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When Charlie got home from the airport Elspeth was sitting in the living room on the settee quietly crying. She had a damp handkerchief in her hands. She didn’t look up at him when he came in. He sat beside her and put his arm round her shoulders. She still didn’t look at him - she wiped her eyes with her damp handkerchief and he knew she was still crying. Shit. He tried to make his mind form the words he needed, but his mind wouldn’t, or couldn’t, help him. He did the best he could.
‘I’m sorry.’
It wasn’t much but it got her head up. She didn’t look at him but at least she spoke.
‘I was worried, Charlie. In the afternoon Fr Mundt came to see me with some silly story about you going to Hamburg to see a German publisher. It didn’t make any sense.’
‘Was he alone?’
‘No, Mr Costello was with him.’
‘Did you say anything to either of them?’
Now she looked at him. It wasn’t the look of a woman who trusted him.
‘No. What could I say? There’s no German publisher.’
‘No, there’s no German publisher. It was just something to tell Fr Mundt, it was the only way I could think of to try and let you know I had gone to Hamburg. It was the best I could do at short notice but he accepted it. He came and told you where I was.’
Elspeth looked at the handkerchief in her hands. She was trying to believe, God how she was trying.
‘I wanted to talk to you, to find out what was going on. I tried to phone you as soon as they had gone but your mobile was switched off. You never switch your mobile off.’
Charlie knew where he was now. She had been left on her own too long and that had started her thinking. The fear was taking over again and that wasn’t what he wanted. He didn’t mind her scared but he didn’t want her terrified. Scared made her rely on him and stopped any risk of independent thought. But too much fear would make her irrational, she might do or say anything. He had switched off his mobile for the very simple reason that he didn’t want Elspeth talking to him, going on about ‘where was he’ and ‘what was going on?’. But he could hardly tell her that now.
‘I’m sorry, Elspeth. What time did you phone?’
‘I don’t know, about three, maybe earlier.’
‘I would have been on the plane to Hamburg. That’s why my mobile was switched off. Look, darling, I’m sorry about what happened but in the morning I went to the American Embassy and I eventually managed to get through to someone connected with the Witness Programme. They told me there was an agent passing through Hamburg who could help but he would only be around for twenty-four hours. I had to take the opportunity while it was there. It was nothing short of a miracle that someone was so near just when I needed them. If I didn’t go to Hamburg it meant waiting, maybe for a couple of weeks, or having to go over to the States. What could I do? It was too good a chance to pass up.’
He waited. She was trying to believe him. ‘I wanted to do what was best for you, best for us. I don’t want you worried more than you have to be about this thing. Trust me, darling, just trust me and soon it will all be over and we can go back to being a boring old couple who write cookery books, live by the seaside, love each other very much and just want to live long quiet lives minding their own business.’
Elspeth turned to him and gave a weak smile. She was trying, but he could see it wasn’t easy, though the charm was helping. She dabbed her eyes with the handkerchief.
‘I tried to phone you again when they told me I could leave.’
‘What time was that?’
‘They told me I could go home after the doctor had seen me. It was about ten thirty when I was actually told I could leave.’
‘And was that when you tried my mobile?’ She nodded. ‘It was just bad timing, darling, that’s all.’
‘Bad timing?’
‘I was on the plane again, coming home.’ This time it was true. He smiled his encouraging smile. ‘Never mind, we’re together and home now, and we’re not on our own any more. Now we have help.’
He saw her whole face brighten up.
‘The person you saw said they could help?’
‘Yes, they can help. He said they would get a couple of FBI agents here in about a week. They’ll find out who’s behind this and then it will all be over.’
‘Oh, Charlie, I hope so, I don’t think I can stand much more.’ Charlie tightened his arm round her shoulders into a hug. She smiled again. ‘What will they do when they find whoever it is?’
‘I don’t know and I don’t care. I’m happy to let them handle it. They’re the trained guys, they’ll do whatever they think is necessary.’
She was coming round. It had been a lousy story but it had worked. She wanted to believe him and she wanted to trust him and that was more than half the battle.
‘So what do we do until they come?’
‘You go and stay with Hugh.’
‘With Father?’
‘Yes, he’d love to see you and you’d love to see him. You’ve not seen him since we left the UK.’
‘But ...’
‘But what?’
‘Well, Daddy is funny in some ways, you know he is, and ...’
‘Your father is a bigoted, narrow-minded old bastard and when he dies I’ll be happy to dance a polka on his grave. But until then he’s still Daddy and you’re not the one he can’t stand. That’s always been me, remember?’ She smiled again and Charlie could see that now it was genuine. He kept going on the same track. ‘You’re the one he loves and lights candles for because you married a newly converted American with no family worth spit and he’s a high-class Catholic snob whose family goes back to God knows when.’
‘William the Conqueror, he says.’ He had almost got a laugh. That was good. But the laugh didn’t last. ‘What will you do? I don’t think I could go to Daddy while you stayed here. What if something happened before the FBI men got here?’
Charlie knew he had a window of opportunity so he went for it.
‘Listen, Elspeth. The man I met in Hamburg told me to get away and lie low until the agents get here and do what they have to do. He told me I was to go alone, that if we go together we’d be too easy to follow. We have to split up, dear. The agent said that it’s the only safe way. I’m the one whoever it is out there will try to follow, so I have to move quickly and I have to move by myself, and I want to be absolutely sure that when I do you’re somewhere safe. And you couldn’t be safer than spending a couple of weeks with Hugh.’
He waited. It had been a good pitch made at the right time and she was thinking about it. God knows why she wanted to see Hugh. The old bastard had kept her under his mad Catholic thumb until Charlie had woken her with a kiss and a few other things. But Charlie knew that seeing Hugh wasn’t what would make her drop. She might want to see her father, but getting this thing finished was what she wanted most. She wanted things back to normal, she wanted to do whatever would end the nightmare. If he offered her that, then she was almost there. Charlie waited. Sometimes silence was the best persuader.
‘When would I go?’
Charlie gave a mental sigh of relief. Done.
‘Phone Hugh today and go tomorrow, early. I can’t leave until you’re gone and I need to be on the move.’
‘Where will you go?’
‘I have an old Air Force buddy who was stationed in Germany for a long time. He married a local girl and retired there. I’ll arrange to go to him. It’ll be perfectly safe and it’s not far to travel. I’ll go to morning Mass then go to the station and get a direct train to Hamburg. I’ll just slip away. I’ll buy the ticket online and get on the train at the last minute. Even if I’m being watched I should be away before anyone can get after me.’
‘Did the agent you saw in Hamburg tell you what to do?’
‘No, I thought it up on the flight back. Going to Hamburg gave me the idea.’
He could see Elspeth had bought into it. Now she would be all right and, most importantly, out of his way, and he could forget about her. She got up.
‘I’ll phone Daddy right away.’ She stopped at the door. ‘Will you see to the ticket? After I’ve phoned I’ll pack and get everything ready.’ She paused. ‘Can we go out to dinner tonight? It would be nice to do something normal and we’ll be apart for however long it takes. We haven’t been apart from each other for any real time since we were married.’
Charlie smiled. She was always shy about asking for sex, she always wrapped it up. It was never – do you fancy sex? It always had to look like something else. A night out and the sex tagged on when they got home as if it was an afterthought. He was different. When he wanted it he asked for it and, to be fair, he always got it. She wasn’t a passionate or experienced woman, she had never been good in bed, but she was always willing.
‘Of course, dinner somewhere quiet and romantic. We’ll be on honeymoon again. We’ll turn the clock back and forget everything else.’
He saw the look of happiness that came into her face. She loved it when he played the game and wrapped up his answer as she had wrapped up her question.
‘Thank you, darling. I’ll go and phone Daddy straight away.’
Charlie sat back. That was Elspeth sorted. Now he had to give some thought to what was coming. What a mess - and if the British weren’t careful, it could get messier. True, he was getting what he wanted, Costello killed. But he had no idea why, and that unsettled him. Certainly it wasn’t because they were worried about what might happen to him. So who was this Costello guy and how good was he? If it was something personal then he had probably faked himself into the placement, which meant he was on his own. That meant he made the bomb and planted it himself and that meant field operative experience. Whoever he was, he was good enough to be dangerous. The Brits would have surprise on their side, which was good, but they would have to get him first time. If they missed they’d lose him and he could come back any time. And if he came back it wouldn’t be to play games. It really would be – ‘bang, you’re dead’.
‘I wonder what I did to him to make him so mad at me?’
‘Who, dear?’
He looked up. Elspeth was in the doorway. He hadn’t realised that he had spoken out loud.
‘Oh, somebody yesterday on the plane. He kept on giving me dirty looks. I’ve no idea why. Maybe he thought I pushed in front when we boarded, or maybe he just hates Americans. How did the call go? It didn’t take long.’
‘Daddy’s delighted. He wanted to talk but I told him I had to pack, we can talk all we want when I get to St Anthony’s.’
Crazy bloody family, thought Charlie. Fancy naming your house after some saint, it made the place sound like a monastery. Although maybe it was, in some ways. With the exception of Elspeth, they were all religious nuts. They’d all got the Catholic thing bred into their gene pool.
‘I’m pleased Hugh’s pleased. It’s been too long since the old bastard saw you. You should have gone back before this.’
‘Well I’m going now, so let’s forget it. I’ll start packing. Can you arrange the flight?’
‘Sure.’ He went and put his arms round her waist and pulled her close to him. ‘And I really am glad the old bugger’s delighted. I know it’s not really his fault. If your family’s been Catholic in England for over five hundred years you’re entitled to have an oddball or two in it.’ He kissed her and then put his hands on her shoulders as if he were telling her off. ‘Now listen. This is an order. You two have a good visit together and forget all this for a couple of weeks, and when you come back it will all be over.’
‘Are you sure, Charlie?’
He let his arms fall and tried to look as relaxed as possible.
‘Sure I’m sure. When the FBI get here, it will all be over bar the shouting.’
She stood in the doorway smiling at him. He could see she had convinced herself. She wanted to believe him, so she believed him. Tomorrow she would be gone, he’d have got rid of her like Clarke-Phillips said, and at five he’d be told what the Brits were going to do. Then he could just sit back and enjoy the show.
‘Charlie, I’m so glad. It’s all been like an awful dream, a nightmare. But after it’s over we can forget all about it, can’t we? Like when you wake up and forget your bad dreams.’
She was trying very hard, so Charlie helped. He put his arm round her again and kissed her gently.
‘Of course we can. We can forget about it and get on with our lives like it never happened.’
It wasn’t really a lie, it was the truth, but in someone else’s suit. When she got back it would indeed be over. Costello would be dead and things could get back to normal. He would get back to being just another agent from the East who had defected, who had been bought and paid for by a Western government for betraying his country and was now hidden away in their affluent woodwork. A normal guy just like all the other normal guys. All that it needed was Costello to be dead. And that was all arranged.
The doorbell rang.
‘I’ll get it. Whoever it is I’ll get rid of them. It’s probably Lars seeing if we need anything.’
Charlie went to the door. It was the Comedian.
‘Yes?’
‘I need to have a word, Mr Bronski. Can we go inside?’
‘No.’
The Comedian switched on his false smile.
‘Thank you.’ He walked past Charlie and made his way into the living room. ‘Hello, Mrs Bronski, I’ve come to have a few words with your husband.’
Charlie had followed him into the room. He could see there was no point in trying to get rid of him. Best to let him ask his questions and then he would go.
‘I’ll deal with it, Elspeth, you go and pack.’ She started to move.
‘No, I would rather you stayed, Mrs Bronski, it would save me having to see you later. Shall we all sit down?’ He sat down and Charlie took Elspeth’s hand and they sat opposite him on the settee. He smiled at them. ‘Does anyone want anything to drink, tea, coffee, something stronger?’ Elspeth shook her head and Charlie ignored the question. ‘No, then we might as well begin. Yesterday you left Denmark rather suddenly, Mr Bronski. You went to Hamburg. Why was that?’
Charlie had to make up his mind very quickly. Opposing him would mean trouble. He didn’t mind trouble but it wouldn’t be good for Elspeth to see it, not now, not after all his hard work. He could feel by the pressure of her hand that she was already slipping. Cooperating meant telling him enough so he would accept it. On balance it probably wouldn’t do any harm, there was no way he could find anything out.
‘I went to see an old friend who was passing through Hamburg. We had dinner together at the Louis C Jacob hotel then she left to catch a flight to London. I stayed for the night and flew back today. My wife was here already. She left hospital this morning.’
The false smile became a false beam. Charlie thought he was overdoing it.
‘Wonderful. So complete and yet so concise. You can confirm Mr Bronski’s arrival here today, Mrs Bronski?’ Elspeth nodded. ‘Wonderful.’ He got up. ‘Then I’ll go. There, that wasn’t too bad was it? Don’t bother to come to the door, I’ll see myself out.’ But he stopped at the doorway and turned back. ‘Have you seen the papers or TV since the explosion, Mrs Bronski?’ Elspeth shook her head. ‘And your husband hasn’t told you?’
‘Told me what?’
‘We thought it best to put the explosion down to a leak from a bottled gas cylinder. We don’t want people thinking car bombs have arrived in Denmark, do we? No need to upset people. I do hope you’ll both cooperate if you’re asked any questions by the media or anyone else.’ But he didn’t wait for any response. ‘But of course you will. You’re both cooperating so beautifully, the question doesn’t need asking. Goodbye, and thank you once again.’
And this time he left.
Charlie and Elspeth sat on the settee for a moment. ‘What was that all about, Charlie? Who was that?’
‘He’s a policeman, he was the one who interviewed me.’
‘He didn’t behave like a policeman.’
‘No, he doesn’t. He has his own way of doing things.’
‘He behaved as if it was his house and we were visiting him. And his manner was, well, odd. I didn’t like it. He seemed to think it’s all a joke or something. As if it isn’t real. But it is real, Charlie, isn’t it?’
Charlie could see she was worried again. The Comedian had upset her. He had been right not to make waves.
‘It’s nothing, dear, he just wanted to check where I’d been, that’s understandable. The hotel will back up what I said. I met someone, we had dinner, I went to bed. Next morning I left. There’s no way he can find anything out. He seemed satisfied and now he’s gone. It’s over.’
Elspeth didn’t say anything. Charlie could see she was thinking. The Comedian had really upset her with his bloody act. Damn the bastard and his clever ways. He knew how to do the most damage in the shortest time.
‘Charlie, I think I’ve changed my mind about dinner. Do you mind if we stay in?’
‘No, we’ll do whatever you want.’
‘I’ll go and get on with the packing. Book a flight, will you, I’d like to know when I’ll be going.’
She slipped her hand out of his, stood up and left.
Shit, thought Charlie, that bastard has just put me back to when I came home.
He went to his desk and switched on his computer. He’d get her on the first available flight, even if it meant flying out tonight. The way things had gone, the sooner she was on her way the better. Damn that fucking Comedian. But I’ll beat the bastard, and Costello, and I’ll come out of this smelling of roses. Yes I will.
After a short while he had the flight booked. He went into the bedroom.
‘It’s at one a.m. I’m afraid, but I can cancel if you don’t want to use it. I took it because it’s a scheduled flight and it gets into Heathrow. After that one there were budget flights but nothing scheduled to Heathrow until much later. I don’t want you hassled around on some cut-price ticket. I want you to have an easy journey and be looked after. I booked business class. But just say if it’s too early.’
It was all a lie, but a safe one, she wouldn’t check.
‘No, Charlie, if I’m going I want be on my way. Will you come to the airport with me?’
‘Of course.’
‘Suddenly I’m very tired. I think I’ll go to bed when I’m finished packing. Can you call me when it’s time to go?’
‘That’s exactly what I was going to suggest.’
He went across and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
‘A visit to Hugh for a couple of weeks, some rest in that big old house and plenty of country walks will sort you out. Then when you get back here everything will be just as it used to be.’
‘Everything just like it used to be?’
‘I promise. Now finish packing and get some sleep.’
He left the room. Elspeth watched him go. She thought about the funny policeman as she packed the last few things. He didn’t seem like a policeman but Charlie said he was. She was frightened. Charlie had said everything would be like it was, he had promised, so she had to try and believe him. But the funny policeman had made it harder somehow, much harder. But she would try, she really would try. What else could she do?