Page 77 of The Cellist

By then, it was approaching five a.m. Isabel managed to sleep for a few hours and at nine fifteen crawled into the back of a taxi for the drive to the Gare de Lyon. Martin departed for Le Bourget a short time later, but Gabriel remained in the apartment until late afternoon, when Eli Lavon determined it was no longer under surveillance by the Haydn Group. Together they made their way to the Israeli Embassy in the first arrondissement and headed downstairs to the secure communications vault. In the lexicon of the Office, it was known as the Holy of Holies.

On the video screen was a feed from GVI headquarters.Martin, looking none the worse for wear after a sleepless night, was presiding over the afternoon staff meeting. At its conclusion, Isabel gathered up her papers and returned to her office, where she rang Ludmilla Sorova at NevaNeft. Ludmilla placed Isabel on hold, and a moment later Arkady came on the line.

“I was beginning to think I’d never hear from you.”

“Hello, Mr. Akimov.”

“Please, Isabel. You must call me Arkady.”

“I’m still working on that.”

“You sound tired.”

“Do I? It’s been a busy day.”

“I hope it was on my account.”

“It was, actually.”

“I take it Martin is interested in my offer?”

“We’re working on the prospectus as we speak. He asked me to deliver it to Féchy on Saturday afternoon.”

“You’re staying for lunch, I hope.”

“I wouldn’t miss it. What time should I arrive?”

“Around one. But don’t worry about arranging a car. I’ll send one.”

“That’s not necessary, Mr. Akimov.”

“I insist. Where should he meet you?”

Isabel recited the name of a prominent Geneva landmark rather than the address of her apartment building. Then, after a final exchange of pleasantries, the connection went dead. In the Holy of Holies, the silence was absolute.

At length, Eli Lavon said, “Maybe classical musicians can’t improvise, after all.”

“And what should she have said differently?”

“She should have told Arkady that she was more than capable of finding her way to Féchy on her own.”

“I’m quite sure she did. In fact, we can listen to the recording if you like.”

“She didn’t push hard enough.”

“And when Arkady threatened to take his business elsewhere?” Receiving no reply, Gabriel reset the time code and clicked theplayicon. “Does she sound tired to you?”

“Not a bit.”

“So why did Arkady say that?”

“Because he knows where she spent last night. And he wants Isabel and Martin to know that he knows.”

“Why?”

“Kompromat.”

“And what will Arkady do with this juicy piece ofkompromatwe’ve so generously placed before him?”