“Who seemed to fill the bill. I even arranged to have a few meetings with him to check him out. I had a hunch that I’d hit pay dirt. But when I set Vogel on him to check out any connection with Masenak, he came up with nothing. Reardon was on his way to becoming a very rich man, building corporation after corporation, setting up political contacts in half the countries in Central Africa. Other than deplorable policies on environmental issues and bribery, he appeared squeaky clean. No criminal interaction with any group of any sort, certainly no contact with a monster like Masenak.” He shrugged. “But I’m a cynical bastard who never believes anyone is entirely squeaky clean, so I sent Vogel to dig some more.”

“It could have been a onetime transaction enacted by a third party.”

“It could. But from what I’d learned about Reardon, I didn’t believe he’d trust his squeaky-clean image to a third party. He’d handle it himself. If I was right, that would mean there had to have been a meeting. I told Vogel to find out where and when.” He nodded. “That time he came up with pay dirt. He looked at everything we knew about Masenak and then cross-referenced it with Reardon info. Completely different individuals in every way but one: They were both gamblers addicted to horse racing, and they both had stables and horses of their own. Reardon’s horse farm is located outside Marrakech, which would have been convenient to the Atlas Mountains Masenak frequently raided. It would have been easy enough to arrange a meeting at one of the races in Cairo, where they’d blend in with the crowds. We checked video camera shots at several races but found only one meeting. But it was enough to set us on the right path.”

“What path?”

He shook his head and abruptly stood up. “Enough. I’ve assuaged your curiosity as much as I’m willing to do today. Some memories should stay memories.” He pulled her to her feet. “I’ve got to get back to Vogel about planning something that’s much more important to you.”

It was, but what he’d told her was important, too. And the fact that he’d revealed those memories to her was even more valuable in her eyes. “You kept asking Baldwin about Jubaldar and Reardon’s quarters at the castle. What path?”

The corners of his lips turned up. “You never give up, do you?”

She shook her head. “And the race you mentioned. I want to know about that, too.”