors　were　drinking　and　listening　to　Radio　Cayman。　Solid…gold　reggae。　They　quietened　when　she　approached；　and　none　of　them　stood。　It　was　almost　eleven。　He　had　said　that　he　would　do　the　job　in　his　shop　out　back；　and　that　his　fees　were　modest；　and　that　he　would　like　a　fifth　of　Myers's　Rum　as　a　down　payment　before　he　started。
　　〃Mr。　Dantley；　I'm　sorry　I'm　late。　I've　brought　you　a　little　gift。〃　She　held　out　the　fifth　of　rum。
　　Mr。　Dantley　emerged　from　the　darkness　and　took　the　rum。　He　inspected　the　bottle。　〃Boys；　a　bottle　of　Myers's。〃
　　Abby　could　not　understand　the　chatter；　but　it　was　obvious　the　gang　on　the　porch　was　terribly　excited　about　the　bottle　of　Myers's。　Dantley　handed　it　to　them　and　led　Abby　behind　his　house　to　a　small　outbuilding　full　of　tools　and　small　machines　and　a　hundred　gadgets。　A　single　yellow　light　bulb　hung　from　the　ceiling　and　attracted　mosquitoes　by　the　hundreds。　She　handed　Dantley　the　eleven　keys；　and　he　carefully　laid　them　on　a　bare　section　of　a　cluttered　workbench。　〃This　will　be　easy；〃　he　said　without　looking　up。
　　Although　he　was　drinking　at　eleven　at　night；　Dantley　appeared　to　be　in　control。　Perhaps　his　system　had　built　an　immunity　to　rum。　He　worked　through　a　pair　of　thick　goggles；　drilling　and　carving　each　replica。　After　twenty　minutes；　he　was　finished。　He　handed　Abby　the　two　original　sets　of　keys　and　their　copies。
　　〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Dantley。　How　much　do　I　owe　you？〃
　　〃They　were　quite　easy；〃　he　drawled。　〃A　dollar　per　key。〃　。　　　　She　paid　him　quickly　and　left。
　　Tammy　filled　the　two　small　suitcases　with　the　contents　of　the　top　drawer　of　the　first　file　cabinet。　Five　drawers；　twelve　cabinets；　sixty　trips　to　the　copier　and　back。　In　eight　hours。　It　could　be　done。　There　were　files；　notebooks；　puter　printouts　and　more　files。　Mitch　said　to　copy　it　all。　He　was　not　exactly　sure　what　he　was　looking　for；　so　copy　it　all。
　　She　turned　off　the　light　and　ran　upstairs　to　check　on　lover　boy。　He　had　not　moved。　The　snoring　was　in　slow　motion。
　　The　Samsonites　weighed　thirty　pounds　apiece；　and　her　arms　ached　when　she　reached　Room　188。　First　trip　t）ut　of　sixty；　she　would　not　make　it。　Abby　had　not　returned　from　Georgetown；　so　Tammy　unloaded　the　suitcases　neatly　on　the　bed。　She　took　one　drink　from　her　Coke　and　left　with　the　empty　bags。　Back　to　the　condo。　Drawer　two　was　identical。　She　fitted　the　files　in　order　into　the　suitcases　and　strong…armed　zippers。　She　was　sweating　and　gasping　for　breath。　Four　packs　a　day；　she　thought。　She　vowed　to　cut　back　to　two。　Maybe　even　one　pack。　Up　the　stairs　to　check　on　him。　He　had　not　breathed　since　her　last　trip。
　　The　copier　was　clicking　and　humming　when　she　returned　from　trip　two。　Abby　was　finishing　the　second　briefcase；　about　to　start　on　the　third。
　　〃Did　you　get　the　keys？〃　Tammy　asked。
　　〃Yeah；　no　problem。　What's　your　man　doing？〃
　　〃If　the　copier　wasn't　running；　you　could　hear　him　snoring。〃　Tammy　unpacked　into　another　neat　stack　on　the　bed。　She　wiped　her　face　with　a　wet　towel　and　left　for　the　condo。
　　Abby　finished　the　third　briefcase　and　started　on　the　stacks　from　the　file　cabinets。　She　quickly　got　the　hang　of　the　automatic　feed；　and　after　thirty　minutes　she　moved　with　the　efficient　grace　of　a　seasoned　copy…room　clerk。　She　fed　copies