Free An Ordinary Day by Trevor Corbett Page A

magnificent in their dark evening wear, were finding their standing places around the small tables. She gazed out of the windows and could understand how the Knights of St John had been prepared to give up their lives in defence of the city. The calm waters of the Grand Harbour reflected the huge fortifications around Fort St Angelo, which had kept Malta safe from invading forces for hundreds of years.
    Malta had always been a desirable, unconquerable prize. A bit like her, Elhasomi thought. At diplomatic functions, single women invariably became prime pick-up targets for ambassadors, military attachés, frustrated and lonely counsellors, and administrative staff. Elhasomi, dressed in a superb off-the-shoulder black dress and a gold choker which drew attention to her graceful olive-skinned neck and perfectly contoured jaw line, had not escaped the notice of the male guests. Her mysteriously sullen and melancholic look was not a practised pose: it was as natural as her long black hair, which fell past her shoulders to the small of her back.
    ‘Care for a cocktail?’ It was the public-affairs officer based at the American embassy. Elhasomi smiled and shook her head. Arthur O’Grady took his work seriously. He had had more public affairs than anybody else in the mission. Harmless, but annoying.
    ‘Come on, Miss Elhasomi. Just a harmless drink. We don’t have to talk politics.’
    ‘Everything in this room is politics, Mr O’Grady. If I talk to you, it’s politics.’ She half turned. ‘Excuse me, please.’
    ‘Excuse me,’ a gravelly voice said and she felt a big arm around her shoulder and didn’t like it. She recognised the uniform as Brazilian air force, the rank as colonel, and his way as presumptuous. He motioned to a colleague who came over quickly. ‘I will protect you from all these dirty old men,’ the colonel bellowed, ‘such as my colleague here. This is no place for a lady as beautiful as you to be without protection.’
    ‘Thanks, I do not need protection.’
    ‘Valletta’s full of rogues and men with questionable motives. O’Grady, case in point.’
    ‘I was part of Colonel Gaddafi’s close protection team for a year,’ Elhasomi said. ‘If I can look after my president, I am sure I can look after myself.’
    ‘Ah, but here you’re far from home. This beautiful city is full of dangerous people.’
    ‘And how do I know you are not one of them?’
    The colonel put his hand on his heart as if he’d been mortally wounded. ‘But now you offend me, Miss. I am a gentleman and an officer. Malta’s my second home, I know everyone here, and everyone knows me. I am a helicopter pilot, very skilful, very professional. I can take you on a flip. Have you been in a helicopter before?’
    Elhasomi smiled disarmingly. ‘I have my commercial rating on helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Maybe I will take you some day. Excuse me please, I have seen someone I know.’
    Elhasomi glided off towards the entrance and the colonel watched her moving towards a man sitting alone at a table. The colonel smiled, and shook his head in defeat.
    The man at the table was tall and well built, with short, black, gelled hair and dark Middle Eastern features. Elhasomi observed that he had a noticeable, but not unattractive, scar on his chin. He looked at her briefly as she stood at the cocktail table and then looked down again. His eyes were dark, Elhasomi thought, secret eyes.
    ‘Good evening,’ she said. ‘Can I join you here?’
    The man looked surprised, shy almost. ‘I’m not going to be here much longer.’
    ‘I just want to be away from those annoying men.’
    The man looked at his watch and then at Elhasomi. He was silent.
    ‘I do not want to disturb your dream.’
    The man smiled without looking up. ‘I’m not dreaming, I’m observing.’
    ‘Are you security?’
    ‘My favourite pastime at these functions. Forget zoos – human beings are the most interesting creatures to watch.’
    Elhasomi frowned,