Zero History

“She wants me to tell you about Gracie,” said Milgrim.
“I’d like you to do that,” said Bigend, “but perhaps things would be simplified by my
speaking with her myself. I’m not entirely unaccustomed to dealing with Americans.”
“She has to go back,” said Milgrim. “She isn’t going to learn what she needs to learn
here. You aren’t what she thought you were. You’re just competition for Foley and
Gracie. But she wants you to know about Gracie. That Gracie won’t like it that you’re
competing.”
“He already didn’t,” said Bigend. “He turned Sleight, probably at that Marine Corps
trade fair in Carolina. Unless Sleight volunteered, which I regard as a possibility. And did
she give you a reason for her wanting me to know all this, your unnamed, perhaps
nameless federal agent?”
“Winnie Tung Whitaker,” said Milgrim.
Bigend stared at him. “Hyphenated?”
“No,” said Milgrim.
“Did she? Suggest why she might want me to know about this person?”
“She said that you’re rich and have lawyers. That if she can roll you in front of him,
she might as well. I don’t think she’s been getting any closer to popping him. Sounded
frustrated.”
“One does,” agreed Bigend, leaning forward in his trench coat. “And when did you
discuss all this with her?”
“She was at the hotel,” Milgrim said, “after I met with you. And I had dinner with her,
tonight. Vietnamese.”
“And who is employing ‘Foley,’ then?”
“Michael Preston Gracie.” Hollis saw Milgrim check to see that he’d gotten the name
right. “Major, retired, U.S. Army, Special Forces. He trains police for foreign countries,
arranges for them to buy equipment from friends of his. Sometimes it isn’t equipment
they should be able to buy. But he’s moving into contracting the way you want to.
Designing things, manufacturing. She said it was the legitimization stage.”
“Ah,” said Bigend, with a nod. “He’s gotten big enough to acquire real lawyers.”
“That’s what she said.”
“That’s often problematic. A watershed. Not everyone makes it. By the time you’re big
enough to have lawyers willing to sufficiently make the case for legitimization, you’re
quite big, and highly illegitimate.”
“I knew a drug dealer who bought a Saab dealership,” offered Milgrim.
“Exactly,” said Bigend, with a look for Hollis.
“I think she wanted you to understand that Gracie’s dangerous,” Milgrim said, “and that
he regards competitors as enemies.”
“ ‘Listen to your enemies,’ ” Bigend said, “ ‘for God is speaking.’ ”
“What does that mean?” Milgrim asked.
“A Yiddish proverb,” Bigend said. “It rewards contemplation.”