"Dibdin, Michael - Aurelio Zen 02 - Vendetta UC - part 05" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dibdin Michael)

free, just to make a name for themselves! And no one's
going to notice if another cop goes missing. Are you
listening to any of this?'
'Ah, finally!' Gilberto cried aloud. 'A big client,
Aurelio, very big,' he hissed in an undertone to Zen. 'If we
swing this one, I can take a year off to listen to your
problems. Just play along, follow my lead.'
He sprang to his feet to greet a stocky, balding man with
an air of immense self-satisfaction who was being guided
to their table by the unctuous Licio.
'Commendatore! Good morning, welcome, how are
you? Permit me to present Vice-Questore Aurelio Zen.
Aurelio, Dottor Dario Ochetto of SIFAS Enterprises.'
Lowering his voice suggestively, Nieddu added, 'Dottor
Zen works directly for the Ministry of the Interior.'
Zen felt like walking out, but he knew he couldn't do it.
His friendship with Gilberto was too important for him to
risk losing it by a show of pique. The fact that Gilberto had
probably counted on this reaction didn't make Zen feel
any happier about listening to the totally fictitious account
of Paragon Security's dealings with the Ministry of the
Interior which Nieddu used as a warm-up before
presenting his sales pitch. Meanwhile, Zen ate his way
through the food that was placed before them and drank
rather more wine than he would normally have done.
Occasionally Gilberto turned in his direction and said,
'Right, Aurelio?' Fortunately neither he nor Ochetto
seemed to expect a reply.
Zen found it impossible to tell whether Ochetto was
impressed, favourably or otherwise, by this farce, but as
soon as he had departed, amid scenes of compulsive hand-
shaking, Gilberto exploded in jubilation and summoned
the waiter to bring over a bottle of their best malt whisky.
'It's in the bag, Aurelio!' he exclaimed triumphantly. 'An
exclusive contract to install and maintain anti-bugging
equipment at all their offices throughout the country, and
at five times the going rate because what isn't in the
contract is the work they want done on the competition.'
Zen sipped the whisky, which reminded him of a tar-
based patent medicine with which his mother had used to
dose him liberally on the slightest pretext.
'What kind of work?'
Nieddu gave him a sly look. 'Well, what do you think?'
'I don't think anything,' Zen retorted aggressively.
'Why don't you answer the question?'
Nieddu threw up his hands in mock surrender. 'Oh!
What is this, an interrogation?'
'You've gone into the bugging business?' Zen
demanded.
'Have you got any objection?'