Chapter 6When he dropped into Charlie’s the first few times without encountering David, Raymond was philosophical. No one who glanced at the newspapers these days could be unaware of warlike rumblings throughout Europe and the diplomatic scurrying it must involve, including the need for linguists. Vigorous rearmament in Germany seemed to dominate the headlines, and Raymond guessed that was the subject of the phone call David had to take privately.
But as one week dragged into nearly two, Raymond became less sanguine, and visiting the bar after work a compulsion. When coming through the red curtain on a Thursday evening, two full weeks after their last meeting, the vision of David seated at the bar, chatting with Charlie, appeared to be a mirage conjured up by Raymond’s deepest yearnings.
