Murder at the Opera - Margaret Truman [88]
The security of the Western world was not, he decided on the spot, in especially competent hands.
“Is there anything else?” Crowley asked, anxious to bolt. “I think it best that I leave Washington immediately and return to Baghdad
His superior coughed politely into his closed fist.
“One other thing, Mr. Crowley,” Jones said. Browning handed Jones yet another communiqué, which was passed to Crowley. Again, he read quickly, but stopped midway and focused more attention on the words. When he was finished, he removed his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and shook his head. “This means nothing to me,” he said.
“These names never came up in all the months you’ve been handling sources in Amman?” Thomas asked, forcing incredulity into his voice. “Never?”
“Never
“They’ve only recently captured the attention of our people,” the Canadian intelligence operative, Jones, said. “We’d been aware of the potential of their involvement with terrorist organizations, but it’s so damned difficult to trace these things, especially when the company does everything aboveboard, or appears to
“Who are they?” Crowley asked.
“Talent agents,” Browning answered. “They represent opera singers and such. Offices in Toronto
“They represent many foreign singers, mostly operatic,” Jones added. “Their reputation isn’t pristine, I might say, some shady dealings alleged, pocketing fees belonging to clients, bringing young performers to Canada from other countries on the pretense of finding them training and work, taking their money, and leaving them high and dry. Not unusual, I suppose, for people in that line of work
“They represented that young opera singer who was murdered at the Kennedy Center,” Browning said.
“They’ve had dealings with Middle Eastern groups, we’ve learned. It all seems kosher, if that’s an acceptable way to put it considering the circumstances, but the name did come up in one of our intercepts
Crowley again shook his head, and groaned.
“Problem, Crowley?” Thomas asked.
“My hip,” Crowley said. “Acts up now and then
“You sound like a candidate for a hip replacement,” Browning offered.
“Perhaps,” Crowley replied, finding it strange for this discussion of terrorism and planned assassinations of political leaders to morph into talk of his hip. “If that’s all,” he said, standing, “I’d best be going
Without anyone saying anything, Jones and Browning shook Crowley’s hand and walked from the room, leaving him alone with Thomas. Crowley started to leave, too, but Thomas said, “A word with you, Milton,” indicating with his hand for Crowley to again take his seat. When he had, Thomas said, “I’m quite sure it’s evident, Milton, that we’ve fallen behind our colleagues in the gathering and assimilating of useful intelligence on the ground in Iraq
Crowley didn’t respond; his jaw moved silently.
“Somewhat embarrassing, I’d say,” Thomas said, examining his fingernails. “Let me cut to the chase, Milton. Hunting down these bloody savages is a young man’s game, wouldn’t you agree?”
“I hadn’t given it much thought, Jillian
“Well,” Thomas said, forcing a smile, “I think it’s time you did. As a matter of fact, I’ve been giving it considerable thought for some time now
“And?”
“And, Milton, I believe it is time to relieve you of your duties in Baghdad. Collinsworth will take over for you there, effective immediately
“Collinsworth?”
Adrian Collinsworth, in his early forties, had been transferred to Baghdad from Cairo six months earlier as Crowley’s second in command. He was, as far as Crowley was concerned, a thoroughly dislikable man, skilled at boot-licking but lacking even rudimentary skill at intelligence analysis.
“I suppose I don’t have a say in this,” Crowley said, successfully masking a small smile behind his hand.
“Afraid not, old chap. It’s for the greater good, you understand. Nothing personal. Time marches on. A new guard is always waiting in the wings to pick up where we