Honour Among Thieves

felt sure he was about to discover what 'Among other things' meant. He ripped open the bulky yellow envelope and allowed the contents to spill out onto his desk. Photographs, dozens of them, and documents with banknote serial numbers attached to them. He glanced at the photographs of himself in deep conversation with Al Calabrese on the pavement in front of the National Cafe, another of himself with Gino Sartori in the centre of Freedom Plaza, and yet another with the director sitting on the dolly as they talked to the former Chief of the DC Police Department. Al Obaydi had even taken a photograph of Rex Butterworth entering the Willard Hotel and of the actor, bald-headed, sitting in the third car, and later getting into the limo outside the Archives' loading dock.
    Cavalli began drumming his fingers on the table. It was then that he remembered the nagging doubt at the back of his mind. It was Al Obaydi he had seen in the crowd the previous day. He had underestimated the Iraqi. Perhaps the time had come to call their man in the Lebanon and inform him of the Swiss bank account he had opened in the Deputy Ambassador's name. No. That would have to wait until the ninety million had been paid in full. 'What do I do, Simon, if he offers me the job?' Scott hesitated. He had no idea what Mossad would expect her to do. He knew exactly what he wanted her to do. It was no use putting the question to Dexter Hutchins in Virginia, because they wouldn't have hesitated to tell him to continue using Hannah for their own purposes. Hannah turned towards what Scott laughingly described as the kitchen. 'Perhaps you could ask Colonel Kratz what I should do,' she suggested when he didn't reply. 'Explain to him that the Ambassador wants me to take Muna's place, but that another problem has arisen.' 'What's that?' asked Scott anxiously. 'The Ambassador's term of office comes to an end early next month. He may well be asked to stay in Paris, but the Chief Administrator is telling everyone that he's going to be called back to Baghdad and promoted to Deputy Foreign Minister.' Scott still didn't offer an opinion. 'What's the matter, Simon? Are you incapable of making a decision at this time in the morning?' Scott still said nothing. 'You're just as pathetic on your feet as you are in bed,' she teased. Scott decided the time had come to tell her every- thing. He wasn't going to wait another minute. He walked out of the kitchen, took her in his arms and stroked her hair. 'Hannah, I need to -' he had begun, when the phone rang. He broke away to answer it. He listened for a few moments before saying to Dexter Hutchins, 'Yes, sure. I'll call you back as soon as I've had time to think about it.' What was the man doing up in the middle of the night, wondered Scott as he replaced the receiver. 'Another lover, lover?' Hannah asked with a smile. 'My publishers wanting to know when my manuscript will be finished. It's already overdue.' 'And what will your answer be?' 'I'm currently distracted.' 'Only currently?' she said, pressing her finger on his nose. 'Well, perhaps permanently,' he admitted. She kissed him gently on the cheek and whispered, 'I must get back to the embassy, Simon. Don't come down with me, it's too risky.' He held her in his arms and wanted to protest but settled for 'When will I see you again?' 'Whenever the Ambassador's wife feels in need of a swim,' Hannah said. She broke away. 'But I'll keep on reminding her how good it is for her figure, and that perhaps she ought to be taking even more exercise.' She laughed and left without another word. Scott stood by the window, waiting for her to reappear. He hated the fact that he couldn't just phone, write or make contact with her whenever he felt like it. He longed to send her flowers, letters, cards and notes to let her know how much he loved her. Hannah ran out onto the pavement, a smile on her face. She looked up and blew Scott a kiss before she vanished around the corner. Another man, who was cold and tired from hours of waiting, also watched her, not from a window in a warm room but from a doorway on the opposite side of the road. The moment Scott disappeared from sight, the man stepped out of the shadows and followed the Ambassador's second secretary back to the embassy compound. 'I don't believe you,' she said. 'I fear that the truth of the matter is you don't want to believe me,' said Kratz, who had flown in from London that morning. 'But he can't be working for any enemy of Israel.'