safe nonetheless. Teddy had it open in seconds.
It was full of money. Bundles and bundles of hundred-euro notes. There must have been close to a half million euros, just mad money to Rene Darjon.
Teddy took some of it. Not that he needed the money, he just had to make room in the safe.
Teddy wrote Virus X on the file folder in Magic Marker, locked it in the safe, and got out.
85.
TEDDY HADN’T SEEN Kristin in a few days. He was concerned. There were only a few things that could mean: none of them good.
Her cover may have been blown, and she had come to harm. Teddy knew from experience these guys played rough.
Or she could be lying low, waiting to strike at the end of the conference. That could only lead to disaster. Whatever she was plotting was sure to throw a monkey wrench into his plans.
Teddy never once considered the possibility that she might have simply given up. It just wasn’t in her nature.
Teddy called Jacques. He caught him at his computer.
“What do you need?”
“Anything going on?”
“It’s pretty quiet.”
“Anybody at the office show an interest in the conference?”
“None. It’s a nonevent. It might as well not be happening.”
“Is Kristin around?”
“Norton sent her to London with the ambassador’s wife.”
“Really?”
“She wasn’t happy about it. She tried to foist it off on Valerie but Norton wouldn’t let her. He put his foot down. It’s no secret he’s been getting fed up with her lately. Feels she’s grown lax about following orders and has a tendency to do whatever she wants.”
“He’s not wrong about that. When does she get back?”
“Not until tomorrow. Which takes her out of the picture as far as you are concerned. The conference will be over.”
“Right.”
“Is that why she was so upset? She was planning to hook up with you?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, you two seemed close. And you asked about her.”
“I was asking in terms of the conference.”
“Of course,” Jacques said. “You forget, I’m French.”
“Never,” Teddy said.
Teddy hung up the phone feeling better. Kristin was out of the way for the rest of the conference. He could imagine the scene in Norton’s office. Having managed to establish an off-the-books relationship with Rene Darjon, Kristin could not have been easy to dissuade.
Teddy couldn’t recall ever feeling so nervous about an operation. But that was only natural. He couldn’t recall an operation where there had ever been so much at stake.
86.
TEDDY DRESSED UP for the farewell cocktail party in Floyd Maitland’s finest cowboy regalia, much like Maitland’s standard daily outfit but festooned with bright hand-stitched embroidery. His dinner jacket and blue jeans went together surprisingly well when complimented by his Stetson hat and snakeskin cowboy boots. The only thing missing was his gun belt and Colt revolver. He had no wish to make a scene, merely to come across as a familiar and genial presence.
The grand ballroom was decked out for the party with streamers hanging from the ceiling and animal posters adorning the walls. As in the opening party there were cash bars for liquor and free bars for soft drinks, and a buffet table in the center for finger foods. The fare was better than at the opening party, with such items as shrimp and sliders.
The participants were better dressed, too. While the opening was billed as a “ceremony,” this was billed as a “cocktail party,” and the guests wore attire fit for the occasion.
Teddy pushed his way through the crowd, hoping to accidently bump into the Syrians. He hoped to learn when their plane was leaving. Flush with victory, they might be less guarded.
Teddy saw the Germans, sitting at a table off to the side. They were getting drunk, and it was going to be a morose drunk. After failing to purchase the rhino, they had more or less lost interest in the proceedings. Teddy couldn’t recall them bidding on anything else.
The Palestinians didn’t look happy, either. Of course, they had lost one of their number, but he was doubtless expendable. They had lost out on the dog, as had the Russians and Chinese. Only the Syrians would be pleased.
Teddy spotted them on the far side of the room. They had also dressed for the party. For Fahd it was a dinner jacket. For the scientists it was ill-fitting suits. The fireplug hitman wore a suit off the rack, most likely from the plus-size children’s department.
Teddy maneuvered close enough to have seen them casually, without actually looking for them. His face lit up in a smile,