Treaty Violation by Anthony C. Patton Page B

dinner dress revealed her shapely figure. She was in her late forties, but still a head turner. “Gosh, it’s been so long,” she added with a friendly squeeze on the arm. She leaned closer. “I think we were drunk the last time we saw each other.”
    “I think you’re right,” Nicholas said, remembering her offer to spend some time alone on the beach with a bottle of champagne during the Christmas party.
    “Dylan tells me you’re working in Panama now,” Ellen said with a wink.
    Dirk leaned closer to Ellen. “This is an unofficial visit,” he said in a lighthearted tone.
    “I’ll give you two some time to talk,” Ellen said. She gave Nicholas another firm hug and whispered in his ear. “Congratulations on your membership.”
    Nicholas waved to Ellen. He was surprised Dirk had told her about his membership and that both seemed pleased about it.
    Nicholas gestured to the food line and grabbed a plate. “Ellen is in good spirits.”
    Dirk grabbed a dinner roll and a slice of ham. “She’s an amazing woman.” He split the roll and dabbed some mustard.
    Nicholas reached for the pincers, tested it like a curious lobster, and flipped open the lid of the stainless steel chafing dish. He waited for the steam to clear and retrieved four chicken wings. “Any clues or leads on Tyler’s murder?”
    Dirk shook his head and scooped some Swedish meatballs onto his plate. “We have people checking blood samples. All the evidence indicates Nestor killed him.” He tapped the spoon on the edge of the chafing dish, closed the lid, and looked at Nicholas. “Nestor is dead, so we aren’t getting much information from him.”
    “I suppose not,” Nicholas said and focused on the fruit salad.
    “Is everything ready for tomorrow?” Dirk asked.
    “Good to go,” Nicholas said and nodded when the chef offered a slice of roast beef. “The shipment leaves tomorrow,” he added as they walked to an open corner. “I met the pilots, arranged payment, and coordinated with the buyers. Everything is good to go.”
    “You met Cesar?” Dirk asked.
    Nicholas didn’t like Dirk’s micromanagement style, but he nodded and ate the fruit before it marinated for too long in the au jus .
    “Stay focused,” Dirk said. “No matter how you feel about Cesar, we have to run three more shipments with him to raise enough money for the president’s campaign fund.”
    “K was clear about my objective,” Nicholas said calmly, indicating he took his orders from a higher power.
    Suddenly alert, Dirk pointed. “You see that woman over there talking to Minister Hernandez?”
    Nicholas focused on the Latina beauty as he chewed an overcooked chicken wing.
    “She’s a journalist—Lina Castillo.” His eyes narrowed as if deep in thought. “I have the sneaking suspicion she wrote the anonymous editorial in El Tiempo about the president taking drug money.”
    “Why?” Nicholas asked and dropped the chicken wing on his plate.
    “I have a good feel for how she writes. She likes to investigate these kinds of stories.” He looked at Nicholas. “I know you’ll be busy with the operation, but I want you to get to know Lina. Find out what she’s up to. If you find anything resembling proof of her allegations, take it. We can’t let her mess up our operation.”
    Nicholas looked longingly at the roast beef, set his plate down, and grabbed two glasses of red wine from a passing waiter.
    “She wrote a good story about the Panamanian banking industry last week,” Dirk said as Nicholas walked away.
    Nicholas paused when he arrived. “Pardon me, aren’t you Lina Castillo? You wrote that exquisite piece on the Panamanian banking industry last week.”
    Lina exuded pride. “I’m glad you liked the story.” Pins held up her brown hair. Her intellectual glasses detracted attention from her figure. Her white business suit balanced professional but practical. She definitely had the sexy librarian look, but Nicholas couldn’t discern whether she