Джеффри Дивер - The Cutting Edge

But Rhyme knew the phone was alive and well. The Watchmaker had held on to it for one reason, and one reason only.

No more than ten minutes later Rhyme’s own mobile chimed — several times — with a series of texts.

Hello, Lincoln. It’s been some time. Doing well, from what I’ve heard. My, I was afraid this might happen. I tried to plan El Halcón’s escape anywhere but New York, worried that you would leap into the fray. Sadly, there could be no change of venue — for El Halcón or for my plan. Brooklyn was the only weak link in security.

And so I created as smart a plan as I could, to keep you fooled, but we saw what happened. I have my down payment on the job but you cost me three million dollars for the rest of the fee. That, I don’t care so much about. What troubles me is the damage to my reputation. Word will get around and people might think: Perhaps his timepieces are not ticking as accurately as in the past. After all, a clock that loses only a thousandth of a second a year is still a faulty clock. Time is absolute.

This cannot happen again. The next time we meet — and we will meet again, I promise you — will be the last. Farewell, for now, Lincoln. I’ll leave you with this sentiment, which I hope you will ponder on sleepless nights: Quidam hostibus potest neglecta; aliis hostibus mori debent.

Rhyme was not a classics scholar but he could translate that line well enough:

Some enemies can be ignored; other enemies must die.

He read the text once more — to see if there were any clues as to where the Watchmaker was texting from or where he intended to go. Nothing. And by now the phone was, in fact, destroyed. He told Cooper to power down his own phone, remove the battery and throw it out. Then call the server and cancel that number.

He then moved to the landline and spoke into the microphone attached to it.

“Call Daryl Mulbry. AIS.”

The numbers trilled by quickly as the dialer went to work.

Two rings. Then a woman’s matter-of-fact voice: “Yes?”

“Daryl Mulbry. Please.”

“I’m sorry. He’s not available right now.”

“It’s important.”

“I’ll make sure he gets the message. If you—”

“Please tell him it’s Lincoln Rhyme calling.”

A pause. “Just a minute, sir. I’ll get him.”