'What's the occasion?'
'Great food, great wine, beautiful woman. What more could a man ask?'
'No hidden agenda?'
'Who? Me? You wound me.'
'Is that natural or from a script?'
'Will you relax, please?'
'I'll try.'
'Good girl.'
She tilted her head. 'Good doggie. That's me.'
He burst into laughter and she couldn't help it; she joined in.
'Indy, dinner was fabulous,' Gale said with genuine feeling. It was a meal she had never before encountered.
Steamed mussels with wine sauce, Caesar salad, rolls baked right in the kitchen, broiled Maine lobster, and a white wine she had never heard of but that equaled anything she had ever had in England or France. 'I've never had better.
I'm overwhelmed.'
'Dessert?'
She shook her head. 'I'll pass. But I will accept a cappuccino.'
He leaned back in his chair and motioned for their waiter. 'Cappuccino for the lady, and I'll have a brandy.'
The waiter wasn't gone a minute, but he returned emptyhanded. 'Dr. Jones, the manager would like you and your companion to be his guest for afterdinner drinks in his office.'
Indy lifted an eyebrow. 'Ah, you must mean Dominic Carboni.'
'Yes, sir.'
'We'd be delighted. Just give us about ten minutes, then come back for us.'
The waiter beamed. 'Yes, sir,' and he was gone.
Gale frowned, leaning forward. 'How did he know who you were?' Before he could answer she went on. 'Of course.
You made reservations.'
He nodded, but she was still puzzled. 'But how, I mean, why would the manager, this fellow—'
'Carboni.'
'Why would he want us for company in his office? And how would he know who you were? I don't mean by name, Indy, but—'
'Let me cut this quickly, Gale. He knows who we are because we were in the newspapers today.'
'We were?'
'There's a strange echo in here.'
'I can't help it. I don't understand what's going on.'
'A newspaper story was set up. Professor Jones and Doctor Parker are visiting the workshop of the Wright Brothers. Research on the beginnings of flight.
Remember, the original airplane the Wrights built went to England.
They were unhappy with the American government and that was their way of telling everybody off. So,' he straightened his napkin, 'we came here to see how much influence the Wrights had on aircraft design in the early days of flying in the British Isles.'
'But that's no secret!'
'No, but it does well enough for a newspaper blurb.'
'And this Carboni fellow has something to do with airplanes?'
'I don't believe he's ever set foot in one.'
'Indy, you're toying with me.'
'Not really. I had to make sure that certain people would know I'm in Dayton tonight. They could find out easily enough that I made dinner reservations here.'
'But why?'
'Well, I figured that was the best way for them to find me.'
'You wanted to be found?'
'You're getting the idea.'
'You didn't tell me why.'
