“Besides, I didn’t like him. He was one of those
pushy oflficial types. He kept repeating things, and
when he couldn’t come up with anything, he said,
‘We know he flew out of Paris,’ as if he was
challenging me. I said I didn’t.”
“There’s not much time, but can you tell me what
else he asked you?”
“I told you, he wanted to know everything we
talked about. I said I didn’t have a tape recorder in
my head, but it was mainly small talk, the kind of
chatter I get all the hme from people I meet on
planes. About the show, the business. But he didn’t
want to settle for that; he kept pushing, which gave
me the opportunity to get a little pissed off myself.”
“How so?”
“I said, yes, we did talk about something else but
it was very personal, and none of his damn business.
He got pretty upset at that, and that let me get even
angrier. We exchanged a few barbs but his weren’t
very sharp; he was too uptight. Then he asked me
for about the tenth time if you’d said anything about
Bonn, especially where you were staying. So I told
him for the tenth time the truth at least what you
said. That you were a lawyer and here to see clients
and I didn’t know where the hell you were. I mean
I didn’t actually know you were here.”
“That’s fine.”
“Is it? Instincts are okay for first reactions,
counselor, but
156 ROBERT LUDLUM
then, you have to wonder. An aggravating Ivy
League government man, waving an embassy ID
and acting obnoxious may be very annoying in the
middle of the night, but he is from the Department
of State. What the hell’s this all about?’
Joel turned and walked to the foot of the bed;
he looked down at the LeifLelm dossier on the
floor. He turned again and spoke clearly, hearing
the exhaustion in his voice. “Something I wouldn’t
for the life of me involve you in. But for the record,
those instincts of yours were right on, pardner.”
“I’ll be honest,” said the actor, his clear eyes
amused peering out from behind the creases. “I
thought as much. I said to that bastard if I
remembered anything else, I’d phone Walter
what’s-his-name except I called him Walt and let
him know.”
“I don’t understand.”
“He’s the ambassador here in Bonn. Can you
imagine with all the troubles they’ve got over here,
that diplomatic yo-yo had a luncheon for me, a
lousy television actor? WeD the suggestion that I
might call the ambassador made our preppie more
upset than anything else; he didn’t expect it. He
said three times, as I recall that the ambassador
wasn’t to be bothered with this problem. It wasn’t
that important and he had enough on his mind, and
actually he wasn’t even aware of it. And catch this,
Mr. Lawyer. He said you were an in-house, State
Department ‘query,’ as if a simpleminded actor
couldn’t possibly understand bureaucratic jingoism.
I think that’s when I said ‘BuDshit.'”
‘ Thank you,” said Converse, not knowing what
else to say, but knowing what he wanted to find out.
“That’s also when I figured my instincts weren’t
so bad.” Dowling looked at his watch, then hard at
Converse, his eyes now penetrating. “I was a gyrene,
but I’m no fiag-waver, good buddy. However, I like
the flag. I wouldn’t live under any other.”
“Neither would 1.”
“Then you make it plain. Are you working for it?”
“Yes, the only way I know how, and that’s ad I can
ted
you.”
“Are you looking into something here in Bonn?
Is that why you didn’t want to be seen with me?
Why you stayed away from me in Hamburg and
even getting off the plane here?
“Yes.”
THE AQUITAINE PROGRESSION 157
“And that son of a bitch didn’t want me to call
the ambassador.”
‘ No, he didn’t. He doesn’t. He can’t afford it.
And, please, I ask you not to.”
“Are you Oh, Christ! Are you one of those
undercover people I read about? I walk into a guy
on a plane who can’t be seen when he gets to an
airport.”
“It’s not that melodramatic. I m a lawyer and
simply following up on some alleged irregularities.
Please accept that And I appreciate what you did for
me. I’m kind of new at this
“You’re cool, good buddy. Man, are you cool.”
Dowling turned and walked to the door. He stopped
and looked back at Converse. “Maybe I’m crazy,” he
said. “At my age it’s allowed, but there’s a streak in
you, young fella. Part go-ahead part
stay-where-you-are. I saw it when I talked about my
wife. Are you married?”
“I was.”
“Who isn’t? Was married, that is. Sorry.”
“I’m not. We’re not.”
“Who is? Sorry, again. My instincts were right.
You’re okay.” Dowling reached for the knob.
“Cal?”
“Yes?”
“I have to know. It’s terribly important. Who was
the man from the embassy? He must have identified
himself.”
“He did, ‘ said the actor. “He pushed an ID in
front of my face when I opened the door, but I
didn’t have my glasses on. But when he was leaving
I made it clear I wanted to know who the hell he
was.”
“Who was he?”
“He said his name was Fowler. Avery Fowler.”
“Wait!”
“What?”
“What did you say?” Converse reeled under the
impact
158 ROBERT LUDI.UM
of the name. He physically had to steady himself,
grabbing the nearest solid object, a bedpost, to keep
from buckling.
“What’s the matter, Joe? What’s wrong with you?”
“That name! Is this some kind of joke a bad
joke a bad line! Were you put on that plane? Did
I walk into you? Are you part of it, Mr. .4ctor?
You’re damned good at what you do!
“You’re either juiced or sick. What are you
talking about?”
‘ This room, your note! Everything! That name!
Is this whole goddamned night a setup?’
“It’s morning, young man, and if you don’t like
this room you can stay wherever you like as far as
I’m concerned.”
“Wherever . . . 4” Joel tried to evade the
blinding flashes of light from the Quai du Mont
Blanc and clear the searing blockage in his throat.
“No . . . I came here,” he said hoarsely. “There’s no
way you could have known I’d do that. In Copen-
hagen, on the plane . . . I got the last ticket in first
class, the seat next to me had been sold, an aisle
seat.”
“That’s where I always sit. On the aisle.”
“Oh, Jesus!”
“Now you’re rambling.” Dowling glanced at the
empty glass on the bedside table, then over at the
bureau top where there was a silver tray and a
bottle of Scotch whisky provided by an
accommodating desk clerk. “How much sauce have
you had?”
Converse shook his head. “I’m not drunk…. I’m
sorry. Christ, I’m sorry) You had nothing to do with
it. They’re using you trying to use you to find me!
You saved my . . . my job . . . and I went after you.
Forgive me.”
“And you don’t look like someone who’s that
worried about a job,’ said the actor, his scowl more
one of concern than anger.
“It’s not the employment, it’s . . . pulling it off.
Joel silently took a deep breath to control himself,
postponing the moment when he would have to
confront the awesome implicabons of what he had
just heard. Avery Fowler! “I want to succeed in what
I’m doing; I want to win,” he added limply, hoping
to conceal the slip he saw Dowling had spotted. “All
lawyers want to win.”
‘Sure. ‘
“I am sorry, Cal.”
“Forget it,” said the actor, his voice casual, his look
not
THE AQUITAINE PROGRESSION 159
casual at all. “Where I’m at these days screeching’s
an hourly occurrence only, they don’t say anything.
I think you just did.”
“No, I overreacted, that’s all. I told you I was
new at this. Not the law, just this . . . not talking
directly, I guess says it.”
“Does it?”
“Yes. Please believe that.”
“All right, if you want me to.” Dowling again
looked at his watch. “I’ve got to go, but there’s
something else that might be helpful in saving
that” the actor paused convincingly “job of yours.
‘
“What is it?” asked Converse tightly, trying not to
leap at the question.
“As this Fowler was leaving I had a couple of
thoughts. One was that I’d been pretty hard on a
fellow who was simply doing his job, and the other
was just plain selfish. I hadn’t cooperated, and that
could come back and snap me in the ass. Of course
if you never showed up here, I’d get my note back
and it wouldn’t matter. But if you did, and you wore
a black hat, my tail could be in a bucket of boiling