‘Senator Burden’s niece has been murdered in Moscow,’ announced the FBI Director, without any preamble. ‘For all the reasons that don’t need me to explain, we’re trying to get into the situation.’
Imagining his guidance was being sought, as an acknowledged before-and-after-the-changes Russian expert, he said: ‘I could probably come up with something in a day or two.’ Andrews was going to be as busy as helclass="underline" something with a fall-out like this would be a bastard.
‘Already decided,’ said the Director, briskly. ‘We’re offering technical expertise. The sophistication of Russian criminal investigation will be light years behind ours.’
‘Will they go for that?’
‘Depends how it’s argued. It isn’t going to be easy, from what’s happened so far.’
‘What has happened?’
So this was the forthright directness referred to in Cowley’s last personnel assessment, a trait which seemed to upset some people here on Pennsylvania Avenue. Ross, who rarely for a legal man preferred one word to a wrapped-up sentence, didn’t find it offensive. ‘The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the People’s Militia: that’s controlled by the Interior Ministry. There’ve been official complaints of arrogance and undiplomatic behaviour.’
‘Providing them laboratory room here isn’t going to give us much of an in.’
‘Which is why we’ve got to maximize it, if we get the chance,’ the Director insisted. There was a pause. ‘And which is why I want you to go.’
‘Me!’
‘You’ve got Russian,’ said the Director, itemizing the qualifications. ‘You’ve got overseas embassy experience. You’re up to date with every investigatory technique, from the courses at Quantico. And before your promotion to the Russian desk, you were the senior inspector here …’
‘But …’ broke in Cowley, intending to point out the gap of three years since his last in-field investigation experience.
‘I’m aware of the personal complication,’ Ross broke in, misunderstanding the interruption. ‘That’s why I’m seeing you personally. I want your complete assurance.’
‘Why not Andrews himself? It’s his field office.’
Ross nodded. ‘And he’s more than competent enough to handle it: we accept that. But if we admit to an in-field agent it will be official confirmation of an FBI station at the Moscow embassy, which we don’t want. Presidential ban, in fact. He’s already accredited as a cultural secretary, so the Russians would know the scientific offer was just our way of getting in. And he’s due for relocation, although that, of course, can be postponed for as long as you decide. His function will be to assist, within the embassy.’
How could the Director talk glibly of being aware of personal complications and make a suggestion like this? Cowley didn’t consider there were any remaining personal difficulties about the break-up: there were still cards at Christmas and birthdays and once a year a digest of events in their lives, over the preceding twelve months. But this was professionaclass="underline" an intrusion into the job to which Andrews had always been committed to the exclusion of every other consideration. He’d obviously see the murder of Ann Harris as his investigation, even unofficially at this stage. It was his investigation, by right if not by political and diplomatic choice. Now — if they got in as the Director was hoping to get in — it was about to be peremptorily taken away. And by the man who had been Pauline’s first husband, thus completing the confused circle where it was going to be hard, for Andrews at least, to separate what was personal and what was professional. Maybe for himself, too. He said: ‘If we do get involved, I’d like you to brief Andrews fully by cable why it’s being done this way. And why I’m the person being sent in.’
‘So there are going to be difficulties!’
‘I’m considering the investigation, nothing else. Resentment is inevitable, isn’t it? It would be unnatural if there wasn’t.’
‘Not if he’s properly professional, which he should be. And reads the instructions I’ll send.’
‘Let’s hope he does,’ said Cowley, doubtfully.
‘You can back off, if you want,’ offered the Director.
Cowley realized, abruptly, that he didn’t want to back off. He wanted to return to the field and prove how good he was: how good he had always been, as an investigator. Was that all? Didn’t he like the idea of taking over from the man who now had his wife, being in charge of the man, personally telling him what to do? Of course not, Cowley told himself. That was absurd: worse than absurd, it was totally unprofessional. ‘I’ll go in, of course,’ he said, shortly.
The Director smiled. ‘You’ll need velvet gloves, diplomatically. I want you to clear your desk. The preliminary request — offer — has already been conveyed by our ambassador in Moscow. It’s being reinforced, by the Secretary of State …’ He patted a dossier on the desk in front of him. ‘There’s not much but you can read what Andrews has sent from Moscow. Let the Duty Officer know where you’ll be, at all times.’
‘I’m usually at home,’ said Cowley. It was a dismally honest admission of his loneliness. He’d need velvet gloves all the time, not just diplomatically, he decided.
‘Sure you don’t want to think more about it?’ suggested Ross.
Knowing the Bureau’s adhesive attention to detail, he supposed it was obvious there would be a full history in Personnel records about the collapse of his relationship with Pauline and of her subsequent marriage to Andrews, but Cowley was still vaguely unsettled by it. ‘Quite sure.’ Another sweeping commitment, he realized. Despite the assurances he was giving today, it hadn’t been particularly easy, during the last meeting three years earlier. Couldn’t be better, how about you? Couldn’t be better. Glad to hear it. You look terrific. You too. Like Muzak played in supermarkets.
‘There’s a hell of a lot riding on this,’ said the Director in further warning.
‘I can imagine,’ said Cowley. Could he, he wondered.
Eduard Ustenko was one of the new breed of Russian ambassadors, a professional product of perestroika reforms and the supposed Russian adoption of Western market philosophies: his university degree was actually in economics. He was always immaculately suited — usually in greys and blues — and always a sought-after guest on the Washington cocktail circuit, with a vivacious wife who managed to look as if she were dressed by a Paris couturier house, even if she wasn’t. The Style section of the Washington Post judged them the most popular diplomatic couple in the city.
Today, dressed for the occasion, Ustenko wore dark, almost funereal, grey. Henry Hartz met him at the door of his office suite, as he had the CIA and FBI Directors earlier. As with the Directors he led the man to the easy chairs.
‘It’s a terrible tragedy,’ said Ustenko. ‘On behalf of my government I offer our deepest and most sincere regret. I intend extending that personally to Senator Burden and the unfortunate girl’s family.’
‘There should have been consultations before the girl’s apartment was entered,’ Hartz complained. He wondered how long it would take. And how difficult it would prove to be.
‘We would have also hoped for more cooperation towards our investigators when they visited your embassy. The entry and examination of the apartment was entirely consistent with a murder investigation. Every item removed for forensic examination has been listed.’