The Hunters (Presidential Agent 3)

“Juliet,” Agnes said to the attractive woman, “this is the boss, Colonel Castillo. Colonel, Miss Knowles handles our classified files. She has a master’s in political science from Georgetown. She’s got several Top Secret clearances, but you’re going to have to think about clearing her for…”

“Let me get to that later,” Castillo said. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Knowles…”

“Please call me Juliet,” she said.

“And I’ll need to talk with you later, but right now I have to speak with Mr. Delchamps.”

“I understand, sir. It’s nice to meet you, too.”

As soon as the door closed behind her, Castillo asked, “If she’s in charge of classified files and has a master’s degree from Georgetown, why is she running coffee?”

“Well, Chief, it’s not in her job description,” Agnes said, “and she has her own office and her own administrative assistant, but, for some reason, every time Gimpy here asks for coffee Juliet seems to have time to bring it.”

“If it was anybody but Gimpy,” Castillo said, “I’d say she was attracted to him. But what it probably is is morbid curiosity.”

Miller gave him the finger.

“Edgar, say hello to Mr. Agnes Forbison, who’s really the boss around here, and Gimpy, otherwise known as Major Dick Miller.”

Delchamps nodded at both but said nothing to them.

“I’d really like to see you alone, Colonel,” Delchamps said.

He’s pissed about something, Castillo thought.

“There’s a list of people here, Edgar—Agnes and Dick are on it—and you just went on it—who know everything that everybody else knows. What’s on your mind?”

“I was at Langley yesterday, Colonel. One of the chairwarmers there had told me Ambassador Montvale had something for me to do and I was to report to him. So I went to see him. He was too busy to deal with someone unimportant like me, of course, but his flunky, Truman Ellsworth, who I’ve met before, told me to report to you for an extended period of temporary duty and that you would explain everything to me.”

“And explain I will. Welcome aboard, Ed.”

“Before you waste your breath on that, let me finish.”

Castillo raised an eyebrow. “Okay, finish.”

“I wanted you to be the first to know, Colonel, that later today I’m going over to Langley and sign my application for retirement, which is being typed up as we speak. They told me it takes about three weeks to complete the process and be officially retired. But I have a bucketful of accrued leave, so I’m going to be on leave until my retirement comes through.”

Castillo took a moment to reply.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think that maybe you’re a little annoyed about something.”

Delchamps made a thin smile. “I told you in Paris, Ace, that I would let you know if I was interested in employment—I think you said ‘reasonably honest employment’—in Washington. That was not a yes. I don’t want to work here and I won’t.”

“I need you, Ed,” Castillo said, simply. “I’m sorry if Montvale summarily ordered you to get on a plane…”

“It wasn’t even Montvale,” Delchamps interrupted, disgustedly. “It wasn’t even his flunky, Ellsworth. It was some goddamned chairwarmer at Langley.”

“…but yesterday—I was in Argentina—I realized how much I needed you and asked Montvale to bring you home.”

Delchamps shook his head. “I realize that once you’ve been infected with Washington, Ace, the temptation to build an empire is nearly irresistible. But you know goddamned well I’ve given you—and would have continued to give you—everything I know or find out about these oil-for-food maggots…”

“I’m not trying to build an empire!”

“Look at this goddamned office. It’s a bureaucrat’s throne room!”

“Blame the office on Agnes. She said it was important. I don’t know my way around Washington and she does.”

Agnes said, unruffled, “Yes, I do, and I make no apologies for trying to teach Charley the rules of the game.”