Stuart Woods_Stone Barrington 14

come in.” She led the way into her inner office and hung her coat in a closet. “Have a seat.” She waved him toward her desk.
    Lance took a chair across the desk from her, noting the difference from other meetings, when they sat in the more informal cluster of sofas and chairs across the room. “Sometime yesterday, probably in the afternoon, Bill Pepper was taken from his office by the police on St. Marks. Later in the day, police also took his wife, who is also our operative, from their home.”
    â€œIs there anything in either Bill’s office or home that might compromise his situation?”
    â€œI very much doubt it; he would have followed procedure.”
    â€œWhere is he now?”
    â€œApparently, still in the Markstown jail. The legendary Colonel Croft is also there, and I think we must presume that he has questioned or is questioning Bill and Annie.”
    â€œAnd, as I recall, his interrogation techniques were learned and refined in latter-day Haiti.”
    â€œThat is correct.”
    â€œDo we know the reason for their detention?”
    â€œNot yet. We were fortunate that our man in the embassy there was also the duty officer last night, so we have not yet involved the ambassador.” He glanced at his watch. “That will become necessary later this morning.”
    â€œDo we know if Colonel Croft has made any connection between Pepper and Holly Barker’s group?”
    â€œNo, but I very much doubt it.”
    â€œI should have thought that Colonel Croft’s interrogation practices might have produced that information by now.”
    â€œJim Tiptree, the Agency man at the embassy, first telephoned Colonel Croft, then visited the jail, demanding to see him. He is still there, waiting. I think his presence might have had a dampening effect on the colonel’s urges.”
    â€œYou must have some idea why the Peppers were detained. What was Bill’s most recent assignment? From you, I mean; not from Hugh English.”
    â€œHe was to go into the St. Marks government computers and get copies of the applications to purchase a residence of three men we suspect of possibly being Teddy Fay—Robertson, Pemberton and Weatherby.”
    â€œYou suspect three men of being Teddy?”
    â€œPossibly.”
    â€œAs I recall, Bill has made St. Marks government computers his playground over the past few months. How would he get caught now?”
    â€œCroft has been working at upgrading all of St. Marks’s security procedures. At some point, he would turn his attention to computer security, and we may be at that point.”
    â€œAnd what is our next step?”
    â€œWhen the ambassador arrives at his office, Jim Tiptree is going to have to involve him in the effort to secure the release of the Peppers. That, of course, will mean the involvement of State, since the ambassador will certainly inform the Caribbean Desk, as a matter of routine.”
    â€œAnd we don’t want that, do we?”
    â€œNo, Director.”
    â€œAnd how do you propose that we prevent that from happening?”
    â€œThe ambassador to St. Marks, Warren Holden, is a personal friend of the president, I believe.”
    â€œYes, they were both Senate staffers on the Select Committee on Intelligence when they were younger. Are you suggesting that the president call Holden and prevent him from reporting this incident to State?”
    â€œNothing quite as formal as that,” Lance said. “If he could just ask him to give us time to get the Peppers released and off the island.”
    â€œAnd when they’re gone, then report to State?”
    â€œWell, a delay in reporting might make it awkward to report it at a later date.”
    â€œSo you want the president to call in a favor from an old friend?”
    â€œIt was a pretty big favor, on the part of the president, to appoint his old friend to a cushy Caribbean ambassadorship. I should think Mr. Holden would be anxious to repay that.”
    â€œI suppose he might, but if this should turn into an international incident, then…”
    â€œI believe this will end with the release and repatriation of the Peppers.”
    â€œWhat, exactly, do you want Warren Holden to do?”
    â€œI’d like him to call the prime minister, Sir Winston Sutherland, tell him that the Peppers are personal friends of his—they play bridge every Thursday, or something like that—and ask him to call