After opening small talk, Cade mentioned casually that ministers were traditionally respected for keeping confidences, and therefore often trusted to convey sensitive communications. Smiling out at the ocean, Udovich agreed that this was often so. Cade hazarded the guess that a man of Udovich’s convictions probably wouldn’t be overenamored by the current policies being enacted in Washington. Dreadful, Udovich agreed. Professional middle-class Americans being sold out like cheap labor. Cade regarded the minister long and hard, stroking his chin as if the thought had just occurred to him for the first time, and remarked that Udovich didn’t strike him as the kind of person who would sit back and watch it happen. If there were people organizing in opposition, he’d want to get involved. Well, certainly anyone with principles and a conscience would want to do something, Udovich told the ocean, giving away nothing.
His oblique references not having been rebuffed, Cade interlaced his fingers, leaned closer across the table, and came to the point. “I want to contact somebody who I believe might be with one of the underground political groups in this country. I’ve reason to think you might have connections who might pass a message in the right direction. Can you help?”
Udovich’s pink, moonlike, bespectacled features—surely the most incongruous image for the kind of thing Cade was asking—didn’t register surprise. He had clearly been expecting something like this. His manner, however, shed its protective cover of vague geniality and became businesslike. “Who is this person?” he murmured.
“My former wife, who went to China. I’ve heard that she’s back now, with CounterAction. I have someone who needs to leave the country invisibly. CounterAction are supposed to have ways.”
“What kind of problem prevents this person from buying a ticket and getting on a plane?” Udovich asked.
“Giving the wrong people a bad press can get you into bad favor these days,” Cade answered. “If the people who don’t like what you say have the power to take you off the streets, things can get awkward.”
“Why should I or anyone else care? Why risk it?”
“Because it’s the same cause.” Cade shrugged. “And in any case, you run a ministry. Protecting your flock depends on donations. You know a little bit about me. I can arrange generous contributions from the most unlikely quarters. I’m sure it all helps.”
Udovich considered the proposition for a while, crunching on an ice cube from his tea. “Supposing I were able to pass this request on to where you ask, why wouldn’t that be enough?’ he queried at last. “Why does it need to find this ex of yours specifically?”
“It wouldn’t if whoever makes the decicions were happy to take my word for it,” Cade agreed. “But why should they? She and I might have had our differences, but she’d vouch that I can be trusted to play straight. I’m not political. I deal in people. Reputation is my work.” He smiled faintly and gestured across the table. “A bit like you, I guess.”
Udovich nodded slowly and seemed satisfied. “I’d need her name and a little about when you were together,” he said. “And something that would convince her this has come from you.”
Cade supplied the minimum details that seemed necessary. Udovich committed them to memory. The second part was tougher. “Tell her . . . there’s some red coal,” he said finally. Udovich nodded and didn’t ask. In their more romantic days, one of the things Cade and Marie had liked doing together was solving cryptic crossword puzzles. It was an anagrammatic play on his name: ROLand CADE; take the conjunction out, and the remaining letters rearranged into red coal. With a bit of playing around, Marie would get it.
“No guarantees, but we’ll see,” Udovich pronounced. He finished his tea and stood up. “Well, I must get back to tending my flock.” He looked back over his shoulder as he was about to leave. “We must watch out for the wolves, you see.” He walked away, leaving Cade to take it whichever way he pleased.
* * *
Late that afternoon, Dee and Vrel stopped by the house to collect a share of the previous day’s fish catch, which Henry had cleaned, gutted, and set aside in the refrigerator for them. Julia was in the guest suite keeping Rebecca company, since she preferred to stay out of sight of visitors. Cade entertained Vrel and Dee to drinks in the lounge area around the bar.