Read 34 - The Queen's Jewels for Free Online

agent determined to blow me away.”
    “You obviously escaped your predicament,” I said.
    “Well, naturally. Here I am, hale and hearty, sitting across the table at the Ivy from a lovely woman who also happens to be one of the world’s best crime novelists.”
    “You’ve been kissing the Blarney Stone again,” I said. “So, how did you escape?”
    “I maneuvered myself so that the terrorists and the rogue agent ended up firing at each other. They killed the agent, but not before he took down two of them. I handled the rest.”
    “A fascinating story, Michael.”
    “Do you think I should lead off my memoir with it? Is it strong enough to draw the reader in?”
    “Definitely, although that’s between you and Tom Craig.”
    “Nice fellow, isn’t he?”
    “Very nice. Now, you said that you wanted to ask a favor. I’ve been waiting all evening to hear what it is.”
    Dinner at the Ivy with Michael had been enjoyable. The food was excellent, the service good, and the ambience pleasant. Michael had pointed out a few celebrities, none of whose names rang a bell with me, nor were their faces ones I recognized, but I accepted his claim that they were stars in London’s entertainment industry. The only problem was that the tables were impossibly close together, ensuring that whatever you said was heard by a dozen others. Michael was apparently aware of that because he said in response to my question, “Let’s go to a place where what we say stays between us.”
    That place was a quiet pub down the alley from the Ivy, where the loudest noise was the thud of darts hitting the board. We nestled in a deserted corner. Michael ordered a lager; I opted for nothing.
    “I learned at dinner last night that you’re taking the QM Two back to the States on Saturday,” he said.
    “That’s right.”
    “When I heard the news, I thought back to those moments when we worked together to solve a murder. Those were exciting times, weren’t they, Jessica?”
    “Yes, I suppose they were, although I think ‘unfortunate’ is a better choice of words.”
    “Come on, now, my girl; you loved every minute of it.”
    “We could debate that point, but speaking of points, please get to it. You said you wanted a favor from me.”
    “Right. You’ll be on the ship with the gentleman who was also at dinner, Mr. Kim Chin-Hwa.”
    “So I understand.”
    “What I’d like you to do is stay close to him, get him to talk, take in everything, forget nothing, and report back to me.”
    “You can’t be serious, Michael.”
    “Oh, I am very serious, Jessica. Mr. Kim is—well, I suppose you could say that he’s a person of interest to MI6.”
    “That may be so, but it’s nothing to do with me.”
    “It has to do with the funding of terrorists.”
    “If that’s true—if Mr. Kim is involved in something as terrible as that—then I hope he gets his just rewards. But again, it doesn’t concern me.”
    “Doesn’t concern you, Jessica? How can you possibly say such a thing? Terrorism concerns every decent, peace-loving person.”
    “For goodness’ sake, Michael, stop twisting my words. I’m not a spy, and not remotely qualified to act like one. It’s you and others like you who are trained to do battle with terrorists. Me? I’m just a former English teacher who writes murder mysteries. Besides, this is a working trip for me. I’m sailing on the QM Two as a lecturer. When I’m not lecturing, I intend to enjoy my first true vacation in years, my first holiday without intrigue. Sorry, but it’s out of the question to even think that I’d act as a spy for you.”
    He fell into an exaggerated pout that I’d seen many times in the past.
    “Thank you for a lovely evening, Michael,” I said. “The Ivy was wonderful, and as always I enjoyed the stories of your most recent escapades. But I think it’s time for me to get back to the hotel.”
    He downed what was left of his lager, stood, and held the back of my chair. “I am forever