International Man of Mystery

Last October, Judge Hughes, a Reagan appointee, threw out Wilson's conviction, denouncing the government's "fabrication of evidence." If the jurors had known about Wilson's 80 CIA contacts, Hughes wrote in a scathing 29-page decision, they "very likely would have believed Wilson's theory and acquitted him."

The Justice Department decided not to appeal Hughes's decision -- or to retry Wilson.

On the day Hughes issued his decision, CIA spokesman Mark Mansfield released a terse statement on Wilson: "The CIA didn't authorize or play any role whatsoever in his decision to sell arms to Libya. That decision was his, and that is why he went to jail."

Asked recently to explain the nature of the CIA's connection to Wilson during his wheeler-dealer years, Mansfield said he'd have to think about that. An hour later, he called back with a statement.

"Edwin Wilson is full of [expletive]," he said. "If I were you, I wouldn't believe for a minute his attempts to justify his actions by blaming someone, or something, other than himself."

David Corn, author of "Blond Ghost," a 1994 biography of Shackley, has a different perspective on the Wilson affair.

"They framed a guilty man," he says. "I think he's a terrible fellow who got what he deserved, but they did frame him."

Just One of Those Things

"I'd like to give you a couple of documents," Wilson says.

He slides a stack of paper across the table -- legal documents, photocopies from law books, letters to various officials. His favorite parts are highlighted with yellow Magic Marker.

Wilson says the papers prove that under sentencing guidelines, he should have been released years ago. His lawyer, sitting next to him, doesn't agree.

"I'm not sure you're right about this, Ed," Adler says.

"This is as solid as can be," Wilson says, sounding a little testy. "I should have been out four or five years ago."

Adler shrugs. There's no point in arguing with Wilson. He concedes nothing and admits no blame. His position is simple: He did nothing wrong. All the charges against him were frame-ups. All the witnesses against him were liars. He spent 22 years in prison for nothing -- and the IRS stole his property while he was inside.

"It was just vindictive," he says.

He's happy to be getting out in September but he's a little worried about money.

"I'll have $1,600 a month -- $1,000 in Social Security and $600 from CIA retirement," he says. "That means I'll probably have $500 or $600 a month to spend on rent. That'll get me a bare-light-bulb apartment somewhere."

Is he bitter?

"It's really strange but I'm not bitter," he says. "It's just one of those lousy things you get hit by in life. I never look back. I look forward. It's been a terrible waste of time but there's no profit in being bitter. There's no profit in feeling sorry for yourself."

He looks serious. He seems sincere. Is it possible that the old rogue has become mellow and philosophical? Or is he just working a new hustle here?

Wilson taps his finger on his heart. "Deep down here, I knew I wasn't guilty," he says. "That helped. If I had gone out and killed somebody, I'd feel guilty, I guess. But I don't feel guilty over this."

His face is very somber. But not for long. A minute later, he's grinning, demanding a dozen copies of this article -- no, make that two dozen.

"You won't give me a free subscription to your newspaper," he says. "I gotta get something out of your cheap outfit."