Talley cut off a bite of chicken and kept the fork in the same hand； European style。
〃I don't want us to be blinded by how much we want this unidentified body to be Thomas Chandonne；〃 Talley went on。
〃Yeah； sure would be embarrassing if you took the black notice out of your fancy puter and then guess what？ Turns out the son of a bitch ain't dead and Loup…Garou's just some local fruit loop who keeps on killing。 No relationship between the two；〃 Marino said。 〃Maybe Interpol loses some of its membership fees； huh？〃
〃Captain Marino； this is not about membership fees；〃 Talley said with a dead…on stare。 〃I know you've worked many； many difficult cases in your career。 You know how all…consuming they can be。 We need to free up our people to work other crimes。 We need to bring down the people shielding this dirtbag。 We need to destroy the hell out of all of them。〃
He pushed away his tray without finishing his food。 He slid a pack of cigarettes out of the inner pocket of his suit jacket。
〃That's one thing nice about Europe；〃 he smiled。 〃Bad for your health but not antisocial。〃
〃Well； let me ask you this；〃 Marino kept going。 〃If it's not about membership fees； then who pays for all this shit？ Learjets； Concordes； ritzy hotels； not to mention Mercedes cabs？？。
〃Many of the taxis over here are Mercedes。〃
〃We prefer beat…up Chevies and Fords back home；〃 Marino said sarcastically。 〃You know； buy American。〃
〃Interpol isn't in the habit of supplying Learjets and luxury hotels；〃 Talley said。
〃Then who did？〃
〃I guess you can ask Senator Lord all about that；〃 Talley replied。 〃But let me remind you of something。 Organized crime is all about money； and most of this money es from honest people； honest businesses and corporations who want to run these cartels out of business as badly as we do。〃
Marino's jaw muscles were flexing。
〃I can only suggest that for a Fortune Five Hundred pany to buy a couple of Concorde tickets isn't much to ask if millions of dollars of electronic equipment or even guns and explosives are being diverted。〃
〃Then some Microsoft…pany…type paid for all this？〃 Marino asked。
Talley's patience was being tried。 He didn't answer him。
〃I'm asking you。 I want to know who paid for my ticket。 I want to know who the hell went through my suitcase。 Some Interpol agent？〃 Marino persisted。
〃Interpol doesn't have agents。 It has liaisons from various law enforcement agencies。 ATF； FBI； the postal service； police departments。 and so on。〃
〃Yeah； right。 Just like the CIA doesn't snuff people。〃
〃For God's sake； Marino；〃 I said。
〃I want to know who fucking went through my suitcase；〃 Marino said as his face turned a deeper red。 〃That pisses me off more than anything has in a hell of a long time。〃
〃I can see that；〃 Talley replied。 〃Maybe you should plain to the Paris police。 But my guess is； if they had anything to do with it； it was for your own good。 In the event you might have brought a gun over here； for example？〃
Marino didn't say anything。 He picked through what was left of his ribs。
〃You didn't；〃 I said to him in disbelief。
〃If someone isn't familiar with international travel； well； innocent mistakes can be made；〃 Talley added。 〃Especially American police who are used to carrying guns everywhere and perhaps don't understand what serious trouble they could get into over here。〃
Still； Marino was silent。
〃I suspect the only motivation was to prevent any inconveniences for either of you；〃 Talley added； tapping an ash。
〃All right； all right；〃 Marino grumbled。
〃Dr。 Scarpetta；〃 Talley then said； 〃are you familiar with our magistrate system over here？〃
〃Enough to know that I'm glad we don't have one in Virginia。〃
〃The magistrate's appointed。 for life。 The forensic pathologist is appointed by the magistrate； and it's the magistrate who decides what evidence is submitted to the labs and even what the manner of death is；〃 Talley explained。
〃Like our coroner system at its worst；〃 I said。 〃Whenever politics and votes are involved…〃
〃Power；〃 Talley cut in。 〃Corruption。 Politics and criminal investigation should never be in the same room。〃
〃But they are。 All the time； Agent Talley。 Maybe even here； in your organization；〃 I said。
〃Interpol？〃 He seemed to find this very amusing。 〃There's really no motivation for Interpol to do the wrong thing； as sanctimonious as that might sound。 We don't take credit。 We don't want publicity； cars； guns or uniforms； we don't fight over jurisdictions。 We have a surprisingly small budget for what we do。 To most people we don't even exist。〃
〃You say this we shit like you're one of them；〃 Marino mented。 〃I'm confused。 One minute you're ATF； the next minute you're a secret squirrel。〃
Talley raised an eyebrow and blew out smoke。 〃Secret squirrel？〃 he asked。
〃How'd you end up over here anyway？〃 Marino wouldn't relent。
〃My father's French； my mother American。 I spent most of my childhood in Paris； then my family moved to Los Angeles。〃
〃Then what？〃
〃Law school； didn't like it； ended up with ATE〃
〃For how long？〃 Marino continued his'interrogation。
〃I've been an agent about five years。〃
〃Yeah？ And how much of that's been over here？〃 Marino was getting more belligerent with each question。
〃Two years。〃
〃That's kinda cushy。 Three years on the street； then you end up over here drinking wine and hanging out in this big glass castle with all these hot…shit people。〃
〃I've been extremely fortunate。〃 Talley's graciousness carried a sting。 〃You're absolutely right。 I suppose it helps somewhat that I speak four languages and have traveled extensively。 I also got into puters and international studies at Harvard。〃
〃I'm hitting the john。〃 Marino abruptly got up。
〃It's the Harvard part that really got him；〃 I said to Talley as Marino stalked off。
〃I didn't mean to piss him off；〃 he said。
〃Of course you did。〃
〃Oh。 Such a bad impression you have of me so quickly。〃
〃He's usually not quite this bad；〃 I went on。 〃There's a new deputy chief who's thrown him back in uniform； suspended him and tried everything short of a bullet to destroy him。。；
〃What's his name？〃 Talley asked。
〃It's a her；〃 I answered。 〃Sometimes the hers are worse than hims； it's been my experience。 More threatened； more insecure。 Women tend to do each other in when we should be helping each other along。〃
〃You don't seem to be like that。〃 He studied me。
〃Sabotage takes too much time。〃
He wasn't sure how to take that。
〃You'll find I'm very direct； Agent Talley； because I have nothing to hide。 I'm focused and I mean business。 I'll fight you or I won't。 I'll confront you or I won't； and I'll do it strategically but mercifully because I have no interest in watching anybody suffer。 Unlike Diane Bray。 She poisons people and sits back and watches； enjoying the show as the person slowly and in agony wastes away。〃
〃Diane Bray。 Well； well；〃 Talley said； 〃toxic waste in tight clothes。〃
〃You know her？〃 I asked； surprised。
〃She finally left D。C。 so she could ruin some other police department。 I was at headquarters briefly before getting assigned here。 She was always trying to coordinate what her cops were doing with what the rest of us were doing。 You know； FBI； Secret Service； us。 Not that there's anything wrong with people working together； but that wasn't her agenda。 She just wanted to get in thick with the power brokers； and damn if she didn't。〃
〃I don't want to waste energy talking about her；〃 I said。 〃She's taken far too much of my energy already。〃
〃Would you like dessert？〃
〃Why has no evidence been tested in the Paris cases？〃 I got back to that。
〃How about coffee？'
What I'd liked is an answer； Agent Talley。〃
。Jay。
〃Why am I here？〃
He hesitated； glancing toward the door as if worried that someone he didn't want to see might walk in。 I decided he was thinking about Marino。
〃If the killer is this Chandonne wacko； as we very much suspect； then。 his family would prefer that his nasty habit of slashing； beating and biting women isn't made public： In fact〃…he paused； his eyes digging into mine…〃it would seem his family hasn't wanted it known that he was ever on this planet。 Their dirty little secret。〃
〃Then how do you know he exists？〃
〃His mother gave birth to two sons。 There's no record of one dying。〃
〃Sounds like there's no record of anything；〃 I said。
〃Not on paper。 There are other ways of finding out things。 Police have spent hundreds of hours interviewing people； especially those on Ile Saint…Louis。 In addition to what Thomas's former classmates allege； it has also bee rather much a legend that there is a man who's sometimes seen walking along the shore of the island at night or in the early morning； when it's dark。〃
〃Does this mysterious character swim or just walk around？〃 I asked。 I was thinking of the freshwater diatoms inside the dead man's clothes。
Talley gave me a surprised look。
〃It's funny you should say that。 Yes。 There have been reports of a white male swimming nude in the Seine off the shore of Ile。 Saint…Louis。 Even