Kong and carried on with an entry for most of the places I’d been sent to since then. I scanned the next seven pages and saw Washington, Canberra, Moscow, Paris, Lagos, St. Petersburg, Berlin, Tel Aviv, La Paz, Vienna, and half a dozen others. It covered the last fourteen years of my life, going all the way up to the mission I’d just completed here in New York. Nine weeks’ work, four people’s lives, and twelve stitches in the back of my head, all boiled down to fifty sterile words.
“Here we are,” I said, pointing to the paragraph as well as the handcuffs would allow. “This proves it. I couldn’t have been involved with this train thing.”
“We know that now,” Rosser said. “But keep going. It gets more interesting.”
The next section listed some of the training the navy had put me through. I skipped that part. Too many memories of freezing, wet nights on the Welsh mountains. And also because I was hoping the final few pages would contain one thing in particular.
I wasn’t disappointed.
It was the psychological evaluation the navy had carried out during my recruitment. I’d never seen it before. Normally, they’re guarded like the crown jewels. I started at the beginning.
David is an adaptable realist, relying on what he sees, hears, and knows for himself. He is hardworking, righteous, fiercely independent, and convinced that his cause must win above all else. David is optimistic and positive, living mainly in the here and now. He pushes others as hard as he pushes himself, and would prove a challenging adversary.
“Turn over,” Rosser said. “Check the parts I’ve marked out.”
Three sections on the next page were outlined in yellow.
David appears not to be overly concerned with the needs of others, and may resort to extreme practices if anything threatens to get in his way.
David’s rather impersonal approach to life may leave little time, tolerance, or compassion for other people. He may adopt an “if you’ve got a headache, take an aspirin” attitude, which indicates a lack of empathy.
David dislikes being told what to do, or how to do it. He may frequently rebel against the rules, and in so doing will strongly resist attempts by others to regulate his behavior.
“What do you think?” Rosser said. “Makes you an ideal candidate for the hired help, doesn’t it?”
“Because a shrink thinks I may lack empathy?” I said.
“No. We know why you got involved. And it clearly had nothing to do with empathy. Mitchell?”
Mitchell Varley, the guy on Rosser’s left, lifted up a slim black briefcase and balanced it on his lap. He popped the catches and took out a small, clear Ziploc pouch. It contained a fragment of charred paper about an inch wide. He held the tiny bag at arm’s length for a moment, gripping it between his finger and thumb, then gently placed it on the table.
“You have some ash in a bag,” I said. “Should I be impressed?”
“We searched your hotel room,” Varley said. “Guess those bill wrappers didn’t burn quite as good as you figured. This was from a ten-thousand-dollar block. Enough in the room for five of them. What was that-the down payment? Half before, half after? That’s the normal deal?”
“So a hundred thousand dollars was the price of Michael Raab’s life,” Rosser said. “Question is, have you got what it’ll cost to save your own?”
EIGHT
It was early in December when we moved away from Birmingham.
I remember the date because I’d just been given a part in the school nativity play. It was my first one. I was going to be Joseph. The plot wasn’t too convincing, but acting it out sounded fun. I was disappointed to miss the chance, at first. But at my new school we heard all sorts of other Bible stories. Some were much better. David and Goliath, for example. That was the best of all.
The hero shared my name, for a start.
And when the chips were down, I liked how he stepped up and faced his enemy alone.
The reflection of Rosser’s pale, humorless face floated in the polished granite like a ghoul hovering over a giant overturned gravestone.
“Downstairs, was the death penalty mentioned?” he said.
“It might have been,” I said. “I can’t remember. People are threatening to kill me all the time. And yet, here I am.”
“Good. Because I’ve changed my mind. I’ve got something else lined up for you.”
“An apology? A first-class ticket back to London?”
“An eight-by-ten cell,” he said, reaching to his left and slowly drawing the edge of his hand across the shiny surface. “Think about it. That’s about a quarter of the size of this table.”
“I don’t see a judge in here.”
“Eight feet by ten. Your whole world. Twenty-three hours a day. How long would you last?”
I didn’t answer.
“Not long, a guy like you,” he said. “So this is what you’re going to do. Go back downstairs with Lavine and Weston. Tell them about the guy who hired you. Every last detail. Help us take him down. Him, and his rat buddy in the bureau. Then, maybe we’ll think about sending you back to London.”
“I can’t do that,” I said. “There’s no one to tell them about. No one hired me. I’m not involved.”
“We can prove you are. Don’t kid yourself. Force us into court with this and the whole thing will land right at your door. It’ll destroy you.”
“You can prove nothing. And London will never stand by and watch me walk into a courtroom.”
“They’ve already agreed. You’ve been disavowed, Mr. Trevellyan. You’re not a lieutenant commander anymore. You’ll walk into that courtroom a private citizen. It’ll be you and a public defender against the bureau’s attorneys. How do you think the cards will be stacked then?”
I didn’t answer.
“Don’t believe me?” he said. “OK. Louis-get London on the phone.”
Thirty-five minutes later the door swung open and Tanya Wilson strode into the room. She was wearing the same smart suit as before, but had replaced the briefcase with a small, blue leather handbag. There was no sign of the prop glasses and her expression was aloof and impatient, like an executive who had been called into a meeting with people she thought were going to waste her time. She scowled at me as though that were my fault, then took a quick look across the table.
“Afternoon, gentlemen,” she said, and introduced herself.
I glanced at Tanya’s watch. It had just turned five to four.
“Ms. Wilson,” Rosser said. “Sorry to drag you across town, but you have some information for Mr. Trevellyan?”
“I do,” Tanya said. “Though I’d appreciate a moment’s privacy with him. This episode has been embarrassing enough. London wouldn’t thank me for airing any more of their dirty laundry.”
“Understood. Agent Lavine-find Ms. Wilson a suitable room down the hallway. Will five minutes be enough?”
Tanya nodded. I got to my feet and we followed Lavine back out into the corridor. He led the way to the first door on the right. Tanya pushed it open and stood aside for me to go through before her. She followed me in and seemed surprised to find Lavine hard on her heels. He walked to the center of the room and turned slowly around, surveying the blank walls and empty floor space. The only object to be seen was a set of emergency evacuation instructions. They were in a plain clip frame on the wall to the side of the door. It had a glass front. Lavine removed it on his way out.
“Four minutes thirty,” he said. “I’ll be right outside.”
“What are you doing here, Tanya?” I said. “It seems you’re not my attorney anymore.”
“No, I’m just a messenger now,” she said, stepping closer and taking hold of my lapels. For a moment I thought she was going to reach up and kiss me. At least I hoped she was. “I’ve been sent to tell you something.”
