The Hadrian Memorandum - Allan Folsom [206]
Bruno wanted you to have the pick of his first litter.He knew you’d make a great dad.
There was no signature.
Bruno Junior under his arm, he went back into the apartment to look out the window, hoping to see who’d left it. There was nothing but the glistening river and the lights of the city. He grinned again, wider this time if that were possible. There was only one person it could have been. Only one person with the skill and humor to have pulled off the perfect Manchester accent over the phone without ever before having been in the city. Only one person who had ridden beside him in Stump Logan’s ancient VW bus from Praia da Rocha to Lisbon when Bruno the Elder tried to climb into his lap to comfort him. Only one person with the caring and sensitivity to know he just might need a pal.
Anne.
Marten reached down and rubbed Bruno’s head. The puppy looked up at him the way his father, Bruno the Elder had, as if he sensed everything that was going on inside him. It was then he realized he had tears in his eyes. They were tears for the victims of violence and injustice he had seen every day of his life on the LAPD, and later in France and Russia and Spain. Tears for the awfulness of what had happened in Equatorial Guinea, for the people he had seen and met there, and on his voyage since. All he could do now was breathe-in the sweet innocence of the puppy in his arms and know the tears came from his heart.
“I weep for them,” he said aloud. “I weep for us all.”
EDITOR’S NOTE
If you want to know more of the adventures of Nicholas Marten; his past with the LAPD; how and why he was forced to change his name and relocate to England; about his sister Rebecca and the enigmatic Lady Clementine Simpson; and how he became such close friends with John Henry Harris, the president of the United States; those stories are told at length in The Exile and The Machiavelli Covenant.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
For technical information and advice I am particularly indebted to my friend and fellow writer Chase Brandon, retired CIA operations officer, clandestine services, who provided immeasurable counsel regarding the politics, mind-set, and inner workings of the CIA, and who was instrumental in preparing the formal text for the “Memorandum” itself; and to Anthony Chapa, assistant director (retired), United States Secret Service; Paul Tippin, former homicide investigator, Los Angeles Police Department; noted German mystery writer Hartmann Schmige was particularly helpful in providing information about Berlin and the Berlin police; Norton F. Kristy, Ph.D., gave me valuable insight into the psychological motivations of the characters.
For suggestions and corrections to the manuscript I am particularly grateful to Eric Raab, with a very special thank-you to India Cooper. I am also indebted to my agent, Robert Gottlieb; and to Tom Doherty, Linda Quinton, and Robert Gleason for their continued enthusiasm and support of my work.
Finally, I want to thank Jeffrey Weber, M.D., and Thomas Woliver, M.D., whose caring and expertise made the writing of this book possible.
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75