'He's got a whole mob of volunteers coming in. He isn't fooling around. He's out for blood.'
Old Man Railsback came in. He looked dead on his feet.
'Sergeant,' said Tran, 'I have to go. Since we're not going to Rochester, I'd better go to work.'
'Sure. Give me a couple minutes, then I'll run you out.'
'No need. I'll call a cab. You have too much to do here.'
Cash felt obligated to argue, but couldn't work up much fight. He had too much on his mind. He forgot Tran the moment the door closed behind the man.
Norm wheeled on Old Man Railsback. 'What have you got?'
The man heaved a sigh, opened one eyelid. 'You were right. The money was homemade. The priest says he'll dig up somebody to read the letters. They
'House?'
'Henry's got me over there as ramrod emeritus. We ain't found much, except that she was awful interested in doctoring. There're medical books and journals tucked away all over the place. They go back a long time.'
'More medicine? That the connection with Smiley?'
'Got me. I've got the feeling the answer's there, though. If we recognize it when we run into it. I guess with fifteen, twenty experts tearing the place apart, somebody is bound to.'
'Hank's pushing awful hard, isn't he?'
'Can't blame him, can you?'
'Guess not. Beth, can you get me the
'Right.'
As she dialed, Cash added, 'When you get a minute, hon, see if you can add another reservation to mine. Major Tran wants to go with me.'
For an instant she looked shattered.
What the hell? he thought.
Lieutenant Railsback backed through the door, arms full. 'Dinner on the boss,' he announced, dumping his load atop Beth's work. 'Got at least one of everything here. Grab whatever you want. How'd it go, Dad?'
'Not much yet. But we haven't really gotten going.'
Beth offered Cash a phone as he was about to jump Hank for having messed with his reservations.
'Teri? Sergeant Cash again. I know you haven't seen him. Look, can I see you after you get off? Yeah. It's important. No. No problem. My lips are sealed, as they say. Okay. I'll pick you up then.'
In the background, Hank was telling Beth, 'You'd better go home, Tavares. Get a good night's sleep. I want you to come in tomorrow, and it might be a long day.'
'I want to go with Norm to see John's wife. It'd help to have a woman there.'
'Suit yourself.' Railsback was too preoccupied to growl about being contradicted. 'Dad, I don't like it when my people get shit on.'
Cash hung up, grabbed something from the food heap, slipped into his own cubicle to ponder how best to break the news to Carrie and Teri.
'Henry, you can't drop everything because John disappeared.' To Cash this sounded like the resumption of an interrupted argument. 'You know there's a chance he just took off because he's having trouble with his wife.'
That old man sees and hears a lot, Cash thought. And it's hard to tell what he knows. He just sits there like he's sleeping, and never says anything.
'You said that before. And you told me about the girl, too. And she ain't got nothing to do with it. You heard Norm talking to her.'
'Maybe. And maybe she lied.'
Cash took a savage bite from a cheeseburger. Suddenly, everybody seemed to know everything about everybody else's business. What do they have on me? he wondered.
Just thinking about it made him feel naked.
'Look,' Railsback continued, 'I ride these guys like a bronc-buster. And they put up with it because we get results. That makes me feel like I've got obligations to them. I've got responsibilities.'
His father chuckled. 'And that's why the captain calls you The Prussian. You think these are the Middle Ages?
'Who taught me?'
'Touchй. But I'm just a burned-out old has-been. You ought to know better.'
'Pop, I can't call it off now. We've come to the narrow passage. We can't turn back.'
'I know. And I'm proud of you. But somebody has to play Jiminy Cricket around here.'
'And somebody has to do the tilting at windmills. Norm can't carry that load by himself anymore.'
