“Yes.”
“I personally find the Terrace Room more intimate...”
“It looks small.”
“No, the floor plan is deceptive.”
“I think my sister might prefer the larger room.”
“The Baroque, yes, a lovely room. I’ll show you both, of course, and I’m sure she’ll want to look at them personally before she makes a final decision. Where will the wedding take place?”
“That hasn’t been decided yet.”
“Because we do weddings here, too, you know.”
“No, I didn’t know that.”
“Yes, we do. In which case, should you decide to have the wedding here, we would set up the room itself — whether it’s the Terrace or the Baroque...”
“I think the Baroque might please her more.”
“Let’s say the Baroque then... we’d set that up for the wedding, and then retire to the foyer for the before-dinner cocktail reception, while the main room is being set up for dinner. The before-dinner reception...”
And now, as Karin told him all about the open bar and the deluxe brands, and the medium-priced French wine...
“... although we’ve recently begun serving a very good American wine as well...”
... and the passed hors d’oeuvres, and the buffet with four or five hot selections...
... Sonny listened for opportunities to ask the questions that had brought him here in the first place.
She was talking now about the dinner itself, explaining that the menu consisted of an appetizer, a salad, an entrée with vegetables and potatoes, medium-priced red and white wines, a champagne toast, and dessert, which included a wedding cake.
“All of this is open to change or addition, of course. For example...”
... if the bride wanted them to serve a whole smoked salmon during the before-dinner cocktail reception, it would cost an additional eight dollars per person. Or if she requested a more expensive champagne for the toast...
“We normally use a Louis Roederer, which is very good,” Karin said.
“Yes, very,” Sonny agreed.
... but if she wanted a more expensive champagne, the basic price would be adjusted accordingly.
“We’re very flexible,” Karin said.
“What is the basic price?” Sonny asked.
“Two hundred dollars per person, whichever room you choose. Plus a gratuity of nineteen percent for the waiters, the two captains, and the maître d’.”
“Where do you get your waiters?” he asked.
“How do you mean?” she said, puzzled.
“Well... do you hire waiters especially for the occasion, or are they...?”
“No, they’re all Plaza Hotel waiters. We have our own staff.”
“Do they wear little ID tags like the one in your desk drawer?” he asked, smiling, making a little joke.
“Well, they wear name tags, actually,” she said, and returned his smile.
“How many will there be?” he asked. “Waiters.”
“One for every ten persons. And the same waiter will handle the same table all night long. That’s important.”
“Do they all know each other?”
“What a strange question,” she said.
Careful, he thought.
“What I mean is, have they worked together before? Do they work well as a team? I wouldn’t want...”
“Oh, I see. Yes, they’re all familiar with each other.”
“What sort of uniforms would they wear?”
“For a summer wedding, black trousers and white jackets. Black bow ties, of course.”
“What if one of them gets sick?”
“Sick?” she said.
“Yes. Or three of them. Or five? Would this cause utter confusion? Or would...?”
“Oh, I see. No, there wouldn’t be a problem. These are all union waiters who work on a rotation basis. We have fifty or so on order, and if one gets sick, we fill in with another one. Don’t worry, you’ll have a full complement, one for every ten people, no matter what happens.”
“Who’ll be in charge?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t...”
“Well, for example, if a waiter should get sick, who’d be the one to call in a substitute wait...?”
“Oh, I see. Our Banquet Executive Director. He’d be there on the night of the reception, making certain everything went smoothly.”
“I’m sorry I’m asking so many questions.”
“Not at all.”
“I don’t mean to be so picky.”
“I’m happy to help you.”
“I just want to make sure everything is perfect for her.”
“Naturally.”
“What does the two hundred dollars include?”
“Well, let me tell you what it doesn’t include.”
“Please,” he said.
He would get back to his questions later. He had almost come too close there a minute ago, and he didn’t want to raise her suspicions. For now, he listened to all the bullshit. Flowers were not included in the basic price, but the hotel recommended a florist named Ernest, with whom they’d had excellent results. Music was also not included, but she could highly recommend the Jerry Carlyle Orchestra — “No relation to the competitive hotel,” she said, and smiled. And the photographer they recommended was a man named Allan Curtis, who...
“I think my sister has her own photographer in mind,” Sonny said. “But can you tell me a little about security? I know she’ll be concerned about crashers...”
“We provide a Plaza security guard.”
“Uniformed?”
“No, wearing a plain dark suit.”
“No ID tag?” he said, and again smiled.
“Yes, an ID tag,” she said, and returned the smile. “And a little name plate. White lettering on black plastic, totally discreet.”
“And just that one guard is enough?”
“We usually find one sufficient. He’s equipped with a radio, of course, and is in constant touch with our security office. He’ll make certain no uninvited guests, or curiosity seekers...”
“How do you mean?”
“Well... people who hear music, and become curious, and try to poke their heads in, see what’s going on... he’ll make sure nothing like that happens.”
“And just the one guard can take care of that?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Because... well... I didn’t want to disclose this... but...” He lowered his voice. “My sister is marrying a rather well-known performer...”
“Oh, I see.”
“And I wouldn’t want any uninvited photographers or...”
“I quite understand. We can provide beefed-up security, if you like... or, you know, you can hire your own security people, if that’s what you’d prefer. We’re flexible, either way.”
“I’m not comparing this to any sort of political function, mind you,” Sonny said, “he’s not that important. But what sort of security would you provide for a...?” He searched for an example, and then rolled his eyes and said, “A Democratic fund-raiser, say, where there’d be senators and governors... maybe a movie star or two... something like that.”
“We can supply whatever kind of security you’d like,” she said.
“But for something like that...”
“We handle all sorts of events,” she said. “You have no idea how many heads of state stay here at the hotel in total anonymity. When you feel free to let me know who the groom is, we can recommend the proper precautions, and see to it that your sister’s every wish is fulfilled.”
“I’d appreciate that,” he said.
“Would you like to take a look at the rooms now?”
“Just the Baroque, I think,” he said.
At twenty minutes past two that Friday afternoon, Geoffrey Turner was talking to the American girl when Lucy Phipps, the secretary shared by him and two other vice consuls, buzzed him from outside. He glanced up at the clock, an annoyed little frown furrowing his brow.