his jacket, and raced out to the Deuxieme car, which was now his constant companion.
"Rue Madeleine," he said.
"Number twenty six
"A nice neighborhood," said the driver, starting the unmarked vehicle.
The apartment on rue Madeleine added another dimension to the enigma that was Karin de Vries. Not only was it large, it was tastefully, expensively appointed; the furniture, the drapes, and the paintings were far beyond the salary of an embassy employee.
"My husband was not a poor man," said the widow, noting Drew's reactions to the decor.
"He not only played the part of a diamond merchant, he actively participated, and with his usual 61an."
"He must have been some kind of fellow."
"And then something beyond that," added De Vries without a comment in her voice.
"Please, sit down, Monsieur Latham. May I offer you a drink?"
"Considering the sour wine at the cafe of your choice, I gratefully accept."
"I do have Scotch whisky."
"Then I more than accept, I beg."
"No need to," said De Vries, laughing softly and walking to a mirrored bar.
"Freddie taught me to always keep four libations on hand," she continued, opening an ice bucket, a bottle, and pouring a drink.
"Red wine at room temperature, white wine chilled-one full bodied, the other dry, and both of good quality-as well as Scotch whisky for the English and bourbon for the Americans."
"What about the Germans?"
"Beer, the quality unimportant, for he said they'd drink anything.
But then, as I told you, he was extremely bigoted."
"He must have known other Germans."
"Natiirfich. He insisted they had a fetish for imitating the British.
"Whisky'-which is Scotch-without ice, and although they prefer ice, they deny it." She brought Drew his glass and, gesturing at a chair, said, "Sit down, Monsieur Latham, we have several things to discuss."
"Actually, that's my line," said Drew, sitting in a soft leather armchair across from the light-green velveteen couch preferred by Karin de Vries.
"You won't join me?" he asked, partially raising his glass.
"Perhaps later-if there is a later."
"You're one hell of a puzzle, lady."
"From where you sit I'm sure I appear so. However, looking over at you, I am simplicity itself. It's you who are the puzzle. You and the American intelligence community."
"I think that remark requires an explanation, Mrs. de Vries."
"Of course it does, and you shall have it. You send a man out under the deepest cover, an extraordinarily talented operative fluent in five or six languages, and you keep his existence so secret here in Europe, so secret, he has no protection, no one he can reach as a control, for no one has the authority, much less the responsibility, to advise him."
"Harry always had the option to pull out," protested Latham.
"He traveled all over Europe and the Middle East. He could have stopped anywhere, picked up a phone, called Washington, and said, "This is it, I'm finished." He wouldn't have been the first deep cover to have done that."
"Then you don't know your own brother."
"What do you mean? For Christ's sake, I grew up with him."
"Professionally?"
"No, not that way. We're in separate branches."
"Then you truly have no idea what a bloodhound he is."
Chapter Six
"Bloodhound .. . ?"
"As fanatic in his pursuits as the fanatics he was pursuing."
"He didn't like Nazis, who does?"
"That's not my point, monsieur. When Harry was a control, he had assets in East Germany, paid by the Americans, who fed him information that dictated his orders to his runners, runners like my husband. Your brother had no such advantage this last time. He was alone."
"He had to be. It was the nature of the operation, total isolation.
There couldn't be the slightest possible trace. Even I didn't know his cover name. What is your point?"
"Harry had no assets over here, but his enemy has assets in Washington."
"What the hell are you saying?"
"You rightly assumed that I knew about your brother's assignment. Incidentally, his cover name was Lassiter, Alexander Lassiter."
"What?" Astonished, Latham shot forward in the chair.
"Where did you get that information?"
"Since even you didn't know the name he was using, where else? The enemy, of course, a member of the Brotherhood-that's the name they use."
"This is getting awfully sticky, lady. Another explanation, please.
"Only partial. Some things you'll have to accept on faith. For my own protection."
"I haven't got much faith, even less now, so let's start with the partial. Then I'll tell you whether you still have a . job or not."
"Considering my contributions, that's hardly fair-"
"Give it a try," interrupted Drew sharply.
"Freddie and I kept a flat in Amsterdam, in his name, naturally, an apartment commensurate with his wealth