he had things under control.
Homicide would be there at any moment. He told Mark they’d want to talk to him
later that night. Mark nodded and left him.
When he arrived back at his car, he took
the flashing red light out of the side compartment and fixed it to the roof,
placing the switch into its special slot. He was going to get back to the
office, at top speed, to people he knew, to reality, to men who would make some
sense out of his nightmare.
Mark flicked on the car radio. ‘WFO 180 in
service. Please try and locate Mr Stames and Mr
Calvert. Urgent. I am returning to Field Office immediately.’
‘Yes, Mr Andrews.’
‘WFO 180 out of service.’
Twelve minutes later, he arrived at the
Washington Field Office and parked his car. He ran to the elevator. The
operator took him up. He rushed out.
‘Aspirin, Aspirin. Who the hell’s on duty
tonight?’
‘I’m the only one on tonight, boy, I’m here
on my own,’ said Aspirin, looking over his glasses, rather bored. ‘What’s the
matter?’
‘Where’s Stames ?
Where’s Calvert?’ Mark demanded.
‘They went home just over an hour ago.’
Oh hell, what should he do now? Aspirin was
not a man to confide in, but he was the only person Mark could seek any advice
from. And although Stames had carefully instructed
him not to speak to anyone about the details until they had seen the Director,
this was an emergency. He wouldn’t give away any of the details, he would just
find out what a Hoover man would have done.
‘I have to find Stames and Calvert, wherever they are. Any suggestions?’
‘Well, first of all, have you tried the car
radio stations?’ asked Aspirin.
‘I asked Polly to check. I’ll try her
again.’ Mark picked up the nearest phone. ‘Polly, did you locate Mr Stames or Mr Calvert on the car radio?’
‘Still trying, sir.’
He seemed to wait endlessly, endlessly; and
nothing happened. ‘What’s going on, Polly, what’s going on?’
‘I’m trying as hard as I can, sir. All I
can get is a buzzing sound.’
‘Try One, Two, Three, or Four. Doesn’t
matter what you try. Try every station.’
‘Yes, sir. I can only do one at a time.
There are four stations and I can only do one at a time.’
Mark realised he was panicking. It was time
to sit down and think things through. The end of the world hadn’t come — or had
it?
‘They’re not on One, sir. Not on Two. Why
would they be on Three or Four at this time of night? They’re only on their way
home.’
‘I don’t care where they’re going. Just
find them. Try again.’
‘Okay, okay.’ She tried Three. She tried
Four. She had to have authorisation to break the code for Five and Six. Mark
looked at Aspirin. The duty officer was authorised to break the code.
‘This is an emergency - I swear to you it’s
an emergency.’
Aspirin told Polly to try Five and Six.
Five and Six are Federal Communications Commission to the FBI. They are known
by the initial KGB: it always amused FBI men to have KGB as their network call
code. But at that moment it didn’t seem particularly funny. There was no reply
to be had on KGB 5. Then KGB 6was raised; likewise nothing. Now what,
dear God, now what? Where did he turn next? Aspirin looked at him enquiringly,
not really wanting to get involved.
‘Always remember, son, C-Y-A. That’s the
ticket. C-Y-A.’
‘Covering your ass will not help me to
locate Mr. Stames ,’ said
Mark, forcing himself to speak calmly. ‘It doesn’t matter, Aspirin, you get
back to your crossword puzzle.’
Mark left him and went into the men’s room,
cupped his hands under the tap and washed his mouth out; he still smelled of
vomit and blood. He clean up as best he could. He returned to the Criminal
Room, sat down, and counted to ten very slowly. He had to make up his
mind what to do, and then to carry it out, come what may. Something had
probably happened to Stames and Calvert, he knew
something had happened to the black postman and the Greek. Perhaps
Homicide would be there at any moment. He told Mark they’d want to talk to him
later that night. Mark nodded and left him.
When he arrived back at his car, he took
the flashing red light out of the side compartment and fixed it to the roof,
placing the switch into its special slot. He was going to get back to the
office, at top speed, to people he knew, to reality, to men who would make some
sense out of his nightmare.
Mark flicked on the car radio. ‘WFO 180 in
service. Please try and locate Mr Stames and Mr
Calvert. Urgent. I am returning to Field Office immediately.’
‘Yes, Mr Andrews.’
‘WFO 180 out of service.’
Twelve minutes later, he arrived at the
Washington Field Office and parked his car. He ran to the elevator. The
operator took him up. He rushed out.
‘Aspirin, Aspirin. Who the hell’s on duty
tonight?’
‘I’m the only one on tonight, boy, I’m here
on my own,’ said Aspirin, looking over his glasses, rather bored. ‘What’s the
matter?’
‘Where’s Stames ?
Where’s Calvert?’ Mark demanded.
‘They went home just over an hour ago.’
Oh hell, what should he do now? Aspirin was
not a man to confide in, but he was the only person Mark could seek any advice
from. And although Stames had carefully instructed
him not to speak to anyone about the details until they had seen the Director,
this was an emergency. He wouldn’t give away any of the details, he would just
find out what a Hoover man would have done.
‘I have to find Stames and Calvert, wherever they are. Any suggestions?’
‘Well, first of all, have you tried the car
radio stations?’ asked Aspirin.
‘I asked Polly to check. I’ll try her
again.’ Mark picked up the nearest phone. ‘Polly, did you locate Mr Stames or Mr Calvert on the car radio?’
‘Still trying, sir.’
He seemed to wait endlessly, endlessly; and
nothing happened. ‘What’s going on, Polly, what’s going on?’
‘I’m trying as hard as I can, sir. All I
can get is a buzzing sound.’
‘Try One, Two, Three, or Four. Doesn’t
matter what you try. Try every station.’
‘Yes, sir. I can only do one at a time.
There are four stations and I can only do one at a time.’
Mark realised he was panicking. It was time
to sit down and think things through. The end of the world hadn’t come — or had
it?
‘They’re not on One, sir. Not on Two. Why
would they be on Three or Four at this time of night? They’re only on their way
home.’
‘I don’t care where they’re going. Just
find them. Try again.’
‘Okay, okay.’ She tried Three. She tried
Four. She had to have authorisation to break the code for Five and Six. Mark
looked at Aspirin. The duty officer was authorised to break the code.
‘This is an emergency - I swear to you it’s
an emergency.’
Aspirin told Polly to try Five and Six.
Five and Six are Federal Communications Commission to the FBI. They are known
by the initial KGB: it always amused FBI men to have KGB as their network call
code. But at that moment it didn’t seem particularly funny. There was no reply
to be had on KGB 5. Then KGB 6was raised; likewise nothing. Now what,
dear God, now what? Where did he turn next? Aspirin looked at him enquiringly,
not really wanting to get involved.
‘Always remember, son, C-Y-A. That’s the
ticket. C-Y-A.’
‘Covering your ass will not help me to
locate Mr. Stames ,’ said
Mark, forcing himself to speak calmly. ‘It doesn’t matter, Aspirin, you get
back to your crossword puzzle.’
Mark left him and went into the men’s room,
cupped his hands under the tap and washed his mouth out; he still smelled of
vomit and blood. He clean up as best he could. He returned to the Criminal
Room, sat down, and counted to ten very slowly. He had to make up his
mind what to do, and then to carry it out, come what may. Something had
probably happened to Stames and Calvert, he knew
something had happened to the black postman and the Greek. Perhaps
Similar Books
