Page 60 of Shadow of Doubt

When he arrived at Muse, he approached it from the side, skirting theoutdoor terrace, which even at this time of the afternoon was still three-quarters full.

Inside, he found an empty seat at the bar and sat down. The décor throughout was nautical chic—lots of bright white and navy blue, with stainless-steel accents here and there. Even the mahogany bar had been designed to resemble the deck of a classic wooden boat.

Hung upon the walls were enormous black-and-white photographs of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat over the decades, from small fishing boats to gangs of glamorous models on matching Vespas.

A sliding glass wall overlooking the water had been retracted and a light breeze blew through the restaurant.

Harvath ordered a local craft beer. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Palmer and Ashby at a table, studying menus.

The idea was that they would spend about twenty minutes getting to know the place. Harvath would leave first and then Palmer and Ashby would come pick him up where they had dropped him off.

The barman brought Harvath’s beer along with a glass of water and a small dish of marinated olives, before moving on to take care of another customer.

He could see why this was Inessa’s favorite spot. The location was perfect and the views really were amazing. If they hadn’t been here for such sensitive work, this would have been exactly the kind of place he’d love to bring Sølvi to.

Not counting the glass of wine outside the cottage back in Norway, they hadn’t had anything resembling a relaxed, unguarded moment since he’d returned. They needed one. They were long overdue.

She knew that his desire to not let one of his deceased wife’s killers go unpunished had nothing to do with his love for her. She also knew that regardless of what Grechko was dangling, he was here to make sure she was successful. He also wanted to keep her safe.

There was no doubt in his mind that she understood all these things, but he also knew better than to take it for granted. They needed a long, uninterrupted discussion and he needed to hear it from her.

He also needed to discuss the $50 million sitting in a Swiss bank account that the CIA had tried to blackmail him with. When it came tothe money, there was an ethical line there and it was important that she understand on which side he stood. Perhaps Eva’s involvement, if they were able to successfully pull this thing off, might better help Sølvi appreciate his position.

Dinner at a place like this, followed by a walk along the port, would be a nice way to begin a discussion like that. If they were to spend the rest of their lives together, it was a critical conversation to have.

After a few more minutes of studying the restaurant, Harvath polished off his beer and paid his check.

He walked back and checked out the men’s room, marking the location of the kitchen and the ladies’ room as he passed.

When he was done, he popped upstairs for a quick look at that dining room and then exited the restaurant via a different door than he had entered.

Pretending to be following a map on his phone, he did a loop around the building, taking several subtle photographs, before walking back down to the harbor and to the pickup point where he met Ashby and Palmer.

“All good?” he asked, hopping into the back seat of the Range Rover.

“I’m a little bit worried about line-of-sight issues,” Ashby responded. “What if Inessa’s security detail sees Grechko get up and follow her?”

“We’re going to have him move first. Eva won’t tip Inessa off until she gets the text from me,” Harvath replied.

“What do we know about Inessa’s detail?” Palmer asked as he pointed their vehicle toward Eze.

“According to Eva, she normally travels with a four-man team,” said Harvath. “Two guys come inside with her and sit at a nearby table. One remains outside with the car. The fourth is a floater. All ex-Spetsnaz.”

“So, the floater could be anywhere.”

“We’ll need to stay on our toes.”

“How many people total are we bringing?” Ashby asked.

“Were you and Palmer able to get a reservation?”

Ashby shook her head. “We asked on the way out, but they’re booked solid. We’re on the waiting list. They told us to grab a seat on the terrace if we find one, or something in the bar.”

“That’s going to be my strategy as well,” said Harvath. “I’ll be with Grechko. You two will be wherever you can find a spot. And I’m going to have Staelin and Haney nearby in the G-Wagon.”

“So, we’re five, plus Grechko,” said Palmer.

Harvath met his gaze in the rearview mirror and nodded. “That’s the plan. If everything goes right, we’ll be back home, sipping champagne by eleven o’clock.”

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