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'You were leaving！ My God； …you were leaving me！' Her eyes went blank； two blind circles of panic。 'I knew it！ I felt it！'
'I made you feel it！' he said； forcing her to look at him。 'But it's over now。 I won't leave you。 Listen to me。 I won't leave you！'
She screamed again。 'I couldn't breathe！。。。 It was so cold！'
He pulled her to him； enveloping her。 'We have to begin again。 Try to understand。 It's different now … and I can't change what was … but I won't leave you。 Not like this。'
She pushed her hands against his chest； her tear…stained face angled back； begging； 'Why； Jason？ Why？'
'Later。 Not now。 Don't say anything for a while。 lust hold me； let me hold you。'
The minutes passed； hysteria ran its course and the outlines of reality came back into focus。 Bourne led her to the chair； she caught the sleeve of her dress on the frayed lace。 They both smiled as he knelt beside her； holding her hand in silence。
'How about that drink？' he said finally。
'I think so；' she replied； briefly tightening her grip on his hand as he got up from the floor。 'You poured it quite a while ago。'
'It won't go flat。' He went to the bureau and returned with two glasses half filled with whisky。 She took hers。 'Feeling better？' he asked。
'Calmer。 Still confused。。。 frightened； of course。 Maybe
angry； too； I'm not sure。 I'm too afraid to think about that。' She drank； closing her eyes； her head pressed back against the chair。 'Why did you do it； Jason？'
'Because I thought I had to。 That's the simple answer。'
'And no answer at all。 I deserve more than that。'
'Yes； you do； and I'll give it to you。 I have to now because you have to hear it； you have to understand。 You have to protect yourself。'
'Protect。。。？'
He held up his hand； interrupting her。 'It'll e later。 All of it； if you like。 But the first thing we have to do is know what happened … not to me； but to you。 That's where we have to begin。 Can you do it？'
'The newspaper？'
'Yes。'
'God knows； I'm interested；' she said； smiling weakly。
'Here。' Jason went to the bed where he had dropped the two papers。 'We'll both read it。'
'No games？〃
'No games。'
They read the long article in silence； an article that told of death and intrigue in Zurich。 Every now and then Marie gasped； shocked at what she was reading； at other times she shook her head in disbelief。 Bourne said nothing。 He saw the hand of Ilyich Ramirez Sanchez。 Carlos will follow Cain to the ends of the earth。 Carlos will kill him。 Marie St Jacques was expendable； a baited decoy that would die in the trap that caught Cain。
I am Cain。 I am death。
The article was； in fact； two articles … an odd mixture of fact and conjecture； speculations taking over where evidence came to an end。 The first part indicted a Canadian government employee； a female economist； Marie St Jacques。 She was placed at the scene of three murders； her fingerprints confirmed by the Canadian government。 In addition； police found a hotel key from the Carillon du Lac； apparently lost during the violence on the Guisan Quai。 It was the key to Marie St Jacques' room； given to her by the hotel clerk who remembered her well … remembered what appeared to him to be a guest in a highly disturbed state of anxiety。 The final piece of evidence was a handgun discovered not far from the Steppdeckstrasse； in an alley close by the scene of two other killings。 Ballistics held it to be the murder weapon； and again there were fingerprints； again confirmed by the Canadian government。 They belonged to the woman； Marie St Jacques。
It was at this point that the article veered from fact。 It spoke of rumours along the Bahnhofstrasse that a multi…million…dollar theft had taken place by means of a puter manipulation dealing with a numbered； confidential account belonging to an American corporation called Treadstone Seventy…one。 The bank was also named； it was of course the Gemeinschaft But everything else was clouded； obscure； more speculation than fact。
According to 'unnamed sources'； an American male holding the proper codes transferred millions to a bank in Paris； assigning the new account to specific individuals who were to assume rights of possession。 The assignees were waiting in Paris and； upon clearance； withdrew the millions and disappeared。 The success of the operation was traced to the American's obtaining the accurate codes to the Gemeinschaft account； a feat made possible by penetrating the bank's numerical sequence related to year； month and day of entry； standard procedure for confidential holdings。 Such an analysis could only be made through the use of sophisticated puter techniques and a thorough knowledge of Swiss banking practices。 When questioned； an officer of the bank； Herr Walther Apfel； acknowledged that there was an on…going investigation into matters pertaining to the American pany； but pursuant to Swiss law； 'the bank would make no further ment。 To anyone。'
Here the connection with Marie St。 Jacques was clarified。 She was described as a government economist extensively schooled in international banking procedures； as well as a skilled puter programmer。 She was suspected of being an acplice； her expertise necessary to the massive theft。 And there was a male suspect； she was reported to have been seen in his pany at the Carillon du Lac。
Marie finished the article first and let the paper drop to the floor。 At the sound； Bourne looked over from the edge of the bed。 She was staring at the wall； a strange pensive serenity having e over her。 It was the last reaction he expected。 He finished reading quickly； feeling depressed and hopeless … for a moment； speechless。 Then he found his voice and spoke。
'Lies；' he said； 'and they were made because of me； because of who and what I am。 Smoke you out； they find me。 I'm sorry； sorrier than I can ever tell you。'
Marie shifted her eyes from the wall and looked at him。 'It goes much deeper than lies； Jason；' she said。 〃There's too much truth for lies alone。'
'Truth？ The only truth is that you were in Zurich！ You never touched a gun； you were never in an alley near the Steppdeckstrasse； you didn't lose a hotel key； and you never went near the Gemeinschaft。'
'Agreed； but that's not the truth I'm talking about。'
Then what is？'
'The Gemeinschaft； Treadstone Seventy…one； Apfel。 Those are true and the fact that any of them were mentioned … especially Apfel's acknowledgment … is incredible。 Swiss bankers are cautious men。 They don't defy the law； not this way； the sentences are too severe。 The statutes pertaining to banking confidentiality are among the most sacrosanct in Switzerland。 Apfel could go to prison for years for saying what he did； for even alluding to such an account； much less confirming it by name。 Unless he was ordered to say what he did by an authority powerful enough to contravene the laws。' She stopped； her eyes straying to the wall again。 'Why？ Why was the Gemeinschaft or Treadstone or Apfel ever made part of the story？'
'I told you。 They want me and they know we're together。 Carlos knows we're together。 Find you； he finds me。'
'No； Jason； it goes beyond Carlos。 You really don't understand the laws in Switzerland。 Not even a Carlos could