“Then why don’t you just ring him up? I’m sure you know how to get in touch with him.”
“Our usual line of communication is presently out of service,” Beck said. “Thus, my meeting with you.”
“Tell me, Aaron, why do you think Pablo would wish to see you?”
“As I said, we’ve met before and done business.”
“Was the business you have done with Pablo conducted to your satisfaction?” Stone asked.
“You might say that,” Beck replied.
“Is there some reason why you didn’t contact Pablo a short time ago when your line of communication was still serviceable?”
“Circumstances change all the time,” Beck said. “I didn’t need to speak to him at that time. Lance didn’t need to contact Pablo until he kidnapped him.”
Stone feigned surprise. “Did Lance tell you he kidnapped Pablo?”
Beck sighed. “I have more than one source of information.”
“Aaron,” Stone said, “do you wish to harm Pablo?”
“Of course not,” Beck replied.
“Do you wish to invite him to Israel for a chat?”
“I would be happy to extend such an invitation.”
“Do you wish to take him to Israel whether or not he wants to go?”
“Do you really believe we are so ham-fisted as that, Stone?”
Stone smiled. “I have formed the opinion that the Mossad will sometimes go to great lengths to achieve its ends. I am in mind of an assassination in an Arab country that made the news recently, involving numerous Mossad agents carrying stolen passports. On that occasion the Mossad was quite ham-fisted.”
“Let us not revisit the past,” Beck said, spreading his hands. “Why don’t we concentrate on the near future.”
“Why do you wish to speak to Pablo?”
“I’m afraid that my instructions do not allow me to impart that information to anyone but Pablo.”
Their lunch arrived.
“Suppose Pablo agreed to see you with his attorney present?” Stone asked.
“Stone, Pablo is not charged with any crime in Israel; why would he require an attorney?”
“He might require a witness,” Stone said. “And you might be less inclined to press an invitation to your country upon him if an American citizen was present and handcuffed to Pablo.”
“Handcuffed?”
“Metaphorically,” Stone replied. “Let’s get down to brass tacks. What have you to gain from Pablo by such a meeting, and what would Pablo have to gain from it?”
“We wish only to have the answers to some questions,” Beck said. “As for Pablo, he might gain freedom from our attentions in the future.”
“And how long might this conversation last?”
“I’m sure we could conclude it within the same time frame as his discussions with the CIA.”
“And where do you propose that this meeting take place?”
“Perhaps at the offices of our mission?”
“You are assuming that Pablo is still in this country.”
“Yes, but if he is back in Europe, his house in Switzerland would be a satisfactory meeting place.”