Stafford’s phone rang as soon as he cleared customs.

Because only one person had the number of that burner, he answered right away.

“Talk to me, son,” said Kuga.

“I’m in Rotterdam.”

“The fuck are you doing there?”

“My job,” said Stafford.

“You know where he is?”

“I know that he came here,” said Stafford.

“Where is he?” asked Kuga. “I mean exactly.”

“Not sure exactly. His MO is to check into a large hotel. A dog-friendly one, which limits things. And usefully located. I’ll find him.”

There was a pause.

“Son,” said Kuga, “I’m a patient guy, but…”

“I know,” said Stafford and ended the call.

CHAPTER 75

ROTTERDAM MARRIOTT HOTEL

ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

When I came out of the bathroom—god only knows how much later—Toys was busy with a fillet of Dover sole in a parmesan and herb crust. A bottle of Puligny-Montrachet rested in an ice bucket.

“Ah,” he said, “you didn’t drown.” He sounded sad about that.

Ghost was on the floor beneath the window eating some kind of sausage links with the odd delicacy he always displays when eating. He glanced up at me, but I got no tail wag.

I sat on the edge of the bed in slacks and an undershirt and lifted the silver lid on the tray intended for me. There was a steaming bowl of pea soup and a large plate of beef served on a salad with smoked eel and marinated mushrooms. Instead of ordering wine for me, he’d ordered six bottles of a strong Trappist blond beer. I opened one of those with the supplied church key and drank the whole bottle without taking a breath. And burped as the gases swirled in my chest.

“You’re not half-posh, are you?” said Toys sotto voce.

“Go fuck yourself,” I said.

“A cogent rejoinder.” He sipped his wine with the delicacy of a pampered cat.

The beef was delicious and so rare I thought I’d have to chase it around the room.

The three of us ate in silence for fifteen minutes. I ate every scrap on my plate, and when I saw that Toys had leftovers he wasn’t going to finish, I took them.

“Oh yes, please, help yourself,” he said.

By then, I was three beers in, and I lined the others up on the night table.

“Why are you here?” I asked.

“As I said, because it would hurt Junie if you died.”

“So this is all about her?”

“It is.”

“Bullshit,” I said. “I’ve been in the field for years. Never saw you line up to enlist.”

Toys sipped his wine, then shrugged. “Does it really matter?”

I sipped some beer. “No.”

“No,” he agreed.

Ghost finished his sausages and gave a contented sigh. But his eyes were constantly drifting between me and the bathroom and back again.

Toys cleared his throat. “So, do we talk about the elephant in the room?”