‘Mr. Weingrass—’
‘That business should have come first. If you call me “mister”, I won’t love you so much.’
‘All right… Manny. MJ wasn’t clear. MJ—that’s Payton.’
‘I know, I know,’ interrupted Weingrass. ‘I told him that if he got the phone fixed we could be more cordial, so I think he had somebody killed and now it’s working. We’re Emmanuel and Mitchell now, and he calls too much. I’m sorry, you had a question?’
‘What’s my cover here? I feel like an idiot, but I simply don’t know. The field agent in the car said I was official, but official what? Who am I to these people?’
‘Mitchell suggested that you say you’re a representative from the State Department accompanying the congressman.’
‘State?’
‘Maybe he wants to blame somebody if things don’t work out. I understand it’s a popular pastime in Washington.’
‘No, he isn’t like that… Oh, I do see. If I have to give instructions, I’m in a position to do it.’
‘Wouldn’t you have to show a State Department ID if someone asked for it?’ said Evan.
‘Well… yes.’
‘You mean you’ve got one?’
‘Well, sort of.’
‘That’s illegal—’
‘We wear different hats at different times, Evan.’
‘You also have a gun. That Paiute Indian station chief in the Bahamas told me.’
‘He shouldn’t have.’
‘You wouldn’t also happen to work for the Mossad, would you,’ said Weingrass, grinning.
‘No, but you do—you have. And some of my closest friends do.’
‘You’re in good hands, bubbelah… More business. Mitchell wants Evan to look at the merchandise here—the one in the bedroom and the bodies; they’re under sheets in the garage and they’re leaving by air express during the night.’
‘And the nurses have no idea they’re out there?’ said Kendrick, his tone disbelieving.
‘Your friend Payton was adamant—fanatic, is more like it. “Containment, containment,” he kept saying over and over again.’
‘How are you going to get them past that group of park rangers outside?’
‘They’ve rented a van from Durango. It’ll be left at the airport, where someone will pick it up and drive it out here. Then it’ll be backed into the garage out of sight, the whole operation supervised by Payton’s men. They seem to know what they’re doing.’
‘They do,’ said Khalehla softly. ‘Has anyone spoken to the girls about what they’re to say, or rather, what they shouldn’t say?’
‘I did, and for once they took me seriously, but I don’t know how long it’ll last. They’re still shook up and they don’t know a quarter of what happened.’
‘I’ll get them together while you and Evan make your grisly rounds and back you up—very officially. MJ’s right. I’ll play State Department.’
‘Why?’ asked Evan. ‘Just curious.’
‘To keep the Agency out of it. We have no jurisdiction domestically and someone might just remember it and let her imagination run rampant. Simpler is better.’
‘Very pro,’ said Weingrass approvingly. ‘So how do I introduce you?’
‘I’m simply a Miss Adrienne from the Department of State. Do you mind lying?’
‘Let me think,’ said Manny, frowning. ‘I once told a lie—I believe it was in July 1937… Let’s go.’ Grabbing Evan’s arm and Khalehla’s hand, Weingrass ushered them through the stone arch into the living room, shouting to the three nurses on the enclosed porch beyond. ‘Herewith, my coven of uglies, is the true warlock! Pay homage to the man who pays for your sexual indulgences and your excessive cases of muscatel!’
‘Manny!’
‘They love me,’ said Weingrass quietly, while striding across the floor. ‘They throw dice for my bed.’
‘For God’s sake—’
‘Be quiet, darling. He is a marvel.’
‘He broke his leg jumping out of the truck with us above the Jabal Sham,’ said Kendrick, staring down at the unconscious young man strapped to the bed. ‘He’s only a kid.’
‘But your ID’s positive?’ asked the CIA officer standing beside Emmanuel Weingrass. ‘He was with you in Oman, there’s no doubt about it?’
‘None at all. I’ll never forget him There was a fire in him you’re not likely to find in many teenagers over here… except maybe in the urban rot.’
‘Let’s go out of the back door and into the garage.’
‘That’s Yosef,’ said Evan, closing his eyes. ‘His mother was a Jew—and for a few hours he was my friend. He protected me… oh, Christ.’
‘Stop it!’ shouted Manny. ‘He came here to kill you!’
‘Of course he did. Why not? I pretended to be one of them in their goddamned holy cause… They shaved his mother’s head, can you imagine that?’
‘He shouted that at me when he tried to kill me,’ said Weingrass simply. ‘If it makes you feel better,. I didn’t want to kill him. I wanted to take anyone I could alive.’
‘Knowing Yosef, you didn’t have a choice.’
‘I didn’t.’
‘These other two,’ interrupted the impatient CIA officer, lifting up the sheets. ‘Do you recognize them?’
‘Yes. They were both in the compound, but I never knew their names. The one on the right had soiled trousers; the other, long ragged hair and stared like he had some kind of messianic complex—I reckoned he was psychotic. That’s all I can tell you.’
‘You’ve already told us what we have to know. All these men that you’ve identified were with you in Oman.’
‘Yes, I knew each one… They wanted their revenge, and if I were them, I’m not sure I’d feel so differently.’
‘You’re not a terrorist, Congressman.’
‘What separates a terrorist from a “freedom fighter”?’
‘For starters, sir, terrorists make it a point to kill innocent people. Ordinary men and women who just happened to be there, kids with backpacks, employees—young and old alike—simply doing their jobs. Where’s your case, sir?’
Kendrick studied the field agent, suddenly jolted, remembering Fairfax and the Hassans. ‘I apologize for a stupid and fatuous remark. I regret it deeply.’
‘What the hell,’ said the CIA man, shrugging off his momentary anger. ‘We’re all stretched and too damned many labels are thrown around anyway.’
They returned to the house, where Khalehla was speaking to the nurses on the porch. Whatever she was saying she had the rapt attention of the three women; they sat motionless in their chairs, their intelligent eyes riveted on ‘the representative from the State Department’. Evan and Manny walked in and crossed quietly to the bar while the CIA officer went to the guest room to check on a colleague and the prisoner.
‘I’ve explained everything, Congressman Kendrick,’ said Khalehla, her voice official, ‘as far as I’m permitted to, of course, and these ladies have agreed to co-operate. One had a visitor arriving tomorrow, but she’ll call and tell him there’s a medical emergency and not to come.’
‘Thanks a lot,’ muttered Weingrass, pouring himself a drink under Kendrick’s watchful gaze. ‘Now I’m a corpse.’
‘Thank you, Manny,’ remarked the nurse in question drily.
‘I want to thank all of you,’ said Evan quickly. ‘Washington’s convinced this is an isolated incident, a young lunatic on the loose—’
‘So was Sirhan-Sirhan,’ broke in the nurse who had driven into Mesa Verde to reach Gonzalez, ‘and the description didn’t change the results.’
‘I’ve told them the prisoner is being transferred back east under cover tonight and not to be concerned if they hear noises in the grounds or the garage.’
‘Very pro,’ mumbled Weingrass.
‘I only have one question,’ said the third nurse looking at Khalehla. ‘You mentioned that the quarantine was temporary… Well, not that I’m about to be invited to the Grand Prix in Monte Carlo, but how long is temporary?’
‘Too many crowds during the Grand Prix,’ interjected Manny, drinking. ‘You can’t cross the streets and the Bains de Mer goes crazy.’
‘No more than a few days,’ answered Kendrick, again speaking quickly. ‘They just want to run the usual checks… And if you get that invitation, Manny will personally accompany you.’
‘Congressman, try Daffy Duck.’
‘Mishegoss.’
There was a sudden, startling commotion outside. Shouts were heard and a horn blared. ‘Get away from the windows!.’ shouted the CIA agent racing through the living room. ‘On the floor! Everyone on the floor!’
Evan lunged towards Khalehla, astonished to realize she had dropped between the rugs and was rolling over and over to the base of a sliding door, an automatic in her hand.
‘It’s okay, it’s okay!’ yelled a voice from the front lawn.
‘That’s one of us,’ said the man from the Central Intelligence Agency, on his knees, his weapon also in his hand. ‘What the hell—?’ He got to his feet and ran into the living room with Kendrick following him. The massive front door opened and a startled well-dressed figure walked haltingly inside escorted by a park ranger. He carried a black medicine bag; it was open; it had been searched.
‘I never expected such a reception,’ said the doctor. ‘I know we’re not always welcome but this is a bit much…Congressman, it’s such an honour.’ They shook hands, the CIA agent watching, bewildered.