‘I’m afraid so,’ Christopher said.

‘Motive?’

‘Money,’ Christopher said. ‘Got to be. I can’t see anyone forming a deep ideological attachment to a European firearms manufacturer. Can you? And money is always a factor for officers like these. They’re mixing with corporate lawyers and lobbyists all the time. Easy to feel like the poor relation.’

‘Can’t we just watch their fax machine?’

‘Not inside the Capitol Building. Our legislative overseers don’t like surveillance. Too many unintended consequences.’

‘Are they sending to an overseas fax number?’

‘No, it’s a local number. But these guys hire local people. As agents and lobbyists.’

‘So my job is what?’

‘To find out which one of our guys is the bad apple. By talking to them.’

‘Where?’

‘In the committee, at first. The Ranger sniper has been recalled. Personal reasons. You’re going to take his place.’

‘As what?’

‘Another Ranger sniper.’

‘With a real Marine sniper in the room? I’ll be asked for opinions. He’ll nail me in a second.’

‘So be Delta Force, not Rangers. Be mysterious. Don’t say anything. Be all weird and silent. Grow a beard.’

‘Before this afternoon?’

‘Don’t worry about it. We’ve seen your file. You know which end of a rifle is which. We have confidence in you.’

‘Thank you.’

‘There’s one other thing.’

‘Which is?’

‘Our liaison guys are not guys. They’re women.’

‘All of them?’

‘All four.’

‘Does that make a difference?’

‘I sincerely hope so. Some of the talking is going to have to be social. That’s easier with women. You can do it one on one. Men always want to drink in groups.’

‘So I’m here to take women to bars, and ask them what they want to drink, and by the way are they leaking military secrets overseas? Is that the idea?’

‘You’ll have to be more subtle than that. But yes, it’s a kind of interrogation. That’s all. Which you’re supposed to be good at. You’re supposed to do this stuff for a living.’