Chapter 17 Chapter 17 The Informant

The following day, while arriving at the office, Andrew received a new message from Marisa.He dialed back without hesitation. "I may have found a solution," she told Andrew. "My boyfriend agreed to track down the Ortag line for us. He's out of work now, and it's just right for him to make a little money." .” "How much?" Andrew asked. "Five hundred dollars a week, of course you will pay for travel expenses and the like." "This amount is not small," Andrew sighed, "I'm not sure whether the senior management of the newspaper will agree."

"Ten hours a day, five days a week, that's about $10 an hour, which is what you need to pay for a cleaner in New York. You can't treat us differently because we're not Americans." "I've never thought about it that way, Marisa. Business isn't doing very well at the newspaper, and the budget is getting tighter. My superiors think this investigation has cost too much money." "Antonio can leave tomorrow. If he drives to Córdoba, he can probably save the airfare. As for the accommodation problem, he can find a way to solve it by himself. He has relatives who live by Lake San Roque, anyway. They are not far away. You only need to pay his salary, gas and catering. In the end, it is up to you. Actually, this is the time. If he finds a job later, it is naturally impossible to help you Work done..."

Andrew considered the conditions proposed by Marisa, he smiled, and decided to accept her proposal.He wrote down the bank account number left by Marisa on a piece of paper and promised to transfer the money on the same day. "Antonio will be on his way as soon as I get the money. We'll call you every night and keep in touch with you." "Will you go with him?" "Two people are no more expensive than one if you go by car," Marisa replied. beautiful." "I thought your employer wouldn't agree to your leave of absence." "You don't know the power of my smile, Mr. Steelman."

"I'm not going to give you a week of paid princess-like vacation." "It's about tracking down a former war criminal. Who said we were on vacation?" "I'll call you next time I decide to raise your salary, Marisa, and I'm eagerly awaiting news from you." "See you later, Mr. Steelman." She hung up the phone. Andrew rolled up his sleeves, and he planned to have a good talk with Olivia Stein about the extra expenses.He was full of joy on the way.This deal with Marisa was not part of the past, so its final outcome is completely unknown.He decided to apply for this event from his own funds. If valuable information can be obtained, it will be easier to apply for additional funds in the future. impression.

He left the office and went to the Western Union window to complete the seven hundred dollar transfer.Five hundred is the salary paid in advance to Antonio, and two hundred is the other expenses paid in advance.Then he called Valerie and told her he would be home early. In the afternoon, he suddenly felt a dull pain began to haunt him again.He was sweating and began to shiver, and the itching sensation ran through his limbs, and the lower back began to ache, this time it was worse than the last time.The sharp tinnitus almost burst his eardrums. Andrew got up and went into the bathroom to wash his face in cold water when he found Olsen sprawled over the sink with a pile of powder pointed at his nose.

Olsen was taken aback. "I'm sure I locked the door." "Unlocked, my old friend, and if I can reassure you, I may say that I am not surprised to see it." "Damn it, Steelman, if you show the slightest word to the outside world, I'm screwed. I can't lose this job, please, don't do something stupid." To be honest, when Andrew felt his legs were weak, whether to do something stupid was indeed his last thought. "I don't feel well." He moaned and leaned against the sink. Freddie Olsen sat him down on the ground. "you're uncomfortable?"

"As you can see, I'm as good as the hell I am. Close the door, or it will be misunderstood if anyone comes in now." Freddie got up quickly and locked the door. "What's the matter with you, Steelman? It's not the first time I've seen you hurt like this. Maybe you should see a doctor." "You've got more white flour on your nose than a baker's nose, so you're the one who should go to the hospital. You're a junkie, Freddie. This stuff will burn your nerves out sooner or later. Where did you come from?" When did you start smoking?"

"What does my health matter to you? Tell me the truth, Steelman, are you going to denounce me? I beg you not to. Seriously, the relationship between you and me may not be that good to some. Great, but you know better than I do that I've never been your career rival. What do you get if I get fired?" Andrew felt the pain recede; his limbs regained feeling, his vision was clear, and a soft warmth swept over him. Suddenly a quote from Pileg came to his mind: "Catching a criminal without understanding his motives is only half the job for the police." He tried to focus as hard as he could.Had he ever caught Olson smoking cocaine on the spot in the past?Did Olson ever feel like a threat?It is possible that Olsen was egged on by someone else, and Olsen, believing that Andrew was going to have a hard time with him, turned desperate for revenge.Andrew considered how he would unmask Freddie by telling him who had sent him to the arms store to buy a set of skinners and what he was going to do with them.

"Can you help me up?" he asked Olson. Olsen looked at him with a fierce look in his eyes.He reached into his pocket and Andrew believed he saw the point of a screwdriver or an awl. "First you have to swear never to tell the story." "Don't be a fool, Olsen. You said it yourself, what good would it do me to tell on you? What kind of life you plan to live has nothing to do with me." Olsen reached out to Andrew. "I've been wrong about you, Steelman, and you may be a very good man." "Well, Freddie, don't play your flattery in front of me, I won't say anything, you can rest assured of that."

After Andrew finished speaking, he immersed his face in the water.The tissue box was stuck again as usual.As he was walking out of the bathroom, Olsen tripped him with his leg out.So the two of them fell face to face in front of their boss who was waiting for them in the corridor. "Are you guys plotting something, or is there something related to you that I don't know about?" Olivia Stein looked at the two and asked. "What do you think we are doing?" Andrew asked back. "You two shut up together for a quarter of an hour in a nine-square-meter washroom, what do you think I will think?"

"Andrew was a little unwell today. So I went to see if he was okay and I found him lying on the bathroom floor. I stayed with him until he regained consciousness. But now everything is back to normal, isn't it , Steelman?" "Are you feeling sick again?" Olivia asked anxiously. "It's nothing serious, don't worry, it's just that the back pain is so bad sometimes, it really knocks me down." "Go see a doctor, Andrew, this is the second time you've had an illness at the newspaper office, and I think there may be other cases in the future. This is an order, and I don't want to see your waist hurt when you leave for Argentina. It hurts a lot, understand?" "Understood, boss." Andrew replied with pretended affirmation. When he got back to work, Andrew looked back at Olsen again. "You don't forget to drag me into the water all the time." "How do you want me to answer the boss's question, do you want me to say we were kissing in the bathroom?" Freddie replied. "Come with me, I have something to tell you, but not here." Andrew took Freddy to the coffee shop. "What did you go to the weapons store for?" "I'm going to buy some ribs... what's the matter with you, are you spying on me now?" Andrew racked his brains, trying to figure out how to answer his colleague without pissing him off. "You smoke cocaine all day, and then you go to a gun store... If you're in debt, I want to know about it before your creditors come and slaughter all the employees of the newspaper." "Be quiet, Steelman, I went to that store and that has nothing to do with it. I only went to work." "Then explain it carefully!" Olsen hesitated for a moment, then decided to back down and tell Andrew the truth. "Well, I told you I was investigating the three murders with the same weapon? I have my informants. I went to a friend who was a cop and he got me We got the relevant forensic reports. According to the reports, the wounds of the three victims were not caused by blades, but by a sharp object like a long needle, which would leave irregular wounds." "An ice pick?" "No, to be precise, the wounds caused every time the weapon is pulled out are too severe, so this weapon cannot be just a simple long needle, no matter how long it is. The forensic doctor guesses that it may be a fishing hook, so that the inside The wound could have extended to the abdomen, and the murder weapon should have been pierced from the side of the rib. When I was a child, I used to go hunting with my father. His method was completely traditional, just like a trapper. I don't want you to hear my childhood stories, I just thought of a tool my father used to skin deerskins. I kept wondering if there is still a place to buy this tool, so I went there The store checked my suspicions. Is your curiosity satisfied now, Steelman?" "You really think a serial killer is going to run amok and kill on the streets of Manhattan?" "Believe it or not." "Did the newspaper really send you to investigate this mess?" "Olivia wants us to grab this scoop." "It wouldn't be a scoop if we were behind everyone else, would it? Why make up all this nonsense, Olsen? Olivia didn't assign you to any serial killer-related cases at all. " Freddy looked at Andrew with suspicion, and he knocked over his cup of coffee all at once. "The way you look is disgusting. Are you a cop or a reporter? I know you hate me like hell, but I can tell you straight up that I'm not a jerk. I would be too. Those who resist, resist in any way." "You should probably clear your nostrils first, Olson. It's not a good idea to knock over a cup of coffee in the middle of a café to avoid attracting attention; everyone's looking at you." "I don't care about other people at all, I will protect myself, that's all." "what are you talking about?" "It should be me who asks, what kind of world do you live in, Steelman? Can't you see what's going on in the newspaper? They're going to lay off half of the staff, and you're the only one who doesn't know about this of course, you don't feel threatened at all. When we have a female boss as a protector, we don't have to worry about our position, but I, I don't have her favor, I just You can fight to the best of your ability.” "Freddy, you've completely confused me." "Just play dumb again. Your report on the sale of children created a sensation and you were immediately sent to Argentina for another investigation. They put you in a very high position. But me, I have several I haven’t written anything noteworthy for months. I can only pray every night that God will give me some special events to write about. If it weren’t for keeping my job, you think I would sleep under my desk every night. I would Sacrifice your weekend break? Once I lose my job, I will lose everything. I have only this job in my life. Do you have nightmares every night? Of course not, why do you have nightmares? But me, I wake up sweaty every night, dreaming of sitting at my musty desk in the provincial countryside, working hard for cabbage leaves on a street corner, looking at a stained wall The yellowed New York Times dreaming of what it once was. Then the phone rang and I was told I had to get back to the grocery store right away because a dog just came in and made a mess. I have this goddamn nightmare every night Well, Steelman, Olivia has never sent me to do any investigations, or should I say she has never looked at me since you were favored. I give myself jobs. If I am lucky enough Well, if a serial killer can really be found, it will definitely be an explosive news. For this reason, I can go to every weapon store in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. As long as I can catch him, I will do whatever it takes. I don't care if you like it or not." As Andrew watched his colleague, Olsen's hands trembled and his breath came out in shortness of breath. "Sorry. If I could assist you in your investigation, I would be more than happy to do so." "Of course, Mr. Steelman, who is full of sympathy with your lofty position. Get out!" Speaking of which, Olsen stood up and left the coffee shop without looking back. The conversation with Olsen dominated Andrew's thoughts for the rest of the day.Since learning about his colleague's situation, Andrew suddenly felt that he was no longer alone.Over dinner with Valerie that night, he told her of Freddie's desperate situation. "You should have helped him," Valerie said, "and helped him investigate instead of turning around on your own." "It's all because of the office layout that put us back to back." "Don't play dumb, you know exactly what I'm talking about." "My life is already complicated enough by the Argentine investigation. If I have to track down a supposed serial killer, then I really can't live my life." "I'm not talking to you about it, but about him smoking cocaine." "In order to test the forensic results, this abnormal guy actually bought a skinning device. He thought it was the murder weapon used by serial killers." "It should be admitted that this thing is really powerful." "you know too?" "It's a surgical tool. If you want to see it, I can bring one back from the operating room tomorrow." Valerie replied with a smile on her lips. This little smile put Andrew in deep thought, and he was still thinking about it until he fell asleep. At dawn, Andrew woke up.He suddenly wanted to go for a run by the Hudson River.He had a thousand reasons for not setting foot there since he had turned back time, but after some consideration he felt that July 9 was still a long way off.Valerie was in a deep sleep.Andrew tiptoed out of bed, put on his running jacket, and left his apartment.Nishimura was still immersed in complete silence.Andrew took small steps down Charles Street.He quickened his pace as he approached the end of the street, crossing the eight lanes of the side road on the west side of the expressway without stopping for the first time. The discovery put him in a good mood, and he ran out to the trails at Riverside Park, elated by the rediscovery of his morning routine. Andrew took a short break from his morning exercise to watch the lights go out in Hoboken.He watched this fascinating scene obsessively, which reminded him of his childhood.When he lived in Poughkeepsie, his father would wake him up early every Saturday morning.The two of them finished breakfast together in the kitchen, and in order not to wake his mother, his father let him sit in the cab of the Datsun and pushed the car onto the road himself.God only knows how much he misses his parents, Andrew thought.When the car reached the street, Andrew, who had already learned how to drive, started the car, released the clutch pedal, and listened to the sound of the engine starting up.To teach him how to drive, his father had Andrew cross the Hudson Bridge, then turn into the Oak Road branch and park the car by the river.From their position, they could see the moment when the lights of Poughkeepsie went out one by one.Whenever this happened, Andrew's father would applaud, as if what they saw was a fireworks that was about to end. But now, when the lights in Jersey City were turned off one by one, Andrew picked up his mood and embarked on the journey of morning jogging again. Suddenly he turned his head and noticed a familiar figure following behind him.He rubbed his eyes. It was Freddie Olsen, walking slowly towards him with his right hand hidden in the middle pocket of his terry sweatshirt.Andrew felt that danger was approaching.He could have considered whether he should fight Freddy head-on, or try to reason with him, but Andrew also knew that the second choice would probably give him a fatal blow before he even spoke.Andrew started running with all his might.Fear gripped him completely, and he looked back again to see how far Olsen was now.But in fact Olsen was getting closer and closer, and Andrew tried his best to run away, but in vain.He couldn't get rid of Olsen.Olsen must have taken a decent dose of cocaine; how could he beat a guy who dealt with drugs all day long?Andrew noticed a line of runners ahead.If he could catch up with them, he would be saved.Freddy could only abandon his attack plan when he saw so many people.Fifty meters away, it didn't seem impossible to catch up with them, even though Andrew was already exhausted at this time.He prayed to the good God to give him enough energy. It is still a long time before July 9th. He still has tasks to go to Argentina to complete, and there are so many things to say to Valerie. He does not want to die today. Time It hasn't arrived yet, and it hasn't arrived yet again.Now the runner in front of him was only twenty meters away, but Andrew suddenly felt that Freddy was getting closer. "Go harder, please," said Andrew to himself, "go on, go on, my good fellow." He really wanted to shout for help, but he was so out of breath that he couldn't shout a word at all. Suddenly, he felt a heart-piercing pain in his lower back.Andrew cried out in pain.A woman among the runners ahead heard him and looked back at him.Andrew's heart stopped when he found out that the woman was Valerie, who was smiling peacefully as she watched him die.He fell on the asphalt and the lights went out. When Andrew opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a hospital bed moaning, the freshness of the plastic material under him did not ease his pain.A voice came from the speakers above: He was going to be CT'ed, but not for long.He has to keep his body still. But how can a person move his body when his hands and feet are bound with belts?Andrew tried to control the echo of his heartbeat in this white room.Before he had time to see the furnishings in the room, the cart pushed him into a huge machine.He felt as if he had been buried alive in a modern sarcophagus.There was the dull sound of machines outside, and a series of scary metal knocking sounds.The voice on the tweeter seemed to want to reassure him: everything is going well, don't be afraid, the exam will be painless, and it will be over soon. The noise finally stopped, the cart started moving again, and Andrew slowly saw the light.A stretcher bearer moved him to a hospital bed on wheels.He recognized the face, he must have seen him elsewhere.Andrew concentrated his memory, and he almost certainly recognized Sam, Valerie's assistant at the veterinary clinic.Due to the effect of the drug, he suspected that he had started talking nonsense. He wished he could ask him some questions anyway, but the man smiled at him and left him alone in the ward. "Which hospital am I in?" Andrew wondered secretly.Anyway, it doesn't matter anymore.He finally survived after being attacked, and he also recognized the attacker.After the injury stabilizes, he will soon be able to live a normal life.Damn Freddie Olsen is bound to spend ten years behind bars, which should be the lightest sentence for attempted murder. Andrew shouldn't have been taken in so easily by Olsen's false story.This guy should be suspicious of himself, so he made a move in advance.Andrew thought he would have to postpone the trip to Argentina now, but now he was convinced that if he could come back alive, the trajectory of things would definitely change. There was a knock at the door, and Inspector Pilleg entered, accompanied by a pretty lady in a white blouse. "I'm sorry, Steelman, I failed and let this guy hurt you. I'm with the wrong guy, I'm old, and my instincts don't work like they used to." Andrew wanted to reassure the sheriff, but he tried hard and still couldn't say a word. "As soon as I knew what happened to you, I rushed over on the next flight, and I brought this neurologist friend, who I mentioned to you before. Allow me to introduce you to Kelin doctor." "Call me Roland." The female doctor said and held out her hand to Andrew. Andrew remembered her name, which Pileg had mentioned at dinner one time, but for some reason he couldn't remember her name every time he hesitated to get tested. The doctor felt for Andrew's pulse, looked at his eyeballs, and took a pen out of his pocket: a strange pen with a glass barrel. "Keep your eyes on the light, Mr. Steelman," said the doctor, moving the pen from side to side. She put the pen in her jacket pocket and took a few steps back. "Olsen." Andrew pronounced those few syllables with difficulty. "I know," Pilleg sighed, "we've gone to the papers and he's denied he did it, but your friend Simon's testimony about the arms store caught him up. He finally admitted Well, I wasn't completely mistaken, though, and your wife was his accomplice. I'm really sorry, and I'd rather be mistaken about that." "Valerie, but why?" Andrew stammered. "Didn't I tell you that there are only two types of crime in this world... Ninety percent of the time, the criminal will be a relative or friend. Your co-worker told her you fell in love with another woman, and you want Canceled the wedding with her. She couldn't take the insult and we just arrested her in her clinic. Given the number of police officers present, she didn't resist and was arrested." A burst of sadness engulfed Andrew, and he almost lost the desire to continue living in an instant. The female doctor came to his bedside again. "The CT scan proves that everything is fine with your body and there is no pathology or damage to your brain. That's good news." "But I'm so cold and my back hurts badly," Andrew said inarticulately. "I know, your body temperature is too low, so my colleagues and I have reached a consensus. You are dead, Mr. Steelman, really dead. This cold feeling will not last long, wait until It ends when your consciousness disappears." "I'm sorry, Steelman, I'm really sorry for my failure," Sergeant Pileg repeated, "I'll have lunch with my friend in a minute, and then we'll take you to the morgue. We're not going to leave you alone. Anyway, even though we haven't known each other very long, I'd like to say that it's a pleasure to meet you." The female doctor said goodbye to Andrew politely, and Pileg patted him on the shoulder kindly. They turned off the lights in the ward and walked out of the ward together. Andrew was left alone in the dark, yelling in despair. He felt that someone was shaking him, and his body seemed to be floating on the sea in a storm.A bright light hit his eyelids, Andrew opened his eyes wide, and he saw Valerie's face, bending over him. "Andrew, wake up, honey, you are having a nightmare. Wake up, Andrew!" He took a deep breath and sat up abruptly, drenched in sweat, to find himself lying on his bed in the West Village apartment.Valerie was almost horrified by his appearance.She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly in her arms. "You're having nightmares every night, you should see a doctor, this can't be delayed any longer." Andrew came back to his senses.Valerie hands him a glass of water. "Come on, drink some water, it'll make you feel better. You're as wet as if you just got out of the water." He glanced at the alarm clock he kept on the bedside table.The pointer points to 6 o'clock in the morning, and the date is Saturday, May 26. He has six weeks left to find the killer, unless his nightmarish night takes him away before then.