Free The Loo Sanction by Trevanian

not?”
    â€œThey’ll have someone watching it. This thing is pretty carefully put together. They must have been on me most of the night. I don’t too often sleep up there. I usually stay in my Mayfair flat.”
    â€œIf you hadn’t met me . . .”
    â€œNonsense. If they really wanted to get to me, they’d have done it sooner or later.”
    â€œSomething occurs to me, Jonathan. How did they get in?”
    â€œOh, any number of ways. Picked the lock. Used a key. And there are a lot of keys around. I told you about that drunk actress.”
    â€œStill, it must have been difficult. Carrying that poor man.”
    â€œHe was alive when they brought him in. They shot him there in the bathroom. No blood in the hall. He was heavily doped up.”
    â€œBut still, how did they get him up to your flat.”
    He shook his head. While they had waited for the elevator to bring them down from his apartment, he had noticed a folding wheelchair against the wall. That, together with the Casper mask stuffed behind his toilet, told him that they’d brought the poor son of a bitch there as a Guy Fawkes dummy. Jonathan saw no reason to share this grisly detail with Maggie.
    â€œHere, take the money.”
    â€œNo, really . . .”
    â€œTake it.”
    Her hand shook as she accepted the folded notes.
    â€œI know, dear. And I’m sorry. It’s really a piece of bad luck that you got mixed up in this. But you’ll be all right. They’re not after you.”
    Tears appeared in her eyes, as much in reaction to the stress and fear as anything else. She didn’t apologize for them, nor did she try to blink them away. “But they are after
you
. And I’m afraid for you.” She pulled herself together by the technique of assuming a broad Irish accent. “I’ve grown rather fond of you, don’t you know?”
    â€œI’ve grown fond of you too, madam. Maybe after I’ve sorted this thing out . . .”
    â€œYes. Let’s do try.”
    â€œWill you have some coffee now?”
    She nodded and sniffed back the last of the tears.
    He ordered more coffee and some croissants, and they didn’t speak until after the waiter had brought them and departed. She drank her coffee and broke up a croissant, but she didn’t eat it. She pushed her plate aside and asked, “Will you be able to let me know how you’re getting on?”
    â€œThat wouldn’t be wise. For you, Maggie. Anyway, I won’t know where you’re staying. And I don’t want to.”
    â€œOh, but I’d feel dreadful not knowing if you were all right.”
    â€œAll right. Look, tomorrow afternoon I will be giving a lecture at the Royal Institute of Art. You can attend. That way you’ll be able to see me and you’ll know I’m all right. If it looks as though we can meet afterward, I’ll end the discussion by saying that I hope to have an opportunity to pursue some of these matters with interested individuals in private. And about an hour later, I’ll meet you right here. OK?”
    She frowned, confused. “You intend to go ahead with this lecture?”
    â€œOh yes. With all my social engagements. In this sort of game, they win if they can completely disrupt my life. That would force me either to come to terms with them, or to go on hiding forever. I’m reasonably safe in the open, in public places. You notice that they didn’t bring the police with them just now. The big trick will be getting to and from the lecture, and keeping out of sight in the meanwhile. But I’ve been trained in this sort of game. So don’t worry.”
    â€œWhat kind of advice is that?”
    He smiled. “Well, don’t worry too much anyway.”
    â€œDo you really think you can avoid them forever?”
    â€œNo. Not forever. But I’ll get a chance to think. And I’ll try to pick my own ground for meeting