I'd never seen one. "You went to the reception last night with a bachelor," I said.
"Ah, Ludwig." She laughed. "He is a nice man, but he likes to collect butterflies and read long books on ancient history. I am not even sure he is interested in girls."
We exchanged smiles. "Do you work for him?" I asked. I knew that Ilse Hoffmann did not.
She did not look at me but kept on watching the
torero.
"No, not for Ludwig. For a man called Steiner."
The answer was right, but I still wasn't satisfied. "I know Hamburg quite well. Where did you live there?"
"In the north of the city. On Friedrichstrasse. There is a park nearby."
"Oh, yes. I know the area. Did you live there with your parents?"
"My parents were killed in an automobile accident when I was very young," she said.
That was true, too. The ambassador had mentioned to Collins that Ilse Hoffmann was an orphan.
I m sorry.
We watched the bullfight. I bought two drinks from a vendor, and Ilse seemed to be enjoying herself very much. Nunez appeared again and performed better than on his first try. There were just two bulls to go, and the word was that they were immature calves from a second-rate ranch.
"Why don't we leave now and have a drink together somewhere?" she offered.
I looked into her blue eyes and saw the invitation there again. "Sounds great," I said.
We had a drink at a nearby cafe, and then I took Ilse to dinner at El Jardín, on Avenida Almeda. After we had finished our dinner, she asked me back to her apartment for a drink. Because I still hadn't figured her out and because the 'seductive promise in her eyes had really gotten to me, I went.
She had a large apartment just off the Plaza Miranda. It was furnished in period Spanish, with some excellent antiques. There was a small balcony overlooking a narrow street.
When we got inside, Ilse turned to me, and standing very close, said, "Well, here we are, Scott."
Her lips were soft and full and within easy reach. I closed the small distance and kissed her. She responded warmly, as if she had been waiting all day. She pulled away reluctantly.
"Make us a drink while I change," she said.
She disappeared into the bedroom. I poured us a couple of cognacs from a crystal decanter, and by the time I'd finished, Ilse had returned. She was wearing a long, clinging robe that didn't leave anything to the imagination. She dimmed the fights, then came over to me and took a cognac.
I had taken off my jacket while she was in the bedroom and hadn't bothered to hide the Luger and stiletto. I watched the look on her face when she saw them. I'd hoped it would be surprise, and it was. But I couldn't be sure it was genuine.
"What is all this, Scott?" she said.
"Oh, just weapons," I said in an offhand manner. "We have to take extra precautions at the embassy when there's something like this conference going on."
"Yes. Of course," she said.
I took in every detail of her body through the clinging material of her robe. I put my drink down. I hadn't even tasted it, but somehow that didn't seem important at the moment. Ilse took a sip of hers and put it down, too. I slipped my hands around her small waist and pulled her to me. Somehow the robe heightened the effect. No small curve or sweep of flesh was hidden from my touch. I kissed her again and she pressed urgently against me as my hands moved over her body.
"Oh, Scott," she said.
I reached down and slowly unbuttoned the robe, letting it drop to the floor. She stood very still, looking into my eyes. Her body was even more spectacular than I'd imagined. Her breath came shallow, moving her full, round breasts. I removed my holster and stiletto sheath and dropped them on a small table near a wide couch behind us. She helped me undress, then went over to the couch and lay down on it.
"Come over here, Scott," she whispered.
I went to her. We lay together on the sofa, and the exciting aroma of her perfume filled my nostrils. Her warm flesh was in my hands and the sweet taste of
"Ah, Ludwig." She laughed. "He is a nice man, but he likes to collect butterflies and read long books on ancient history. I am not even sure he is interested in girls."
We exchanged smiles. "Do you work for him?" I asked. I knew that Ilse Hoffmann did not.
She did not look at me but kept on watching the
torero.
"No, not for Ludwig. For a man called Steiner."
The answer was right, but I still wasn't satisfied. "I know Hamburg quite well. Where did you live there?"
"In the north of the city. On Friedrichstrasse. There is a park nearby."
"Oh, yes. I know the area. Did you live there with your parents?"
"My parents were killed in an automobile accident when I was very young," she said.
That was true, too. The ambassador had mentioned to Collins that Ilse Hoffmann was an orphan.
I m sorry.
We watched the bullfight. I bought two drinks from a vendor, and Ilse seemed to be enjoying herself very much. Nunez appeared again and performed better than on his first try. There were just two bulls to go, and the word was that they were immature calves from a second-rate ranch.
"Why don't we leave now and have a drink together somewhere?" she offered.
I looked into her blue eyes and saw the invitation there again. "Sounds great," I said.
We had a drink at a nearby cafe, and then I took Ilse to dinner at El Jardín, on Avenida Almeda. After we had finished our dinner, she asked me back to her apartment for a drink. Because I still hadn't figured her out and because the 'seductive promise in her eyes had really gotten to me, I went.
She had a large apartment just off the Plaza Miranda. It was furnished in period Spanish, with some excellent antiques. There was a small balcony overlooking a narrow street.
When we got inside, Ilse turned to me, and standing very close, said, "Well, here we are, Scott."
Her lips were soft and full and within easy reach. I closed the small distance and kissed her. She responded warmly, as if she had been waiting all day. She pulled away reluctantly.
"Make us a drink while I change," she said.
She disappeared into the bedroom. I poured us a couple of cognacs from a crystal decanter, and by the time I'd finished, Ilse had returned. She was wearing a long, clinging robe that didn't leave anything to the imagination. She dimmed the fights, then came over to me and took a cognac.
I had taken off my jacket while she was in the bedroom and hadn't bothered to hide the Luger and stiletto. I watched the look on her face when she saw them. I'd hoped it would be surprise, and it was. But I couldn't be sure it was genuine.
"What is all this, Scott?" she said.
"Oh, just weapons," I said in an offhand manner. "We have to take extra precautions at the embassy when there's something like this conference going on."
"Yes. Of course," she said.
I took in every detail of her body through the clinging material of her robe. I put my drink down. I hadn't even tasted it, but somehow that didn't seem important at the moment. Ilse took a sip of hers and put it down, too. I slipped my hands around her small waist and pulled her to me. Somehow the robe heightened the effect. No small curve or sweep of flesh was hidden from my touch. I kissed her again and she pressed urgently against me as my hands moved over her body.
"Oh, Scott," she said.
I reached down and slowly unbuttoned the robe, letting it drop to the floor. She stood very still, looking into my eyes. Her body was even more spectacular than I'd imagined. Her breath came shallow, moving her full, round breasts. I removed my holster and stiletto sheath and dropped them on a small table near a wide couch behind us. She helped me undress, then went over to the couch and lay down on it.
"Come over here, Scott," she whispered.
I went to her. We lay together on the sofa, and the exciting aroma of her perfume filled my nostrils. Her warm flesh was in my hands and the sweet taste of
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