Patriot games - Tom Clancy [100]
"That's two breaks you have, Jimmy," Murray said after reading his friend's mind. It wasn't hard to do. Both men had handled hard cases, and police differ little over the world.
"Indeed," Owens said, almost smiling. "They ought not to have tipped their hand. They should have bent every effort to protect their source. We can compare the lists of who knew that His Highness was coming in that afternoon, and who knew that young Mr. Miller was going to Lymington."
"And the telephone operators who put the calls through," Murray reminded him. "And the secretaries and co-workers who might have overheard, and the girlfriends, or boyfriends, who might have heard during some horizontal conversation."
"Thank you ever so much for that, Dan. One needs encouragement at a time like this." The Englishman walked over to Murray 's cabinet and found a bottle of whiskey- a Christmas present, still unopened on New Year's Eve.
"You're right that they should have protected their intel source. I know you'll get him, Jimmy. I will put some money down on that."
Owens poured the drinks. It was gratifying to see that the American had finally learned to drink his whiskey decently. In the past year Owens had broken Murray of the need to put ice in everything. It was shameful to contaminate single-malt Scotch whiskey. He frowned at another recurring thought. "What does that tell us about Sean Miller?"
Murray stretched his arms out. "More important than you thought, maybe? Maybe they were afraid you'd break information out of him. Maybe they just wanted to keep their perfect record. Maybe something else?"
Owens nodded. In addition to the close working relationship Scotland Yard had with the FBI, Owens valued the opinions of his colleague. Though both were experienced cops, Murray could always be trusted to have a slightly different slant on things. Two years before Owens had been surprised to learn how valuable this might be. Though he never had thought about it, Murray had used his colleague's brain the same way on several occasions.
"So what might that make Miller?" Owens wondered aloud.
"Who can say? Chief of operations?" Murray waved his glass.
"Awfully young for that."
"Jimmy, the guy who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was a full colonel in the Air Force, and twenty-nine years old. Hell, how old is this O'Donnell character?"
"That's what Bob Highland thinks." Owens stared into his glass for a moment, frowning again.
"Bob's a smart kid, too. God, I hope you can put him back on the street."
"If not, we can still use him in the office," Commander Owens said positively. "He does have a fine brain for the business of investigations-too good to be lost now. Well, I must be off. New Year's Eve, Dan. What do we drink to?"
"That's obvious. A successful investigation. You're going to get that source, Jimmy, and he's going to give you the information you need." Murray held his glass up. "To a closed case." "Yes." Both men emptied their glasses.
"Jimmy, do yourself a favor and give it a night off. Clear the old head out and start fresh in the morning."
Owens smiled. "I'll try." He picked up his overcoat and walked toward the door. "One last thing. It hit me on the drive over. These chaps, the ULA, have broken all the rules, haven't they?"
"That's true enough," Murray replied as he locked up his files.
"There's only one rule they haven't broken."
Murray turned. "Oh? What's that?"
"They've never done anything in America."
"None of them do that." Murray dismissed the idea.
"None have had much of a reason before."
"So?"
"Dan, the ULA might have a reason now-and they've never been reticent about breaking the rules. It's just a feeling, no more than that." Owens shrugged. "Well. Good night, and a happy new year to you. Special Agent Murray."
They shook hands ceremonially.