Mike stood there, his eyes fixed on Mary. “Where’s the body?” he asked McKinney.
“In the morgue at police headquarters.”
THE body was lying on a stone slab. He had been an ordinarylooking man, of medium height, with a small, thin nose that went with his tight mouth, very small feet, and thinning hair. His belongings were piled on a table.
Mike examined the jacket label. It was from a shop in Buenos Aires. The leather shoes also had an Argentinean label. Mike turned to the sergeant. “What do you have on him?”
“He flew in from London on TAROM Airlines two days ago, checked into the Intercontinental under the name of de Mendoza.
His passport shows his home address as Buenos Aires. It is forged. He does not look like an international killer, does he?”
“No,” Mike agreed. “He doesn’t.”
Two dozen blocks away Angel was walking past the residence.
The photographs that had been sent were excellent, but Angel believed in personally checking out every detail.
,Angel grinned at the thought of the harade in the town square.
It had been child’s play to hire a junkie for the price of a nose-ful of cocaine. It threw everyone off guard. Let them sweat. But the big event is yet to come, Angel thought. For five million dollars I will give them a show they will never forget. What do the television networks call them? Spectaculars. They will get a spectacular in living color.
There will be a Fourth of July celebration at the residence , the voice had said. “There will be balloons, a marine band, entertainers.” Angel smiled and thought, A five-million-dollar spectacular.
STANroN Rogers was on the line from Washington. Mary grabbed the private phone in the bubble room as if it were a lifeline.
“Mary, I can’t understand a word you’re saying. Slow down.”
“I’m sorry, Stan. Didn’t you get my cable?”
“No. I’ve just returned. There was no cable from you. What’s wrong?”
Mary fought to control her hysteria, thinking, Where should I begin? She took a deep breath, and said, “Mike Slade is trying to murder me.”
There was a shocked silence. “Mary, you can’t believe-“
“It’s true. I know it is. I met a doctor from the French embassyLouis Desforges. I became ill, and he found out I was being poisoned with arsenic. Mike was doing it.”
Rogers’ voice was sharp. “What makes you think that?”
“Louis-Dr. Desforges-figured it out. Mike Slade made coffee for me every morning, with arsenic in it. I have proof that he got hold of the arsenic. Last night Louis was murdered, and this afternoon someone working with Slade tried to assassinate me.”
This time the silence was even longer.
When Stanton Rogers spoke again, his tone was urgent. “What I’m going to ask you is very important, Mary. Think carefally.
Could it have been anyone besides Mike Slade?”
“No. He’s been trying to get me out from the beginning.”
“All right,” Rogers said crisply. “I’ll inform the President.
We’ll handle Slade. I’ll also arrange extra protection for you.”
“Stan, Sunday night I’m giving a Fourth of July party at the residence. Do you think I should cancel it?”
There was a thoughtful silence. “As a matter of fact, the party might be a good idea. Keep a lot of people around you. Mary, I don’t want to frighten you any more than you already are, but I would suggest that you not let the children out of your sight. Not for a minute. Slade might try to get at you. through them.”
She felt a shudder go through her. “Why is Slade doing this?”
“I wish I knew. It makes no sense. But I’m going to find out. In the meantime, keep as far away from him as you possibly can.”
When Mary hung up, it was as though an enormous burden had been lifted from her shoulders.
EDDiE Maltz answered on the first ring. The conversation lasted for ten minutes.
“I’ll make sure everything is there,” Eddie promised.
Angel hung up.
Eddie Maltz thought, I wonder what Angel needs all that stuff for. He looked at his watch. Forty-eight hours to go.
THE moment Stanton Rogers finished talking to Mary, he placed an emergency call to Colonel McKinney. “I want you to pick up Mike Slade,” he said. “Hold him in close custody until you hear from me.”
“Mike Slade?” asked the colonel incredulously.
“I want him held and isolated. He’s probably armed and dangerous. Don’t let him talk to anyone. Call me back at the White House as soon as you have him.”
“Yes, sir.”
Two hours later Stanton Rogers’ phone rang. He snatched up the receiver.
“It’s Colonel.McKinney, Mr. Rogers.”
“Do you have Slade?”
“No, sir. There’s a problem. Mike Slade has disappeared.”
Sofia, Bulgaria. Saturday, July 3-In a small, nondescript building, a group of Eastern Committee members was meeting. Seated around the table were powerful representatives from Russia, China, Czechoslovakia, Pakistan, India, and Malaysia.
The chairman was speaking. “We welcome our brothers and sisters on the Eastern Committee who have joined us today. I am happy to tell you that we have excellent news from the Western Committee. The final phase of our plan is about to be successfully concluded. It will happen tomorrow night at the American ambassador’s residence in Bucharest. Arrangements have been made for international press and television coverage.”
Code name Kali spoke. “The American ambassador and her two children-” “Will be assassinated, along with a hundred or so other Americans. We are all aware of the grave risks and the holocaust that may follow. It is time to put the motion to a vote.” He started at the far end of the table. “Brahma?”