Hard Target (31 page)

Since when did she distrust those people she worked with?

Now, Tay stood before her. She stared up at him, hoping he couldn't read her thoughts. "Ready?" she asked.

"Yes. Did you get that cell phone?"

She handed him the small black model. "We'll take my car. It's still outside."

Tay was silent on the way over to the ambassador's house. She wanted to ask him about Colonel Smythe, but couldn't find the words. And the fact that Tay didn't volunteer anything about the call cemented her decision to stay silent.
Trust him
, she told herself.

Hard, it was, though.

Fifteen minutes later, one of the
escoltas
led them into the living room of the ambassador's spacious bungalow located up on the western hillside, close to one of the main thoroughfares that probably facilitated his quick arrival the morning the bomb exploded. His home overlooked the city, and the haze of smog that blanketed it. A moment after Dawna and Tay were led to the living room by an
escolta
, Julie Legace came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a tea towel. "Forgive me, when I get upset, I bake. My kids love it, though." She laughed, but the sound had a nervous ring.

Dawna rose, followed by Tay. "How's the ambassador?" she asked.

"Much better. He came downstairs for breakfast and even made a few suggestions on what I could bake for him." She gave them a wobbly smile. "He knows me too well."

"Can we speak to him?"

"I'll see if he's awake."

When she returned, she wore a bigger smile. "I'll take you in. It's not a bedroom anymore, believe me. The hospital sent home a few monitors, so it's more like a fancy ward, now. Dennis feels -- and looks much better. He's saying now he feels like Hugh Hefner working in his pajamas." She led them down the hall, laughing nervously. "He's even suggested he might finish out his tenure here in them."

The bedroom was wide and long, expensively furnished with extra chairs around an entertainment system at the opposite end of the big bed. Curled up in one of the chairs was the couple's youngest daughter, watching cartoons.

"Sit down, Dawna, Mr. Hastings." The ambassador grinned as he spread his hands around the bedroom, which had taken on the look of a private hospital room. "I like this way of conducting business. I couldn't be more comfortable. Though, I'm not sure the president would want to visit me here. Oh, excuse my daughter. She wanted to stay home from school today to be with me, so we let her."

"You look good, sir," Dawna said, taking a seat near the girl, who looked up briefly and smiled. Tay remained standing beside Dawna.

"Compared to yesterday, I feel great." He sobered. "It's scary to feel your heart racing and be unable to catch your breath."

"Sir, do you feel up to answering a few questions?" Tay asked.

"Of course."

"As you must know, the tea you drank contained a plant called..." He pulled out his notebook and looked at his writing. "
Tuchuchaw
. It's a dangerous plant grown up in the mountains. Did you buy the tea yourself?"

"I don't go grocery shopping. I don't have the time."

"In that case, can you tell us your exact movements yesterday?"

The ambassador glanced at his wife, who had taken a seat at the end of the bed. "The day was pretty much the same as every day. My schedule is light this week, because we had arranged to watch my youngest at her piano recital.

"But I knew I should put some extra hours in, so I returned to the embassy after supper. I also wanted to see if Dawna had completed her daily report, so I walked down to her office." He looked at Dawna. "When I didn't see your report, I started to poke around in your desk to find your message pad. That's when I found your tea. It looked good and I figured I would have a cup."

"Were you separated from your tea at any time?" Tay asked.

"No. I took one tea bag, got my cup and then went to the coffee room for some hot water. I made the tea and took it back to Dawna's office."

Dawna scribbled down some notes. "Marconi was on duty. Was he still in the security office when you returned?"

"Yes, he was. I went into your office and started to sip the tea. I was actually considering calling you for the report."

"What did you think of the tea?"

The ambassador thought for several seconds. "It was minty, a little bit different tasting. Good, actually. I sat for a few minutes and then began to write you a note." He glanced at his wife. "That's when I started to feel ill."

Dawna stole a glance at Julie. She paled before turning her head away. Poor woman.

Dennis Legace said, "I must have passed out then."

Tay leaned forward. "I think it's safe to say that the tea was deliberately tampered with, though we have no proof. The doctor you saw says the brand of tea is very common here, and does not contain
tuchuchaw
, although the plant is available locally." He rubbed his cheek where the bruise was still evident. Dawna waited for the ambassador to ask about it, but he didn't.

Tay spoke again. "Has anyone on the embassy staff, or even their families, been dissatisfied with anything you've done during these last few months?"

Julie Legace turned. "Enough to take it out on Dennis? He hasn't done a thing to anyone here. Not a thing! He's an excellent ambassador."

"It's all right, Julie. They're good questions."

She glared at her husband. "No, it isn't. That tea was in Dawna's desk, not yours. Dawna should be asking those questions to herself. Her desk is a lot more accessible to the rest of the staff than your desk."

"Julie, dear, relax," the ambassador murmured. "Everyone knows I roam around. And that I'm always trying new herbal teas."

Julie fired her stinging gaze onto Dawna. "Yes. Even you knew that. She knew you'd probably come looking for her report."

Dennis leaned forward and took his wife's hand. "Why don't you cut up some of those lemon squares you made? I'd love to try them. And I'd like to speak with Dawna and Mr. Hastings alone." He gave her hand a squeeze as he smiled reassuringly. "It'll only take a minute."

Still distraught, Julie stalked out. Their daughter, whose attention had switched to the conversation, returned to watching the TV. As the door closed, Dennis Legace's smile turned diplomatic. "Please forgive my wife. She worries too much about me."

"It's all right," Dawna mumbled, feeling sick at Julie's suggestion.

"I don't believe for one minute you are responsible, Dawna. I put my trust in you when I hand-picked you last year. I would do the same today. I hand pick all my staff."

Dawna nodded.

The ambassador faced Tay. "I don't judge my staff solely on their histories or their résumés, Mr. Hastings. I look for qualities that aren't always obvious. Even those people who don't appear outwardly suitable for an embassy assignment end up being perfect. I support my staff one hundred percent and expect that support in return." He ended his words with another diplomatic smile.

Tay walked to the end of the bed. "Ambassador, do you know an American named Joseph Martin?"

The ambassador thought for a moment. "It's a fairly common name, but I don't recall ever meeting him. There was a man named Martin who was assistant director of the CIA when I was on the embassy staff in Washington, many years ago. But I don't remember his first name, just meeting him at a function."

Tay shot a glance at Dawna. She knew right away they were thinking the same thing. Joseph Martin needed relatives in high places to land him a lucrative embassy posting while still a Co-Op student.

Tay looked back at the ambassador. "Joseph Martin is a twenty-one year old."

He laughed. "In that case, I don't know him. All my acquaintances are over fifty."

Tay smiled politely. "What about a Bolivian named Manuel Chayo?"

Dennis Legace's smile faded into a frown. "Why are you asking me about him?"

"The name has come up in the course of our investigation, sir. That's all."

The ambassador fell against his pillows. Dawna leaned forward, wondering if he was on the verge of a relapse, when the door opened and in walked Julie with a tray. She set it on the wide, polished dresser and frowned at her husband. He smiled gently back to her, but his brows were still knitted together.

Dawna cleared her throat. "As you know, Ramos called in sick two days ago and hasn't been heard from since. Nor can we find him. He has no relatives except Chayo and his file lists a neighbor as his emergency contact number, as opposed to his next of kin."

"This country is quite poor, and sometimes families get split up because of the need to go to where the work is," Ambassador Legace reminded them

"I understand. Manuel Chayo's last known address was Ottawa."

The ambassador flicked his gaze to his wife and then back to Dawna. "And?"

"He's not there any longer," Tay said, folding his arms. "He was posted to the Bolivian embassy there for a short time about twelve years ago. His whereabouts are unknown. Do you know this man, sir?"

"My husband's tired, Mr. Hastings," Julie interjected. "I can tell by the look on his face. Can we continue this discussion later?"

Dawna stood. "Certainly. Thank you, Ambassador. I hope you're feeling better tomorrow."

"I'm sure I will be."

Julie was already at the door, holding it open. Dawna offered her a smile, which was returned briefly. "I'll send some of my lemon squares over to you and Lucy later. Heavens knows I've baked enough of them."

Dawna nodded, closing in on the door. "Thank you. That's very kind." She dared one last glance at the Ambassador. He paled as Tay stared him down. In front of Julie, Dawna remained as still as a statue. The entire bedroom suddenly felt very much like the interrogation room back at her unit.

Finally, she cleared her throat. Still keeping the grim expression, Tay followed her out.

Crammed into Dawna's tiny car again, Tay shifted to get comfortable. "Was it my imagination, or was Ambassador Legace not quite as honest as his reputation suggests?"

"I found him quite open."

"I'm talking about when we asked about Chayo."

"He's tired, Tay. He nearly died yesterday."

"He seemed quite jovial when we first entered, joking about conducting all of his business from his bedroom."

"You bombarded him with a lot of questions."

"He's also a seasoned diplomat. Being bombarded with questions is nothing to him."

"When he's well, which he isn't, today."

Tay grimaced as he twisted around to face Dawna. "He was reluctant to answer my last question about Chayo. And while your loyalty to the man is commendable, he has now cast suspicion on himself. You can't deny that."

"He might have inadvertently, but Dennis Legace is a man of impeccable reputation. He's our best ambassador." She gripped the steering wheel. "Tay, he gave me a break when no one else would. That's almost his trademark way of selecting his staff. And he's not gone wrong yet."