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said.
    â€œBut you don’t think it will?” He smiled. “I would agree with you completely, which is very sad for his family. But I must go. His father will be waiting impatiently to hear how badly he’s behaved this time. A habit, I fear.”
    He left, the door closed, and Sara turned to Dillon. “Let’s do it again. I don’t like disappointing such a good audience.”
    â€œRight on, honey,” Jacko called. “And I do believe the barman is offering a free drink to everyone who stays.”
    â€œThat clinches it.” She turned and went to where the band was arranging itself, as the audience settled and Dillon eased behind the piano. He was smiling crookedly as he looked at her.
    â€œWhat’s that smile for?” she said as she picked up her mike.
    â€œI enjoyed seeing you in action.” He shook his head. “No wonder they gave you the Military Cross. Now let’s get down to business.”
    His hands slammed into the keys, fingers searching as he launched into that driving rhythm for the second time that night.
    â€”
    T hey went up in the elevator to Emza Khan’s apartment, Declan Rashid leading the way, Rasoul with Yousef draped around him. Emza Khan was sitting in a winged chair by the terrace window reading the
Financial Times
. He tossed it to one side and jumped to his feet.
    â€œWhat is it, what happened?” He was totally dismayed.
    â€œAsk the colonel,” Rasoul said angrily. “The one who beat him.”
    â€œIs this true?” Khan demanded.
    Declan had two main obligations in his life. One was to his country and its army, in which he had served so gallantly. The other was to the head of his extended family, which meant kissing the hand of Emza Khan and, by tradition, obeying him in all things. The truth was that his Irish half was finding it extremely difficult to follow such a path.
    He said to Khan, “Listen to this creature’s lies if you must, but Yousef behaved like a drunken sot, tried to attack a young woman who turned out to be an army officer. She had to draw a weapon on him, I took appropriate action and knocked him out. If you want to call in Dr. Aziz to check him over, that’s your privilege.”
    Khan turned to Rasoul. “Get Aziz now. No more arguments, and take Yousef to his bedroom.” Which Rasoul did. Khan carried on, “It is most unfortunate, the drinking. It’s a sickness, a known fact. I had great hopes for him.” He shook his head sadly. “He was such a lovely boy. I was hoping to take him to Paris. What do you think?”
    â€œGod help the chambermaids at the Ritz if you do. I’ve other things on my mind, like finding out who these people we were involved with tonight are. A name was mentioned, Ferguson. If he’s who I think he is, we need to know. I’ll borrow your office and computer to link into the embassy.”
    â€œHelp yourself to what you need,” Khan said. “We’ll speak later. I must check on Yousef.”
    He went out.
    â€”
    A s the cab turned a corner, Sara leaned against Dillon, eyes closed, and they stayed that way as she murmured, “Are we there? I need my bed.”
    â€œSo I can see. Can you remember what happened?”
    Her eyes opened. “Sean, for your personal information, I like a drink, but never get drunk. So, yes, I remember everything, however improbable it appeared at the time.”
    â€œColonel Declan Rashid and a rotten young bastard called Yousef Khan, do you recall them?”
    â€œOf course I do, and the colonel was far more interesting. Why do you ask?”
    He got the door open for her. “I just wanted to remind you he’s the enemy.”
    She got out. “He joined the paratroopers at sixteen and jumped into action five times without any training. Why would anyone do that?”
    â€œPerhaps he had a death wish.” Dillon smiled bleakly, followed her, and paid the driver,