Cherringham--Episode 31-33 by Matthew Costello

Author:Matthew Costello [Costello, Matthew; Richards, Neil]
Language: deu
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-3-7325-8567-0
Publisher: Bastei Entertainment
Published: 2020-08-11T00:00:00+00:00

11. Lights Out

“After Townes left, I just wondered—” Sarah looked at Jack. Did he suspect the direction in which this question was going? “—did you leave the party at all?”

The woman was midway through her second cigarette of the interview. And now she seemed to take her time with an answer.

A deep drag. Then a smile.

“Well, of course I did. I mean, no way I could smoke in that ridiculous hall, could I? I’d be drawn and quartered.”

At that moment, Lucy Brice turned away from Jack and Sarah to look out the open window.

“Bloody hell. Look at it out there. All that snow coming down!”

Sarah had to wonder, did she call attention to the snow as a distraction? Hoping to move away from this topic?

But then a sudden strong gust actually sent flakes swirling into the room.

“Kate — shut the damn window.” The agent turned to Sarah and Jack, who would now be in the room with no ventilation.

A look to the window.

“Shame, hmm? I mean, presumably you have homes to go to … and now there’s a typhoon outside.”

Sarah didn’t correct her by pointing out that a “typhoon” related to weather in the tropical Pacific.

As the agent quickly and dutifully slammed down the window — conversation over — Jack was quick to jump in.

To show that it wasn’t quite.

“So, out for a smoke?” he said. “Makes sense. But that’s all, hmm? Quick break then back to the hall?”

Lucy Brice nodded.

If she had been attempting to distract or terminate the questions, maybe a bit of disappointment on her face that she hadn’t had success.

“And when you took that ‘break’ — imagine more than once — always by yourself?”

“Ha. Guess you haven’t been to a book party. Think any of them attending would dare to smoke? A capital offence. And the ones that do light up — they’d never do it among their oh-so-virtuous peers.”

Sarah had her eyes locked on Jack.

Picking up on something here.

“So, out by yourself, alone? That it?”

Now with a finality born — quite clearly — of irritation.

“Yes.”

And while Sarah looked at the author, she also caught the eyes of the young agent, sitting by the window, as if guarding the portal against the newly alive storm outside.

And something else, a small thing, almost imperceptible.

The agent’s frown.

But Lucy Brice shifted in her seat. Then — even more telling — looked away.

Did Jack see that? she wondered.

That hint of discomfort?

And with that, Jack nodded. Turned to Sarah.

“Well, thank you for talking. It’s been,” another Jack Brennan pause, “helpful.”

Jack turned away, opened the door.

And as Sarah walked through, she had the thought: Something in that room, something going on.

Like Lane, like Ellingham, things not said.

But what?

For now, she walked down the dim hallway, Jack just at her elbow.

*

Jack waited until they were nearly at the stairs leading down to the lobby of the Bell.

Again, keeping his voice low.

“You buy that? What she said?”

“Not at all,” said Sarah shaking her head.

Then she told Jack about the card she’d seen.

“Wow. Good spot,” he said.

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