Part 107 (1/2)
Friday, January 8 Washi+ngton, DC
It seemed that everyone in the world wanted to speak to Scott at once The FBI spent an hour asking him inane questions ”Why did you help his?” ”Why didn't you sit with the rest of the press?”
”Where's your camera?” ”Can we read your notes?”
Scott was cooperative, but he had his li those computer stories, aren't you?” ”What's in this for you?”
Scott excused hi else, please contact the paper, he told the FBI agents who had learned nothing from anyone else either
He escaped froht, thus learning what it was like to be hounded relentlessly by the press daht, and damn stupid questions ”How did you feel?” ”Were you scared?” ”Why did you?”
The exhausted Scott found the only available solace in a third floor men's room stall where he wrote a piece for the paper on his GRiD laptop co asleep on the toilet seat, he temporarily refreshed hied from his bloodsoaked clothes into fresh jeans and a pullover fro that still burdoned hiht himself lucky to have found Scott in thehim with his own verbal assault, the shell shocked reporter left well enough alone
After the Capital police were through questioning Scott, he wanted to et ho Scott would always be available Especially since this was news His pocket shuttle schedule showed there was a 6:30 flight to Westchester Airport; he could then grab a limo home and be in bed by ten, that is if the exhaustion didn't take over so the way
Three days in Europe on next to no sleep Rush back to public Senate hearings that no one has ever heard about Television ca the press, and then, Pierre He needed ti influences that were tearing at him
On one hand his paper expected hiate the news On another, Tyrone wanted help on his investigation be- cause official Washi+ngton had turned their backs on him And Spook Spook Why is that so fas What about this story had so captivated hio by the wayside?
Doug was pleased with Scott's progress, and after today, well, what editor wouldn't be pleased to have a potential star writer on the National news But Scott was drowning in the story
There were too many pieces, from every conceivable direction, with none too ht of the ever deter that the answers to a puzzle came infinitely easier to the fictional sleuth than to hiht?” Doug asked with concern but didn't wait for an answer ”I got yourto be in Europe till Wednesday”
”Hold your horses,” Scott said with agitation Doug shut up and listened to the distraught Scott ”I have the story all written for you Both of theery and the Arab is in pretty bad shape The committee made itself scarce real fast and there's no one else to talk to I've had toreporters See heard the exhaustion in Scott's voice
”Listen,” Doug said with a supportive tone ”You've been doing a bang up job, but I' Ben down there to cover the assassi- nation atteo to bed for 24 hours and that's an order I don't want to hear fro's edict, and ested it himself if it weren't for his dedication to the story he had spent uess not ht I want you fresh anyway,” Doug said with vigor
”If anything h?”
Scott checked his watch as his cab got caught up in the slow late afternoon rush hour traffic on the George Washi+ngton Parkway If he ht, there was another one in an hour The pandeendary Despite extensive new construction, express services and ners in their infinite wisdolected in any way to improve the flow of automobile traffic in and out of the airport
As they approached, Scott could see the American terminal several hundred yards away from his cab They were stuck behind an interminable line of other taxis, li for ten minutes Scott decided to hike the last few yards and he paid the driver who tried to talk hih the standstill traffic jam until he saw the proble the only two lanes that were passable Worse yet, there was no one in the car No driver, no passengers Several airport police were discussing their options when a tall, slender black man, dressed in an i from the terminal doors
”Diplo Cae accent
The startled policemen saw theone elderly woround Scott reached the Mercedes and stayed to watch the upco encounter
”I said, Diplomatic immunity,” he said authoritatively ”Put your tickets away”
”Sir, are you aware that your car has been blocking other cars from”
”Take it up with the Ehly opened the driver's door ”This car belongs to the Ambassador and he is iine and pulled out squealing his tires Several pedestrians had to be fleet of foot tocaer policeman
”He's from equatorial Africa, Einstein,” said another