Part 19 (1/2)
Jiggs finally took a chair. He said, ”I wanted to ask you. I locate any of the party responsible, General, you're gonna want to prosecute, I take it.”
”In my own way,” de Boya said.
Jiggs said, ”That's how I'd feel about it myself. You have 'em arrested they're back on the street in twenty-four hours.” He said then, ”I understand, what I've heard, you were the expert at getting people to tell you things they didn't want to. Back in the old days.”
”Really? I'm surprised you hear anything about that,” de Boya said.
”You kidding?” Jiggs said. ”General, there certain areas you're a living legend among people that know anything about or appreciate the fine art of interrogation. It used to be, when I was a youngster on the Force in New York, we could use our own resources, so to speak, in extracting information. Now, the guy doesn't even have to tell you his name his lawyer isn't present. f.u.c.king Miranda changed everything.” Jiggs shook his head, began to grin a little. ”Wasn't like that where you come from, I don't imagine.”
”You say to get information?”
”Yeah, interrogate a suspect.”
”The trick,” de Boya said, ”when you question someone is not to ask a question.”
Jiggs maintained a pleasant expression. ”You don't ask 'em anything?”
”No, never. You take the person's clothes off. Always you do this, strip the person naked, and sometimes it's enough. Or you subject the person to an unpleasant experience, increasing this gradually,” de Boya said, giving his recipe. ”The person wants to tell you something, but you still don't ask him. He pleads with you, he begins to say things, to 235.
ask the questions himself, yes, and then answer them, he's so anxious to please you if you'll stop the unpleasantness.”
”The unpleasantness,” Jiggs said, his face creased in appreciation. ”That's not bad, general.”
”But the information,” de Boya said, ”that isn't the important reason for interrogation.”
”It isn't?”
”What do you wish to know?” de Boya said. ”Where someone lives? Where they hide arms? Something they're saying about you, the government? No, the purpose of interrogation is preventive. What you do in the secrecy of the act always becomes known to others, to the ones against you.”
”And it scares the s.h.i.+t out of 'em,” Jiggs said, nodding. ”I getcha.”
”I like to think it gives brave men pause,” de Boya said. ”Remember, fear is of more substance than information.”
”Yes sir, that's a good point.”
”Information, it has degrees of importance at different times,” de Boya said. ”But fear, you can use fear always.”
”Keeps your people under control,” Jiggs said.
”Yes, they don't know what to do, so they do nothing.” De Boya began to nod, a pleasant expression masking his thoughts, his pictures from another time. ”I always do a good job at that.” He gestured with his hands. ”Well, it was my especiality, of course.”
A few minutes past midnight Moran's phone rang. He turned off Johnny Carson and got to the counter, knowing it was Mary, feeling wide awake now.
She said, ”Jiggs Scully was here, earlier this evening. They were in Andres's study with the door closed for almost a half hour.”
Moran said, after a moment, ”I know what you're thinking ...But I talked to Nolen and now I'm leaning the other way, back to Jiggs.”
”You think the whole thing's his idea?”
”I'm pretty sure. If Andres wanted to get the goods on us there's got to be a simpler way than all this.”
”Then why did Jiggs come here? He must be working for Andres.”
”For him and against him. Listen, you got to get out of there.”
”I will, soon.”
”Have you written down what you want to say?”
”I'm working on it.”
”Does Andres know I was there today?”
”He didn't mention it, but I'm sure he does. He 237.
got home late.” Mary paused. ”Wait a second, okay?”
”What's the matter?”
”I heard something. Hold on.”
Moran waited, standing straight up now. He heard it then, away from the other end of the phone connection, sounding like shots, gla.s.s breaking. He pressed the phone to his ear and heard a voice far away, someone shouting. He heard Mary's voice, closer, call out, ”What is it?” Then nothing. He waited. He heard jarring sounds close, as though she might have dropped the phone picking it up. Now her voice in the phone was saying, ”I'll call you back.”
”Wait a minute. Are you all right?”
Her voice came as a whisper now. ”I'm fine, but I can't talk now.”
”What's going on?”
”Andres is upstairs.”
”Just tell me what happened.”
But she'd hung up.
15.
MARY DIDN'T CALL BACK during the night.
Moran phoned her in the morning. The maid with the accent said Mrs. de Boya was not at home. It was only nine o'clock; Moran didn't know what to say next. He asked what time she was expected. The maid said she didn't know. He asked then, ”Is Mrs. de Boya all right?”
The maid, Altagracia, said, ”Yes? I think so.”
He took a chance and said, ”What was all that noise last night?”
The maid hesitated. She said, ”I don't hear any noise.”