The Hunters (Presidential Agent 3)

Ambassador McGrory considered that a moment.

“Do we know anything about the murdered man? The murdered man in the photograph?”

“His name was Bertrand, sir. Jean-Paul Bertrand.”

“You already told me that,” McGrory said. “My question was: Do we know anything about the murdered man?”

“He was Lebanese, sir, resident in Uruguay. Chief Inspector Ordóñez told me that. He was an antiquities dealer.”

“And for the third time, do we—as opposed to your friend the chief inspector—know anything about the murdered antiques dealer?”

Monahan said, “Special Agent Yung is maintaining a file on him, sir.”

“And what does the file say?”

“I don’t know, sir. The file is not in the file cabinet.”

“Well, where is it?”

“I don’t know, sir,” Monahan said. “Possibly Yung took it home with him.”

“He took an official file home with him?”

“I don’t know that, sir. It is possible.”

“Well, get him on the phone and tell him to bring the file to my office immediately.”

“I tried to call him, sir. He doesn’t answer the telephone at his apartment.”

“Well, where is he?”

“I don’t know, sir.”

“You don’t know?” Ambassador McGrory parroted, incredulously.

“He didn’t come in today, sir. Possibly he’s in Puente del Este.”

“He had the day off, in other words?”

“I meant to say he may be working in Puente del Este, sir.”

“But you don’t know?”

“No, sir. I don’t.”

“What you’re going to do, Monahan, while Artigas is preparing his draft report on this matter, is find Special Agent Yung and have him bring his files here.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I must say, Monahan, that until just now I thought you ran a tighter ship than is apparently the case.”

[FOUR]

Office of the Ambassador

The Embassy of the United States of America

Lauro Muller 1776