"Jean-Paul followed his father into the foreign service. His initial assignment was to Liberia. When Jack went into the foreign service, his first assignment was Paris. I later learned that he believed I had something to do with that. I did not, if I have to say so.
"Jean-Paul resigned from the foreign service and joined the United Nations and was assigned to Paris. Where he found Jack and Betsy in the apartment on the Quai Anatole France."
"Wow!" Castillo said.
"That said, Mr. Castillo," Masterson went on, "I cannot believe that Jean-Paul could possibly have anything to do with Jack's murder. Nor can I imagine Jean-Paul being involved in anything illegal. He is one of those people who go through life trying to bend the rules to their advantage, but who simply don't have the courage, if that's the word, to break them."
"Maybe drugs are involved?" Fernando said. "That's a murderous business."
"I find that impossible to accept, even as a remote possibility, Mr. Lopez," Masterson said. "Might it have something to do with our involvement in Iraq?"
"I don't think that's likely, sir," Castillo said.
"Giving my imagination free rein," Masterson asked, "could it be that Jean-Paul has somehow annoyed the Israelis? Their intelligence agency… Mossad? Something like that?"
"Mossad," Castillo confirmed. "Formally, the Institute for Intelligence and Special Tasks."
"Mossad has a certain reputation for ruthlessness," Masterson finished.
"Maybe," Castillo blurted. He collected his thoughts. "All the shooters-of Mr. Masterson, Sergeant Markham, and Special Agent Schneider-were firing Israeli-manufactured nine-millimeter ammunition."
He heard himself. Jesus, motormouth, why did you say that?
"I shouldn't have said that," he said quickly. "My brain isn't functioning. All that proves is that Israel manufactures a lot of ammunition. It's unlikely that Mossad Special Task shooters would use traceable ammunition on a job like this."
"Probably not," Masterson agreed. "But now that I think about it, I don't think that Israeli involvement in this should be dismissed out of hand."
"On the other hand," Castillo went on thoughtfully, "since so much Israeli ammo is around, so readily available, maybe Mossad would use it. Why not?"
"Which appears to point right back to Jean-Paul Lorimer and his connections with the French," Masterson said, "as the key to this."
"Yes, sir, it looks that way. With a little bit of luck, I should be in Paris before our embassy closes tomorrow. Not that the embassy being closed matters. The CIA station chief will just have to give up his cinq a sept."
Masterson chuckled. "You have been in Paris, haven't you?"
"Yes, sir."
"What the hell is a sank… whatever you said?" Fernando asked.
"You could call it 'recreation on the way home from the office,'" Castillo said, and Masterson chuckled again. "It means five to seven. Something like a noonie in the United States."
Fernando shook his head. Masterson chuckled again.
"How well did you know my son, Mr. Castillo?"
"Not well," Castillo said. "But I liked what I saw."
"And that explains your enthusiasm to find these people?"
"That's part of it, sir. The other part is personal. I also really want to find the people who shot Special Agent Schneider and Sergeant Markham."
"Do you think the rest of the government is going to share your enthusiasm? Or will this just fade into memory?"
"I can't speak to enthusiasm, sir, but I expect cooperation."
"I thought perhaps other, higher priorities might be involved," Masterson said. "Or perhaps that when you turn over the rock, there will be worms some might wish had remained concealed. Perhaps in the national interest."
"When I was on Air Force One with the President just now, Mr. Masterson, he ordered Ambassador Montvale, the director of national intelligence, and the secretary of state to give me anything I asked for, and I intend to ask the CIA for everything they have on Lorimer. And I'm going to ask the FBI and the DIA and the DEA, the state department's bureau of intelligence and research, and the post office and the department of agriculture and anybody else I think might possibly have a line on him."
"Would a reward for information, as substantial as necessary, and offered either publicly or privately, be of any use, do you think?"
"I don't think that will be necessary, sir."
"Please keep it in mind, Mr. Castillo, that if something…"
"I appreciate that, sir, and I will."
"Is there anything else you'd be willing to tell me?"
"I can't think of anything else, sir."
"Then perhaps we should go out to the plantation before our being missing really attracts attention."
"Sir, about the plantation," Castillo said. "I'd really like to get out of here first thing in the morning, and we have to think about getting Fernando back to San Antonio-"
"Fernando's not going back to San Antonio," Fernando interrupted. "Fernando's always wanted to go to Paris in the middle of the summer. Somebody once told Fernando you can't find a Frenchman in Paris in July. Just think, all that beauty and no Frenchmen."
Masterson chuckled. "You sound like my son, Mr. Lopez." He turned to Castillo. "I really wish you would spend the night at the plantation, if for no other reason than I think Betsy will be pleased to see that I share her confidence in you."
Jesus H. Christ!
"I can only hope, sir, that her, and your, confidence in me is justified."
Which almost certainly won't be. [TWO] Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina 0715 26 July 2005 "Pope approach control, Lear Five-Zero-Seven-Five," Colonel Jake Torine called into his throat mike.
"Lear Five-Zero-Seven-Five, Pope."
"Pope, Seven-Five. Do you have us on radar?"
"Affirmative, Seven-Five."
"Estimate Pope in seven minutes. Approach and landing clearance, please."
"Lear Five-Zero-Seven-Five, be advised Pope is closed to civilian traffic."
Colonel Torine turned to Major C. G. Castillo, who was in the left seat.
"What now, O Captain, my captain?" he asked.
"I thought we'd be cleared," Castillo said.
"Always check," Torine said. "Write that down, Charley."
"You guys aren't very good at things like this, are you?" Fernando Lopez, who was kneeling between the seats, asked innocently, earning him the finger from Major Castillo.
Colonel Torine switched to TRANSMIT.
"Pope, Seven-Five has been cleared to land at Pope. Verify by contacting Lieutenant General McNab at Special Operations Command."
"Seven-Five, we have no record of clearance-"
"And while you're doing that, give us approach and landing clearance, please. This is Colonel Jacob Torine, USAF. Acknowledge." It proved impossible for the airfield officer of the day, Major Peter Dennis, USAF, to immediately find anyone at the Air Force base who could confirm or deny that Lear Five-Zero-Seven-Five had permission to land. Neither could he immediately establish contact with General McNab.
With great reluctance, but seeing no other alternative, Major Dennis telephoned Major General Oscar J. Winters, USAF, Pope's commanding general, at his quarters, where the general was having his breakfast, and explained what had happened.
Major General Winters was fully aware that paragraph one of the mission statement of Pope Air Force Base stated in effect that Pope was there to provide support to Fort Bragg and the major Army units stationed thereon. Furthermore, he knew that Lieutenant General Bruce J. McNab, U.S. Army, was wearing the hats of both the commanding general, XVIII Airborne Corps, and the commanding general, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, and thus also had command control of the 82nd Airborne Division (which was under XVIII Airborne Corps) and the U.S. Army Special Warfare School (which was under the Special Operations Command).