@@@@@The first ensures your imminent
@@@@@The first ensures
your imminent disappearance, the second—the capture and elimination of Carlos the JackalYou’ll
be free, Randy
“Anything!”
“How do you reach him?”
“I have a telephone number!” Gates fumbled for his wallet, yanking it out of his pocket and with
trembling fingers digging into a recess“Only four people alive have it!”
Prefontaine accepted his first $20,000-an-hour fee, instructed Randy to go home, beg Edith’s
forgiveness, and be prepared to leave Boston tomorrowBrendan had heard of a private treatment
center in Minneapolis, he thought, where the rich sought help incognito; he would refine the details
in the morning and call him, naturally expecting a second payment for his servicesThe instant a
shaken Gates left the room, Prefontaine went to the phone and called John StJacques at
Tranquility Inn
“John, it’s the judgeDon’t ask me questions, but I have urgent information that could be
invaluable to your sister’s husbandI realize I can’t reach him, but I know he’s dealing with
someone in Washington—”
“His name is Alex Conklin,” interrupted St“Wait a minute, Judge, Marie wrote the
number down on the desk blotterLet me get over there The sound of one phone being placed on
a hard surface preceded the clicks of another being picked up Marie’s brother recited
the number
“I’ll explain everything later
“An awful lot of people keep telling me that, goddamn it!” said St
Prefontaine dialed the number with a Virginia area codeIt was answered with a short, brusque
“Yes?”
“MrConklin, my name is Prefontaine and I was given this number by John StWhat I
have to tell you is in the nature of an emergency
“You’re the judge,” broke in Alex
“Past tense, I’m afraid
“What is it?”
“I know how to reach the man you call the Jackal
“What?”
“Listen to me
Bernardine stared at the ringing telephone, briefly debating with himself whether or not to pick
i