“… really no time …”
The only one who knows and believes, O’Farrell thought. He wasn’t sure he knew or believed anything anymore. He tried to remember the leisurely, logical conversations he’d had with Lambert at Fort Pearce, but couldn’t. Not the actual words and arguments. There was just the impression at the end that what he did—what he’d done in the past—was right. O’Farrell said, “What’s so important about it being done in Spain? Why not allow the time to brief someone else? There are other places.”
“After what happened in England, Rivera is wrapped up tighter than a baby,” Erickson said. “In England it would never work.”
“Why should security be any less in Madrid?” O’Farrell persisted.
“Because in Madrid the security people will have all the conference delegates to protect,” Petty replied at once.
“He’ll still have Cuban protection, presumably?”
“Not as complete again as in London,” Erickson said. “We’ve checked the Cuban delegation. There are only four security personnel.”
“I have a family problem, in Chicago. I don’t want to be out of the country at this time,” O’Farrell said. He hesitated. “In fact, I said this was going to be a turnaround trip. I’m expected back tomorrow.”
“You mentioned family difficulties when you called,” Petty said. “Anything we can do? Not just personally; the Agency as well, I mean.”
O’Farrell was surprised at the offer. And at the apparent sympathy. “I don’t think so, but thank you,” he said. “My grandson is caught up in a little bother.” Little bother? O’Farrell questioned himself at once. It hadn’t seemed little over the past few days. Still didn’t. Which was why Jill had been astonished when he’d announced he had to return to Washington. They hadn’t argued—because, of course, they never argued—but O’Farrell knew it was the closest they’d come for a long time, on Jill’s part at least. That’s why he’d promised to fly back the following day, to minimize the upset.
“Kids!” Erickson shrugged, as if he knew all about it and was having the same problems himself.
“The conference starts in a week,” Petty said. “Due to last just four days. So the whole business can’t last any longer than twelve days. America is sending an official delegation, so we have access to all the security arrangements being considered by the Spanish: routes, timings, everything. It won’t need the usual reconnaissance.”
“Operation,” “assignment,” “business,” O’Farrell noted: all the meaningless ambiguities to avoid the real word, “murder.” Flatly he said, “I don’t want to do it.” He waited for an emotion: fear, at the awareness of how the refusal would affect him, relief, at finally saying it after so much agonizing, so much doubt. He didn’t feel anything at all and was positively disappointed. Petty was not looking at him. Instead the man’s attention was entirely upon Erickson.
Petty said, “You were right.”
Erickson shrugged a so-what shrug but didn’t say anything.
O’Farrell, misunderstanding, supposed it was obvious that the two men would have discussed his reaction before his arrival that morning. Wanting to fill the strangely embarrassing silence, he said, “After what happened in London, what else did you expect me to say?”
There was an odd expression on Petty’s face when he looked back to O’Farrell, as if he had forgotten that the man was even in the room. The blankness went, but there did not appear to be full recognition. Petty said, “This isn’t going to sound right … not sound right at all.”
“I don’t understand,” O’Farrell said, confused.
Petty gestured toward his deputy. “He warned me it wouldn’t sound right if I did it this way. But I didn’t want to make it seem like a condition. I thought you’d agree, you see. Then it would have come out altogether differently. Now it won’t; no way.”
“I really don’t understand a word you’re saying,” O’Farrell protested, bewildered.
Petty selected one of the carved-bowl pipes tidily racked on his desk, lighted up, and emitted thunderclouds of smoke. O’Farrell thought what a useful ploy it was for delaying a discussion. The pipe going, Petty said, “There is no other way of saying it, except straight out.”
“I’d like that,” O’Farrell said.
It wasn’t, however, Petty who began. From his window-sill perch Erickson said, “There’s been a big personnel review at Langley, covering all the departments.…”
“Including ours …” Petty said, on cue. “There’s going to be a lot of changes: dead wood cut away, a lot of reshuffling.…”
“And you feature on the list.…” Erickson said.
The speed of his being dumped surprised O’Farrell. He knew that it was to be expected, because of his refusal, but he’d imagined there would be some cosmetic interim period, a week or two before the hidden privileges began to be stripped away. He tried to think of something to say but couldn’t.
“High on more than one list,” Petty said. “For all our secrecy and deniability, there’s a lot of respect for you … a lot of respect.”
It sounded just like the enforced-retirement speech O’Farrell suspected it to be: before presenting the much-deserved gold watch, the managing director talked at length of dedication and loyalty over many years.… The difference here was that the speech was in stereo, from two speakers. And there wasn’t going to be any gold watch. Feeling he should contribute something, O’Farrell said, “That’s nice to know.”
“Which is going to be recognized …” Erickson announced. The man’s swinging heel scuffed another black smear among all the others, a shape vaguely resembling a question mark.
“How’d you feel about working here?” Petty asked. “Permanently here, I mean. With Don and me.”
O’Farrell looked from one man to the other, his initial, irrational thought how unusual it was to hear Petty refer to the other man by his Christian name. Frowning, he said, “But I do work with you both.”
Petty smiled. “Ever wonder why Chris Winton was never replaced as second deputy?”
The asthmatic bachelor who’d been the third member of the group when he’d first joined the department, O’Farrell remembered. He said, “A long time ago. I supposed there was a good enough reason that was none of my business.”
“There was a good enough reason.…” Erickson started.
“And now it’s very much your business,” Petty finished. “Winton wasn’t replaced because there was no one good enough, no one with the necessary mental strength and qualifications to fill the position. The feeling at Langley is that there is, now; that you should get the job.”
O’Farrell was astonished and had to call upon every last bit of his training not to show it. His mind raced. He would no longer be in the field, no longer required to kill. The most important consideration. No reduction in his income. Essential, with all the family demands. No abrupt overseas trips, so he’d always be available to sort out Ellen’s problems. What about drawbacks? He didn’t think … And then he did, brought up with a jolt. He said, “No, it doesn’t come out right at all, does it?”
“I explained!” Petty insisted.
“So explain it some more,” O’Farrell said. “Has my promotion already been decided? Or does it depend upon my finishing the Rivera assignment? No Spain, no promotion?”
The looks were very obvious between Petty and Erickson. Petty poked into the bowl of his pipe with a pointed metal spike he took from the pipe rack. He said, “We’ve both been interviewed, separately and together. Both made it clear we very much want you on board.…”
“You’ve got to believe that!” Erickson said. “We really do want you here. It would be a terrific team.…”