Free Time of the Assassins by Alistair MacLean Page B

in her voice. 'We need to talk.'

'Look, come back later. I'm absolutely exhausted. I've been in police custody for the last thirty-six hours. And it's all thanks to your friend Mike.'

'I think he's in trouble,' she said. 'Please, we need to talk.'

Laidlaw rubbed his eyes wearily then pulled open the door. 'What the hell. I couldn't sleep anyway.'

'Thanks,' she said and stepped inside.

'You'll have to forgive the mess,' Laidlaw said, closing the door. 'I'm not very domesticated.'

She followed him into the kitchen and sat down in the chair offered to her.

'You want a beer?' he asked.

'Coffee, if you've got it.'

'Somewhere,' he replied and switched the kettle on before rummaging through the drawers. He found the coffee jar and put a heaped spoonful into the only clean mug he could find. 'You say you're a friend of Mike's. You work with him?'

'That's right,' she replied.

Laidlaw opened the beer and drank a mouthful.

'And you're out here to find him? Well, I wish you luck.'

'You saw him, didn't you?'

'I met him, yes-at the Windorah; it's a bar in town. We talked a bit then I gave him a lift back to his hotel. I never saw him after that.'

Sabrina exhaled deeply. 'How can I convince you I'm on the level?'

. Laidlaw filled the cup with hot water then placed it on the table in front of her. He put the milk bottle beside the cup. 'Help yourself. Look, Miss Cassidy, I met your friend -'

'Spare me the act,' she cut in angrily. 'You served in Delta together. It was on an operation in Libya that his family was kidnapped by Arab terrorists to try and force him to countermand the order to attack. The two men behind the kidnapping were Salim Al-Makesh and Jean-Jacques Bernard. Al-Makesh was killed by the Israelis. Bernard was thought to have been killed in a car-bomb attack a year and a half ago. Mike obviously found out Bernard was alive and came out here to get him. You were his contact. That's all we know. I've been sent here to find out what really happened and get him back to the States.'

Laidlaw pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down. 'Carrie gave Mike a watch as a Christmas present. What make was it?'

'Piaget. Gold-plated. And it was a birthday present. Satisfied?'

Laidlaw nodded. 'Satisfied. Who's this "we" you mentioned?'

'I can't tell you, I'm afraid.'

'Undercover work in other words?'

'Something like that,' she replied.

'Are you his partner?'

She nodded. 'Did you tip him off about Bernard?'

'Yeah. I saw Bernard outside the American University Hospital. I knew Mike would want to know.'

'And where did this Barak fit into the picture?'

'Barak had been a Delta contact for years. If anybody could find Bernard, then he could. Until Mike put a bullet in his back.'

'Mike didn't kill him, you know that,' she retorted sharply.

'All I know is that when I reached the house Barak was dead. Then I saw Barak's car being driven away at high speed. And Mike had gone. Put two and two together.'

'It has to be a set-up. Why kill the one man capable of leading him to Bernard? It makes no sense.'

'I wasn't there when he went into the house. He insisted on that. I don't know what they discussed.'

'Only Mike knows that. That's why we have to find him.'

'Not "we". You can count me out. I put myself on the line for him once already and look where it got me: thirty-six hours in jail; Interrogations every four hours. No, Miss Cassidy, if you want to find Mike, you find him by yourself.'

'I don't know my way around Beirut.'

'So get a guide. There's plenty of them. And they don't cost much.'

'If it's money - '

'Don't insult me, Miss Cassidy,' Laidlaw snapped sharply.

She raised a hand in apology. 'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I need your help, Mr Laidlaw. And so does Mike. If the police get to him first, he'll be put away for life.'

'And what if he did kill Barak? What if he is guilty? You're going to help a killer flee justice.'

'I don't know how well you know Mike. I think I know him pretty well. He's