“Did you get any of it?” Jacqueline asked. She had a sick feeling at the pit of her stomach, but she didn’t know why.
“Not much,” Galan said. He “handed her a single sheet of typewritten transcript.
“… must agree to consider the job. That much. Think about it Kirk. If you will give me your word that you will think about it, I’ll give you what I brought.” speaker identified as yemlin. (See attachment A101.)
THERE WAS A PAUSE.
“I’ll think about it Viktor Pavlovich.” speaker identified as mcgarvey (See attachment A102.)
YEMLIN HANDS MCGARVEY A SMALL WHITE ENVELOPE, NO MARKINGS SEEN.
“This is your honor. Kirk. It is not much, but I think that in the end it is all that we have.” (A101.) “What…” (A102. Sentence incomplete.) “Your parents were not spies, Kirk. They did not work for us as you ‘we believed all these years. They were set up.” (A101.)
“Go home.” (A102.)
“Just think about my request.” (A101.)
SUBJECTS LEAVE AREA. TRANSCRIPT ENDS.
Jacqueline looked up into Galan’s eyes. He wasn’t smiling.
“Considering who and what Monsieur McGarvey is, we think that the Russians have asked him to assassinate someone.”
“He turned it down.”
“He agreed to think about it, Mademoiselle. We’ll query Washington on this business about his parents being spies, but if the information Yemlin handed over to him is valid — Or if McGarvey believes it is — it may be the incentive he needs to take him from thinking about such an act, to doing it.”
“There’s no mention who the subject might be,” Jacqueline said.
Galan shook his head. “No. Nor do we know if the subject is here in France, but we must consider that possibility.”
Jacqueline’s head was spinning. “Expel him. Kick him out of France, now, before he can change his mind.”
“We won’t do that, and I’ll tell you why,” Galan said. “If McGarvey decides to assassinate someone here in France, kicking him out of the country would do nothing but drive him underground. If we keep him here, we can watch him.”
“That is your job, Jacqueline,” Levy put in. “You must find out for us.”
“It may have something to do with this book he’s writing,” Galan said. “I want you to get it for us.”
“He has safeguards. I’ve inspected them myself. If I open that cabinet he’ll know.” “Photograph the safeguards and get the film to us.
We’ll take it from there. Believe me, as good as Monsieur McGarvey is, we’re better.”
Jacqueline nodded. She felt very small at that moment, her feelings confused, and contradictory. A part of her was excited by the new challenge. She’d been well-trained for exactly this sort of operation. Still another part of her felt somehow dirty. She was very mixed up.
“When he finally came home Saturday afternoon, did he tell you why he sent you ahead?” Levy asked gently. He’d picked up something of her distress.
“He wanted to buy me a present in secret. A surprise.”
Levy and Galan exchanged a look. “Did you believe him, Jacqueline?” Levy asked. “Or did it seem odd to you?”
She lowered her eyes. “It seemed odd.” She looked up defiantly. “But there have been any number of little oddities. Nothing significant, except that I think he may suspect what I really am.”
“I would be surprised if he didn’t suspect,” Galan said.. “Why didn’t you contact your control officer if you had a suspicion that something wasn’t completely correct?”
“Because I wanted to find out as much as I could. I wasn’t sure.”
“Are you sure now,” Galan said. “I meant before you walked into this office and heard what we had to say, were you sure?”
“No.”
“Then you should have called, ma cherie,” Levy said.
“Perhaps she should be pulled off the assignment—” Galan said.
“No,” Jacqueline interrupted sharply. “There’s no time to get somebody new. He’d know that we were on to him.”
“Probably. But by the same token we don’t want you to get hurt. Do you understand what I mean?”
She nodded, though she wasn’t quite sure she completely understood. But she had a job to do. “I’ll get you the photographs of his failsafes.”
“It’s very important that we know if he is taking this job for the Russians, and if the subject is in France. Could even be a Frenchman,” Galan said. “Or a visiting dignitary. We must know.”
“I’ll do my best,” Jacqueline said.
“Bon. I know you will,” LeVy said. He opened a small medicine bottle and gave her a capsule. “Before you leave, take this with some water. You’re going home for the remainder of the week with a light fever and a runny nose. This will induce the symptoms.”
“Maybe he won’t want me near him if I’m sick.”
Galan chuckled. “I don’t think Monsieur McGarvey is frightened of a few germs. Besides you won’t really be ill.”
She nodded and turned to go.
“Jacqueline, how do you feel about your American?” Galan asked, his tone surprisingly avuncular.
She looked at him, but could read nothing from his bland expression. “I like him,” she admitted. “I think he is a good man who has worked too long in a very bad profession. He’s retired now, and he wants to remain so.”
Galan nodded his understanding. “I sincerely hope that you are correct.”
SDECE Headquarters
Colonel Galan came to attention in front of the desk of the Director of the SDECET General Jean Baillot, and saluted smartly. The general, a taciturn old veteran of the French-Algerian troubles, was working on some paperwork. He motioned Galan to have a seat.
Looking past the general out the leaded glass windows, Galan had a nice view of the Eiffel Tower. The office was palatial, furnished with genuine antiques, and was extremely comfortable. But he didn’t think Baillot ever noticed. He was a man, his subordinates noted, of very little amusement. He would have been just as content working in a tent.
The general put down his pen and looked up. “Oui?”
Galan handed him the report he’d typed himself, summarizing everything they’d learned to date, as well as Jacqueline Belleau’s orders to help them steal McGarvey’s manuscript.
When he was finished, Baillot laid the report down, and once again looked up. “Why have you brought this to me, Colonel?”
“I need your authorization to ask the American Central Intelligence Agency for help.”
“You wish to ask them about Kirk McGarvey’s parents in order to see if the Russians are able to provide a motivation for McGarvey to do this job for them?”
“Oui, Monsieur le General. I would also like to have their latest information on McGarvey and Viktor Year lin.”
“Why?”
“The CIA’s operation in Moscow is better than ours, and McGarvey was one of theirs. I want to know if they have any ideas who Yemlin wants McGarvey to assassinate.”
General Baillot thought about the request for a moment, his penetrating eyes never leaving Galan’s. “Is there any person presently in France whose death would benefit the Russians?” “No one of any real importance, sir. Of course there may be upcoming state visits of a secret nature that my department knows nothing about.”
“There are none,” the general said flatly. “You have my authorization to ask the CIA for help. But you will do so through their Chief of Station Thomas Lynch here in Paris.”
