Last Snow - Eric van Lustbader [163]
“There’s one other thing I can’t fathom,” he said now. “How did you know I’d follow you to the alley that night?”
She put the flat of her hand against his chest. “You’re a decent man, you weren’t going to let me walk into an ambush where you were convinced that I would surely wind up dead.”
He shook his head. “I’m not buying that answer. You could never have been certain that I would come, even after you were careful to tell me in the hotel bar that the Moscow police were worse than useless.”
Her smile was cunning, which had the startling effect of turning her into a sexual creature he did not want to resist. “I studied you, Jack. I knew what had happened with Emma, I knew how your ex-wife blamed you, how you blamed yourself, how, to compensate and to try to make amends you couldn’t resist someone in peril, especially mortal peril.” When he made no comment, she went on, “Tell me you didn’t think of Emma when you made the decision to leave the hotel and come after me.”
“You’re right,” he said, after a time, “Emma was all I thought about that night.”
“Once again, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Leaning forward, he kissed her. “I don’t want to hear you say you’re sorry again.”
“Don’t worry,” she put a hand behind his head, caressing him, “you won’t.”
Jack saw the Carsons coming and remembered that Edward had invited him to dinner after the ceremonies.
“I’m going to have to go,” he said, reluctantly breaking away from her.
“Meet me tomorrow,” she said, “in the lobby of the Bolshoi Ballet at seven forty-five.”
And then she was gone, vanishing in the dense swirl of people.
“I hope I didn’t scare off your lady friend,” Edward Carson said. “I was going to invite her to dinner.”
“That’s all right, sir, I don’t think she cares much for this place.”
Carson looked around. “Who the hell could?” He put his arm around Jack’s shoulders. “Once again I owe you a debt I can never hope to repay.”
“No need, sir.”
“On so many levels,” the president continued, “not only me, not only Lyn and me, but the country itself. Dammit, Jack, no one else could have figured out a way to make this damnable security accord a success.”
“I appreciate your faith in me.” Jack didn’t want to talk about a success that involved Dyadya Gourdjiev getting everything he wanted. Instead, he looked around. “I haven’t seen General Brandt.”
“And you won’t. He’s being held incognito and in strict isolation aboard Air Force One. The Justice Department has been notified and will deal with him in due course, as will every other knotty problem of state, when we arrive home tomorrow.” His smile was broad and, for once, relaxed. “Tonight we eat, drink, tell jokes, and best of all, listen to the stories you and Alli have to tell about your adventures in Ukraine. For this one evening we’ve all earned the right to forget about the difficulties of yesterday and whatever may come the day after tomorrow.” He took Lyn’s arm and nodded in Alli’s direction. “Now how about you escort Alli back to the hotel; everything has been prepared for us in my suite.”
THE NEW day dawned just as it had ended, with snow. The presidential motorcade set out for Sheremetyevo, where Air Force One was fueled and waiting. Jack, sitting beside Alli in the limousine directly behind the one carrying the president and First Lady, was looking forward to interrogating the General. Carson had promised him an hour alone with Brandt before anyone else had a crack at him. The president was of a mind to grant Jack pretty much anything he asked for.
“Sorry to be going home?” Jack asked half in jest.
“As a matter of fact,” Alli said, “I am.”
They had reached the Ring Road, coming up on the exit that led to the airport.