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habit my fingers strayed to my beret and I began to straighten it. The Cardinal watched, amused.
    “You can take it off if you want,” he said. “Never did like those damned berets. They were Mr. Tasso’s idea.”
    I smiled gratefully and removed it.
    The Cardinal wasn’t handsome. Nearly six and a half feet, though you couldn’t tell when he was sitting down. Too thin for such a big man. A crooked nose. Cropped hair. An Adam’s apple that looked like a golf ball stuck in the middle of his throat. Gray skin. A leering gap in his lower face for a mouth. His dress sense wasn’t the keenest either—a baggy blue tracksuit and sneakers. No jewelry. A cheap digital watch. If I dressed like that, I wouldn’t make it past the rear gate of Party Central.
    “Let’s get down to business,” he said. “You knew Nicola Hornyak?” I nodded. A file nestled snugly on his lap. I’d have loved to see what was in it. “Knew her long?”
    “About a month.”
    “You were screwing her?”
    “Yes,” I answered calmly, overlooking his bluntness.
    His eyes flicked down to the notes. “But you told Mr. Weld it wasn’t serious.”
    “We’d meet a few times a week, maybe have a drink or something to eat, head home or to a hotel. Nothing more than that.”
    “Hmm.” He studied his notes again. “You went out drinking together. I thought you were a teetotaler.”
    “I am. Nic ordered wine, I stuck to minerals.”
    “What about drugs?”
    “No.”
    “Neither of you?”
    “No.”
    “Nicola Hornyak never did drugs?”
    “Not with me.”
    Again the “Hmm.” Then he changed tack. “You’ve been with us quite a while. Respected by your superiors, admired by your colleagues. Brains. Talent. A hard worker. Haven’t made much headway, though, have you?”
    I shrugged, smiling uncertainly. “I get by.”
    “But you don’t move up. A man of your ability and experience should have been promoted by now. I know you’ve been approached, by both Mr. Tasso and Mr. Weld, but each time they’ve offered you more responsibility you’ve turned them down.”
    “I’m happy as I am.”
    “Or afraid to advance?”
    “I’ve seen what happens to those who slip while scaling the corporate ladder. Cleaned up after a few of them. Never seemed worth it to me.”
    “What if I handed you a promotion on a plate, if I said I was getting rid of Frank Weld and wanted you to take his place?”
    I stared at him.
    “I’m serious,” he said. “Not about getting rid of Mr. Weld—I have no intention of dismissing such a valued employee—but maybe moving him to some other branch of the organization, where he won’t clash with Mr. Tasso all the time. I’ve been working on a list of possible replacements. Would you care to be added to it?”
    “I couldn’t fill Frank’s shoes,” I mumbled. “I know nothing about management or leadership.”
    “Mr. Weld didn’t either when he started. Few men do. Leaders aren’t born—they grow.”
    “I don’t know what to say. I thought you wanted to talk about Nic. This is…” I searched in vain for the words.
    “I’ve had my eye on you for some time,” The Cardinal said.
    “On me ?”
    “Did you never wonder why Mr. Tasso spent so much time on you when you joined the Troops? Why he took you under his wing?”
    “I thought he liked me.”
    The Cardinal laughed. “Mr. Tasso’s interests and friendships are mine. I asked him to keep an eye on you.”
    “Why?” I was dumbfounded.
    “Because I knew your father.”
    “Tom Jeery?” I gaped.
    He nodded. “A fine man. Someone I was able to rely upon. I thought if the son turned out to be half as valuable, he’d be a good man to have on the books.”
    “I barely knew my father,” I said. “He wasn’t around much when I was growing up. Disappeared for good when I was seven. I had no idea he was involved with you.”
    “He asked me not to mention it. Didn’t want his image tarnished.” The Cardinal turned over a sheet of paper. “Did