,what forr
‘To search my things. They have done that before.’
‘Who?’
‘Damned if I know.’
M
‘Now, who’s no helpT
‘Sorry…. Tell me, Bobby, who exactly knew I was flying in? How was it
handled?’
‘First question: three people. I did, of course; I’m on the dials.
Granville, obviously. And Jean Cameron; the old man asked her to follow up
on an apartment … but you know that. Question two: very confidentially.
Remember, your orders came through at night. From Washington. Jean was
playing chess with Granville in his quarters when I brought him the eggs.
‘The whaff interrupted David.
‘The scrambler; it’s marked. Washington had your sheet radioed in on a
scrambler code. That means only myself or my head man can handle it,
deliver it to the ambassador.’
1O.K. Then whaff
‘Nothing. I mean nothing you don’t know about.’
‘Tell me anyway.’
Ballard exhaled a long, condescending breath. ‘Well, the three of us were
alone; what the hell, I’d read the scramble and the instructions were clear
about the apartment. So Granville figured – apparently – that Jean was the
logical one to scout one up. He told her you were coming in; to do what she
could on such short notice.’ Ballard looked about the room and over at the
patio doors. ‘She didn’t do badly, either.’
‘Then that’s it; they’ve got a network fanned out over the city; nothing
unusual. They keep tabs on unoccupied places: apartments, rooming houses;
hotels are the easiest.’
‘I’m not sure I follow you,’ said Ballard, trying to.
‘We can all be smart as whips, Bobby, but we can’t change a couple of
basics: we have to have a place to sleep and take a bath.’
‘Oh, I follow that, but you can’t apply it here. Starting tomorrow you’re
no secret; until then you are. D.C. said you were coming down on your own;
we had no idea precisely when or how…. Jean didn’t get this apartment for
you. Not in your name.’
‘OhT David was far more concerned than his expression indicated. The two
extranjeros had to have been on the roof before he arrived. Or, at least,
within minutes after he did so. ‘How did she lease it then? Whose name did
she use? I didn’t want a cover; we didn’t ask for one.’
‘Jesus, I thought I talked fast. Sunday is Sunday, Monday is
231
Monday. Sunday we don’t know you; Monday we do. That’s what Washington
spelled out. They wanted no advance notice of your arrival and,
incidentally, if you decided to stay out of sight, we were to adhere to your
wishes. I’m sure Granville will ask you what you want to do in the
morning…. How did Jean lease the place? Knowing her, she probably implied
the ambassador had a girl on the side, or something. The portehos are very
simpdtico with that sort of thing; the Paris of South America and all that.
… One thing I do know, she wouldn’t have used your name. Or any obvious
cover. She’d use her own first.’
‘Oh, boy,’ said Spaulding wearily, removing the ice pack and feeling the
back of his head. He looked at his fingers. Smudges of blood were apparent.
‘I hope you’re not going to play hero with that gash. You should see a
doctor.’
‘No hero.’ David smiled. ‘I’ve got to have some sutures removed, anyway.
Might as well be tonight, if you can arrange it. ,
.1 can arrange it. Where did you get the stitches?’
‘I had an accident in the Azores.’
‘Christ, you travel, don’t you?’
‘So does something ahead of me.’
232
24
‘Mrs. Cameron is here at my request, Spaulding. Come in. I’ve talked with
Ballard and the doctor. Stitches taken out and new ones put in; you must
feel like a pincushion.’
Granville was behind his baroque desk, reclining comfortably in his
highbacked chair. Jean Cameron sat on the couch against the left wall; one
of the chairs in front of the desk was obviously meant for David. He
decided to wait until Granville said so before sitting down. He remained
standing; he wasn’t sure he liked the ambassador. The office assigned to
him was, indeed, far back and used for storage.
‘Nothing serious, sir. If it was, I’d say so.’ Spaulding nodded to Jean and
saw her concern. Or, at least, that’s what he thought he read in her eyes.
‘You’d be foolish not to. The doctor says the blow to the head fortunately
fell between concussion areas. Otherwise, you’d be in rather bad shape.’
‘It was delivered by an experienced man.’
‘Yes, I see…. Our doctor didn’t think much of the sutures he removed.’
‘That seems to be a general medical opinion. They served their purpose; the
shoulder’s fine. He strapped it.’
‘Yes…. Sit down, sit down.’
David sat down. ‘Thank you, sir.’
11 gather the two men who attacked you last evening were
233
provincianos. Not porteflos.’
Spaulding gave a short, defeated smile and turned to Jean Cameron. ‘I got
to portefios; I guess provincianos means what it says. The country folk?
Outside the cities!
‘Yes,’ said the girl softly. ‘The city. BA.’
‘Two entirely different cultures,’ continued Granville. ‘The provincianos
are hostile and with much legitimacy. They’re really quite exploited; the
resentments are flaring up. The GOU has done nothing to ease matters, it
only conscripts them in the lowest ranks.’
‘The provincianos are native to Argentina, though, aren’t they?’
‘Certainly. From their point of view, much more so than Buenos Airens,
porteflos. Less Italian and German blood, to say nothing of Portuguese,
Balkan and Jewish. There were waves of immigrations, you see. . . .”
‘Then, Mr. Ambassador,’ interrupted David, hoping to stem another post
analysis by the pedagogical diplomat, ‘these were not provinclanos. They
called themselves extranjeros. Displaced persons, I gathered!
‘Extranjero is a rather sarcastic term. Inverse morbidity. As though
employed by a reservation Indian in our Washington. A foreigner in his own
native land, you see what I mean?’
‘These men were not from Argentina,’ said David quietly, dismissing
Granville’s question. ‘Their speech pattern was considerably alien.’
‘Oh? Are you an expert?’
‘Yes, I am. In these matters!
‘I see.’ Granville leaned forward. ‘Do you ascribe the attack to embassy
concerns? Allied concerns?’
‘I’m not sure. It’s my opinion I was the target. I’d like to know how they
knew I was here.’
Jean Cameron spoke from the couch. ‘I’ve gone over everything I said,
David.’ She stopped and paused briefly, aware that the ambassador had shot
her a look at her use of Spaulding’s first name. ‘Your place was the fourth
apartment I checked into. I started at ten in the morning and got there
around two o’clock. And leased it immediately. I’m sorry to say it was the
patio that convinced me.’
David smiled at her.
6Anyway, I went to a real estate office at Viamonte. Geraldo Baldez is the
owner; we all know him. He’s partisan; has no use
234
for Germans. I made it clear that I wanted to rent the apartment for one of
our people who was living here and who, frankly, found the embassy
restrictions too limiting. He laughed and said he was sure it was Bobby. I
didn’t disagree.’
‘But it was a short lease,’ said David.
‘I used it as an excuse in case you didn’t like the apartment. It’s a
standard three-month clause.’
‘Why wouldn’t Bobby – or anyone else – get his own placeT
‘Any number of reasons. Also standard … here.’ Jean smiled, a touch
embarrassed, thought David. ‘I know the city better than most; I lived here
for several years. Also there’s a little matter of expense allowance; I’m
a pretty good bargainer. And men like Bobby have urgent work to do. My
hours are more flexible; I have the time.’
‘Mrs. Cameron is too modest, Spaulding. She’s an enormous asset to our
small community.’
‘I’m sure she is, sir…. Then you don’t think anyone had reason to suspect
you were finding a place for an incoming attach6.’
‘Absolutely not. It was all done in such a … lighthearted way, if you
know what I mean.’
‘What about the owner of the building?’ David asked.
‘I never saw him. Most apartments are owned by wealthy people who live in
the Telmo or Palermo districts. Everything’s done through rental agencies.’
David turned to Granville. ‘Have there been any calls for me? MessagesT
‘No. Not that I’m aware of, and I’m sure I would be. You would have been
contacted, of course.’
‘A man named Kendall. . . .’
‘Kendall?’ interrupted the ambassador. ‘I know that name. . . . Kendall.
Yes, Kendall.’ Granville riffled through some papers on his desk. ‘Here. A
Walter Kendall came in last night. Ten thirty flight. He’s staying at the
Alvear; that’s near the Palermo Park. Fine old hotel.’ Granville suddenly
looked over at Spaulding. ‘He’s listed on the sheet as an industrial
economist. Now that’s a rather all-inclusive description, isn’t it? Would