“Your father was a very good man,” Blunt muttered.
“I’ve told you that before. You obviously take after him, Alex. And maybe, when you leave school, you’ll think again about intelligence work. We still need people like you, and it’s not a bad career.”
Alex stood up. “I’ll show myself out,” he said.
He took the subway back to Sloane Square and then a bus along King’s Road to his house. He had told Jack he would be late home from school. The two of them would
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have supper together when he arrived, and then he would start his homework. He was seeing his friend Tom Har-ris on Saturday. The Chelsea soccer team were playing at home against Arsenal, and somehow Tom had managed to scrounge two tickets. Otherwise, Alex had no plans for the weekend.
Jack Starbright was waiting for him in the kitchen, putting the final touches to a salad. Alex helped himself to a glass of apple juice and hoisted himself onto one of the bar stools by the counter. He liked to talk to Jack while she cooked.
“How did you make out?” she asked.
“It was fine,” Alex said. He reached out and stole a piece of tomato. “Alan Blunt offered me a job.”
“I’ll kill you if you take it.”
“Don’t worry. I let him know I wasn’t interested.” Jack knew everything that had happened to Alex since she had left him in Sydney, including Ash’s final moments on Dragon Nine. He had told her his story the moment he got home, and when he had finished, she had turned away and sat for a long minute in silence. When she had finally turned back again, there had been tears in her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Alex had said. “I know you liked him.”
“That’s not what’s upsetting me, Alex,” she had replied.
“Then what?”
“It’s this world. MI6. What it did to him, to your parents. I suppose I’m scared about what it’ll do to you.”
“I think I’ve finished with it, Jack.”
“That’s what you said last time, Alex. But the question is—has it finished with you?”
Now Alex glanced at the table. He noticed that it was set for three. “Who’s coming for supper?” he asked.
“I forgot to tell you.” Jack smiled. “We have a surprise guest.”
“Who?”
“You’ll find out when they get here.” She had barely spoken the words when the front doorbell rang. “That’s good timing,” she went on. “Why don’t you answer it?” Alex noticed something strange in her eyes. It wasn’t like Jack to have secrets from him. He was still holding the piece of tomato. He tossed it back into the salad, swung himself down, and went out to the hall.
He could just make out a figure shimmering behind the mottled glass of the front door. Whoever it was had activated the automatic light on the porch. Alex threw open the door and stopped in complete surprise.
A young, dark-haired, and very attractive girl was standing there. The car that had dropped her off was just moving away. Alex was so stunned that it took him a minute to recognize her. Even then, he didn’t believe who it was.
“Sabina!” he exclaimed. The last time he had seen Sabina Pleasure, the two of them had been on Richmond Bridge on the river Thames when she had told him she was leaving for America. He had been convinced that he would never see her again.
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That had been only a few months ago, but she looked completely different. She must be almost sixteen now.
Her hair had grown longer, and her shape had changed.
She looked wonderful in tight-fitting DKNY jeans and a soft cashmere jersey.
“Hi, Alex.” She stood where she was as if she were a little wary of him.
“What are you doing here?”
“Aren’t you glad to see me?”
“Of course I am. But . . .” Alex’s voice trailed off.
Sabina smiled. “That was my dad in the car. We’re visiting for Christmas. He’s over here writing a story for the paper. Something about some sort of weird church or something. He got me out of school early, and we’re going to stay over here until the new year.”
“In London?”
“Where else?”
“Is your mom here?”
“Yeah. We’re renting an apartment in Notting Hill.” The two of them stared at each other. There were all sorts of things Alex wanted to say. He didn’t know where to begin.
“Are you two going to come in?” Jack called from the kitchen. “Or would you like me to serve dinner in the street?”
