"Simon Hawke - Batman - To Stalk A Specter" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hawke Simon)

"One million!" the ambassador said with disbelief.
"It is non-negotiable. You will be contacted for the payment at your embassy
reception next Friday. The contact shall be a blond woman, wearing a black
velvet cocktail dress with a diamond, star-shaped brooch. You will compliment
her on the dress and ask if it is a designer original. She will respond by
saying, 'Believe it or not, I made it myself from a pattern in a magazine,'
and she will wink at you."
"You expect me to turn one million dollars over to her at the reception?" said
the ambassador, astonished.
"Of course not. You will be seen flirting with her. She will make it easy
for you. You will leave the reception with her and she will accompany you
home, where you will deliver the money, in packets of one-hundred-dollar
bills. For the sake of appearances, she will remain with you for several
hours, then you will send her home in your car. She will instruct the driver
where to let her out. As this will not be an unusual pattern of behavior for
you, it should arouse no suspicion in the event that you are being watched."
"I beg your pardon!" protested the ambassador. "How would you know about---"
But the man had already hung up.
"Don't push me!"
"Why, what are you gonna do about it, jerk?"
"Who you callin' a jerk?"
"I'm callin' you a jerk, you jerk!"
"Get your damn hands off me! You push me one more time and so help me, I'll .
. ."
"You'll what? Come on, you want a piece of me? Come on! Put 'em up!"
"All right, break it up, break it up," said a cop, pushing his way through the
crowd.
The ambassador hung up the phone and quickly crossed the street, heading
toward his waiting embassy car. The two antagonists on the sidewalk instantly
calmed down in the presence of the police officer and, after a few admonishing
words from him, went their separate ways. The crowd dispersed.
"You get anything?" said the federal agent in the car across the street.
His partner took off his headphones, lowered the small dish mike, and shook
his head. "What, with all that noise? Forget it. I couldn't make out a
thing."
"Terrific. You think it was a setup?"
"Nah, he was probably calling some bimbo. Didn't want to do it from the
restaurant, where he could be overheard. Hell, it wouldn't be the first
time."
"Why didn't he just use the car phone?"
"Hmm. Good question."
"You got a good answer?"
"Nope."
"Neither do I."
"You don't suppose he spotted us?"
"I don't know." The agent reached for the cellular phone. "I don't like it.
There's something going on."
"You think it's about Garcia?"
"I don't think it's about some bimbo." He spoke into the phone. "This is
Jernigan. Put me through to Chambers."