3 - Promotion

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Richard stood and stretched then sat again. There was no place to go and he certainly didn't think Nathan wanted him to follow. Murray reappeared with a large tray of cups and saucers, a teapot and a plate of biscuits.

"How domestic, Murray." Richard said with a touch of resignation.

"Jack of all trades, Mister Carstairs."

"Master of any?" Murray gave him a reptilian smile but didn't reply.

"How is she, Murray?"

"Sorry, sir, I have no information on that subject."

"Good man," Nathan burbled his approval at Murray, returning from outside and reaching for one of the biscuits. "Stick to the topics at hand." Crumbs showered his shirt front.

The team returned to the room and accepted cups of tea from Murray, the man accepting a biscuit, the woman refusing.

"Do we continue or finish this first?" Nathan asked. He apparently was not satisfied with just one cigarette.

The man restarted the recorder and sipped his tea then, gave the time.

"What were your duties as Peter's assistant?"

"I wasn't assisting him; I was just following him around at times. My cover was research for advertising purposes, remember?"

"Please be more specific."

Richard sighed. "We would go to a meeting place together and while he was doing his business, I would make notes about locations and atmosphere. How the representatives receiving the donations behaved when we arrived and departed; smiles and happy handshakes. That kind of thing."

"You met these people?"

"No, I just hung back as ordered and observed the ritual and then they would go inside a café or bistro or wherever."

"Ritual?"

"Oh for God's sake, the greetings and the departures."

"You never witnessed the actual transactions." Not a question but a doubting statement.

"Never."

"Did Peter take anything away from these meetings?"

"Not to my knowledge; he always carried a briefcase so maybe . . . I don't know." Richard's antagonism toward the man was growing rapidly.

"How much money was delivered on these trips?"

"Not a clue; I was never told anything about their dealings."

"You never asked?" The man stared hard at him. "Not even a whisper of suspicion?"

"My suspicions were derived from the very fact that I wasn't allowed to attend. My understanding was that Peter was distributing the money from the Foundation to legitimate beneficiaries."

"Did you ever question him on that?"

"Only once."

"And?" The question was peevish.

"I was told to stick to my knitting . . . in so many words." The directed emphasis wasn't lost on the inquisitor.

The woman leaned forward, legs crossing attractively, an impish smile on her lips.

"How many different contacts did he meet?"

"Five."

"How many were women?"

"Two."

"Names?" The man interjected with another peevish request.

"No idea."

"The women were more, uhm . . . co-operative?" The woman asked.

Richard looked at her, taking in the wicked gleam.

"Why do you ask that?"

"A good looking man such as yourself, possessing enough charm to thread your way into everyone's confidence . . . they never expressed an interest?"

"I told you, I hung back when they met. I was never introduced."

Her smile indicated she thought differently and Richard mentally questioned her intentions.

"And you didn't learn the contents of Peter's briefcase?" The man was getting surly in his questioning.

The smile that lit Richard's face was one of genuine malice. He was ready to leap down the man's throat and tear out his tongue. Nathan coughed and closed his eyes and Murray winked at Richard.

"Perhaps a washroom break might ease the tension." Nathan stood, clapping his hands.

Murray moved to clear away the dishes and the tray, Nathan slipped out onto the front stoop and the man actually took a washroom break.

"Gerard gets riled easily in these sessions." The woman stood and studied Richard with amusement.

"He's a pompous ass." Richard got up and moved around the woman toward the door.

"Uh, sorry, you can't leave the room alone."

"I'm not a kid." He snapped.

"Protocol, sir." Murray stepped in from the kitchen and gave Richard another wink.

"Jesus, this is so- so bloody theatrical." Richard went back to his chair and flopped down.

"We learned a lot from theatrics over the years. They reveal a certain level of intelligence you know." The woman said.

"Could have fooled me."

Her eyes flashed and she set her mouth in a grim line. "I was beginning to like you, Richard."

"My loss I guess." He stared up at her until she looked away.

Gerard came back and looked at his watch.

"Time to move on." He said crisply.

Nathan came back in, rejuvenated from his smoke. The team sat and the recorder started again with another time signal.

"Your relationship with these women," the man began. "Describe it please."

"Are you deliberately dense?" Richard said pointedly.

"Everything." The man tilted forward, his tie swinging loose. "Every sordid little perversion."

Richard jumped up from the chair, startling everyone except Murray, who in a flash was at his side, a restraining hand on his arm.

"I think we should stick to the pertinent information, Gerard," Nathan cautioned.

"He can stick it where he wants, I'm done here." Richard glared at Murray and tried moving away but was urged to sit again.

"Sir. Please." The sudden pressure on his arm was so great he gasped.

Nathan waved a calming hand and spoke to the team. "I think what we have is sufficient to move ahead. Richard provided the locations and recognition codes for Peter's contacts and the frequency of the transactions."

Nathan urged the inquisitors to conclude and held out a directional hand toward the door. "We have concluded that Peter was not acting in good faith and we are now in the process of discrediting him with the Foundation. So I think we can say you have enough to fatten your file."

Gerard glowered at Nathan and then gave Richard a scalding look as well. "This will not do, you know that, Fischer. My report will show your interference and the behavior of your agent."

Richard stood again. "Don't forget to mention the biscuits."

Gerard took a threatening step but Murray adroitly blocked his path.

"Best take a breath, sir. Better for all, yeah?"

The woman placed a hand on her partner's arm and nodded her agreement. Gerard turned and left for the door and the woman faced Richard again.

"A continuing career with the Agency requires a modicum of respect and a large dose of co-operation, Richard."

"Yes, and I would appreciate it." He replied blandly.

Her face lit up with a pink glow and she spun on her heel and followed Gerard out.

"That could have gone better, old son." Nathan lit a cigarette and dragged half of it down his throat. "But you did very well in protecting our information. Two of the contacts are our people whose identity will remain classified until they are dealt with.

As we move toward the rebuilding of the network to our desires we will decide who will remain a part and who else will be cut loose." He clapped his hands again and then clasped his fingers in front.

"Why didn't you tell me about Cora?"

"That part of your mission was over." Nathan replied calmly.

"Jesus! You are a cold bastard."

"It was for your own good, son. It would have proven a terrible distraction if you had known earlier."

Richard almost spat as he walked away to stare out the window.

Silence filled the room except for Murray, cleaning up and replacing the seating to its original position. Nathan went through half a dozen cigarettes and then finally asked Richard to sit down.

"We have another assignment, son."


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