Solo - Jack Higgins [90]
He opened the door, stood to one side and motioned her in.
Edward Heath, the British Prime Minister, was himself a musician of no mean ability and he shook Mikali's hand enthusiastically.
'Quite extraordinary, Mr Mikali. A night to remember.'
'Why thank you, sir.'
Mikali walked on, shepherded by Previn towards the Duchess of Kent who was as charming and knowledgeable as always.
'I don't think you've recorded Rachmaninov's Fourth together, have you?' she asked.
Previn smiled. 'No, ma'am, but I think we may say with certainty, that after John's performance tonight, that omission should be rectified in the very near future.'
Mikali left them talking and moved on, shaking dozens of hands. He paused to speak to the Greek Ambassador, not really taking in what he was saying, his eyes moving restlessly around the room, half-expecting to see Morgan's ravaged face staring out at him from the crowd.
Instead, he saw Katherine Riley over by the door standing beside Baker. He smiled wryly, so many things falling into place now, and started towards her. And then, as the crowd parted, he saw Ferguson and Jean Paul Deville standing against the wall drinking champagne.
He hesitated, then walked towards them. 'Jean Paul,' he said easily.
Deville said, 'I think you know Brigadier Ferguson.'
Mikali took an elegant gold case from his inside pocket and selected a cigarette. 'Only by reputation. You take an excellent photo, Brigadier.' He offered the case. 'Greek, I'm afraid. I'm very ethnic. They may not be to your liking.'
'On the contrary.' Ferguson took one and accepted the light.
'And Colonel Morgan of the nine lives? Isn't he joining us?'
'No,' Ferguson said. 'I wouldn't exactly say he's safely tucked up in bed, but he is under what you might call house arrest. For the duration of this evening's events only, naturally. It seemed the sensible thing to do. He did rather want you for himself, you see.'
'House arrest, you say?' Mikali laughed out loud. 'Why, you've quite made my evening, Brigadier.'
The five-minute warning bell sounded for the start of the second half. Ferguson said, 'There's no way out, my dear chap, you do realize that? To use that old-fashioned phrase beloved of the British copper, better to come along quietly.'
'But my dear Brigadier, when have I ever done anything quietly?'
The Greek Ambassador tapped him on the shoulder. 'We'd be honoured if you would join our party in my box for the second half of the concert.'
'Delighted, Mr Ambassador,' Mikali said. 'I'll only be a few minutes.'
He turned back to Ferguson who was no longer smiling. 'Your performance tonight was something I shall long remember, but I should hate it to be your epitaph. Think about that.'
He touched Deville on the arm. The Frenchman smiled sadly. 'I told you what would happen, John. You wouldn't listen.'
'But you were wrong, old buddy.' Mikali smiled. 'You said it might be next Wednesday, but it's Saturday night.'
They went out through the door and Mikali watched them go, people flooding around him. Baker had disappeared but Katherine Riley still stood waiting against the wall, still separated from him by the weight of people.
He pushed his way through to her and stood, hands in pockets, the cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. And when he smiled, the heart turned over inside her.
'Have you known long?'
'Since Hydra for certain. I found Morgan up in the hills in a bad way, or he found me.'
Mikali nodded. 'Ah, I see now. If it matters to you at all, his daughter was an accident. 1 tried to miss her. It just wasn't possible.'
'Why, Johnny?' she said.
He leaned against the wall beside her and for a moment, there was total intimacy between them. 'I don't know. People always seemed to be dying on me. I suppose it was a natural progression from that. And the trouble is, I was so damned good at it. But you're the doctor, Doctor. You tell me.'
'You had a talent,' she said. 'Such a special gift. You showed that tonight. And in the end...'
'Words, angel,' he said. 'Nothing lasts, everything