Black Ops (Presidential Agent 5)

"I meant no offense, Eleanor," he said after a moment. "If an apology is in order, consider that it has been offered."

She did consider that a moment, then nodded.

"Kurt Kuhl and his wife have been murdered," she said.

"Kurt Kuhl of Kuhlhaus? That Kuhl?"

She nodded.

"About half past six tonight," she said. "The bodies were found behind the Johann Strauss statue in the Stadtpark."

She gestured in the direction of a window that overlooked Parkring and the Stadtpark.

"Well, I'm . . ."

"They were garroted," she went on evenly, "with a metal garrote of the type the Hungarian secret police--the Allamvedelmi Hatosag--used in the bad old days."

"Eleanor, what has this to do with me? With the embassy?"

"As a result of which," she went on, ignoring the questions, "there will be a new star on that wall in Langley. Two, if I have anything to say. Gertrud Kuhl is entitled to one, too."

Spearson looked at her for a long moment.

"You're not suggesting, Eleanor, are you, that Kurt Kuhl was one of your--"

"I'm telling you that Kurt Kuhl has been in the clandestine service of the company longer than you're old."

"I find that very hard to believe," Spearson said.

"I thought you might. Nevertheless, you have now been told."

"My God, he's an old man!"

"Seventy-five," she said. "About as old as Billy Waugh."

"Billy Waugh?"

"The fellow who bagged Carlos the Jackal. The last time I heard, Billy was running around Afghanistan looking for Osama bin Laden."

Again he looked at her a long moment before replying.

"If what you say is true . . ."

"I just made this up to give you a little Christmas Eve excitement," she said sarcastically.

"Then why wasn't I told of this before?"

"You didn't have the Need to Know. Now, in my judgment, you do."

"And the ambassador? Did he know?"

"No. He didn't have the Need to Know, either."

"You made that decision, is that what you're saying?"

"I was given the authority to tell him if I thought it was necessary. Or not to tell him."

"That violates the Country Team principle."