“You have to decide which is the case.”
“I need to know if you still want me to carry out the operation under these new circumstances.”
The prime minister finally looked up from his paperwork. “And I need to know whether you can carry out the operation without the CIA finding out about it.”
“I can.”
“Then do it, and don’t fuck it up.”
EIGHTEEN
Valbonne, Provence
The afternoon had turned colder. Jacqueline made sandwiches while Gabriel stacked olive wood in the fireplace and set it alight with newspaper. He was squatting on his haunches, watching the thin flames lick the wood. Every few seconds he would reach into the fire and make some minor adjustment in the disposition of the kindling or the attitude of one of the larger pieces of wood. He seemed capable of holding the hot wood for a long time without discomfort. Finally he stood upright and patted his hands together to remove the remnants of wood dust and soot. He moves with such ease, Jacqueline thought-a dancer lifting from a deep knee bend. He seemed somehow younger. Less gray in his hair, eyes clearer and brighter.
She placed the food on a tray and carried it into the living room. For years she had imagined a scene like this. In a sense she had made this room for Gabriel, decorated it in a way she imagined he might like-the stone floor, the rustic rugs, the comfortable furnishings.
She placed the tray on a coffee table and sat down on the couch. Gabriel sat next to her and spooned sugar into his coffee. Yes, this is how it would be if we had ended up together. A simple meal, a drive into the mountains, a stroll through an ancient hill town. Perhaps down to the coast to wander the Old Port of Cannes or take in a film at the cinema. Then home to make love in the firelight. Stop it, Jacqueline.
Gabriel said, “I’m working for the Office again, and I need your help.”
So, it was just business after all. Gabriel had been pulled back in, and he needed her for a job. He was going to pretend the past had never happened. Perhaps it was easier that way.
“Ari told me you’d left the Office.”
“He asked me to come back for one job. You know how Shamron can be when he wants something.”
“I remember,” Jacqueline said. “Listen, Gabriel, I don’t know quite how to say this, so I’ll just say it. I’m very sorry about what happened in Vienna.”
He looked away, his eyes cold and expressionless. Clearly, Leah was off-limits. Jacqueline had seen a photograph of her once. Gabriel’s wife looked just the way she had imagined-a dark-haired Sabra, brimming with the kind of fire and confidence that Jacqueline had longed to possess when she was a Jew growing up in France. The fact that he had chosen a woman like Leah had only made Jacqueline love Gabriel more.
He abruptly changed the subject. “I assume you heard about the attack on our ambassador in Paris?”
“Of course. It was terrible.”
“Shamron is convinced Tariq was behind the attack.”
“And he wants you to find him?”
Gabriel nodded.
“Why you, Gabriel? You’ve been out of the game so long. Why not use one of his other katsas?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, the Office has had more disasters than successes lately.”
“Tariq has managed to stay one step ahead of the Office for years. How are you supposed to find him now?”
“Shamron has identified one of his agents in London. I’ve put a tap on his telephone at work, but I need to bug his flat so I can find out who he’s talking to and what he’s saying. If we’re lucky, we might be able to learn where Tariq is planning to strike next.”
“Why do you need me?”
“I need you to help me get inside his flat.”
“Why do you need my help? You know how to pick a lock and plant a bug.”
“That’s just the point. I don’t want to have to pick his lock. Break-ins are risky. If he figures out someone has been in his flat, then we lose the advantage. I want you to get inside his flat for me, make a copy of his keys, and check out what kind of telephone he has so I can produce a duplicate.”
“And how am I supposed to get inside his flat?” She knew the answer, of course. She just wanted to hear him say it.
Gabriel stood up and added another piece of wood to the fire. “Yusef likes women. He enjoys the London nightlife. I want you to meet him in a bar or a disco and make friends with him. I want you to encourage him to invite you back to his flat.”
“Sorry, Gabriel. I’m not interested. Let Ari give you one of his new girls.”
He turned and looked at her.
She thought, He’s surprised I said no to him. He didn’t expect that.
“I’m offering you a chance to help me track down Tariq al-Hourani before he kills any more Jews and does any more damage to the peace process.”
“And I’m telling you that I’ve done my bit. Let another girl have a turn.”
He sat down again.
“I understand why Shamron would want to pull you back in,” Jacqueline said. “You’re the best at what you do. But I don’t understand why you need me.”
“Because you’re good too,” he said. Then he added, “And because I can trust you.”
She thought: What are you trying to tell me, Gabriel Allon? She said, “I have to go to the Caribbean for a shoot in three weeks.”
“I’ll only need you for a few days.”
“I’m not going to do this for nothing.”
“I want you, and I won’t settle for anyone else,” Gabriel said. “Therefore, you are in a position to name your price.”
She looked toward the ceiling, calculating how much she would need. Rent, renovations, advertising…
“Fifty thousand.”
“Francs?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Gabriel. Dollars.”
He pulled his face into a frown. Jacqueline crossed her arms defiantly. “Fifty thousand, or you can call Shamron and ask him for a new girl.”
“Fifty thousand,” he said.
Jacqueline smiled.
Jacqueline telephoned Marcel Lambert in Paris and told him to cancel all her shoots for the next two weeks.
“Jacqueline, have you lost your mind? You can’t be serious. A woman in your tenuous position does not go around making matters worse by canceling shoots. That’s how one earns a reputation in this business.”
“Marcel, I’ve been in this business for seventeen years, and I’ve never had a reputation for blowing off shoots. Something’s come up, and I need to go away for a few days.”
“That’s what you expect me to tell the people who’ve been good enough to hire you? ”Something’s come up.“ Come on, darling. You’ll have to do much better than that.”
“Tell them I’ve come down with something.”
“Any suggestions?”
“Leprosy,” she said.
“Oh, yes, marvelous.” His voice turned suddenly serious. “Tell me something, Jacqueline. You’re not in any
