"Our source was a longtime hand on the Ramirez yacht," Luis said. "A good man. Reliable. He was killed in the explosion. He reported on frequent meetings between Ramirez and key members of industry, as well as regular trips along the Bay of Biscay."

"Basque Country," remarked McCaskey.

Luis nodded. "With frequent disembarkments by Ramirez. Our informant reported that a bodyguard always went with him, some member of his familia. He had no idea who Ramirez met there or why. He only knew that over the last six months the meetings increased from once-monthly to once-weekly."

"Is there any chance that your informant was double-dipping?" McCaskey asked.

"You mean selling this information to someone else?" Luis asked.

"That's right."

"I suppose it's possible," Luis said. "Obviously, some outside person or group learned what Ramirez and his people were planning and made sure that things went wrong. The question is who. To begin with, whoever stopped Ramirez and his group knew that the assassination of your diplomat was going to happen."

"How do you know that?" McCaskey asked.

"Because the yacht was bugged and booby-trapped before the assassination," Luis informed him. "They obtained the taped confession, the man who shot Martha arrived, and they blew the yacht up."

"Right," McCaskey said. "Very neat and professional."

"The whole thing has been very neat and professional," Luis agreed. "You know, my friends, talking about civil war-there are those who believe that the last one never really ended. That differences were merely patched over with-what do you call them?"

"Band-Aids?" Aideen offered.

Luis pointed at her. "That's right."

Aideen shook her head. "Can you imagine," she said, "the enormous impact that a person-not a group, but an individual-would make by bringing a final and lasting end to the strife?"

Both men looked at her.

"The new Franco," Luis said.

"Right," said Aideen.

"That's a helluva thought," McCaskey agreed.

"It's like the old Boston election racket my father used to talk about when I was a kid," Aideen continued. "A guy hires thugs to terrorize shopkeepers. Then one day that same guy picks up a baseball bat and stands guard at a fish store or shoe shop or newsstand and chases the thugs away-which he'd also paid them to do in the first place. Next thing you know he's running for public office and gets the workingman's vote."

"The same thing could be happening here," Luis said.

Aideen nodded slowly. "It's possible."

"Anybody you know who might fit that profile, Luis?" McCaskey asked.