“Ready?” Maggie asked Elizabeth, sitting next to her in the bench seat in the back of the van. Elizabeth acknowledged with a quick nod. Maggie hit answer call on Dara’s phone, which was resting on her knee.
“Alo, habibi,” Elizabeth said, head tilted back, speaking into her headset. Her eyes closed, she held her mouth just so, rendering an excellent match for Dara’s voice. “I was getting worried you weren’t coming.”
“I was delayed,” Kafka said. “Then I got off at the wrong stop!” He laughed. “I swear I will never understand the Metro. I think I was just nervous—finally meeting you.”
“I know what you mean,” Elizabeth said in dialect. Maggie was able to follow the conversation easily enough. Speaking Baghdadi was another matter.
“When will we see you?” Elizabeth asked.
They could hear street noise in the background through their earphones, the sound of traffic. Kafka was outdoors.
“I think it might be better for the two of us to meet first,” Kafka said. “Without your auntie. We can go to your auntie’s for dinner afterwards.”
That got Maggie’s attention. She and Elizabeth traded glances. Then Maggie acknowledged Bellard, turned around in the passenger seat, arm on the seat back, clearly anxious for an update. She pressed mute on the phone.
“He’s changed his mind about coming straight over,” Maggie said. “He wants to meet Dara separately now.”
Bellard swore in French.
“Tell him you’re not feeling well, Liz,” Maggie said. “You did just get out of the hospital.” She unmuted the phone.
Elizabeth conveyed the message.
“Of course,” Kafka said. “I understand.”
“So?” Elizabeth said “You’re coming over?”
There was another pause while a car honked. “I’ll let you rest,” Kafka said. Maggie’s nerves tingled.
“Wait,” Elizabeth said, sitting upright. “You’re not coming over now?”
“After all we’ve been through,” Kafka said, “It’s important for us to talk. Just the two of us.”
“But we’ve been waiting!”
“And I have been patient and waited for you. But there are a few things we must discuss.”
“Aunt Amina is making Adana kebab—just for you. It’s ready.”
“Please extend my apologies. I’m sure it will be delicious in an hour if she puts it in the oven.”
Maggie hit mute on the phone. “Tell him you can send Amina out for a while,” she told Elizabeth. “You two can talk privately at the apartment.”
Maggie unmuted the phone. Elizabeth relayed the message.
“I don’t want to inconvenience your auntie,” Kafka said.
“It’s not a problem, habibi.”
“It’s not right. She’s your aunt. She deserves respect. It’s her home.”
“But she needs some groceries anyway, habibi. She forgot the Urfa pepper. Can you believe that? We’re so excited about your visit.”
“She’s your aunt!” he said in a stiff tone. “You can pick up the groceries.” Then his voice softened. “There’s a little café here near the park. We could have a coffee together. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
Damn! Maggie hit mute again.
She translated for Bellard. “He wants to meet at a café. He’s pretty firm. We can grab him there. I sense he’s going to cancel otherwise. We can’t afford to let him slip away.”
“Merde.” Bellard rubbed his chin. “Where does he want to meet exactly?”
Maggie unmuted the phone again.
Elizabeth caught the cue. “Where are you, habibi?”
“I can meet you at Place de la Chapelle,” Kafka said. “Across from the Metro station. It’s not far from your auntie’s. Less than half a kilometer away.”
“Of course, I know it,” Elizabeth said. “Give me twenty minutes. I’m moving a bit slow. I’m leaving now.”
“Excellent! I’ll be waiting near the Café Avril. It’s next to the park. See you there.” He hung up.
Maggie explained the rest of the phone call in English to everyone.
Behind her, John Rae said, “I don’t like it much, Maggs.”
“Neither do I, JR. But it could be legit.”
“Could being the operative word,” John Rae said.
She felt the same way. But Kafka was so close. “We were worried about Kafka entering Aunt Amina’s apartment building—and the possible collateral damage. Now we can meet him out in public. This might work out better.”
“Maybe,” John Rae said. “But maybe Kafka spotted us and is playing us.”
“That crossed my mind, too,” Maggie said. “But I’m not about to lose this shot.” She looked at Bellard. “I’ll meet Kafka. But not with the whole team there. Like John Rae says, he might suspect something.”
Bellard rubbed his eyes. “Two people.” He picked up his Rino. “I’ll put them in place. Place de la Chapelle. Café Avril.”
“Not yet,” Maggie said, putting her hand on Bellard’s arm to stop him. “Kafka might indeed have spotted us. If so, he might be watching the café. I’ll go first. Two guys follow me. We’ll be in Rino contact. I’ll give three taps when it’s time to move in.”
Bellard thought that over. “Very well.”
Maggie took a breath. “And I want one of the two to be John Rae,” she said.
Bellard flinched. “Absolutely not. John Rae is an advisor. He doesn’t carry a weapon.”
“John Rae and I have worked together before in tight situations and I just feel better with him behind me.”
Bellard shook his head no.
Maggie switched to English, so that Bellard might save face.
“John Rae is coming.”
“No,” Bellard said. “No, he is not.”
“Then it’s no go.” She held Dara’s phone out to Bellard. “The op is all yours, after all. Just the way you wanted it.”
Bellard looked at the phone in her hand, then back up at her with his mouth open. “You’re not serious.”
“I’ve been flexible, Bellard. More than. But we’re walking a tightrope. I want John Rae with me. And that’s all there is to it.”
Bellard grimaced, then finally turned to the driver. “I need your pistol.”
Maggie felt John Rae’s hand squeeze her shoulder. “I think you’re my new best friend, Maggs,” he whispered.
“You mean I wasn’t before?” she said.