“Maybe you haven’t changed, after all. In all the years I’ve known you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat a bite of food during the daytime.”
“I make up for it after the sun goes down.”
“You haven’t gained an ounce since I saw you last. I wish I could say the same.”
“You look wonderful, Sarah.”
“For a woman of forty-three?” She added a packet of artificial sweetener to her coffee. “I was beginning to think you’d changed your number.”
“I was out of pocket when you called.”
“Icalledseveral times. I also left you about a dozen text messages.”
“I had to take certain precautions before responding.”
“With me? Whatever for?”
Gabriel offered a careful smile. “Because of your relationship with a certain high-profile member of the Saudi royal family.”
“Khalid?”
“I didn’t realize you two were on a first-name basis.”
“I insisted on it.”
Gabriel was silent.
“You obviously disapprove.”
“Only with some of your recent acquisitions. One in particular.”
“The Leonardo?”
“If you say so.”
“You’re dubious about the attribution?”
“I could have painted a better Leonardo than that one.” He looked at her seriously. “You should have come to me when he approached you about working for him.”
“And what would you have told me?”
“That his interest in you was no accident. That he was well aware of your ties to the CIA.” Gabriel paused. “And to me.”
“You would have been right.”
“I usually am.”
Sarah picked at her pastry. “What do you think of him?”
“As you might imagine, Crown Prince Khalid bin Mohammed is of particular interest to the Office.”
“I’m not asking the Office, I’m asking you.”
“The CIA and the Office were far less impressed with Khalid than the White House and my prime minister. Our concerns were confirmed when Omar Nawwaf was killed.”
“Did Khalid order his murder?”
“Men in Khalid’s position don’t have to give a direct order.”
