that path, it risks everything we’ve accomplished, it might explode in our face.’”

I frowned. Sohn was careful with his imagery; he didn’t make mistakes.

“At that point, the only answer I can offer is, ‘Good for them. Hooray for them. All honor to them.’ Your brother will be rewarded. He’ll swagger, he’ll go to the parties, he’ll put his filthy fat hands—” Sohn stopped. “Forgive me.”

“No, go ahead, say whatever you want. He isn’t my brother anymore.”

I thought Sohn would bark, but he didn’t. He hadn’t barked once the whole time.

“You have friends here who are anxious to meet,” I said.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll drink while you talk.”

“There isn’t much else to say. I assume that with your arrival, I’ve become extraneous. You’ll take over, and I can go home.”

“Nothing of the sort. There is still a lot to be done.” Sohn put his glass down and leaned toward me. Surely now, a bark. “There are things you can do that I can’t.”

“Such as?”

“Such as keeping a lid on the negotiations; such as watching over our diplomats and making sure none of them decide to stay out too late or forget to come home.” He picked up the glass again and drained it. He wasn’t going to bark, I finally realized. Overseas, he didn’t do that. Overseas, he didn’t walk like a bear, or clear his throat. Overseas, he was a different man.

“You don’t want to meet your friends?”

“I’m too busy. It’s too dangerous.” He put the pen back together, the way a soldier assembles a rifle during a drill.

“But it’s alright with you if I put my head in that lion’s mouth.”

He smiled. “Have you discovered yet what happened to the woman in Pakistan?”

“I figured you had some connection to all of that.” A thought crept up on me. “Was she yours?”

“Good guess. But mine? I don’t own people, Inspector. I don’t like to see them murdered, either. And I don’t believe for a moment that she was killed by locals. Do you?”

“Don’t tell me, her murder has something to do with why I’m here.” I stopped. “Next you’re going to tell me my brother is tied into this as well.”

He handed me the pen. “I trained her.”

“You what? She was an embassy wife. What did you train her to do? Cook? Apparently, she wasn’t very good at it.”

“How much do you already know about her, Inspector?”

“Nothing. I think I prefer it that way. When I went to look at her personnel file, it had disappeared. All I was supposed to do was to gather a few odd facts about her and sail them on their way. I should have done that. Maybe if I had, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”

“You were destined to be here.” Sohn smiled. His ears looked bigger, though maybe it was just the light. “If it’s odd facts you’re after, this is as odd a place as any to gather them. I thought you’d like it in Geneva.”

“Here? Why would I like it here? The trees are butchered. I’m sick to death of looking at watches in store windows. And I resent like hell being tossed in front of my brother.”

That rolled off Sohn’s back.

“Odd, my brother’s taking a sudden interest in fresh-baked bread.”

Sohn perked up. “He told you that?”

“No, I heard him talking about it on the phone.”

“I don’t suppose you know who he was talking to?”

“I have no idea.”

“Your brother hates bread.”

“I know.”

Sohn looked thoughtful, and I knew I wasn’t part of the conversation going on inside his head.

“I’d guess your friends are going to contact you fairly soon,” I said. “They seem impatient. It wouldn’t surprise me if they have reserved a room for you, probably at the usual place. Maybe I’ll see you around.” I got up and left quickly, before he could say anything more. Halfway out the door, I realized I hadn’t thanked him for the pen.

3

When I got back to the hotel, there was a bench across the street. A green felt hat sat on it, in case I had any doubt who to thank. The hotel lobby, as usual, was deserted. I walked past the desk clerk and was partway up the stairs when she called to me. “You have a message.” She held up an envelope. “You want it?”

“Of course I want it if it’s for me.”

“It might be bad news.”

I walked back down and held out my hand. “Do you mind?”

The note was from Sohn, though it wasn’t signed. All it said,