This United State Part 18

'Thank you for a really wonderful evening. I'd love it if we could keep in touch.'

'We'll do that.' He handed her a sheet from his notepad, kept his voice to a whisper. 'That's the phone number of my flat. There's an answer-phone if I'm out. Just say Denise called and I'll call you back at the private number until I get you.'

'Take care of yourself, Alec. It's a dangerous world we're living in.'

16.

Paula didn't sleep that night. She tried to but sleep wouldn't come. The briefcase stuffed with a fortune in dollars kept coming back into her mind. She had a long bath and that didn't help.

As she made coffee, knowing she would not get any rest that night; she kept recalling what Chief Inspector Buchanan had told them. How key figures in Britain were being bought with huge bribes. The technique used. How the Anti-Terrorist Squad officers, watching the Emba.s.sy, had seen Americans leaving, carrying executive cases, had followed them, seen them in pubs meeting their 'target'. Strictly speaking, in the episode inside the Raging Stag, it had been a briefcase Osborne must have propped against Tweed's chair leg.

Her mind moved in circles. Had Tweed decided they couldn't win? Had he gone over to the other side? It didn't seem to be possible when she recalled the years she had known him. It was far more likely there was another explanation - but she couldn't think of one.

'I'm b.l.o.o.d.y wrong. I have to be,' she said aloud.

But she was not convinced. Tweed had trained her always to deal in facts. And she had personally witnessed the 'transaction'. Edgy, she threw away half the cup of coffee, made herself some tea. Pacing round the living room, she smoked another of her rare cigarettes.

'I give up,' she said, again aloud.

She arrived very early at Park Crescent, was relieved to find she was alone. The briefcase with the dollars had disappeared. On Monica's desk a name was scribbled on a pad. Keith Kent. Basel Keith Kent. Basel.

She was seated behind her desk when they all arrived almost together. Monica came in first, settled herself behind her desk. She looked across at Paula.

'While you were down at Romney Marsh yesterday Keith Kent, the money tracer, called Tweed from Basel. Said he'd cracked the Zurcher Kredit account, wanted a.s.sistance urgently.'

'How did Tweed react?'

'Ask him yourself when he comes in.'

Paula welcomed the suggestion. It gave her something to say to Tweed. If she just sat like a dummy he'd quickly notice her silence. Newman came in. He was cheerful, positively buoyant. He grinned at Paula.

'Top of the morning. Isn't it a nice day.'

'It's a terrible day,' Paula replied. 'The temperature has gone even lower.'

'Helps to keep your wits about you,' he said with another grin, plonking himself into a chair.

Marler arrived, faultlessly dressed as always. He was wearing a new grey suit. He gave everyone a little wave. At that moment Tweed walked in, his step brisk, his manner businesslike as he settled behind his desk. He looked round the room.

'Monica has told me,' Paula began, 'that Keith Kent called you from Basel yesterday, said that he'd cracked the Zurcher Kredit account, whatever that means.'

'True. Everything is beginning to fit. Bob, how did you get on with Sharon Mandeville?'

'Fine. You know, she has no hint of an American accent. She struck me as a demure English lady.'

Paula stared at him, her lips pursed. Was Newman falling for Sharon? It certainly sounded so - from his manner and what he had just said. She lowered her eyes before he looked at her.

'Really?' Tweed paused. 'So you're getting on with her well. Any chance of a second meeting?'

'I would hope so. Yes, a good chance, I'd say.'

'Then you'll have another chance to try to extract information from her as to what is going on. If she has any, which she may not.'

'The lady asked me to write an article. Not her idea. Comes from someone higher up she couldn't name.' 'What kind of an article?'

'A plea for a much closer version of the special relations.h.i.+p between Britain and America.'

'Really?' A brief smile flickered across Tweed's face. 'The pattern is taking shape. Are you going to do it?'

'Haven't decided. If I do, I'll show you a draft first, of course.'

'And now we come to you, Marler,' Tweed went on. 'Did you enjoy your evening with Denise Chatel?'

'Very much. She's nice. She told me a very strange story. There's quite a bit to tell. It concerns the death of her parents...'

Marler had Tweed's full attention as the story began to unfold. From his excellent memory he reported every word Denise had said to him. Monica stopped using the phone and listened. Near the conclusion Marler waved a characteristic dismissive hand.

'I thought Cord Dillon was the man to make enquiries - that I could feed him the data and later he could phone America from the Bunker. Or you might think this is a diversion of energy.'

'On the contrary.' Tweed paused again. 'What I'm going to say is very confidential. Rene Lasalle of the DST in Paris told me recently - when I asked him - that Denise's father was officially sent out as an attache to the French Emba.s.sy in Was.h.i.+ngton. Actually he was a member of the Secret Service. He was trying to uncover details of some major operation Was.h.i.+ngton was planning. Before he could report back he was killed, with his wife, in a car crash. Sharon's mother and father were also killed in a car crash. As I said earlier, I don't believe in coincidences.'

'So I can get Cord to check this out?' Marler asked.

'You most certainly can. Tell him I want to know.' He leant back in his chair. 'Years ago, when I was at Scotland Yard...'

'As the youngest superintendent in Homicide up to that time,' Paula added.

'What I was going to say was - in more than one murder case I investigated I stumbled across the ident.i.ty of the murderer by pure chance. But at.least I recognized the significance of what I'd stumbled over. I think Marler has done the same thing. I regard what Denise told him as of great significance to what we are dealing with now.'

'Bully for me,' said Marler, mocking himself.

'Also yesterday, a courier arrived from Paris with photos of Americans pa.s.sing through that city on their way here.'

He took an envelope from a locked drawer, spilled out a number of glossy prints. He spread them methodically over his desk.

'I want all of you to gather round and comment if you see anyone you recognize...'

They formed a half-circle behind him. Paula, glad of something else to think about, studied the prints with care. Then she pointed.

'That's Hank Waltz, the man who tried to kill me at Eagle Street.'

Tweed turned over the photo. On the back was written a date. He looked over his shoulder at her.

'He came in by Eurostar four weeks ago. Go on looking.'

'That is Chuck Venacki,' Newman told them. 'Smooth faced, smooth manner. Officially an attache at the Emba.s.sy. A bit above people like Waltz in intellect.'

'I haven't seen him so far,' Paula commented.

'You may well. Yet.' Newman warned. 'He's intelligent, so could be dangerous.'

'Came in three weeks ago,' Tweed said, looking at the back.

'And that,' Paula pointed out, stabbing her finger at another of the prints, 'is Jake Ronstadt.'

'Came in five weeks ago,' Tweed noted. 'Which is interesting. He was in the vanguard, which suggests he came early to set up something. Maybe the Executive Action Department.'

'There are three people missing,' Paula observed. 'Denise Chatel, Ed Osborne and Sharon Mandeville. Maybe the French didn't photo them.'

'I don't think that's the explanation,' Tweed objected. 'I'd say they flew direct here from Was.h.i.+ngton to Heathrow. Just as Jefferson Morgenstern did.' He stood up. 'Which reminds me, I'm having dinner with Jefferson at the Amba.s.sador's residence this evening. It's no more than a quick walk from here. Jefferson called me before I left my flat. I accepted immediately.'

'You need a bodyguard,' said Newman.

'I do not. Jefferson is one of the old school. A very devious man - has to be to do his job - and he has his own idea of honour. Monica, you're still booking seats for us on the Swissair flight, I imagine.'

'Day by day.'

'Since you're all here,' Tweed said, glancing round the room, 'I hope you have your bags packed with cold-weather clothing. You have? Good. Because we're leaving for Basel on the early flight tomorrow morning.'

'You're going somewhere?' Monica asked as Tweed put on his coat. 'It's much too early for your meeting with Morgenstern.'

'I know. I have somewhere else to go first.'

'I'd better warn Butler and Nield about the flight,' Monica said.

'Don't do that. They have a job to do back here. They'll come on to Basel when they're finished. So keep booking seats for them daily. I've got to go now. Everything is breaking loose.'

When he had gone Monica slammed down the pen she was holding. She sat behind her desk, arms folded, looking furious.

'What's the matter?' Newman asked.

'Tweed's always doing that to me recently. Says he'll be back as soon as he can. I ask him where I can contact him. So he simply says something like, "I have to be somewhere else in a hurry." No clue as to where he's gone.'

Back behind her desk, Paula's brain was in turmoil. She had felt better when Tweed seemed like his normal self, full of activity, carrying on as usual but with a hint of great urgency. Now Monica's grumble had made her wonder again. Why was he being so exceptionally secretive? Who was he going to see?

Marler sat behind Tweed's desk to call Cord Dillon at the Bunker. Mrs Carson answered, put Dillon swiftly on the line.

'Cord, Marler here. We have a problem which might just be up your street. If you're willing to go for it. There's a young woman, in her thirties, at the Emba.s.sy. Had dinner with her last night. She's called Denise Chatel. I'll spell that...'

With his notepad open in front of him, Marler explained the problem, gave him all the data. He spelt out the name of the little town in Virginia where the fatal car crash had taken place over a year before and everything else Denise had told him. Dillon asked him to slow down so he could scribble on a notepad.

'Can you do anything, get some facts?' Marler ended.

'Sure thing. Glad to have a problem I can get my teeth into. This is just the sort of problem I dealt with sometimes, back at Langley - tracing a missing person or someone on the run. I'll get Jim Briscoe's number, wherever he's retired to Virginia is on New York time, so they're five hours back. I'll wait for people to get to work, then go into action. Can I call you back at Park Crescent?'

'You can. And I'm very grateful...'

'Consider it done.'

In his usual abrupt way Dillon broke the connection. Marler took the envelope from Paris that Tweed had left on his desk. He spent some time examining each print, memorizing faces, recalling names that had been put to each one. Eventually he put them back inside the envelope.

'Enjoying yourself?' Paula enquired.

'It helps to know the enemy. Now I'm going back to my flat to collect a few more things for what Tweed keeps calling cold weather. I thought it was pretty nippy here...'

Marler did not drive straight to his flat. He had decided to look at the outside of the flat where Denise Chatel lived. Plus the fact that Sharon Mandeville lived next door. It was always useful to know the locations of people involved.

There was heavy traffic on the way to Belgrave Square. Marler knew he would have a parking problem so he drove slowly into one of the most expensive squares in London. Checking the numbers, he was close to where Denise lived when he saw a big truck pulled in at the kerb. The driver was changing a wheel. Marler played with his engine, causing it to make funny noises. He stopped near to the truck. The driver, stopping for a cigarette, saluted him.

'You got trouble too, mate?'

'Engine's playing up. It would. I'm in a hurry.' 'That's when they always let you down.'

Still seated behind his wheel, Marler was watching the entrance to the Chatel flat and hoping no police car came along. He was parked illegally. Then he sat up straighter, stopped playing about with the engine. It took a lot to startle Marler, but startled he was. The door to the flat on the ground floor had opened and Tweed walked out a few paces. He turned round and Denise appeared. They chatted for only a moment, then they shook hands and Denise closed the door.

Marler slumped down behind the wheel. An unoccupied taxi came along. Tweed flagged it down after glancing round the square. Saying something to the driver he climbed inside, pulled the door shut behind him. The taxi moved off, vanished round a corner.

Marler started his engine, backed, waved to the truck driver who gave him a thumbs-up sign. Then Marler drove back to Park Crescent in heavy traffic. For once he felt dumbfounded. What on earth could Tweed have been up to? He couldn't think of any explanation. He decided to keep quiet about what he'd seen.

'Tweed's with Howard,' Monica told Marler as he entered the office at Park Crescent. 'I expect he's telling him about your trip to Basel with the others. I've got your ticket, of course.'

'Thanks. 'Fraid I have to ask you to change that. Book me on the earliest possible flight to Geneva tomorrow.'

'What's the idea?' asked Tweed, who had just returned and heard Marler's request.

'Presumably we have to pa.s.s through all the usual checks at Heathrow before we beard.'

'Actually, no.' Tweed was settled behind his desk now. 'I got in touch with Jim Corcoran, my old friend and Security Chief at Heathrow. We'll bypa.s.s Customs and Pa.s.sport control so we get aboard the plane before anyone else.'

'But we'll still have to pa.s.s through the metal detectors,' Marler persisted.

'Yes, we do. Even Jim can't get us past that check.' 'So we'll arrive in Basel unarmed.'

'You have a point.'

'Which is why I'm flying to Geneva. I have a contact there who will supply me with an a.r.s.enal. For a price.'

'Then you travel the same day to Basel,' said Newman, who sat in one of the armchairs. 'By train - where there are no checks.'

'Got in one, chum,' Marler agreed.