"Trevor, Elleston as Hall, Adam - Quiller 01 - The 9th Directive 1.1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hall Adam)

'Ah, yes. Lovett. How is he these days?' He pushed a cigarette box across. 'Like to smoke?'

'He's very well.' To save time I went through the lot. 'He was in Rome last week on the Carosio thing and Bill Spencer took over in London. Your boys were Simms and Westlake. They--'

"That's all right, yes. But I thought you were there too.'

'It says Paris on my passport, doesn't it?'

He pulled back the cigarette box, took out a cigarette and lit it. 'Are you going to be in Bangkok long?'

'No.'

'No?'

'I'm flying out tonight unless Loman turns up.'

'He won't be here until tomorrow.'

'Then give him my love.' I stood up and held out my hand for the papers. He said with a wrinkled smile, 'I'm surprised you're not staying.'

'You don't need me here. You'll do all right.'

'If you don't mind I'll ask Miss Maine to show you out.'

'I know my way.'

It was stinking hot in the street and I took a trishaw back to the Pakchong, trying not to think about Loman. When you're meant to be directing someone in the field you don't slide off and subject him to security checks.

At the hotel twenty minutes later the desk called me and said my visitor would not give a name, so I went down. I don't like nameless people in my room.

The lobby of the Pakchong has one of those beautiful trellis arches at the entrance to the fountain court and she was standing framed by it, her lean body sideways on, her throat shadowed by the angle of her head as she looked across to the staircase, her eyes regarding me coolly as they had before. A shantung suit, tan shoes, no jewelry.

Only her head moved as I crossed the mosaic. The place was very quiet and she pitched her voice low.

'May I use your name?'

'Nobody knows it,' I said.

'Your cover name.'

'Who cares?'

'I came to apologize, Mr Quiller. I should have recognized you at the Embassy.'

'I'm not often recognized by the secretaries of Cultural Attaches. Yehudi Menuhin's more their type.'

'I wasn't far from Rama IV two years ago.'

Now that I was close to her I could see that something had happened to her face on the left side. It didn't quite balance. The skin was perfect but someone - someone very good - had done a job on it.