do.”
“Ok?”
“What do I call you?”
Creasy smiled slightly.
“Just Creasy.”
“You don’t have a first name…yes you do, I saw it on your file.”
Creasy’s smile widened.
“My father must have had a sense of humour. Creasy will do just fine. Now what has Bennett been able to give you?”
“Seems like it’s narrowing down to two Palestinian groups, Abu Nidal’s bunch or the PFLP-GC, headed by a guy called Ahmed Jibril. It might be some months before they prove which one.”
“I have the same info.”
He was looking over the Senator’s shoulder. Very quietly he said, “Jim, don’t look round now. There’s a woman sitting alone at the table behind you. Either she’s interested in me physically or she’s working for somebody. In a couple of minutes, go to the John and get a look at her.”
When the Senator returned from the toilet, he nodded pleasantly at the woman as he passed the table. She smiled back.
He sat down and said, “Nothing sinister. I know her. She works as a researcher for the House Committee on Justice…very bright. I’ve seen her in here quite a few times.”
“House researchers can afford this kind of place?” Creasy asked.
The Senator shook his head.
“No, not on their salaries. She comes from a wealthy family out in Maryland.”
Creasy looked at the woman. She was in her mid-thirties, tall with short black hair and a very graceful neck. The intelligence showed in her face. She was just on the right side of being not too pretty. She glanced up at him yet again and their eyes met. She looked away.
The food arrived and with it the sommelier. He picked up Creasy’s wine glass and poured an inch of wine into it. Creasy took a sip and his eyes narrowed as he savoured it. The sommelier nodded with great dignity and poured the wine into the Senator’s glass and then into Creasy’s.
“Fetch another glass,” Creasy said to him. The sommelier did so. Creasy took the decanter, half filled the glass and passed it to the sommelier. They all drank. The sommelier sighed in satisfaction and said, “Thank you, sir, enjoy your meal.” Then still holding his glass he walked away to the kitchen.
Creasy guessed that he would be giving the chef a taste.
The Senator left first. It was still only ten o’clock. He apologised saying that he had a breakfast meeting at the House, and needed an early night.
“I’ll stay on a while,” Creasy said, “and have another coffee, maybe a Cognac”
The Senator winked.
“I wish you luck, Creasy, she’s a fine looking woman.” Creasy shook his head.
“It’s not that, Jim…it’s just that I’m interested in researching justice.”
He decided to have his Cognac in the bar. The Senator had told him the woman’s name. As he passed her table, he stopped, leaned down and said, “Miss Parkes, if you feel like an after dinner drink, I’ll be in the bar.”
Without giving her a chance to reply, he walked away.
The bar was all mahogany, dim lights with maroon tasselled lampshades and deep banquettes. Creasy went to a banquette in the corner and ordered a Cognac. When the waiter brought the drink, Creasy reached into his jacket pocket for money. The waiter shook his head.
“With the compliments of Mr. Henry, sir…the sommelier.”
“Please send my thanks to Mr. Henry.”
The woman timed it to perfection. Ten minutes passed.
Creasy glanced at his watch and decided that if she didn’t turn up in the next two minutes, she wasn’t going to. She walked into the bar, two and a half minutes later.
She was taller than he expected, about five feet ten, and as she walked, the knitted woollen dress swirled around her calves. Black suede Bally shoes with stiletto heels matched her black suede purse. She moved to the banquette with a long-legged graceful walk and sat down. Not next to him, but across from him about five feet away. They looked at each other as the waiter approached.
She ordered a Drambuie and then said to Creasy,
“Ok?”
“What do I call you?”
Creasy smiled slightly.
“Just Creasy.”
“You don’t have a first name…yes you do, I saw it on your file.”
Creasy’s smile widened.
“My father must have had a sense of humour. Creasy will do just fine. Now what has Bennett been able to give you?”
“Seems like it’s narrowing down to two Palestinian groups, Abu Nidal’s bunch or the PFLP-GC, headed by a guy called Ahmed Jibril. It might be some months before they prove which one.”
“I have the same info.”
He was looking over the Senator’s shoulder. Very quietly he said, “Jim, don’t look round now. There’s a woman sitting alone at the table behind you. Either she’s interested in me physically or she’s working for somebody. In a couple of minutes, go to the John and get a look at her.”
When the Senator returned from the toilet, he nodded pleasantly at the woman as he passed the table. She smiled back.
He sat down and said, “Nothing sinister. I know her. She works as a researcher for the House Committee on Justice…very bright. I’ve seen her in here quite a few times.”
“House researchers can afford this kind of place?” Creasy asked.
The Senator shook his head.
“No, not on their salaries. She comes from a wealthy family out in Maryland.”
Creasy looked at the woman. She was in her mid-thirties, tall with short black hair and a very graceful neck. The intelligence showed in her face. She was just on the right side of being not too pretty. She glanced up at him yet again and their eyes met. She looked away.
The food arrived and with it the sommelier. He picked up Creasy’s wine glass and poured an inch of wine into it. Creasy took a sip and his eyes narrowed as he savoured it. The sommelier nodded with great dignity and poured the wine into the Senator’s glass and then into Creasy’s.
“Fetch another glass,” Creasy said to him. The sommelier did so. Creasy took the decanter, half filled the glass and passed it to the sommelier. They all drank. The sommelier sighed in satisfaction and said, “Thank you, sir, enjoy your meal.” Then still holding his glass he walked away to the kitchen.
Creasy guessed that he would be giving the chef a taste.
The Senator left first. It was still only ten o’clock. He apologised saying that he had a breakfast meeting at the House, and needed an early night.
“I’ll stay on a while,” Creasy said, “and have another coffee, maybe a Cognac”
The Senator winked.
“I wish you luck, Creasy, she’s a fine looking woman.” Creasy shook his head.
“It’s not that, Jim…it’s just that I’m interested in researching justice.”
He decided to have his Cognac in the bar. The Senator had told him the woman’s name. As he passed her table, he stopped, leaned down and said, “Miss Parkes, if you feel like an after dinner drink, I’ll be in the bar.”
Without giving her a chance to reply, he walked away.
The bar was all mahogany, dim lights with maroon tasselled lampshades and deep banquettes. Creasy went to a banquette in the corner and ordered a Cognac. When the waiter brought the drink, Creasy reached into his jacket pocket for money. The waiter shook his head.
“With the compliments of Mr. Henry, sir…the sommelier.”
“Please send my thanks to Mr. Henry.”
The woman timed it to perfection. Ten minutes passed.
Creasy glanced at his watch and decided that if she didn’t turn up in the next two minutes, she wasn’t going to. She walked into the bar, two and a half minutes later.
She was taller than he expected, about five feet ten, and as she walked, the knitted woollen dress swirled around her calves. Black suede Bally shoes with stiletto heels matched her black suede purse. She moved to the banquette with a long-legged graceful walk and sat down. Not next to him, but across from him about five feet away. They looked at each other as the waiter approached.
She ordered a Drambuie and then said to Creasy,
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