When she’d put the rest of her laundry away she went in search of her pupil. Might as well get on with to day’s les son. More syntax and inflection. He wasn’t that far off. She’d heard him in his room at night practicing with recordings of David’s voice. She hadn’t asked where they had come from. Interviews from old CIA cases or maybe from surveillance.
As she descended the stairs she wondered if he would let her listen to the recordings. Probably not, since they likely involved cases that she didn’t have clearance for. Oh well, why torture her self any way. David was gone. Listening to old recordings of his voice would be detrimental to her mental health. It didn’t take a psychologist to see that one coming around the corner.
At the last step she froze. Hennessey, his back to her, had walked across the room, from the coffeemaker on the counter to the sofa in the middle of the living space. The way he’d moved had stolen her breath. Not like Hennessey at all. Like David.
Exactly like David.
She watched him sit down and take a long swill from his mug. Her hands started to tremble. When had he learned to do that? Their lessons had progressed well but nothing on this level.
Summoning her wits she took the last step down. “Coffee smells great.” Some how she dredged up a smile.
He did the same, but it looked nothing like a David smile.
Thank God.
Wait. The goal was for him to look, act and speak like David.
“You need to work on that smile,” she said as she moved to ward the kitchen and the coffee. Maybe a strong, hot cup would help clear her head. Obviously she was a little off this morning.
“That smile was for you, not for the mission,” he explained.
She poured her self a cup of steaming brew and decided that, as usual, honesty was the best policy. “I saw you walk across the room. It was uncanny.” She turned to face him, the hot cup cradled in her hands. “How did you get so good between yesterday and today?”
Strangely, he looked away before answering. “I did a lot of practicing last night. I didn’t want you to be disappointed again today.”
That felt like a lie even if it sounded sincere.
She padded across the room and took the seat opposite his position on the sofa. Since he never wore shoes she’d decided she wouldn’t bother, either.
“I’m glad that how I feel matters to you, Agent Hennessey.” She sipped her cup as he analyzed her. Her interrogation had roused his suspicions. Just another reason for her to be suspect.
He set his cup on the table that separated them. “How you feel matters a great deal to me, Doc.”
Since she had refused to call him Joe he had reverted to calling her Doc. She didn’t like it but when one resolved to play dirty, one couldn’t complain.
“Let’s get started,” she suggested, resting her cup along side his.
“Let’s,” he agreed.
Well, wasn’t he Mr. Agreeable this morning? Very strange indeed.
Joe ran through the steps with Elizabeth until noon brought Agent Dawson and lunch. When ever Dawson was on duty he dined with them, so Joe had the opportunity to study his teacher.
Every aspect of her cooperation in this mission felt genuine. Even after more than two weeks in close quarters, he would swear that she was above reproach. But he had to be absolutely certain. Two days before this aspect of the mission began Director Allen had informed him of another part of his assignment: make sure Dr. Cameron hadn’t been a party to Maddox’s act of treason.
To say Joe had been stunned would be putting it mildly, but like any other assignment, he did his duty.
Director Calder had told her the truth about why she was needed for his operation…at least to a degree. That part Joe had known. He had also already known how to walk and talk like Maddox. He only needed a little extra help with a few of his more intimate mannerisms. More important he needed to know as many details as possible about the relationship they had shared.
Joe had hoped to go about this in a way that wouldn’t cause Elizabeth further hurt, but that might prove impossible for two reasons.
Director Allen, Joe’s immediate boss, still wasn’t convinced of Elizabeth’s innocence—despite Joe’s assessment. Joe had learned that Director Calder, Allen’s boss and the director of the CIA, was the only reason stronger measures hadn’t been taken to determine her involvement, if any, with what David Maddox had done.
Maddox had sold out his country in several ways, but there was no absolute proof that he was the one who’d released the names. All indications pointed to him, but there were also a number, Allen had suggested, that pointed to Elizabeth as having been in on it with him.
With Maddox dead there was really no way to be certain.
Unless Joe could fool Maddox’s primary contact from his final operation.
The only glitch was the fact that the contact was female.
Joe settled his gaze on Elizabeth Cameron and wondered if she’d had any idea that Maddox had maintained an on going relationship with another woman.
If she did, she hid it well.
Nothing about her demeanor over the past two weeks and some days had given him the first hint of deceit.
But she was suspicious.