The Tomorrow File by Lawrence Sanders

Author:Lawrence Sanders
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-06-17T04:00:00+00:00

Y-9

I visited my Times Square mail drop every day. Nothing from Simon Hawkley. Anxiety growing. My position was perilous. I was owner of a factory selling drugs to my own department of government. I knew what the results of discovery would be.

Finally, on September 20, rainy, windswept, I found a short, coded message from Hawkley. Just three series of numbers. Decoded: FISH BITING. CALL.

I called San Diego from a corner booth. We kept our conversation as brief and cryptic as possible. A letter had arrived at Scilla Pharmaceuticals from Headquarters, Department of Bliss. It was signed by an Edward T. Collins. His title was Commercial Coordinator, Security & Intelligence. It stated that since Scilla was engaged in the production and sale to the US Government of restricted drugs, according to Public Law, Section DOB-46-H3, subsection 2X-31G, the premises, the production methods, and the distribution procedures of Scilla were required to be examined and approved periodically. At 1500, on September 29, Mr. Art Roach, Chief, Security & Intelligence, would arrive at Scilla to make such an inspection.

I told Simon Hawkley I would get back to him with instructions for Seymour Dove well before Roach’s arrival.

I discussed it with Paul Bumford that night.

“You really think they’re taking the bait?” he asked.

“Definitely,” I told him. “Those in situ inspections are customarily made by a road crew, PS-4’s, conditioned for that service. I never heard of an S-and-I chief inspecting a factory personally. ”

“You don’t seem too happy,” he said.

“I’m happy enough. I suppose, subconsciously, I was hoping Angela would make the approach personally. But I should have known better. I should have known she’d use Roach as a bagman, keep a level between her and the overt act. Then, if push came to shove, she could terminate him with prejudice. Well, we’ll have to manipulate Roach and compromise her through him. Let’s get started on the scenario. The first consideration is the time frame. . .

There was never any doubt that Paul and I would have to be in San Diego when the trap was sprung. In fact, we’d have to be there a day or two earlier to help install and test the sharing equipment in Seymour Dove’s office at Scilla, and to instruct and rehearse him in his role.

“Getting out there with a legitimate cover should be no problem,” I said. “I have a backlog of threedays. You can go out to inspect Nancy Ching’s operations in the FO. The problem is-— where do we stay? The letter Scilla received states that Roach will arrive at 1500 on September twenty-ninth. But what if he takes a threeday and gets there on the twenty-seventh, or maybe just a day earlier to scout the ground? His profile says he is shrewd, clever, suspicious. We’re so close now, Paul, we can’t take the chance of getting out there early and discover we’ve checked into the hotel where he’s staying. Am I being paranoid?”

“My God, no!” Paul said. “We can’t leave anything to chance: It’s risky enough as it is.

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