David Baldacci - Deliver Us From Evil

“Nicest views in London,” said Shaw, who joined her there.

Grateful for this momentary change in the discussion, Reggie pointed to a lighted structure in the distance and said, “Have you been on the Eye?”

It looked like a Ferris wheel on growth hormones.

“Once, but only because a guy I was trailing decided to take a ride.”

Reggie pointed at another structure. “Did you know Claude Monet painted a picture of Waterloo Bridge from a balcony here? And that Fred Astaire danced on the Savoy ’s roof?”

“No, I didn’t know that.”

She closed the drape and turned to him. “But the oddest story I ever heard about the Savoy has to do with a cat named Kaspar.”

“Kaspar the cat?”

“Yes. He’s the oldest resident here, actually. Whenever there’s a dinner party at the Savoy where the number of guests is thirteen Kaspar comes out and fills a fourteenth seat.”

“That’s because superstition has it that the first person who gets up from a party of thirteen will die?”

“Precisely. I believe Agatha Christie even wrote a mystery about it.”

“But eating with a cat?”

“Kaspar is carved out of wood, which makes him invaluable as a dinner partner, if only for the ‘quiet’ companionship he provides.”

“Nice story,” Shaw said.

“Yes, isn’t it?” Reggie replied quietly.

“How many other Kuchins have there been?” Shaw asked.

“You deduce that from my vague phraseology? Big assumption on your part.”

“Not really.”

“What then?”

“You don’t get that good your first time out.”

“I’m not sure how good we really are. Gordes was a major cock-up all around, as you said.”

“Things happen in the field, no matter how well you plan it out. But the way I see it you have two major problems and they may be connected.”

She sat back down on the bed and looked up at him. “Okay. What are they?”

“First, you guys got ambushed. That means you either let somebody sneak up on you or you have a mole.”

“And the second?”

“Kuchin is still out there.” He patted the file he’d pulled from the safe. “And unless the guy in these pages has really mellowed over the years he’s not going to just walk away from this. And if he did take out those Muslim terrorists he’s apparently still got his killing mojo. Now, if he also has a plant inside your place that makes it even more problematic.”

“But if he did have a mole, how could we have gotten him down to the catacombs?”

“Not sure. But regardless, the issue becomes, what are you going to do about it?”

“Quite frankly, this is a little bit of new territory for us.”

“I’d like to help you with this.”

“You would have no idea what you were getting into, trust me.”

“That’s all I’m asking you to do, trust me.”

“I’ve never really trusted anyone. Perhaps not even myself at times,” she added in a strained voice.

He perched next to her on the bed. “How did you get mixed up in something like this?”

She said angrily, “How did you get mixed up in what you do?”

“It was pretty much against my will, actually.”

“Yeah, well, I went voluntarily down my road.”

“Then I’ll voluntarily go down that same road with you.”

“Why? Why help me?”

“I don’t get to help many people. When the chance comes I try not to miss it.”

Reggie’s anger faded and she touched his cheek. “Who was Anna?”

“A woman I cared for. I told you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“So am I.”

“I’m not Anna, Shaw.”

His eyes glimmered. “I know that. No one can be Anna.” He started to say something else but she covered his mouth with her hand.

She said, “Please. Don’t.”

He looked at her as Reggie’s hand slid from his mouth to his cheek.

“Reggie?”

She shook her head, stood, unzipped her dress, and stepped out of it. Reggie stood there in front of him in panties and bra. It was as though she was waiting for him to tell her to stop. Shaw said nothing, just looked at her. He finally put his hand on her hip, squeezed lightly. She pushed him flat on the bed and straddled him.

Reggie attacked his mouth, biting his lower lip and then kissing him on the neck and face before hungrily returning to his mouth, as they hastily worked their clothes off. There was energy and anger and desperation and even violence barely restrained as they went at one another.

Sweat dripped off them both as the Savoy ’s new HVAC system largely failed to keep up with the mingled heat thrown from their energized coupling. They eventually collapsed into a crazy tangle, her hair in his eyes, his knee between her legs, her arm curved around his head. She gently rubbed his face, kissed it.

Shaw’s eyes were closed, his breathing slowly returning to normal.

“Seems like it was as long in between for you as it was for me,” she said, her lungs still heaving.

He disengaged from her and sat against the headboard.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“It was nothing you did, Reggie.”

She wrapped her body against him, curling one of his chest hairs with her finger. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just stay like this for a bit? Maybe a few years?”

“It would get old, don’t you think?”

“Actually, I’d really like to see for myself.”

I just don’t see that happening, thought Shaw.

AFTER FALLING deeply asleep they rose late the next morning and showered together, taking turns soaping the other. Five minutes into it they had sex again while the hot water poured over them. Later, Reggie dressed and sat on the bed next to Shaw, who wore only a robe.

“So where does all this leave us?” she asked, her gaze searching his face.

“I’m not sure. We still haven’t resolved Kuchin. And you still haven’t told me enough to help you.”

“I was talking about the sex, actually.”

He looked at her, a bit perplexed.

“I guess it’s a girl thing to want to know about that. I suppose you blokes just take it at face value.”

“It was terrific, but I still need to understand your operation.”

“Very sensitive of you. But if I tell you, you have to tell others. I can’t let that happen.”

“And the trust thing?”

“Like I said, I don’t trust easily.”

“Neither do I. But I think I trust you.”

“Think?”

“Well, I’m apparently further along the trust road than you are.”

“So you believe Kuchin will come after us and that we might have a mole in our midst?”

“Even if you don’t have a traitor he can still come after you.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Our cover was excellent.”

“You don’t know how good your cover is because it hasn’t been tested yet. And this guy will test it. And you didn’t leave the area clean. You had to rush. Things might’ve gotten left behind. People might’ve heard or seen something. Now he’s out there planning how to get to you. He’s doing it 24/7.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because it’s what I would be doing.”

“Comforting to know that you and he think alike. And he’ll be coming after you too.”

“Right. So we work together. Then maybe we get the guy before he gets us.”

“Your shop isn’t interested anymore. Are you saying you’ll go outside your people to make this happen?”

“If necessary, yes.”

“That Frank guy didn’t seem the lenient or understanding type to me.”

“He’s not.”

“Then why do it at all?”

“Because I don’t want to keep looking over my shoulder for this guy.”

Reggie looked at him questioningly. “Only reason?”