within a number of them he could see uniformed men sitting and standing, smoking cigarettes and talking on telephones.
It was the seat of the Matarese, the home of the Shepherd Boy.
At 9:30 he drove out to Logan Airport. He had told Amos Lafollet to get off the plane and head directly to
the dimly lit bar across from the main newsstand. The booths were so dark it was nearly impossible to see a face five feet in front of one, the only light a series of flashes from an enormous television screen on the wall.
Bray slid into the black plastic booth, adjusting his eyes to the lack of light. For an instant he thought of another booth in anotherdimly lit room and another man. London, the Connaught Hotel, Roger Symonds. He pushed the memory from his mind; it was an obstacle. He could not handle obstacles right now.
He saw the student walk through the bar's entrance. Scofield stood up briefly; Amos saw him and came over. There was a manila envelope in his hand and Bray felt a quick acceleration in his chest.
"I gather everything went all right," he said.
"I had to sign for it." "You what?" Bray was sick; it was such a little thing, an obvious thing, and he had not thought of it.
"Take it easy. I wasn't brought up on 135th Street and Lenox Avenue for nothing." "What name did you use?" asked Scofield, his pulse receding.
"R. M. Nixon. The receptionist was real nice. She thanked me." "You'll go far, Amos." "I intend to." "I hope this'll help." Bray handed his envelope across the table.
The student held it between his fingers. "Hey, man, you know you don't really have to do this." "Of course, I do. We had an agreement." "I know that. But I've got an idea you've gone through a lot of sweat for a lot of people you don't know." "And a number that I know very well. The money's incidental. Use it." Bray opened his attach6 case and slipped the X-ray envelope inside-tight above a file folder containing Joshua Appleton's X-ray from twenty-five years ago. "Remember, you never knew my name and you never went to Washington. If you're ever asked, you merely ran some forgotten names through a computer for a man who never identified himself. Please.
Remember that." "That's going to be tough." "Why?" Scofield was alarmed.
"How am I going to dedicate my first textbook to you?" Bray smiled. "You'll think of something. Goodbye," he said, getting out of the booth. "I've got an hour's drive and several more of sleep to catch up on." "Stay well, man." "Thanks, professor."
Scofield stood in the dentist's waiting room on Main Street in Andover, Massachusetts. The name of the dentist had been supplied-happily, even enthusiastically-by the Nurse's Office of Andover Academy. Anything for Andover's illustrious-and generous-alumnus, and by extension the Senator's aide, of course. Naturally, the dentist was not the same man who had tended Senator Appleton when he was a student; the practice had been taken over by a nephew a number of years ago, but there was no question that the present doctor would cooperate. The Nurse's Office would call him and let him know the Senator's aide was on the way over.
Bray had counted on a psychology as old as the dentist's drill. Two young boys who were close friends and away at prep school might not see eye-to-eye on every issue, but they would share the same dentist.
Yes, both boys had gone to the very same man in Andover.
The dentist came out of the door that led to a storeroom, half-glasses perched on the edge of his nose. In his hand were two sheets of cardboard, small negatives embedded in each. X-rays of two Andover students taken over thirty years ago.
"Here you are, Mr. Vickery," said the dentist, holding out the X-rays.
"Damn, will you look at the primitive way they used to mount these things! One of these days I've got to clean out that mess back there, but then you never know. Last year I had to identify an old patient of my uncle's who was burned to death in that fire over in Boxford." "Thank you very much," said Scofield, accepting the X-ray sheets. "By the way, doctor, I know you're rushed but I wonder if you'd mind one more favor? I've got two newer sets here of both men and I've got to match them with the ones you're lending us. Of course, I can get someone to do