CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

As soon as the Marshall's office heard that Dr. Cox had been compromised, they prepared to relocate them.

"Look Doctor," said the Marshall, "I know that you said you did not expect them, but even if they were to keep your presence secret, somehow someone will slip something and we'll be back to where we were when you volunteered for this program."

Dr. Cox took a quick look around at the restaurant. They were in a booth to the back, away from the usual crowd, but he did not want anyone to be nosing around. Liza and the children were enjoying their meal, not caring about anything except finishing without leaving a mess. As for Gino, he was talking to Marcia, or rather arguing with her.

"Marcia wants to see the children," he said.

"The children are old enough to care for themselves and why does she want to go back to that place?"

"Because it's changed," she said.

"There's still those two sweepers that remain of the old Centre hierarchy. The others are either dead, in prison, or turned informants as well as switched their loyalty to the New Centre after the CIA questioned them as to their involvement in the pursuit of Jarod, and the treatment of the other prisoners. We had to use the CIA, because Blue Cove is not on Official United States Territory. What were the names of those two sweepers, Cox?' asked the Marshall.

"Willie, although I think his real name is Willard, and Sam who works for Miss Parker. He's a Sweeper, well they both are," said Cox.

The Marshall leaned back in his seat. "So they sent Sweepers out to recapture this Jarod who is not a criminal, but has something in his genetic structure that can make him mimic any occupation, even accents."

"He's not that good at talking unless he gets angry. He only had Sidney to speak to, so most of the time as a child, he was quiet unless he asked a question. If you compare him to his son, Antonio who the Lambournis adopted and raised from infancy, you can see a great difference."

The Marshall wrote something in his notebook. "Antonio Lambourni, not a very important ambulance chaser, but he was successful. He got some rather unsavory characters out of a jam, I believe, a building code violation as well as other stuff. I'd hate to see him as a defense attorney, then we'd have criminals roaming the streets. Threatened a certain Gar with death, who was already dead. This means this Antonio is one of those," he looked through his notebook, "yes, 'Homo Dominants, possibly ah yes.A progeny. It says it was because his four babies were left in his house alone. And yet it says he has others."

"The others were at school. I guess their relatives took them in."

"No case worker?"

Cox shook his head. "Lambourni was a widower, but he's remarried now. He knew how to bring up his children. He had a photo of his old neighborhood. They got someone to prevent his daughter from coming home and now that the three male heads of the Centre are dead, he's decided to form a partnership with Miss Parker. Something in their nature does not accept female bosses."

"You seem to know quite a bit about this man. So he kept his criminal connections separate from his home life. I heard of that, I believe Al Capone had a brother who was a sheriff. It does happen." He put another lead in his mechanical pencil. "And they saw crime is inherited. Hah!" He waited.

"I don't want to move somewhere else .I've established a good practice, have a steady clientele, but I would like to go back to Delaware occasionally."

"I'm sorry that would be unwise, but if you tell us a bit more about this Jarod and Miss Parker, I might reconsider getting you to move."

Cox with reluctance told him as much as he knew in such a way as not to give the Marshall the wrong impression. The Centre had taken Jarod from his parents and the boy believed they died until he learned the truth in the last few years. He worked for the Centre doing simulations of certain events the Centre sold to others. When the Marshall asked about his salary, Cox kept a discreet silence.

"Or maybe he never got paid."

"I believe because the Centre took care of him, he was indebted to them."

The Marshall cut him short. "I understand what you mean, Doctor. The Centre really owned him. I hope now that Miss Parker and that Lambourni is in charge, things will change but I doubt it. We'll probably have to bankrupt the Department of Vital Statistics, making new birth and marriage certificates." He got up to leave. "You will notify me when you do leave to Delaware so that we can make sure you and your family is properly guarded. I will give you a booklet with a list of names and dates." He took it out of his pocket. "If you are unable to meet these connections, phone me at the number on the front inside cover."