jg.thepelicanbrief-第65部分

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　　Damned　right。　Things　happen　fast　when　your　nerves　are　popping　through　your　skin。　〃I　found　what　I　needed；〃　she　said。
　　
　　〃Very　well。〃　Ms。　Baskin　was　suddenly　a　warm　person。〃You　know；　that　awful　story　in　the　paper　last　week　about　that　lawyer。　You　know；　the　one　killed　by　muggers　not　far　from　here。　Wasn't　his　name　Curtis　Morgan？　Seems　like　it　was　Curtis　Morgan。　What　a　shame。〃　
　　
　　Oh；　you　dumb　woman。　〃I　didn't　see　that；〃　Darby　said。　〃I've　been　out　of　the　country。　Thanks。〃　
　　
　　Her　step　was　a　bit　quicker　the　second　time　through　the　lobby。　The　bank　was　crowded；　and　there　were　no　security　guards　in　sight。　Piece　of　cake。　It　was　about　time　she　pulled　a　job　without　being　grabbed。　
　　
　　The　gunman　was　guarding　the　marble　column。　The　revolving　door　spun　her　onto　the　sidewalk；　and　she　was　almost　to　the　car　before　he　caught　her。　〃Get　in　the　car！〃　she　demanded。
　　
　　〃What'd　you　find！〃　he　demanded。
　　
　　〃Just　get　outta　here。〃　She　yanked　the　door　open；　and　jumped　in。　He　started　the　car　and　sped　away。
　　
　　〃Talk　to　me；〃　he　said。
　　
　　〃I　cleaned　out　the　box；〃　she　said。　〃Is　anyone　behind　us？〃　
　　
　　He　glanced　in　the　mirror。　〃How　the　hell　do　I　know？　What　is　it？〃　
　　
　　She　opened　her　purse　and　pulled　out　the　envelope。　She　opened　it。　Gray　slammed　on　the　brakes　and　almost　smashed　a　car　in　front。
　　
　　〃Watch　where　you're　going！〃　she　yelled。
　　
　　〃Okay！　Okay。　What's　in　the　envelope！〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　know！　I　haven't　read　it　yet；　and　if　you　get　me　killed；　I'll　never　read　it。〃　
　　
　　The　car　was　moving　again。　Gray　breathed　deeply。　〃Look；　let's　stop　yelling；　okay。　Let's　be　cool。〃
　　
　　〃Yes。　You　drive；　and　I'll　be　cool。〃
　　
　　〃Okay。　Now。　Are　we　cool？〃
　　
　　〃Yes。　Just　relax。　And　watch　where　you're　going。　Where　are　you　going？〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　know。　What's　in　the　envelope？〃　
　　
　　She　pulled　out　a　document　of　some　sort。　She　glanced　at　him；　and　he　was　staring　at　the　document。　〃Watch　where　we're　going。〃
　　
　　〃Just　read　the　damned　thing。〃
　　
　　〃It　makes　me　carsick。　I　can't　read　in　the　car。〃
　　
　　〃Dammit！　Dammit！　Dammit！〃
　　
　　〃You're　yelling　again。〃　
　　
　　He　yanked　the　wheel　to　the　right　and　pulled　into　another　tow…away　zone　on　E　Street。　Horns　honked　as　he　slammed　his　brakes。　He　glared　at　her。
　　
　　〃Thanks；〃　she　said；　and　started　reading　it　aloud。　
　　
　　It　was　a　four…page　affidavit；　typed　real　neat　and　sworn　to　under　oath　before　a　notary　public。　It　was　dated　Friday；　the　day　before　the　last　phone　call　to　Grantham。　Under　oath；　Curtis　Morgan　said　he　worked　in　the　oil　and　gas　section　of　White　and　Blazevich；　and　had　since　he　joined　the　firm　five　years　earlier。　His　clients　were　privately　owned　oil　exploration　firms　from　many　countries；　but　primarily　Americans。　Since　he　joined　the　firm；　he　had　worked　for　a　client　who　was　engaged　in　a　huge　lawsuit　in　south　Louisiana。　The　client　was　a　man　named　Victor　Mattiece；　and　Mr。　Mattiece；　whom　he'd　never　met　but　was　well　known　to　the　senior　partners　of　White　and　Blazevich；　wanted　desperately　to　win　the　lawsuit　and　eventually　harvest　millions　of　barrels　of　oil　from　the　swamplands　of　Terrebonne　Parish；　Louisiana。　There　were　also　hundreds　of　millions　of　cubic　yards　of　natural　gas。　The　partner　supervising　the　case　for　White　and　Blazevich　was　F。　Sims　Wakefield；　who　was　very　close　to　Victor　Mattiece　and　often　visited　him　in　the　Bahamas。　
　　
　　They　sat　in　the　tow…away　zone　with　the　bumper　of　the　Pontiac　protruding　perilously　into　the　right　lane；　and　were　oblivious　to　the　cars　swerving　around　it。　She　read　slowly；　and　he　sat　with　his　eyes　closed。　
　　
　　Continuing；　the　lawsuit　was　very　important　to　White　and　Blazevich。　The　firm　was　not　directly　involved　in　the　trial　and　appeal；　but　everything　crossed　Wakefield's　desk。　He　worked　on　nothing　but　the　pelican　case；　as　it　was　known。　He　spent　most　of　his　time　on　the　phone　with　either　Mattiece　or　one　of　a　hundred　lawyers　working　on　the　case。　Morgan　averaged　ten　hours　a　week　on　the　case；　but　always　on　the　periphery。　His　billings　were　handed　directly　to　Wakefield；　and　this　was　unusual　because　all　other　billings　went　to　the　oil　and　gas　billing　clerk；　who　turned　them　in　to　accounting。　He'd　heard　rumors　over　the　years；　and　firmly　believed　Mattiece　was　not　paying　White　and　Blazevich　its　standard　hourly　rate。　He　believed　the　firm　had　taken　the　case　for　a　percentage　of　the　harvest。　He'd　heard　the　figure　of　ten　percent　of　the　net　profits　from　the　wells。　This　was　unheard　of　in　the　industry。　
　　
　　Brakes　squealed　loudly；　and　they　braced　for　the　impact。　It　barely　missed。　〃We're　about　to　be　killed；〃　Darby　snapped。　
　　
　　Gray　yanked　the　gearshift　into　Drive；　and　pulled　the　right　front　wheel　over　the　curb　and　onto　the　sidewalk。　Now　they　were　out　of　traffic。　The　car　was　angled　across　a　forbidden　space　with　its　front　bumper　on　the　sidewalk　and　its　rear　bumper　barely　out　of　traffic。　〃Keep　reading；〃　he　snapped　back。　
　　
　　Continuing；　on　or　about　September　28；　Morgan　was　in　Wakefield's　office。　He　walked　in　with　two　files　and　a　stack　of　documents　unrelated　to　the　pelican　case。　Wakefield　was　on　the　phone。　As　usual；　secretaries　were　in　and　out。　The　office　was　always　in　a　state　of　disruption。　He　stood　around　for　a　few　minutes　waiting　for　Wakefield　to　get　off　the　phone；　but　the　conversation　dragged　on。　Finally；　after　waiting　fifteen　minutes；　Morgan　picked　up　his　files　and　documents　from　Wakefield's　cluttered　desk；　and　left。　He　went　to　his　office　at　the　other　end　of　the　building；　and　started　working　at　his　desk。　It　was　about　two　in　the　afternoon。　As　he　reached　for　a　file；　he　found　a　handwritten　memo　on　the　bottom　of　the　stack　of　documents　he　had　just　brought　to　his　office。　He　had　inadvertently　taken　it　from　Wakefield's　desk。　He　immediately　stood；　with　the　intention　of　returning　to　Wakefield。　Then　he　read　it。　And　he　read　it　again。　He　glanced　at　the　telephone。　Wakefield's　line　was　still　busy。　A　copy　of　the　memo　was　attached　to　the　affidavit。
　　
　　〃Read　the　memo；〃　Gray　snapped。
　　
　　〃I'm　not　through　with　the　affidavit；〃　she　snapped　back。　It　would　do　no　good　to　argue　with　her。　She　was　the　legal　mind；　and　this　was　a　legal　document；　and　she　would　read　it　exactly　as　she　pleased。　
　　
　　Continuing；　he　was　stunned　by　the　memo。　And　he　was　immediately　terrified　of　it。　He　walked　out　of　his　office　and　down　the　hall　to　the　nearest　Xerox；　and　copied　it。　He　returned　to　his　office；　and　placed　the　original　memo　in　the　same　position　under　the　files　on　his　desk。　He　would　swear　he'd　never　seen　it。　
　　
　　The　memo　was　two　paragraphs　handwritten　on　White　and　Blazevich　internal　stationery。　It　was　from　M。　Velmano；　who　is　Marty　Velmano；　a　senior　partner。　It　was　dated　September　28；　directed　to　Wakefield；　and　read：　
　　
　　Sims：　
　　
　　Advise　client；　research　is　pleteand　the　bench　will　sit　much　softer　if　Rosenberg　is　retired。　The　second　retirement　is　a　bit　unusual。　Einstein　found　a　link　to　Jensen；　of　all　people。　The　boy；　of　course；　has　those　other　problems。　
　　
　　Advise　further　that　the　pelican　should　arrive　here　in　four　years；　assuming　other　factors。　
　　
　　There　was　no　signature。　
　　
　　Gray　was　chuckling　and　frowning　at　the　same　time。　His　mouth　was　open。　She　was　reading　faster。　
　　
　　Continuing；　Marty　Velmano　was　a　ruthless　shark　who　worked　eighteen　hours　a　day；　and　felt　useless　unless　someone　near　him　was　bleeding。　He　was　the　heart　and　soul　of　White　and　Blazevich。　To　the　power　people　of　Washington；　he　was　a　tough　operator　with　plenty　of　money。　He　lunched　with　congressmen；　and　played　golf　with　cabinet　members。　He　did　his　throat　cutting　behind　his　office　door。　
　　
　　Einstein　was　the　nickname　for　Nathaniel　Jones；　a　demented　legal　genius　the　firm　kept　locked　away　in　his　own　little　library　on　the　sixth　floor。　He　read　every　case　decided　by　the　Supreme　Court；　the　eleven　federal　appellate　courts；　and　the　supreme　courts　of　the　fifty　states。　Morgan　had　never　met　Einstein。　Sightings　were　rare　around　the　firm。　
　　
　　After　he　copied　it；　he　folded　his　copy　of　the　memo　and　placed　it　in　a　desk　drawer。　Ten　minutes　later；　Wakefield　stormed　into　his　office；　very　disturbed　and　pale。　They　scratched　around　Morgan's　desk；　and　found　the　memo。　Wakefield　was　angry　as　hell；　which　was　not　unusual。　He　asked　if　Morgan　had　read　this。　No；　he　insisted。　Evidently　he　mistakenly　picked　it　up　when　he　left　his　office；　he　explained。　What's　the　big　deal？　Wakefield　was　furious。　He　lectured　Morgan　about　the　sanctity　of　one's　desk。　He　was　a　blithering　idiot；　rebuking　and　expounding　around　Morgan's　office。　He　finally　realized　he　was　overreacting。　He　tried　to　settle　down；　but　the　impression　had　been　made。　He　left　with　the　memo。　
　　
　　Morgan　hid　the　copy　in　a　law　book　in　the　library　on　the　ninth　floor。　He　was　shocked　at　Wakefield's　paranoia　and　hysterics。　Before　he　left　that　afternoon；　he　precisely　arranged　the　articles　and　papers　in　his　desk　and　on　his　shelves。　The　next　morning；　he　checked　them。　Someone　had　gone　through　his　desk　during　the　night。　
　　
　　Morgan　became　very　careful。　Two　days　later；　he　found　a　tiny　screwdriver　behind　a　book　on　his　credenza。　Then　he　found　a　small　piece　of　black　tape　wadded　up　and　dropped　in　his　trash　can。　He　as