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‘I can’t tell you what the protocol is—’ Carlyle said.

‘I think you—’ Draper started to say.

‘—but I can tell you that for it to achieve maximum impact, certain people had to die first. Their deaths would amplify what followed.’

‘And these people have disappeared too?’ Draper asked.

‘No, but they are dead. At least three that I know of. Undoubtedly more that I don’t.’

‘Murdered?’

Carlyle didn’t respond. Instead, she looked uncomfortable. Like she didn’t want to answer. Or she hadn’t quite squared the circle.

‘Bess?’ Koenig said. ‘ Were they murdered?’

‘Hank Reynolds hanged himself in his hotel room,’ she replied. ‘His suicide note said he was tired of living his life as a closeted homosexual. Louise Durose was beaten to death with a brick. Cops think she and a man she’d picked up had a run-in with the wrong pimp. Michael Gibbs drove his wife’s station wagon off Park Loop Road.’

‘Did they know each other?’

‘Almost certainly not.’

‘Did you know them?’

‘The first time I saw their names was when I read their obituaries.’

‘Then how—’

‘Because I was looking for their deaths, Mr Koenig. No, that’s not quite right. Ever since Stephen disappeared, I was expecting their deaths.’

‘You were buying fake passports,’ Draper said to Carlyle while Margaret was taking a bathroom break. ‘Was that to travel back to the States?’

‘Yes.’

‘Koenig?’

He shrugged. ‘Bess’s academics disappearing is of concern.’

‘The other deaths?’

‘We’d have to look for ourselves. It’s possible to make a murder look like an accident, but three? That’s tougher to buy.’

‘Gut feeling?’

‘We take this seriously.’

Draper nodded. ‘That’s what I think. I’ll call Smerconish. Tell him we’re coming back.’

‘No,’ Koenig said. ‘We keep this to ourselves.’

‘Why?’

‘Because we have no idea who’s behind this. It’s possible someone in the intelligence world is involved. It might even be Smerconish himself.’

‘That’s ridiculous. He’s the one who sent us here.’

‘He also gave you a kill order.’

Which kinda took the wind out of her sails.

‘What do you suggest?’ she said.

‘Bess is right. We need to get back to the States. And we can’t fly commercial. Our passports will have been flagged.’

‘How do we get back then?’ Carlyle said.

Koenig pretended to think about it. ‘Gee, I wish I knew the CEO of a private intelligence company. If I knew someone like that, I might be tempted to borrow their plane.’

Draper sighed. ‘I’ll make the phone call.’