to go immediately to the American Embassy. Moreau was a middle-aged, medium-size balding man who filled out his suit as though he lifted weights for a good part of every day. He had an insouciant Gallic humor that somehow kept things in perspective when they were in danger of getting out of control. The potential loss of control first came about with the unexpected appearance of a furious and frightened Henri Bressard, First Secretary of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of France.
"What the hell is going on?" demanded Bressard, walking into 'the ambassador's office, instantly surprised yet accepting Moreau's presence.
"Allor Claude," he said, reverting to French.
"I'm not entirely stunned to see you here."
"En anglais, Henri.. .. Monsieur Latham understands us but the ambassador is still with his Berlitz. "Ali, American diplomatic tact!"
"I did understand that, Bressard," said Ambassador Daniel Courtldrid, behind his desk in a bathrobe and slippers, "and I'm working on your language. Frankly, I wanted the post in Stockholm-1 speak fluent Swedishbut others thought differently.
So you're stuck with me as I'm stuck with you."
"I apologize, Mr. Ambassador. It's been a difficult night.. .. I tried calling you, Drew, and when all I got was your machine, I assumed you were still here."
"I should have been home an hour ago. Why are you here? Why did you have to see me?"
"Everything's in the Sorete report. I insisted the police call them in-"
"What happened?" interrupted Moreau. He raised an eyebrow.
"Your former wife is not becoming hostile, surely. Your divorce was-ultimately amicable."
"I'm not sure I'd want it to be she. Lucille may be a devious bitch, but she's not stupid. These people were."
"What people?"
"After I dropped off Drew here, I drove to my apartment on the Montaigne. As you know, one of the few privileges of my office is my diplomatic parking space in front of the building. To my surprise, it was occupied and, adding to my irritation, there were several other nearby open spaces. Then I saw that there were two men seated in front and the driver was on his car phone, not exactly a normal sight at two o'clock'in the morning, especially when the driver was subject to a five-hundred-franc fine for parking where he did without a government plate or the Quai d'Orsay emblem on the front window."
"As always," said Moreau, nodding his head appreciatively, "your diplomat's penchant for introducing an event with perception and suspense is evident, but please, Henri, the personal insult to you aside, what happened?"
"The bastards started shooting at me!"
"What?" Latham leapt out of his chair.
"You heard me! My vehicle is naturally protected against such assaults, so I backed up quickly, then smashed into them, pinning their car to the curb."
"Then what?" cried Ambassador Courtland, now standing up.
"The two men got out the other side and raced away.
My heart pounding, I called the police on my car phone, demanding that they alert the SfiretL"
"You're something else," said an astonished Drew softly.
"You rammed them while they were firing at you?"
"The bullets could not penetrate, even the glass."
"Believe me, some can-like full jackets."
"Really?" Bressard's face grew pale.
"You were quite right, Henri," said Moreau, once more nodding his head, "your former wife would have been much more efficient.
Now, shall we all calm down a bit and look at what our brave hero has achieved for us? We have the vehicle, a license plate, and no doubt several dozen fingerprints which we will immediately deliver to Interpol. I salute. you Henri Bressard."
"There are bullets that can penetrate bulletproof automobiles . ?" The connection to Jodelle's suicide and the subsequent meeting at the Villier house on Pare Monceau was all too obvious.
Coupled with the attack on Latham, the situation demanded several decisions: Both Bressard and Drew would be protected around the clock by Deuxieme personnel-the Frenchman conspicuously, Latham less obviously, at his own instructions. Which was why the unmarked [email protected] car would remain across the street from Drew's building until relief -came to replace it or the American emerged in the morning, whichever happened first. Finally, under no conditions could Jean-Pierre Villier, who would also be guarded, be permitted to prowl the seamier sections of Paris in search of anyone.
"I myself will make that absolutely clear to him," said Claude Moreau, chief of the Deuxi&me Bureau.
"Villier is a treasure of France! .. . In addition, my wife would either kill me or have numerous affairs in our own bed if I permitted anything to happen to him."
The disturbing doubts about the embassy's transport pool were resolved quickly.