Part 21 (2/2)

'Yes,please.a.s.soonasyoucan.LeavethecarkeysattheenquirydeskatLosAngelesairport,andI'llpickthemup.ThehelicopterpilotI'veengagedatLasVegasisMichaelKing.He's.e.xpectingyou.Justaskforhim.ThehelicopterradiowillpickupthefrequencyofthebugI'vegotwithme,soyouwon'tneedtobringmyrecorder.Wasthereanythingonthetapetoday?'

'Yesterday,'Waltcorrected.'Notmuch.Iwentoverafterdinnerlastnightandranitthrough.Offenhadafriendover.Therewastwohoursofjustordinaryyapping.Ididn'tgetbackheretobeduntilone.'

'Whenthisisoveryoucansleepforafortnight.'

'Yeah?'hesaidsarcastically.'Tellittothemarines.'Heputdownhisreceiverwithlessofacrashtha.n.u.sual.Smiling,Itookoutafivedollarbillandleft.i.tstuckhalfunderthetelephone.ThenIletmyselfout,relockedthedoorbehindme,andwentbacktothecar.

Threehoursuneventfullywentby.Nightchangedtoday.Theairtemperaturebeganitsmorningclimb.Afewenergeticbirdssang;andIsmokedanothercigarette.

Soonaftereightapatrolcarwentuptheroad,sirenfortissimo.PittsvilleBoulevardwokeup.Ieasedoutofthecar,walkedcarefullydowntowardstheroad,andtuckedmyselfinvisiblybetweenapalmandabush,fromwhereIhadaclearviewofeveryonedrivinguptowardsthedives'.

FromalongtheroadIcouldhea.r.s.everalexcitedvoices,mostofthemchildren's:andasmallboyandagirlcamepastclosetomedoinganIndianapolisontheirtricycles.

Severalcarsdrovedownfromthehouses,allwithmenalone,goingintoLasVegas.Onewomanfollowed.Threewomencametheotherway,alllookingeager.AtninethirtytwomendroveinfromVegas,oneofthemadjustingalargefoldingcamera:thelocalpress.

Anhourlateraquiet-enginedhelicopterdriftedoverandlandedoutofsightbehindafoldofhill.Attenfiftythehawkcametothelure.

AskyblueconvertibleFord,withthehooddown.Matt,drivingfast,hunchedwithanger.Youth,strength,andfury,knottedintoonecallousrecklesspersonality.Eveninaspeedingcartheimpressioncameacrosswiththesolidityofashock-wave.Standingonhisbrakesflamboyantlylate,hescreecheddownfromsixtytoniloutsidehisownhouse,scatteringchildrenlikepigeons.

Satisfied,Igotstifflytomyfeetandwentbackupthedrivetothecar.ThereIremovedfromthebootthewhiteoveralls,whitecottonglovesandcap,andputthemon,alongwithapairofsungla.s.ses.WithascrewdriverfromthetoolkitIopenedthetinofpaintandgavetheoilyyellowcontentsanencouragingstir;cleanedandreplacedthescrewdriver,andrestedthepaintlidgentlybackonthetin.Then,pickingitupbyitshandlewithmyrighthand,andcarryingbrushesandladderwithmyleft,Istrolledoutontotheroad,andalongtothedives'.

Matt'sFordstoodatthedooratacrookedangletothepatrolcar.Agoodmanypeoplewerestillstandingaround,staringandgossipinginthesun.Imeanderedslowlythroughthemandtookacloserlookattheblueconvertible,andthenwithdrewdiscreetlytotheedgeoftheproceedings.

Takingthebugoutofmypocket,ItalkedtoWalt,hopinghecouldhear.Hecouldn'tanswer:itwa.s.strictlyonewaytrafficonthemidgettransmitter.

'Doyoureadme,Walt?ThisisGene.Ouryoungfriendcameinhisowncar,notahiredoneorataxi.Hisnameisontheregistration.PalebluenewFordconvertible,atpresentwiththetopdown.Greyupholstery.Nevadaplates,number3711-42.I'lldothepaintifIpossiblycan,thoughhemaydealwithit,ofcourse;andI'llputthisbuginthecar.Whenhestartsupyou'llhearhim.Goodluck.AndforG.o.d'ssakedon'tlosehim.'

Indirectly,vaguely,Iagainapproachedthecar.Noonetookanynotice.Iwasmerelyoneofthetime-pa.s.singonlookers,aworkmanwhowasn'tworking.Severalofthechildrenandsomeoftheirmothershadseenthestateofthewell-flouredrooms,andthought.i.tadreadfulshame.Ileanedmyladderagainsttherearwingoftheblueconvertible,putthebrushesandpaintpotdowncasuallyontheflatsurfaceoftheboot,andmoppednottooimaginarysweatoffmyfaceandneck.

Someoftheblindsinthedives'househadbeenraised,sothatinplacesonecouldseeintothehouse.Noonewaslookingout.Istretchedahandoverthesideofthecarwiththebuginmypalm,andfelt.i.tssuckerclingsnuglyunderthegloveshelf.

Stillnofacesatthewindows.

Isaidtothenearestlittleboy,'Someonetoldmetheintrudergotinthroughthepantrywindow,roundthatcorner.'

'Nokidding?'hesaid,hiseyeswide.

'Surething.'

Hetoldhismother.Theywenttolook.Nearlyeveryonefollowedthem,especiallya.s.someonenudgedthepressphotographer,whosaidhewouldtakeapicture.

Itookalastcomprehensivelookatthewindows,turnedtowalkaway,andwithaquickbackwardflipof.a.glovedhand,tippedoverthecanofpaint.Thelidcameoff.Thecanrolledslowlyacrosstheflattopofthebootandclankedheavilytotheground.Theresultwasabrightbroadspreadingpoolofyellowonblue,andaproperlakeonthegravel.

Iwasoutontheroadwhenthefirstchildsawitandranafterme.

'Yourpaint'stippedover,mister.'

'Yeah,Iknow.Don'ttouchit.Don'tletanyonetouchit,huh?I'mjustgoingtofetchthestufftoget.i.toff.'

Henoddedimportantlyandranback,andImadeitsafelyalongtothehiredcar,anddroveawayinpeacetowardsLasVegas,takingofftheusefulcapandglovesasIwent.BackatthemotelIshowered,changed,packed,andpaidmyaccount;drovetotheairportandreturnedthecartotheHertzagent:keptaverywaryeyeopenincaseMattClivehaddecidedtotravelbyair;ateamuchneededsandwich,andcaughtthefirstplaneouttoLosAngeles.

WhenIcollectedthecarkeysattheenquirydesk,therewasanotefromWaltaswell.

'You'reonegreatcrazyguy.Anddon'tthinkIdon'trealisewhatyourisked.Ifyou'rereadingthis,Iguessyou'vemadeit,andaren'tbehindbars.MypalintheC.I.A.toldmeyoucouldbereliedontodomadthings,andboy,washeright.Whatdoyouusefornerves?Countmestrictlyout,nexttime.

Walt.'

Surprised,andnotungratefulthatheshouldhavebothered,Islippedhisletterintomypocketanddroveintothecitytolookforagoodplacefortaperecorders.Imanagedintheendtohireforoneweekanelaboraterecorderwhichwouldplayattheultraslowfifteensixteenthsofaninchpersecond,thespeedofmyown,andwithitsittingonthepa.s.sengerseatbesideme,pointedmynosetowardsOrpheusFarm,LosCaillos.ThenIremovedthefullreelfromtheradiorecorderandfixeditupwithanother:nooneappearedtohavedisturbeditinitsbushandboulderhidingplace,andasfarasIcouldtell,noonesawmecomeandgo.

LynnieandEunicewerejustwalkingupfromthebeachwhenIgotbacktoTheVacationer:b.u.t.theybothgreetedmewithtendegreesoffrostandwentstraightonpast,murmuringthattheyguessedtheywouldseemeatdinner.

Slightlypuzzled,shrugging,Icarriedmybagandtherecorderuptomyroom,rewoundthetapeIhadcollected,andstartedittorunthroughwhileItookoffmycitysuitandturnedtheair-conditioningtohigh.

Yolarangup,ingreatagitation.Thehouseboyanswered,andwenttotellOffen,whowa.s.stillinbed.BygreatgoodfortunethehouseboyneglectedtogobacktoreplacethedownstairsreceiverwhenOffenliftedthebedroomextensionandthebuginconsequencehadpickedupthewholeconversation.'I'vehadacallfromthecopsinVegas...'

'Don'tshout,Yola.I'mnotdeaf.'

Shedidn'tlisten.'SomevandalshavewreckedthehouseatPitts.'Shereallyminded:therewasgriefaswellasangerinhervoice.

'Howdoyoumean,wrecked?'

'Theysayeverythinginthehousehasbeenthrownonthefloor,andflourandsugarandstuffhavebeentippedovereverything.Theywanttoknowwhat'sbeenstolen,theywantmeorbetterMatttoG.o.downthereanddealwithit...andIcan't,UncleBark,Isimplycan't.We'vegotthirty-twopeoplein,andIcan'tpossiblygetaway.Mattwillhavetogo.'

'ButMatt...'

'Sure,'shewailed.'DoyouthinkIdon'tknow?Buthe'llhaveto.Thosehorseswon'tdieifheleavesthemforafewhours.It'smuchfurtherforme,I'dbeawayatleasttwodays.It'shopeless.Everything'sgonewrongsincewetookthatd.a.m.nChrysalis.'

'Andifyouremember,'CulhamJamessaidtartly,'thatwasyourandMatt'sidea.Ialwayssaiditwastoosoonafterthelastone.YouandMatthavebeentoogreedyeversinceyoufoundout.'

'Relativesoughttosharetheirgoodluck,nottokeepittothemselves.'

'Soyou'realwayssaying.'

Nothinglikealittleblackmailtocementafamilytogether,Ithoughtinamus.e.m.e.nt.Offenhadbeenhappywithhishalfmillionayear,itseemed:butMattandYola,stumblingonthehoneypot,hadbeeninahurryformore.Impulsive,ingenious,greedyClives;iftheyhadonlybeencontentwithasharefromShowmanandAllyx,Offenwouldneverhavebeenfoundout.

Yolaglossedoverthelong-standingsquabbleandreturnedtothecurrentdisaster.'Ididn'tgetMatt'snumber.Whatisit?'

'Ihaven'tgot.i.there,it'sinmybookdownstairs...'

'Welllook,w.i.l.l.youcallhim?Tellhimtogetrightonover,thecopswillbetherewaiting.Tellhimtocallmefromthereandtellmewhatgives...Ican'tbearitifthoseb.a.s.t.a.r.dshavestolenmyminkwrap...andthere'sallthatmoneyinthesafe...'

'Betterfaceuptoitthat.i.t'sgone,'Offensaid,withthetiniesttraceofmalice.

'Theymightnothavehadtime,'Yolasaid.'Thealarmsgooffwhenanyonegoesintheden,andthereisn'tsupposedtobetimeforanyonetofindthesafeandopenitbeforethecopsgetthere.Wepaidenoughforit...'

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