followed me indoors and, from the far end of
the room, was observing my progress. She did her amused
smile, little-finger-wave thing and I had no choice but to smile
and wave back.
In the library, I closed the door and walked over to my desk.
Picking up the phone, I dialled the number Phil had given
me, then sat down at the computer.
While I waited for him to answer – I wanted to know if
he’d made any progress with tracing that call – I logged on
to the internet.
My chances of finding Jelly online were remote, but I pulled
up my friends list onscreen, planning to drop her a note,
then drew a short convulsive breath.
adorablejoker: hey … how ya doin? templedog: I don’t believe this
I left a message on Phil’s voice-mail asking him to call me
back, then put the phone down.
td: I’m … this is so weird, I mean, I just had a feeling … where are you?
a.-still in DC
td: at your friend’s house?
aj: library, in the comp room
td: the Library of Congress?
aj: sure, where else can a girl rest her feet after a hard day’s shopping?
td: you know the odds against our bumping into each other…
I’m not sure if it was the coincidence that threw me, or the
exhilaration I felt at seeing her. After taking a moment, I lit
up a Gauloise.
aj: you aren’t upset with me?
td: should I be? What’s your address in Brooklyn?
aj: hmmm … kinda wish you hadn’t asked that
td: why? afraid I might show up on your doorstep?
aj: i’m just not that kind of girl
td: I wanted to send you something
aj: save your money, mister… hey, feel like taking a trip?
td: okay, where to this time… Marrakesh, Samarkand, Venice?
aj: what were you going to send me?
td: you’ll never know
aj: boo … so, in your mind, where are we?
td: Venice, one of my favourite hotels in the world, the Cipriani….
aj: i dunno… streets full of water, i told you i’m scared of water
td: hold on … phone
At the same moment I picked up the receiver I heard loud
whispering in the passage outside the library. A young girl I
knew vaguely as somebody’s daughter put her head around
the door and, seeing me at my desk, dissolved into giggles.
'Shhhh . . . there’s someone in here.’
'Thanks for getting back, Phil,’ I said, looking now at my
son, George, who was standing behind the girl in the doorway,
both obviously a little the worse for wear. I couldn’t help
wondering if Laura hadn’t sent him up to check on me.
'Sorry, sorry,’ he slurred, grinning. 'Dad, this is … Clarissa.’
'Here’s where we are,’ Phil started in without preamble. 'I
told you we had a mole at your phone company. He’s been
able to trace the network the call came from, but that’s as
far as he can go.’
'Nice to meet you,’ I mouthed, my hand over the receiver,
'hope you’re having fun,’ and waved amiably at George, who
retreated with his arm around the girl’s neck.
'Your caller uses Uno. Now we have to find someone there
to tell us which of their subscribers originated the call. More
difficult, but we’re working on it. None of this is legal, so it’s
going to be expensive.’
'I don’t care how much it costs, I just want his name.’
After I hung up the phone, I took a sip of champagne, got
up and walked over to close the library door, which George
had left wide open.
aj: still there?
td: I’m sorry … I have to go now
aj: i know, you need to get back to the party, mister
td: wait, wait just a minute… I don’t remember mentioning any party
aj: well you did. you told me… it’s your son’s birthday
td: no, seriously, there are 150 people here, how did you know?
aj: i can 'feel’ you sometimes, the situations you’re in, what’s on your mind, like
right now, you’re thinking … your wife must be wondering where you are
td: I was actually trying to picture the expression on your face when you typed
that. It’s important, Jelly. How did you know about the party? aj: Don’t you ever listen? YOU TOLD ME
I decided to check later to see if she was right. I
the room, was observing my progress. She did her amused
smile, little-finger-wave thing and I had no choice but to smile
and wave back.
In the library, I closed the door and walked over to my desk.
Picking up the phone, I dialled the number Phil had given
me, then sat down at the computer.
While I waited for him to answer – I wanted to know if
he’d made any progress with tracing that call – I logged on
to the internet.
My chances of finding Jelly online were remote, but I pulled
up my friends list onscreen, planning to drop her a note,
then drew a short convulsive breath.
adorablejoker: hey … how ya doin? templedog: I don’t believe this
I left a message on Phil’s voice-mail asking him to call me
back, then put the phone down.
td: I’m … this is so weird, I mean, I just had a feeling … where are you?
a.-still in DC
td: at your friend’s house?
aj: library, in the comp room
td: the Library of Congress?
aj: sure, where else can a girl rest her feet after a hard day’s shopping?
td: you know the odds against our bumping into each other…
I’m not sure if it was the coincidence that threw me, or the
exhilaration I felt at seeing her. After taking a moment, I lit
up a Gauloise.
aj: you aren’t upset with me?
td: should I be? What’s your address in Brooklyn?
aj: hmmm … kinda wish you hadn’t asked that
td: why? afraid I might show up on your doorstep?
aj: i’m just not that kind of girl
td: I wanted to send you something
aj: save your money, mister… hey, feel like taking a trip?
td: okay, where to this time… Marrakesh, Samarkand, Venice?
aj: what were you going to send me?
td: you’ll never know
aj: boo … so, in your mind, where are we?
td: Venice, one of my favourite hotels in the world, the Cipriani….
aj: i dunno… streets full of water, i told you i’m scared of water
td: hold on … phone
At the same moment I picked up the receiver I heard loud
whispering in the passage outside the library. A young girl I
knew vaguely as somebody’s daughter put her head around
the door and, seeing me at my desk, dissolved into giggles.
'Shhhh . . . there’s someone in here.’
'Thanks for getting back, Phil,’ I said, looking now at my
son, George, who was standing behind the girl in the doorway,
both obviously a little the worse for wear. I couldn’t help
wondering if Laura hadn’t sent him up to check on me.
'Sorry, sorry,’ he slurred, grinning. 'Dad, this is … Clarissa.’
'Here’s where we are,’ Phil started in without preamble. 'I
told you we had a mole at your phone company. He’s been
able to trace the network the call came from, but that’s as
far as he can go.’
'Nice to meet you,’ I mouthed, my hand over the receiver,
'hope you’re having fun,’ and waved amiably at George, who
retreated with his arm around the girl’s neck.
'Your caller uses Uno. Now we have to find someone there
to tell us which of their subscribers originated the call. More
difficult, but we’re working on it. None of this is legal, so it’s
going to be expensive.’
'I don’t care how much it costs, I just want his name.’
After I hung up the phone, I took a sip of champagne, got
up and walked over to close the library door, which George
had left wide open.
aj: still there?
td: I’m sorry … I have to go now
aj: i know, you need to get back to the party, mister
td: wait, wait just a minute… I don’t remember mentioning any party
aj: well you did. you told me… it’s your son’s birthday
td: no, seriously, there are 150 people here, how did you know?
aj: i can 'feel’ you sometimes, the situations you’re in, what’s on your mind, like
right now, you’re thinking … your wife must be wondering where you are
td: I was actually trying to picture the expression on your face when you typed
that. It’s important, Jelly. How did you know about the party? aj: Don’t you ever listen? YOU TOLD ME
I decided to check later to see if she was right. I
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