‘He said the General doesn’t have the drone, but I thought he was lying.’
‘Why did you think that?’
‘Just a hunch.’
‘Women’s intuition.’
‘If you like.’
‘You’ve never been in the military, have you?’
‘No.’
Dexter had served in the navy. ‘You don’t understand.’
Tamara said nothing.
‘Ordnance goes missing all the time,’ Dexter went on. ‘No one can keep track. There’s just too much stuff in too many places being moved too often.’
She was tempted to ask how he thought large international airlines managed their fleets, but she continued to hold her tongue.
‘Missing gear is missing gear,’ he said. ‘No need for a conspiracy theory.’
‘If you say so.’
‘I say so,’ said Dexter.
*
On the evening of the next day, Malik and Anne sat on stools in Tab’s small kitchen. Tab spread hummus on cucumber slices while Tamara sprinkled olive oil, salt and rosemary leaves on plain tortilla wraps and crisped them in the oven. As they moved around in the small space they touched one another frequently, as usual. Everyone chatted, but Tamara knew she was being watched, especially by Anne. However, when she caught Anne’s eye she thought she saw a pleased look. Eventually, Anne said: ‘You two are happy together.’
It was the first time she had said anything about the relationship between her son and Tamara, and it was positive, which gratified Tamara. And Anne ate all the hot tortillas.
Perhaps one day they could even be friends.
Tamara was a bit nervous about walking into al-Quds with Anne. Tamara with her dark hair and brown eyes could pass for an Arab girl, but Anne was a tall blonde. However, she was not insensitive, and tonight she had put on a headscarf and baggy linen trousers, to be less conspicuous.
The proprietor knew Tamara and Tab and welcomed them cordially, and seemed pleased when Tab introduced his parents and explained that they were visiting from Paris. Al-Quds did not get many customers who were visiting from Paris.
When the food came, Tab began a prepared speech. ‘My relationship with Tamara is a problem with our bosses,’ he said. ‘They don’t like us getting too close to officers from other countries’ intelligence services. So far we’ve been discreet, but we can’t carry on like this indefinitely.’
Anne said impatiently: ‘Do you have a plan?’
Tab abandoned his script. ‘We want to live together.’
‘After one month?’
‘Five weeks.’
Malik laughed. ‘Don’t you remember how it was with us?’ he said to Anne. ‘After a week we went to bed on a Friday and didn’t get dressed until Monday morning.’
Anne flushed and said: ‘Malik! Please!’
Malik was not to be subdued. ‘They’re the same, can’t you see?’ he said. ‘That’s what true love is like.’
Anne did not want to discuss the nature of true love. ‘Do you want children?’ she said.
They had not had this conversation, but Tamara knew how she felt. She said: ‘Yes.’
Tab said: ‘Yes.’
Tamara said: ‘I want kids and a career, and in that I have two splendid role models: my mother and you, Anne.’
‘So what will you do?’
Tab said: ‘I’m going to leave the DGSE and, if you’ll have me, Maman, I’d like to work with you in the business.’
‘I would love that,’ Anne said instantly. ‘But Tamara, how do you fit in?’
‘I’d like to stay in the CIA, if I can. I’ll try to get a transfer to the Paris embassy. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll have to think again. But here’s the bottom line: I’d leave the Agency rather than leave Tab.’
There was a moment of silence. Then Anne gave the warmest smile Tamara had yet seen on her face. She reached across the table and put her hand on Tamara’s. ‘You really love him, don’t you?’ she said quietly.
‘Yes,’ said Tamara. ‘I really do.’
*
Next day, Tab called to tell her that the French drone had failed to pick up the radio signal from the consignment, and had not sighted a bus anywhere along its route.
Abdul had disappeared.
CHAPTER 22
The Mercedes bus spent five days in a Libyan village with no name, waiting for a new fuel pump to be brought from Tripoli. The inhabitants of the village spoke a Tuareg dialect unknown to anyone on the bus, but Kiah and Esma communicated with the women in gestures and smiles, and managed well enough. Food had to be brought from neighbouring villages, because the one settlement could not cope with thirty-nine more mouths to feed, regardless of how much money was offered.