dw.jimmythekid- 第22节

　〃But　how　long　do　you　figure　it'll　take？〃
　〃Really；　you　know；〃　Harrington　said；　〃the　most　difficult　part　is　going　to　be　conversion　of　assets　to　cash；　actual　paper　money。　I　don't　believe　I　know　anyone　who　deals　in　cash。〃
　〃Banks　do；〃　the　head　FBI　man　said。
　〃Eh？　Oh；　of　course！　I　never　think　of　them　that　way。〃
　〃I　still　want　to　know　how　long。　Two　days？　Three？〃
　〃Oh；　good　Lord；　no。　I　should　have　the　liquidity　by　noon。　One　at　the　latest。〃
　〃Tomorrow？〃
　〃Certainly　tomorrow。　Then　it　all　depends　how　long　it　takes　to　bring　the　currency　out　here。〃
　〃We'll　take　care　of　that；〃　the　head　FBI　man　said。　He　was　frowning　deeply；　studying　Harrington's　face。　〃Mr。　Harrington；〃　he　said。　〃Can　I　ask　you　a　question？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃That　business　about　the　eighty…five　thousand；　that　was　all　you　could　raise　tomorrow。　Do　you　mean　you　really　were　haggling？〃
　Harrington　thought　about　it。　In　sudden　surprise；　he　said；　〃Why；　yes！　I　do　believe　I　was。〃
　The　head　FBI　man　looked　at　him。　He　didn't　say　anything。
　〃It　was　just　force　of　habit；〃　Harrington　said。　Then；　when　the　head　FBI　man　continued　to　gaze　at　him　unspeaking；　he　added；　〃I　certainly　wasn't　going　to　turn　the　deal　down。〃
　
　18
　
　AFTER　DINNER；　Jimmy　went　back　to　work。　The　fact　that　the　boards　were　nailed　to　the　outside　of　the　window　frames　rather　than　the　inside　made　his　task　a　bit　more　difficult；　but　not　impossible。　He　had　removed　one　board　before　the　cooking　woman　had　brought　him　his　dinner…how　unearthly　an　adult　wearing　a　Mickey　Mouse　mask　could　look　in　just　the　glow　of　a　flashlight…and　now　he　was　removing　more。　They　were　fairly　narrow　boards；　and　he　thought　it　likely　he'd　have　to　deal　with　four　of　them　before　making　a　space　wide　enough　to　climb　out　through。
　His　method　was　simple；　but　time…consuming。　With　the　screwdriver；　he　would　pry　the　board　a　bit　loose；　then　oil　the　nails　as　he　worked　to　keep　them　from　squeaking。　A　bit　at　a　time；　prying　and　oiling；　prying　and　oiling；　he　would　loosen　the　board　from　the　window　frame。　The　final　fraction　was　always　the　trickiest；　since　he　didn't　want　the　board　to　fall　out　onto　the　ground　below；　managing　to　avoid　that；　he　would　bring　the　board　inside；　then　use　the　pliers　to　snap　each　nail　off　short。　After　oiling　the　nails　once　more；　he　would　put　the　board　back　in　place；　the　stubby　nails　slipping　a　short　distance　into　their　former　seats　in　the　window　frame。　The　boards　looked　the　same　as　before；　but　would　pop　out　at　the　touch　of　a　finger。
　It　was　that　last　part　that　took　the　extra　time。　The　job　would　have　been　much　quicker　and　simpler　if　all　he　had　to　do　was　bash　the　boards　out　and　depart。　But　in　the　first　place　he　never　knew　when　they　might　decide　to　e　back　up　and　double…check　on　him；　and　in　the　second　place　he　wanted　to　leave　them　with　a　certain　amount　of　misdirection　and　confusion。　Therefore　he　took　the　extra　time　to　do　the　job　right；　and　considered　it　time　well　spent。
　Outside；　in　those　intervals　when　he　had　a　board　out　of　the　window　space；　he　could　hear　the　rain　continuing　to　pound。　This　room　faced　the　back　of　the　house；　and　there　was　no　light　outside　at　all；　nothing　but　pitch　blackness　and　the　sound　of　pelting　rain。
　Some　water　did　splash　in　from　time　to　time；　but　not　enough　to　give　him　away。　A　worse　problem　was　the　cold；　a　chill　wet　wind　blew　in　whenever　he　had　a　board　off　the　window；　and　his　jacket　just　wasn't　warm　enough　for　weather　like　this。　When　he'd　put　it　on　this　morning；　the　worst　climate　he'd　expected　to　be　exposed　to　was　the　air…conditioning　in　Dr。　Schraubenzieher's　office。
　Well；　one　did　have　to　expect　to　rough　it　from　time　to　time　in　this　life。　With　which　thought　Jimmy　snapped　the　last　nail　that　needed　to　be　snapped；　picked　up　the　oilcan；　oiled　the　nails　in　this　fourth　board；　and　carefully　reinserted　the　board　into　the　window；　thus　not　only　restoring　the　original　appearance　of　the　room；　but　also　eliminating　again　that　whistling　wind。
　What　next？　The　tools　and　oilcan　went　into　the　toolbox；　and　the　toolbox　went　into　the　space　beneath　the　floorboard　he　had　previously　loosened。　Flashing　the　light　around　the　room；　he　reassured　himself　he　wasn't　leaving　any　unnecessary　clues　in　his　wake；　and　then　turned　to　the　rope。
　It　was　quite　long；　but　maybe　not　as　thick　or　as　strong　as　he　would　have　liked　it。　Still；　it　would　have　to　do；　and　once　it　was　doubled　it　surely　would　do。　Fine。　So　now　there　was　nothing　to　do　but　depart。
　So　why　did　he　hesitate？　Why　did　be　glance　ruefully　toward　that　small　cot　with　its　inadequate　blankets？
　Childishness；　he　told　himself。　Babyishness　and　weakness。　And　not　to　be　given　in　to。
　Taking　a　deep　breath；　squaring　his　shoulders；　he　hesitated　just　a　second　longer；　then　abruptly　began　to　move；　and　from　then　on　continued　to　move　steadily　and　smoothly；　doing　everything　just　as　he　had　planned　it。
　First；　all　four　boards　were　taken　out；　and　stacked　next　to　the　window。　Next；　one　end　of　the　rope　was　slipped　through　between　the　still…attached　fifth　and　sixth　boards；　in　a　tiny　space　showing　down　by　the　windowsill。　That　end　of　the　rope　was　played　through　and　around　the　outside　of　the　fifth　board　and　back　into　the　room；　until　the　center　of　the　rope　rested　on　the　windowsill；　against　the　bottom　of　the　fifth　board；　inside　the　room。　Dirt　smudged　on　that　length　of　rope　made　it　virtually　invisible。
　Now。　The　two　lengths　of　rope　were　allowed　to　hang　down　along　the　outer　wall　of　the　house。　Jimmy；　leaning　out；　feeling　now　the　force　of　the　wind　and　rain　on　his　bead；　grasped　the　two　lengths；　brought　a　part　of　it　back　into　the　room；　and　tied　a　loop　in　it　that　would　hang　about　three　feet　below　the　window。　Then　he　dropped　it　outside　again。
　The　rest　would　have　to　be　done　in　darkness。　Switching　off　the　flashlight；　Jimmy　put　it　in　his　jacket　pocket　and　felt　his　way　to　the　window。　Climbing　carefully　over　the　sill；　he　grasped　the　rope；　pulled　it　up　till　he　felt　the　loop；　and　put　the　loop　like　a　stirrup　over　his　right　foot。　Then　he　lowered　himself　slowly　out　the　window　until　he　was　standing　on　the　loop　of　rope；　his　forearms　resting　on　the　windowsill。
　Now　for　the　tricky　part。　Reaching　inside；　he　took　the　first　board；　which　he　knew　belonged　in　position　number　four；　and　working　by　feel　he　slipped　it　back　into　place。　Then　three；　and　then　two。　Number　one　was　the　most　difficult；　since　he　had　such　a　narrow　space　to　bring　the　board　out　through；　and　he　almost　gave　the　whole　thing　up　as　an　over…elaboration；　but　at　last　he　did　get　the　thing　out　and　in　place；　and　felt　better　for　having　done　it。
　The　idea　was；　whenever　the　gang　next　decided　to　check　on　him　the　room　would　appear　to　be　unchanged。　They　would　have　to　believe　that　he'd　managed　to　turn　the　key　in　the　lock　from　inside；　and　that　while　he　was　no　longer　in　the　room　he　must　still　be　somewhere　in　the　house。　So　they　would　confine　their　search；　at　least　for　a　while；　to　the　interior　of　the　house；　thus　giving　him　longer　to　get　away。
　And　if　worse　came　to　worst；　if　they　did　catch　him　again；　he　would　say　that　he'd　turned　the　key　with　his　ballpoint　pen　insert；　had　locked　the　door　again　behind　himself；　and　had　snuck　downstairs；　going　out　the　front　door　while　they　were　all　searching　elsewhere。　If　they　swallowed　that　and　put　him　back　in　the　same　room…which　they　probably　would；　since　they　didn't　have　any　other　room　prepared　for　him…he　could　simply　take　the　boards　down　again　and　escape　all　over。
　So。　Having　been　as　clever　as　possible　in　his　departure；　Jimmy　now　rappelled　down　the　side　of　the　house；　permitting　the　back　of　his　jacket　to　take　most　of　the　stress　and　most　of　the　friction　of　the　rope　passing　through；　and　all　at　once　he　found　himself　standing　in　mud；　on　the　ground；　outside　the　house。
　Escape；　he'd　done　it。
　Now　all　that　was　left　was　to　walk　to　the　highway；　hail　a　passing　car；　and　inform　the　police。　This　gang　would　be　rounded　up；　probably　in　less　than　an　hour；　and　by　midnight　Jimmy　would　be　safely　at　home　and　asleep　in　his　own　bed。
　He　almost　felt　sorry　for　the　kidnappers。　But　they
　couldn't　say　they　hadn't　asked　for　it。
　For　the　first　leg　of　the　journey　he　wouldn't　be　able　to　use　the　flashlight；　and　it　really　was　dark　out　here。　Also　wet。　Also　cold。　Already　drenched　to　the　skin；　Jimmy　reached　out　in　front　of　himself；　patted　the　weathered　boards　of　the　hou