in comers. He removed his jacket and his shirt and then thought, with a
degree of self-ridicule, that he was becoming far too confident. He walked
rapidly out of the bedroom and into his bathroom. Once the door was shut,
he reached down to the litter box and lifted up the newspaper to the layer
of canvas. The Corsican paper was there, the tarnished silver coating
reflecting the light.
Back in the bedroom, Matlock removed his wallet~ cash, and car keys,
placing them on top of his bureau. As he did so, he remembered the
envelope.
He hadn’t been fooled. He knew his father, perhaps better than his father
realized. He presumed there was a short note with the check stating clearly
that the money was a gift, not a loan, and that no repayment was
anticipated.
The note was there, folded inside the envelope, but the written words were
not what Matlock expected.
I believe in you. I always have.
Love,
Dad
On top of the note, clipped to the paper on the reverse side, was the
check. Matlock slipped it off and read the figure.
It was for fifty thousand dollars.
is
Much of the swelling on her face and around her eyes had subsided. He took
her hand and held it tightly., putting his face once more next to hers.
“You’re going to be fine,” were the innocuous words he summoned. He had to
hold himself in check to stop himself from screaming out his anger and his
guilt. That this could be done to a human being by other human beings was
beyond his endurance. And he was responsible.
When she spoke, her voice was hardly audible, like a small chil&s, the
words only partialy formed through the immobile lips.
“Jamie… Jamie?”
*Shh . . . Don’t talk if it hurts.”
OWhyP*
“I don’t know. But well find out”
“Nol … No, dontl They’re … they’re … * The girl had to swallow; it
was nearly impossible for her. She pointed to a glass of water on the
bedside table. Matlock quickly reached for it and held it to her lips,
supporting her by the shoulders.
“How did it happen? Can you tell me?”
*Told … Greenberg. Man and woman … came to the table. Said you were …
waiting … outside
“Never mind, III talk to Jason.”
TM MAnDCK PAPER jL69
01 . . . feel better. I hurt but . . . feel better, I . really do…. Am I
going to be all right?”
“Of course you are. I spoke with the doctor. Yoere bruised, but nothing
broken, nothing serious. He says you’ll be out of bed in a few days, thafs
all”
Patricia Ballantyne’s eyes brightened, and Matlock saw the terrible attempt
of a smile on her sutured lips..”I fought… I fought and I fought . . .
until I … couldet remember any more.”
It took all of Matlock’s strength not to burst Into tears. “I know you did.
Now, no more talking. You rest, take it easy. I’ll just sit here and well
talk with our eyes. Remember? You said we always communicate around other
people with our eyes. . . . r1l tell you a dirty joke.”
When the smile came, it was from her eyes.
He stayed until a nurse forbade him to stay longer. Then he kissed her
softly on the lips and left the room. He was a relieved man; he was an
angry
“Mr. Matlock?” The young doctor with the freshly scrubbed face of an intern
approached him by the elevator.
“Yes?”
‘Theres a telephone call for you. You can take it at the second floor
reception, if yo&U follow me.”
The callers voice was unknown. “Mr. Matlock, my names Houston. I’m a friend
of Jason Greenberes. I’m to get in touch with you.-
‘Oh? How’s Jason?”
‘Fine. rd like to get together with you as soon as possible.”
Matlock was about to name a place, any place, after his first class. And
then he stopped. “Did Jason leave any message … where he is now, or
anything?”
No sir. just that I was to make contact prontw- jL7o Robert Ludlum
“I see.” Why didet the man say it? Why didn’t Houston identify himself?
-Greenberg definitely told me he’d leave word … a message … where he’d
be. I’m sure he said that.”
Against department regulations, Mr. Matlock He wouldn’t be allowed to.”
“Oh? … Then he didn’t leave any message at all?”
The voice on the other end of the line hesitated slightly, perceptively.
“He may have forgotten. . . . As a matter of fact, I didet speak to him
myself. I received my orders directly from Washington. Where shall we
meet?”
Matlock heard the anidety in the maes voice. When he referred to
Washington, his tone bad risen in a small burst of nervous energy. “Let me
call you later. What’s your number?”
“Now listen, Matlock. I’m in a telephone booth and we have to meet. I’ve
got my ordersl”
‘Yes, I’ll bet you do. . .
“What?”
‘Never mind. Are you downtown? In Carlyle?’
The man hesitated again. “I’m in the area.”
‘Tell me, Mr. Houston…. Is the city dying?”
“What? What are you talking about?”
Tin going to be late for my class. Try me again. rm sure you’ll be able to
reach me.” Matlock bung up the phone. His left hand shook and perspiration
had formed on his brow.
Mr. Houston was the enemy.
The enemy was closing in.
His first Saturday class was at eleven, which gave him just about an hour
to make what he felt were the most logical arrangements for the money. He
didet want to think that he had to physimlly be in
7im mATLocK PAPEFt III
the town of Carlyle-at the Carlyle Bank–on Monday morning. He waset sure it
would be possible. He waset sure where he would be on Monday.
Since, on the surface, Carlyle was a typical New England college town, it
had a particular way of life common to such places. One knew, generally on
a first-name basis, all the people whose jobs made dayo to-day living the
effortless, unhurried existence that it was. The garage mechanic was “Joe7
or “Mae,” the manager at J. Press was “Al,” the dentist “John” or ‘Warren,”
the girl at the dry cleaners “Edith.” in Matlock’s case, the banker was
“Alex.” Alex Anderson, a Carlyle graduate of forty, a local boy who’d made
the jump from town to gown and then coordinated both. Matlock called hftn
at home and explained his problem. He was carrying around a large check
from his father. He was making some private family investments in his own
name, and they were confidential. Since the robbery at his apartment he
wanted to divest himself of the check immbdiately. Could Alex suggest
anything? Should he put it in the mail? How best to get it into his
account, since he wasn’t sure he would be in Carlyle on Monday, and he
needed it cleared, the money available. Alex Anderson suggested the
obvious. Matlock should endorse the check, put it in an envelope marked for
Andersoes attention, and drop it in the night deposit box at the bank Alex
would take care of the rest first thing Monday morning.
And then Alex Andersonasked him the denomination and Matlock told him.
The account problem solved, Matlock concentrated on what he began to think
of as his point of departure. There was no other phrase he could find, and
he needed a Phrase-he needed the discipline of a
3L72 Robert Ludlum
definition. He had to start precisely right, knowing that what might follow
could be totally undisciplined -completely without plan or orthodoxy. For he
had made up his mind.
He was going to enter the world of Nimrod. Ile builder of Babylon and
Nineveh, the hunter of wild animal , the killer of children and old men,
the beater of women.
He was going to find Nimrod.
As were most adults not wedded to the precept that all things enjoyable
were immoral, Matlock was aware that the state of Connecticu% like its
sister states to the north, the south, and the west, was inhabited by a
network of men only too eager to supply those divertissements frowned upon
by the pulpits and the courts. What Hartford insurance executive in the
upper brackets never heard of that string of “Antique Shoppes” on New
Britain Avenue where a lithe young girrs body could be had for a reasonable
amount of petty cash? What commuter from Old Greenwich was oblivious to the
large estates north of Green Farms where the gambling often rivaled the
Vegas stakes? How many tired businessmees wives from New Haven or Westport
were really ignorant of the Various “escorr services operating out of Ham-
den and Fairfield? And over in the “old country,” the Norfolks? Where the
rambling mansions were fading apotheoses to the real money, the blooded
first famiRes who migrated just a little west to avoid the new rich? The