“Are you sure the big one is his driver?” Catherine asked.
“I wouldn’t bet hearth and home on it but it’s him or his twin brother.”
Ben kept looking around casually and asked, “And that’s not Silayev?”
“No,” Kirkland and Catherine said in unison.
Ben rolled his eyes and asked, “Is that no it is or no it isn’t?”
Kirkland added. “I’ve never seen that one before.”
“Neither have I ... and it’s not Dr. Kurtz,” Catherine advised.
Remembering meeting the doctor at the museum exhibit Kirkland said, “Kurtz looks like Rip Torn in Men in Black.”
“Agent Zed?” Ben asked with a snicker. “Okay, speaking of movies, what about Silayev?”
Catherine thought for several moments. “Frasier’s dad.”
Kirkland snapped his fingers. “Yes ... you’re right ... what’s his name? Younger and without the limp.”
They then heard Elanore’s soft drawl from a few yards away, “Captain ... where’s your wife and your little girls?”
Ben pointed toward the house with his jaw. “By now I hope she’s trying to get them out of the pool – they’d probably rather swim than eat.”
“Well there’s plenty to choose from,” Alex said then held up both hands. “For the next hour I’ll be unable to talk on the phone – it’s crawfish time!” he added enthusiastically.
“I’ll go along with that,” Kirkland said then looked at Catherine. “You?”
She shook her head and held up a hand, “Not with these nails – I’ll stick with something I can eat with a fork ... you can feed me some, though.”
- # -
Once he saw a small number of people finding their way to and from the Calder’s home some eighty meters to the northwest of the biggest tent, trying to drift away from the large crowd was easier than the Russian had expected.
Most of those he encountered on the path were parents with small children or guests seeking a break from the heat in the home’s large, air-conditioned solarium, but with the serving of the food now underway he was the only one moving toward the house.
Once through the door into the glassed-in area he noticed the two women who appeared to be house staff were only paying attention to the handful of guests and he gradually moved toward a door that led into the home. When he was certain no one was watching, he slipped into the long corridor then began moving quickly through the enormous residence, ascertaining the best locations for the sophisticated listening devices he brought with him.
- # -
Marty approached a paper-covered table where his parents were seated with Kirkland, Catherine and the Yamaguchi family surrounding a large mound of crawfish and bowls for the leftovers. “Ah – that’s why you didn’t pick up,” he said as he crouched down next to his dad then added quietly, “I think somebody was in the house.”
Alex didn’t catch what was behind that statement immediately, then his senses tightened and he looked directly at his son. “Was in the ... what d’you mean?”
“I was checking on you-know-who and there was this dude in the front hall going into the solarium.”
“Leaving?”
Marty nodded. “Yep.”
His father took another of the crustaceans from the pile and as he squeezed and separated the tail from the body he asked, “What does he look like?”
Marty looked around casually. “Little ... skinny little dude.”
Elanore gave her son a displeased look at his habitual use of the term ‘dude’. “Compared to you, everyone is a skinny little dude.”
“That’s all?” Alex prodded.
“Can’t be more than five ten and one fifty ... sort-of sandy-red hair.”
Ben avoided looking around and tossed a tail shell into the nearest bowl. “How old?”
Marty answered with a shrug. “Maybe thirty, thirty-five ... hard to tell. I only saw him for a few seconds.”
“Can you find him again?” Kirkland asked casually.
“Probably ... if he’s still here.”
Ben asked quietly, “What’s he wearing?”
Marty realized he hadn’t paid enough attention but focused on the question and the answer came to him. “I think it was green cargo shorts – khaki polo shirt, tennis shoes.”
Kirkland’s face revealed his conclusion. “That’s the man with Silayev’s driver,” and Ben nodded in agreement.
“The Russians,” Alex said disgustedly.
Elanore’s mounting concern was obvious as she asked, “What about the Russians?”
“Something tells me they’re both gone,” Kirkland offered.
Alex nodded. “I think you’re right.”
Ben leaned toward his hosts and said casually, “That’s what they came for ... you have to assume they’ve planted listening devices in your house.”
“They what? They bugged the house?” Elanore asked.
Alex gave her a sideways glance then nodded as if he had come to a conclusion. “I can get my security people to sweep it.”
“We’ve got a spec-an in the plane,” Ben said. “If they’re giving off any kind of signal I can find them.”
“Wait a second ... this is BS,” Marty began with a confused scowl, “what the hell do the Russians want to know?”
Alex pointed a crawfish tail toward Kirkland. “Silayev can’t possibly know about our guest ... they’re still interested in you.”
Catherine added quietly, “They know you know their exhibit pieces are fakes.”
Both of the Yamaguchis nodded and Terri said, “And they probably know you’re staying here with the Calders.”
Alex nodded and suggested, “Could be ... or they sent these two out to find out if you were, and came prepared to bug the house if you were.”
Ben looked at Alex and said, “We don’t want them to see the Suburban leave. If I can borrow a car I’ll get the spec-an from the plane.”
Alex leaned slightly toward his son and said quietly, “Look around, see if you can find your lost sheep-dude.”
“He was with a guy that looks like a reduced Lyle Alzado,” Kirkland advised.
Marty grinned and quipped as he rose up, “Ah, the non-steroidal version.”
Ben held up a seasoning-stained hand. “About one more pound – if I can borrow a map I can have the analyzer here in about thirty minutes.”
“I’ll get the keys,” Marty said then added, “and a map.”
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