“I am very sorry. Mr. Bézy was forced to change his plans last night. He would like you to meet him in Montreal this afternoon, where he has other urgent business. He will be happy to give you the interview there. We have a private plane waiting at Logan Airport to take you. This boat will take us back to the Logan dock. Mr. Bézy asks me to apologize to you for this inconvenience. He cannot see you here.”

“That’s not what we agreed on,” I said.

I suppose all the sirens should have gone off at that point—I should have been angrier or more frightened—but I had been in this situation so many times in my life: an appointment broken, a meeting rescheduled, a change in plans. Reporters are always regarded as movable parts. It’s assumed that they can accommodate themselves to the schedules of the real people who do the work.

“Why did you lie to me and pretend he was on the boat?” I asked Alessi.

“I apologize for the deception. But I needed the opportunity to talk with you privately. Out there it would have been impossible. It’s quite obvious we are not alone.”

“I’m not sure I should go to Montreal,” I said. “That wasn’t the plan.”

“Mr. Bézy is expecting you. He wants very much to talk.”

“What if I don’t go to Montreal? Can I still talk with him?”

“No. He wants to see you in person. He says it is important that you come. There are things you may not understand, which he wants to talk about—secrets he would like to share with you.”

What did that mean? Was it another trick, or was there an additional layer to Bézy’s activities I hadn’t understood? I looked out the windows. The two boats that had been shadowing us since we left Rowes Wharf were coming closer. Alessi saw them, too.

“I see we have an escort,” said Alessi. He didn’t look surprised or angry. He seemed almost pleased to see them, as if they confirmed his expectations.

“If I go with you, will I be safe?” It was a dumb question, perhaps, but often that’s the kind reporters ask.

“Of course you will be safe. If Mr. Bézy wanted to hurt you, he could do it at any time. He could do it now.”