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The thirteenth name was Richard Yao。 Russo didn't know precisely where he was working at this time of day； so they sought out his unit foreman。 They found him supervising the welding going on in one section of the bottom of the atrium lobby。 He was a heavy…set man with almost no hair and close…set eyes。
'You just missed him； Abe。' He took a thick cigar stub out of his mouth； used it to point over his shoulder。 'He split。'
'What for？' Russo asked。
'Said he was sick。' He put the cold stub back into his mouth。 'Didn't look too good neither。'
'How long ago did this happen；' Nicholas said。
'Oh； I'd say fifteen … maybe twenty minutes ago。 Like I said； you just missed him。' He looked at Russd。 'Anything wrong？ He's a good worker。'
Russo's eyes flickered briefly in Nicholas's direction before he shook his head negatively。 〃Thanks； Mike。 You need another man down here？'
'I could use one。'
'Okay。 I'll see to it then。'
On the way back up to the top of the tower； he said； 'What do you think； Mr Linnear？'
'I think；' Nicholas said； 'that we have our man。'
'Well； hey； give me this for a sec …' He took the sheaf of paper from Nicholas's grasp； leafed through the accordion sheets。 'Here！' His forefinger stabbed at the sheet。 'Here's his address； 547 … hey； wait a minute I That address is too far west。 It's a phony！'
'I'm not surprised。'
The doors opened and Nicholas sprinted down the corridor； leaving the other behind； staring at him。 He pushed past Frank。 Tomkin was on the phone； behind his desk。 He put a palm over the moudipiece。 'Well；' he said； 'what gives？ Did you find…'
But Nicholas was already at the verge of the desk； his fingertips moving quickly but surely around the rim of die。 top。
'What the hell …'
'Hang up；' Nicholas said。 He was circling the desk； probing。 His fingertips never left the surface of the oiled wood。
Tomkin stared down at Nicholas's hands as if they were disembodied entities。 He lifted the receiver to his ear； mumbled a few words and hung up。
'Good；' Nicholas said； still moving。 'I'd like to talk to you …'
'About what happened downstairs。 Yeah。 Yeah。' His blue eyes were open wide as he watched。 Across the room； Russo had e in。 He stood quietly next to Frank； looking on。
'Right。 About what happened downstairs。' Nicholas knelt； began to search under the desk。 He spoke as he worked。 'I dunk we found our man。〃 Wiring and puter modules。 'The diir…teendi。 A man named Richard Yao。 He was transferred here from a Rubin Bros site in Brooklyn。' Ridged templates： the
puter grid。 More wiring。 'Not too long ago。' As thick as a rat's nest； colour…coded for easy repair。 'Quite a good worker； so his foreman says。'
'Yeah； so what？' Tomkin's deep…set eyes never left Nicholas's hands。 'What's it to me？'
'He's our man。 He split just after I made the call to Russo requesting the list of oriental male workers here at the tower。' One ridge higher than the other and he backtracked with the tips of his fingers just to make certain。 He gave a little pull。 'Russo didn't speak to anyone about this little job and there was no time for anyone to get a peek。' Fingers still in darkness with their minuscule prize。 'Just Russo and me and' … he lifted it into the light at last； deposited on the gleaming desk top in front of Tomkin； a bright bit of plastic and metal； thin as a wafer； less than an inch in diameter … 'of course； the telephone。'
Tomkin's face had gone red and his head seemed to tremble somewhat。 He reached out one forefinger； pushed hesitantly at the thing as if he thought it might bite him。 'Goddamn it I' he cried。 'Goddamn it！ Under my own nose！' He pounded the table； looked up。 'Frank； you sonovabitch！ How'd you let mat cocksucker in here？ I'll kill you！'
Frank stood rooted to the spot； bewildered。
'It's not his fault；' Nicholas said quietly。 'He couldn't know what to look for。'
But Tomkin was beyond calming words。 He moved out from behind his desk； the forefinger that had touched the electronic bug waving in the air at his bodyguard。 'Is this what I pay you for； you asshole？ That … dial shit was in here； prowling around！ Where the fuck were you？ Tell me that！ Where the fuck were you？'
'I was here all the time； Mr Tomkin；' Frank said hastily。 'Even when you were out to lunch； I was here。 I never left； you gotta believe me。 This guy must have busted in here at night； after you and me were gone。 I don't …'
Tomkin soared forward； slammed Frank with the back of his hand。 'Nobody broke in here； you schmuck … not without my knowing about it the next day。' He watched the bright red stain on Frank's cheek； he could almost feel how hot the skin was。 'No； he was here all right； under our noses。 You were just too stupid to have seen him。'
'But I didn't； even know who to look for；' Frank said。
'Shut up I Just shut up； will you？' Tomkin turned his back on him。 'Christ； you sound like a baby crying。'
Nicholas had been moving in a half…crouch outwards from the epicentre of the desk in a tight spiral。 It took him ten minutes of intensive search but he found a second bug under one section of the chocolate couch。 No one said anything until he was finished。
'I think；' Nicholas said； dusting off his hands； 'that under the circumstances we'd better go downstairs。'
'What for？' Tomkin looked puzzled。 'The room's secure now； isn't it？'
Nicholas nodded。 He was already moving towards the door to the corridor。 'Tell you on the way down； okay？'
Tomkin's heavy voice broke the whirring silence of their descent。 'I don't mind telling you that was a good piece of work you did up there； Nick。 Damned fine。 Thanks。' He sighed。 'You know I regularly have my office and homes electronically vacuumed every six months to weed out surveillance but； Christ； I haven't even moved in here officially。' He ran his fingers through his iron…grey brush of hair。 'Sweet Jesus； when I think of what he might have overheard over those lines！ I'd like to rip his throat out！'
The doors slid open and they stepped out into the atrium。
'You don't think the bastard's here somewhere； do you？' Tomkin's head moved from side to side。
'No chance；' Nicholas said； guiding the other man along the lobby。 'He knew security had been broken the minute he overheard my conversation with Russo。 He's split。 For the time being。'
They went out into the hot sunshine on Park Avenue。 Like stepping out onto the surface of a bloated； slowly turning planet； the burning atmosphere so thick it felt like gravity； locked in a pressure chamber。
As they approached the car； the thin； bony chauffeur got out； stood waiting on the broken sidewalk； one hand grasping the door handle。
Nicholas stopped them midway along the plank walkway。
The jarring sound of the jackhammers filled the air like a battery of dentists' drills。 Tomkin had to lean close in order to hear what Nicholas was saying。 He nodded and they climbed into the dim； cool interior of the limo。
They started up immediately； nosing out into the traffic flow。 Nicholas began to work。 He went to the phone first； unscrewing both ends of the receiver； drew a blank。 It had to be a place of easy access； he reasoned。 The ninja might have been able to take his time in Tomkin's office but certainly not here。 He looked into the well where the receiver was placed； very little room。 He used one finger all around the sides。 And came up with it。 He depressed a button and an inch of window slid silently down。 He threw the bug out。 The window sighed up。
'Clear？' Tomkin asked。
He held up his hand； inspected all the obvious places； nothing。
'All right。' He sat back up in the seat。 'We're secure。'
'Good。' Tomkin's face relaxed visibly。 'All this has given me （he creeps because it's e at the worst time imaginable。' He leaned forward； depressed a hidden stud。 A smoked…glass panel slid upwards； cutting them off from the front of the car。 Nicholas saw the cross…hatching of the wire mesh embedded within the glass。 'I'm in the middle of one of the biggest deals I've ever made。 It takes in corporations on three continents。 The amount of money involved； well； it's incalculable。 Christ； what I need now is not to be disturbed； so I get this … asshole… hanging ar