Chapter 21 Mary Sue's Suspicions

2400 Zulu, Saturday, July 14, 1984, French Embassy, Washington D.C.

As they walked toward the entrance to the French Embassy on a hot and muggy July evening Mary Sue says, “It’ll be good to get inside to the air conditioning. Ah’m so glad you agreed to come with me tonight Jason. Senator Morris wants me to attend these functions. It seems silly to me but he thinks Ah might spot foreign intelligence agents at embassy parties. Anyway, Ah have come alone to the Embassy’s Bastille Day celebration the last two years and Ah felt awkward.”

“I am delighted to be with you tonight. I would be jealous if I learned you came without me. I hope I don’t embarrass you by appearing to analyze everyone. I am not good at cocktail party small talk.”

“You won’t have to be tonight Jason. As soon as we get inside we’ll be led to Jean Rousseau, the Press Counselor. He is in charge of the Press and Communications Office of the Embassy. He always introduces me to interesting people. Just don’t make any comment about him being named after Rousseau the famous philosopher. He’ll say no, Rousseau the philosopher was Jean-Jacques and I am Jean-Claude. Then you will be tempted to say ‘oh, like the skier.’ For some reason that upsets him. At least it did when Ah first met him and Ah don’t want to repeat that experience.”

“Thanks for warning me. I would have made a comment about his name. Can I ask him what he does at the Embassy?”

“Certainly, he loves to tell people he is head of the office.”

When Mary Sue and Jason enter the Embassy they are met by a man dressed as a doorman. He says with a polite smile, “Good evening and welcome to the Embassy and our Bastille Day Celebration.” Then he directs them to Jean, who is standing at the entrance to the formal reception room.

“Ahh, Mary Sue. So good to see you again and welcome to our celebration of freedom and human rights.”

“Good evening Jean. Let me introduce my very dear friend Jason Speare. Jason, this is Jean Rousseau, the Press Counselor.”

“A pleasure to meet a dear friend of Mary Sue’s. Do you work for Senator Morris as well Jason?”

“Pleased to meet you, Monsieur Rousseau. No, I don’t work for the senator. I am in another part of the government but I do work with Mary Sue, which is the best part of my job. Tell me, what does a Press Counselor do?

“Well, actually Press Counselor is the title of the Director of the Press and Communications Office. I try to help America understand France and hopefully help France better understand America.”

“Jean, I can believe that is a tough job that takes a lot of skill. I lived near Paris for a year while in high school and I must say I didn’t feel I understood France. I think France is like America. To truly understand either of our countries you have to live in the different regions. I always wished my family could have lived in several regions of France, not just in a Paris suburb.”

“I agree, Jason. I know living in Paris gives one only a partial understanding of French people, even though Parisians feel they are the center and most important of all that is French. I caution myself living in Washington probably gives me only a partial understanding of America. Sorry, Mary Sue, we are leaving you out of this conversation. Come, I’d like to introduce Jason to the Montforts. Jason and Claude can reminisce about Paris. Mary Sue, do you remember Claude and Maria? I introduced you to them last year.”

“Yes Ah do Jean, Ah can introduce Jason. Go and greet the guests that just came in.”

“Thank you, Mary Sue. Pleasure talking to you Jason.”

As they walked into the reception room to look for the Montforts Mary Sue said: “Jason, you’re too modest, You handled the small talk with Jean perfectly. Ah liked how you played to his ego.”

“I couldn’t have done that if you hadn’t clued me into his character. It's easier with your help. We make a good team Mary Sue.”

“Yes, Ah think we do. Oh, there are the Montforts and they are alone at the moment. Let’s go talk to them. If Ah remember correctly Claude works here at the Embassy and Maria works in some government agency; an intelligence agency Ah suspect.”

“Hello Maria, Claude. Do you remember; we met at last year’s Bastille Day celebration? Ah’m Mary Sue Lee and this is my friend Jason Speare.”

Claude replies, “Yes, I remember Mary Sue, you work for a senator. A pleasure to meet you, Jason, this is my wife Maria.”

“Pleased to meet you both. Mary Sue says you work here at the Embassy Claude. What do you do?”

“I help French companies sell products in America. I tried to get Mary Sue to drive a French car but she says she’ll give up her BMW only for a vintage Citroen DS Super 5. I am still looking for one for you, Mary Sue.”

“Ah forgot all about that Claude. But Ah would still love to drive one. They look so cool. Maria, Ah suspect you and Jason have a lot in common. He also works for an agency he can’t name.”

“I know; we work for the same agency but in different directorates. Jason is often a topic of conversation among the single ladies I work with. They consider Jason one of the most eligible bachelors in the agency. You had better keep him close Mary Sue.”

“Thanks for the heads up, Maria. Ah intend to keep Jason close; Ah won’t introduce him to any of the pretty French ladies tonight.”

Jason interjects: “Maria, I am surprised I haven't met you or at least heard the guys in my area mention you. Even though they are pretty isolated and wound up in work they usually mention any beautiful women they see at the Agency.”

“Not surprising Jason. I used to work in Europe in a job that required I keep a low profile so I guess I still do.”

“I understand Maria. We probably shouldn’t talk about our work anymore. Claude, how long have you been with the Embassy?”

“Nearly three years now. I still miss Paris but I am getting to like Washington; it’s like Paris in many ways.”

Jason responds, “I agree, Claude. I spent a year in Palaiseau but I was too young to appreciate the art and culture Paris offers. I preferred to hang out with my friends instead of going into the city with my parents when they went to museums or cultural events. Where did you live in Paris Claude?”

Mary Sue turns away from the men’s discussion and asks Maria, “When did you and Claude marry?”

“Soon after he came to the Embassy. We met and spent time together when I was working in Europe. We got together again when Claude came to Washington.”

Mary Sue replies, “How fortunate Claude was able to come here. Oh, Ah see Heinrich Klein is alone. Do you know Heinrich Maria?”

“No, I don’t know him.”

“Do you mind Maria, Ah want to introduce Jason to Heinrich?” She turns to the men and interrupts, “Jason there is someone Ah want you to meet over at the bar.”

“Ok, Mary Sue. Maria, it was a pleasure talking to you both; and Claude if you find a vintage Citroen DS Super 5 tell me first. She is always making me jealous of her red BMW. I would love to have a car that makes her jealous.”

Mary Sue leads Jason toward Heinrich and introduces them to each other. After a brief and stiff conversation Jean comes up and tells Mary Sue and Jason there is someone he wants them to meet. He leads them away as they excuse themselves to Heinrich.

Later that evening as Jason is driving Mary Sue back to her apartment she says, “Ah enjoyed talking to Claude and Maria. What do you think about asking them to go to the concert at Wolf Trap with us next Saturday?”

“That’s a good idea; I’d like to get to know them better. If we invite them I’ll bet Claude offers to drive to show off a French car and maybe bring some French wine for our picnic on the grass at Wolf Trap. I’ll call Claude at the Embassy on Monday and invite them to go with us.”

“Thanks, Jason that will be fun. Changing the subject, Ah’m glad you read me into your new assignment. Ah have been thinking about all of the people Ah know in the intelligence community and the people Ah’ve met at various foreign embassy parties Ah attend for the senator. There are two people Ah am suspicious of. One is Jackson Spruell and the other is Heinrich Klein, the man Ah introduced you to tonight.”

“Jackson just has an unusual personality Mary Sue that leads people, even the Agency Director, to wonder about him. But both David and I trust him completely. What makes you suspicious of Heinrich?”

“First of all he’s East German and all of them are candidates for spying in my opinion. Second, at both of the Bastille Day parties where Ah have seen and talked to him, he always seems to be by himself and observing other people rather than socializing.”

“Well yes, he did seem a bit weird but I think he was just uncomfortable talking to government people because he believed he was being watched. I doubt the East Germans go alone to functions at Western embassies. Did you notice how he kept glancing around the room? Besides he wouldn’t have any access to the information in the leaks the Senator and the Director are worried about.”

“You are probably right. Ah am impressed Jason, you can analyze people and be social at the same time. But maybe he’s the contact the mole passes intel to.”

“Finding the mole, if there is one, is easier than finding their contact. So many different people in this city could be the mole’s contact.”

“You are right again Jason. Ah guess that is why you are in the Agency and Ah’m a staffer to the senator. Just one more suspicion; what about Maria Montfort. She is in your Agency so she could have access to information that is closely held and she is married to a foreigner.”

“Mary Sue, the French are our allies, at least they pretend to be. But Claude, rather than Maria, is the one I think is suspicious. When I talked about Palaiseau he would change the subject back to the Latin Quarter. It was obvious he doesn’t know much about Paris outside the center of the city. Besides, Maria must have a low-level job. If she was in a job high enough to have access to the types of information believed to have been leaked I think I would have heard her name by now. How about we drop the work talk Mary Sue and talk about us and the rest of the weekend?”

“Yes, Ah’m sorry to bring up my suspicions. Ah do want to talk about us and the rest of our weekend. Ah would like to spend it with you if you don’t have to work. Ah heard about a restaurant on the Maryland shore that has fantastic crab. They serve them by the bucket full on a paper-covered table and it’s all you can eat, plus beer of course. Ah thought maybe we could check it out tomorrow.”

“I have no work this weekend. I was hoping we could spend it together and going to a crab place is one thing I truly enjoy. Let’s do it.”