The Kill Artist

morning. Pleasure meeting you, Yusef. Cheers."
    Isherwood clambered down the stairs and hurried across Mason's Yard to the sanctuary of the bar at Green's. He ordered a whiskey and drank it very fast, all the while wondering whether it was truly possible that Gabriel's girl had just brought a terrorist into his gallery.
    * * *
    Gabriel sat on a bench on Victoria Embankment, watching the gray river moving sluggishly beneath the Blackfriars Bridge, holding a copy of the Daily Telegraph. On page thirteen, hidden behind an advertisement, was a coded field report for Shamron. The bodel appeared ten minutes later. He walked past Gabriel and headed up the steps toward the Temple Underground station. He wore a hat, which meant he was not being followed and it was safe to proceed. Gabriel followed him into the station, then down the escalator to the platform. When the train arrived, the two men entered the same crowded carriage. They were forced to stand side by side, which made the exchange-Yusef's keys for the newspaper containing Gabriel's field report-quite impossible to detect. Gabriel got off at Paddington Station and headed back to the listening post.
    Jacqueline said, "There's something I want to show you." She led Yusef into the lift, and they rode up in silence. When the door opened, she took his hand and guided him into the center of the darkened gallery. She said, "Close your eyes."
    "I don't like games like these."
    "Close your eyes." Then she added playfully, "I promise to make it worth your while."
    He closed his eyes. Jacqueline walked across the room to the lighting control panel and placed her hand on the main dimmer switch. "Now, open them."
    She brought the lights up slowly. Yusef's mouth fell slightly open as he surveyed the surrounding paintings. "It's beautiful."
    "It's my favorite place in the world."
    Yusef took a few steps forward and stood before one of the paintings. "My God, is that really a Claude?"
    "Yes, it is. In fact, that's one of his first river scenes. It's very valuable. Look at the way he depicted the sun. Claude was one of the first artists to actually use the sun as the source of light for an entire composition."
    "Claude was born in France, but he lived almost his entire life in Venice, if I'm not mistaken."
    "Actually, you are mistaken. Claude lived and worked in Rome, in a small flat on the Via Margutta near the Piazza di Spagna. He became the most sought-after landscape painter in all of Italy."
    Yusef turned away from the painting and looked at her. "You know a great deal about painting."
    "Actually, I know very little, but I work in an art gallery."
    Yusef asked, "How long have you been working here?"
    "About five months."
    "About five months? What does that mean exactly? Does that mean four months or six months?"
    "It means nearly five months. And why do you want to know? Why is this important to you?"
    "Dominique, if this relationship is to continue, there must be complete honesty between us."
    "Relationship? I thought we were only sleeping together."
    "Maybe there can be more between us, but only if there are no lies. No secrets."
    "Complete honesty? Are you sure about that? Can there ever be complete honesty between two people? Would that be healthy? Isn't it best to keep some things secret? Have you told me all your secrets, Yusef?"
    He ignored this question.
    "Tell me, Dominique," he said. "Are you in love with another man?"
    "No, I am not in love with another man."
    "Are you telling me the truth?"
    "Of course I am."
    "I don't think so."
    "Why do you say that?"
    "Because of the way you made love to me last night."
    "You've made love to many women? You're an expert in these matters?"
    He pulled his lips into a modest smile.
    Jacqueline said, "What is it about the way that I make love to you that has convinced you I am in love with another man?"
    "You closed your eyes while I was inside you. You closed your eyes as if you didn't want to look at me. You closed your eyes as if you were thinking about someone else."
    "And if I were to admit to you that I was in love with another man? How would you feel about this? Would it change anything between us?"
    "It might make me care even more for you."
    "I like to close my eyes when I make love, Yusef. It doesn't mean anything."
    "Are you keeping any secrets from me?"
    "None of any consequence." She smiled. "Are you going to take me to dinner?"
    "Actually, I had a better idea. Let's go back to my flat. I'll make dinner for