on. As he watched, Kelly joined him, peering over his shoulder.
Sara had just reached the corner of a dark cobbled lane. Regan was a few yards behind and Fahy reached her first, grabbing her scarf, forcing her round and swinging her into the entrance of the lane. She went down, and as she drew the Colt, he leaned over and tried to kiss her. She shot off the lobe of his left ear, and he cried out, blood staining his fingers.
Holley swung the Alfa into the curb, was out in a flash and, as Fahy tried to get up, booted him in the face, sending him backward into the gutter. Regan took one look, swerved into the lane, and kept on running. Fahy heaved himself up, a hand to his ear, and backed away in horror from the Colt in Sara s right hand, shaking his head dumbly, then turned and stumbled into the darkness.
Sara offered her hand. A drunken mugger, Daniel. It s the times we live in.
He pulled her up. Are you okay?
Of course I am. She held up the Colt. I was ready to blow that bastard s brains out.
I ll take you home.
Oh no you won t. There s only one place you re going to take me, and that s the Dorchester. Henri Legrande watched the Alfa drive away, having heard and seen everything that had taken place. Kelly said, What a mess that turned out to be.
It could have been worse. He might have beaten the truth out of those two, but his only concern was the woman, which enabled them to get away.
Henri said, This lady is quite exceptional. We ll have to take care with these two.
They turned and went back to the Citro n.
Rain drummed against the canopy, which Holley had sent out over the terrace at the touch of a button. He sat in the half-light, an open bottle of Dom Perignon on the table. There was only one glass, Sara having taken a refill with her when she had decided to soak in a hot bath in marble splendor.
He poured another and drank it slowly, considering what had happened. The two men involved in the assault had been luckier than they knew, but he felt curiously calm. That she was safe and unharmed was all that mattered.
He called Roper on his Codex and told him what had happened.
What do you think? he asked.
That you re losing your edge. The important question here is: Were these guys just drunken muggers, as Sara said, or were they a couple of thugs hired by somebody to do their worst? What you should have done was kick hell out of one of them until he talked.
All right, so I didn t.
And we both know why. While you were making sure Sara was okay, they were able to leg it. She is all right, isn t she?
So you care, do you?
Of course I do.
I ll tell her that. I m sure she ll be thrilled.
She s not still there, is she?
She felt like having a hot bath after what happened. I ll be taking her home shortly. Roper burst into laughter, and Holley said, What s so funny?
You are, Daniel, I ll see you at noon tomorrow. Say good night to Sara for me.
A moment later, she walked in wearing a terry-cloth robe. The bath was lovely.
Holley said, You re not dressed. Don t you want to go home?
On a night like this? It s pouring out there and I d be alone. Sadie s gone to Manchester to see her niece, who s just had a baby girl, and she ll be staying for a few days. I thought you wouldn t mind me sleeping over in the second bedroom, the smaller one you never told me about. I see the maid has only turned down the covers on yours. I d better go and sort the other one out.
Suddenly, she looked very tired indeed, the stress finally catching up with her, and although she would never admit it to him, her leg was really hurting.
Just take the master bedroom, Holley told her.
I ll be fine.
Thanks, Daniel, I believe I will. I ve got such a headache. You wouldn t have something for that, would you?
As it happens, I do. I ll get it for you. He went to his study, got two pills from his field service kit, went into the bedroom with a glass of water, and found her already under the covers, her head raised on a pillow.
These act incredibly quickly, and they ll help you sleep.
She got them down and put the glass on a side table. Sometimes I hate men, Daniel. What absolute bastards those guys were. A woman on her own on a dark street, and a cripple into the bargain. That just about sums them up.
He sat beside her on the bed and held her hand. With a pistol in her hand and ready to use it. That creep doesn t realize he s lucky to be alive.
She managed a smile and touched his face. Poor Daniel. I m a problem for you, aren t I?
A nice problem. Just go to sleep.
She closed her eyes, and he sat there until her hand slipped away. Only then did he quietly leave the room.
They arrived at Holland Park in good time for the noon meeting, to find that it had been canceled. They found only Roper and Dillon enjoying a cup of tea together in the computer room.
What s going on? Holley asked.
Ferguson and Miller have been called for a Cabinet Office discussion about Ali Selim.
Is there anything to suggest he s left the country? Dillon asked.
No, but I d say it s a strong possibility, Roper told him. Think of the times you ve been involved with beating the air traffic control system, dropping in and out again from some decaying airfield deep in the countryside.
True enough, Dillon said. He could be over the English Channel in a small plane inside two hours, and once in France, transfer to a jet, and the world s his oyster.
There was a chance that the President s Secret Service people would persuade him to cancel and carry straight on to Paris, though that would have left the Prime Minister with egg on his face.
But he s still coming? Sara asked.
Insisted on it, but the Prime Minister is as incandescent on the whole matter as Ferguson is with you two, Roper carried on.
You told him about last night? Holley said.
Come off it, Daniel, Dillon put in. Club rules, old son. Even if the threat is only a possibility, it s the kind of thing that touches us all. An attempted mugging is one thing, assault as a result of being targeted is something else again. Roper s right you should have squeezed the truth out of one of them.
Just shut up, the both of you. Sara was angry.
It wasn t Daniel s fault. So those two guys were pretty foul, but I shouldn t have been there in the first place. I was being childish and stupid. The truth is this is a whole different world I ve been plunged into.
Dillon put an arm about her shoulders. You ll be fine, girl dear, just give it time.
It s all right saying that, Sean. She smiled bitterly. But perhaps I was being targeted. Who knows?
Well, it won t happen again, because I ll see it doesn t. Holley turned to Roper. So what now?
I ve had orders to go down to the House of Commons and check out the terrace, and I m to take you three with me. Tony is going to take us in the van.
Well, that will certainly be a new experience, Sara said.
Not for Dillon, Roper said. He s something of an expert where the terrace is concerned, but I ll tell you about that when we get there. Let s get moving.
At the House of Commons, Tony stayed with the van while Roper and his friends joined the queue to get in. It was mainly constituents hoping to see their MP or people on official business. Tourists were being turned away by the security staff, obviously because of the pending arrival of the President. Some were complaining bitterly as they were firmly moved on.
A uniformed police inspector, obviously in charge, standing back surveying the scene, wore the campaign
