From the windows of the Army Mercedes on the way into Buenos Aires, Clete saw absolutely no signs whatever that the country had just undergone a revolu-tion.
The flow of traffic was normal. The restaurants and cafes were open and ap-parently doing a good business. When they drove down Avenida del Libertador past the Navy School of Engineering, nothing suggested that a regiment of in-fantry had been held up there, or that there had been a skirmish in which people had died.
He realized he was going to have to do something about Ettinger. Starting with finding out what happened to him. The question was how to do that. Tony and the Chief would probably have no more information than when he'd flown the Lockheed out of the estancia. If he was killed in Uruguay, any information the police there passed on to norteamericanos would have been passed on to the Embassy in Montevideo, not the Embassy here.
There was probably an OSS station chief in Uruguay, but he had no idea who he was, and he doubted if Delojo did either, or if he did, that he would give that information to him without argument.
Leibermann probably had contacts in Montevideo, but how much they knew-if anything-about an American getting himself stabbed to death in Carrasco was a big question.
The one person who almost certainly had more information than anyone else was Coronel Martin, and he had already told him everything he knew, or at least wanted him to know.
The only way to find out what he had to know was to go to Montevideo himself, and somehow find the OSS guy there and get him to find out what he could.
That was obviously impossible tonight. And tied in with that difficulty was the Lockheed. He wanted to fly the Lockheed out of Campo de Mayo and back to the estancia. Mart¡n did not at all like it when he refused Capitan Delgano's services. And Clete didn't at all like it that General Rawson had considered us-ing the Lockheed to carry the deposed President out of the country. He might decide it would be useful for other purposes-a flight around the country, for example, to show himself off to the people. Clete needed the plane to deal with the Comerciante del Oceano Pacifico, and that might be as soon as within the next couple of days. Or tomorrow.
And he wanted to see Dorotea.
The priorities, therefore, were to see Dorotea and get the Lockheed out of Campo de Mayo. And since he could not move the Lockheed tonight, that meant he could see Dorotea tonight.
He could of course visit her at her house, where he could see Dorotea, and her mother, and Se¤or Mallin, and even Little Henry. And they could talk about getting together with the Very Reverend Matthew Cashley-Price for premarital counseling.
With a little bit of luck I might even get Dorotea alone for twenty seconds and put my arms around her.
Or, when the Mercedes drops us off at The Museum-No. Uncle Willy's house would be better-I could telephone Dorotea from there, tell her 1 can't leave there, I expect an important telephone call or something, and suggest that she come to Uncle Willy's house... alone.
Dorotea is a very intelligent girl. If she agrees to come, she'll understand what I have in mind. After all, as they say, there is no point in closing the barn door after the cow's gotten out, is there?
He turned to the major sitting beside him.
"Mayor," he announced, "now that I think about it, I would rather go to my house on Libertador. The address is 4730. It's right across from the racetrack."
"Whatever you wish, Se¤or Frade."
"Why are we going to the Libertador house, Se¤or Clete?" Enrico asked, turning from the front seat.
"I have my reasons," Clete said.
Enrico looked confused for a moment, and then understanding dawned.
He nodded with comprehension and approval.
"You can find something to do to occupy your time, can't you, Enrico?"
"Yes, of course, Se¤or Clete."
Se¤ora Lopez, the housekeeper, opened the door.
She is not only surprised to see me, but she doesn't seem to be too happy about it, either.
"You will be spending the night, Se¤or Frade?"
"I think so, yes," Clete said.
She's uncomfortable with that reply, too. What the hell's going on? Oh, hell, she probably was going to take the night off, go to a movie or something, and I'm screwing that up for her.
"I will need nothing tonight," Clete said. "I'm going to bed early"-I devoutly hope-"and there's no point in you staying around, if you've made other plans."
"S¡, Se¤or," Se¤ora Lopez said.