lights. If I was stopped, I was going to say I was taking an injured comrade to the hospital.’ She sighed deeply. ‘I took back roads, through the shacks. Everything was deserted because of the curfew. But then I could hear the sounds of mobs. I stopped the car in a lane. I pulled the towel off his head. I … I had the presence of mind to remember my fingerprints. I wiped the steering wheel. Then I abandoned the car …’
Morgan sighed grimly. ‘Then?’
‘Then I walked. Through the back streets. Then up the hill, to Government House.’
‘And nobody challenged you?’
‘No. All the action was several blocks away.’
‘Did anybody see you abandon the car?’
‘It was a dark lane. Nobody would have seen me until I was a hundred yards away.’ She added: ‘I hope.’
‘What did you do with the towel?’
‘I threw it down a drain. Half a mile away.’
‘And the gun is the one you were pointing at me?’
She nodded.
He picked it up, and put it in his pocket. ‘We must get rid of that. At the bottom of the ocean.’
She looked at him. ‘But the Russian embassy knows one of their men went to my house. What’s going to happen?’
He took a tense breath.
‘I’m not a lawyer. But with all the mayhem on this island, one dead Russian is not particularly surprising. And even if you are implicated, you have the argument of self-defence.’
‘Do you think the Revolutionary Army will listen to that?’
‘There’s not going to be any Revolutionary Army after this, the Yanks aren’t here on a goodwill tour.’ He ran his hand through his hair. ‘And the things from the safe?’
She waved her hand. The handgrip stood in the corner.
‘Have you read the documents?’
She nodded.
‘And? Is there anything significant? That the Russians would be so interested in?’
‘No.’ He knew she was lying. She said: ‘There’s Max’s will. Unsigned, by the way. In which he leaves everything to me.’
‘What about the keys? What locks are they for?’
She said, ‘Probably his safety-deposit boxes. They’re not labelled.’
He put his finger on her chin and turned her face to him. He said: ‘What is it the Russian wanted to know?’
She held his eye. ‘I’ve told you – No.’
He hardly cared, as long as he was with her.
‘Can I look through those documents?’
She demanded, ‘Why?’
‘Because the Russians are after you. Because you know something that Max knew. I want to know what that is.’
She demanded again, ‘Why?’
He didn’t care a damn about his assignment, or about deceiving her – all he was worried about was her safety. ‘So I know what we’re up against, Anna! The Russians have tried once to kidnap you, to get this information. After they’d got it they might have murdered you! I need to know what they’re after so we can evade them next time.’
Her eyes were steady. She said slowly:
‘The British sent you to get the same information, didn’t they?’
He hardly cared what lies he told her.
‘Bullshit! My job is over! I gave the Americans my local knowledge, and we’ve secured Government House! The only reason I need to know what Max told you is to protect you!’ She looked at him grimly. He went on: ‘You’ve got to tell me sometime, Anna! Because when you’re off this island you’re coming to live with me. And if I’ve got to deal with Russians I need to know why.’
Her nerves near breaking; she said softly:
‘Oh, no, Jack – I can’t live with you. I’m not involving you in this.’ She clenched her fist in her lap. ‘I’m not letting you fight my battles for me. When we get off this island I’ve got my own thing to do and I’m going to politely disappear until it’s done.’
He said: ‘You’re not going anywhere without me, Anna.’
She clenched her fist. ‘I’m a marked man! – I’m red-hot, and they’ll kill you too if you’re in their way!’
It was all still staggering to him. He held up both hands, to calm her. Outside there was the thud of gunfire. He said:
‘We’ll cross the bridges as we come to them …’ He sighed angrily. ‘All right, now, why don’t you try to sleep?’
She closed her eyes.
‘I haven’t slept for days.’ She breathed, ‘Will you stay here if I sleep? And guard that handgrip?’
The handgrip. ‘Yes, of course.’
She massaged her forehead. She said, ‘And you’ll examine the contents, I suppose.’ She shrugged wearily. ‘You won’t find anything. Because I’ve destroyed it. But the keys must be guarded.’
He frowned at her. ‘What have you destroyed?’
She shook her head, rubbing her forehead. ‘It doesn’t matter.’
‘Of course it matters! Or the Russians wouldn’t be after it.’
Her nerves cracked and she cried: ‘One page from his notebook! Containing a list of numbers, that’s all!’
‘Numbers? Of what? Safety-deposit boxes?’
She cried, ‘Of course! If you were Max where else would you keep something that could destroy the whole Roman –’
She opened her eyes, aghast. She stared at him; then she dropped her head, and held it.
‘Oh God, forgive me …’ she whispered.
Morgan stared at her. Destroy the whole Roman what? The whole Roman Catholic Church? … She sat tensely, then she flung her head up. She waved her hand angrily at the bag.
‘Go ahead! The box numbers are listed in his will, anyway.’
He frowned. ‘But, if the numbers are listed in the will, why did you destroy the numbers in the notebook?’
Suddenly tears were glistening.
‘All the numbers except two are listed in the will!
