@@@@@then to his delighted surprise the air was 19
@@@@@then to his delighted surprise the air was filled with dust and screeching brakesThe car stopped!
He ran ahead as the automobile actually backed up, the tires still screamingHe remembered the
words his mother incessantly repeated when he was a youngster in the Bronx: Always tell the truth,
MorrisIt?s the shield God gave us to keep us righteous
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Panov did not precisely subscribe to the admonition, but there were times when he felt it had
socially interactive validityThis might be one of themSo, somewhat out of breath he approached
the opened passenger window of the red automobileHe looked inside at the woman driver, a
platinum blonde in her mid-thirties with an overly made-up face and large breasts encased in
d?colletage more fitting to an X-rated film than a backcountry road in MarylandNevertheless, his
mother?s words echoed in his ears, so he spoke the truth
?I realize that I look rather shabby, madam, but I assure you it?s purely an exterior impression
I?m a doctor and I?ve been in an accident??
?Get in, for Christ?s sake!?
?Thank you so very much No sooner had Mo closed the door than the woman slammed the car
into gear, gunned the engine to its maximum, and seemingly launched off the rough pavement and
down the road?You?re obviously in a hurry,? offered Panov
?So would you be, pal, if you were me, I gotta husband back there who?s puttin? his truck
together to come after my ass!?
?Oh, really??
?Stupid fuckin? jerk! He rolls across the country three weeks outta the month layin? every broad
on the highways, then blows his keister when he finds out I had a little fun of my own
?Oh, I?m terribly sorry
?You?ll be a hell of a lot sorrier if he catches up with us
?I beg your pardon??
?You really a doctor??
?Yes, I am
?Maybe we can do business
?I beg your pardon??
?Can you handle an abortion??
Morris Panov closed his eyes
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22
Bourne walked for nearly an hour through the streets of Paris trying to clear his head, ending up at
the Seine, on the Pont de Solferino, the bridge that led to the Quai des Tuileries and the gardensAs
he leaned against the railing absently watching the boats lazily plowing the waters below, the
question kept assaulting him: Why, why, why? What did Marie think she was doing? Flying over to
Paris! It wasn?t just foolish, it was stupid?yet his wife was neither a fool nor an idiotShe was a
very bright lady with reserves of control and a quick, analytical mindThat was what made her
decision so untenable; what could she possibly hope to accomplish? She had to know he was far
safer working alone rather than worrying about her while tracking the JackalEven if she found
him, the risk was doubled for both of them, and that she had to understand completelyFigures and
projections were her profes
