Jack's Widow Read Online Free Page B

large pot of tea and settled down to her book, which turned out to be so dull she spent much of her time gazing into the high mirror ahead of her that reflected the comings and goings of the room. She watched as one glamorous couple, obviously not married, interspersed sips of their large vodkas with much mutual finger-stroking, when her attention was caught by the entrance of two women who, she was sure, were with some Russian scientists attending the conference. Having swept in and noisily arranged themselves, they quickly looked around and, confident that there were no Westerners in the room, began a dialogue in heavily Russian-accented Spanish.
    Carefully, using the mirror, Jackie analyzed their clothes, hairstyles, and makeup. Not only did they look far more sophisticated than most females in this part of the world, their husbands were obviously quite senior as they had been wealthy enough to pay for good-quality furs and leather. Their schoolgirl use of the foreign language had obviously been newly acquired from a textbook. So not only had they been well educated, and recently so, they had absorbed the lessons of self-preservation. They knew that it was wise to be careful about where and when they spoke not only their mother tongue but also French, the second language chosen by the majority of those in their empire. A hotel like this was sure to be full of many who had the facility for both languages and would be very interested in anything they had to say.
    But they were so sure that no one in the room would understand a word of what they said in Spanish, they spoke loudly and freely.
    Jackie, confident that she was situated where she would not be seen by them, stopped being nervous. Even if they did glimpse round her corner she was quite certain that they would never expect an American senator’s wife to be able to understand their every word. It was hard not to eavesdrop.
    After being served tea, cake, and schnapps, the women launched into a discussion about this morning’s visit. Grateful though she seemed for her free gift, one of the women sought the other’s advice on whether she thought it more practical to send the sixty-piece Bohemian glass set directly to the next place that they “would call home, rather than drag it back to Moscow.”
    Conversation about their new billets, a long and detailed one, was so shocking to Jackie that she remained in her hidden chair for a full fifteen minutes after they left to make sure that they did not see her.
    Jackie was no politician but even she realized that what she had heard was alarming. Some of the Russian scientists were going off to live in China one week after this conference. Could they have done a deal to share their nuclear-power know-how with the Chinese?
    It was vital that her countrymen hear about this. Cool and calm as ever, she knew she must do nothing out of character. There were watchers from the Czech Secret Service everywhere in the hotel, stationed on every floor. After she reached her room she bathed, put on her cocktail dress, and firmed up a plan for Jack’s return.
    As soon as her husband entered the room she put her finger on his lips before he had a chance to exclaim how extraordinary it was that she was ready for dinner.
    Gently she held his hand and pulled him into the bathroom, all the time smiling at him and touching his lips so that he would not speak. Only once the bath taps were spitting out a Niagara of hot water did she begin.
    “You may not have noticed two of the younger Russian wives, the tall blond one and the redhead.”
    He had.
    She explained how she had spent the afternoon.
    “Jack, I heard them distinctly, next month they and their husbands are off to live near Peking.”
    His shocked expression was enough for her to recount every word she had heard.
    “Would you be willing to repeat this?” He made to move toward the phone, then smiling and nodding, acknowledging that she had quite correctly assumed that the room would