‘What do you make of this his connection, Peter?’
‘I have no idea, sir. We know, of course, that petty criminals have in the past sold Russian and other eastern bloc weapons to the Irish Republican Army; but these, as I say, were petty criminals operating on a relatively petty scale. This, I feel, is something much bigger. The IRA never had any organization worth speaking of in this country. The FFF definitely have. Where can I contact you later on this evening, sir?’ ‘I wish you hadn’t mentioned that,’ de Graaf said gloomily. ‘Earlier, I had hoped to spend it in the bosom of my family. But now? If the government does decide to send an emissary to parley with the FFF — good heavens, Peter, we completely forgot to listen in to the six o’clock news — the broadcast, rather, that was to state when and where the government would hold this parley.’
‘We’ve only to lift a phone. It’s of no significance.’ ‘True. This emissary I mentioned. Who, do you think, is the logical choice?’
‘The Minister of Justice?’
‘No other. My lord and master whom you have frequently, actionably and accurately described as an old woman. Old women like, to have their hands held. Who do you think would best play the part of nursemaid?’ ‘You’d make an admirable choice. In fact, I’m happy to say that you would be the inevitable choice. Don’t forget to take an umbrella big enough for both of you.’ Rain had begun to fall and fall so heavily that the Volkswagen’s wipers failed adequately to cope with it. ‘You should consider yourself privileged, sir, to have a ringside seat at what may be, at least, a minor turning point in history.’
‘I’d rather have my own armchair by my own fireside.’ De Graaf reduced visibility even more by drawing heavily on his cheroot. ‘But whatever seat I’m in tonight it’ll be a damned sight safer and more comfortable than the one you’ll be in. Not that I would suppose for a moment that they have armchairs in the palace cellars.’ De Graff apparently concentrating on increasing the blue fug inside the car, lapsed briefly into silence then said: ‘I don’t like it, Peter. I don’t like it at all. Too many ifs, buts and question marks.’
‘I have to admit that I’m not all that madly keen on it myself.
But we’ve agreed — it’s our only way in. And there’s another thing I don’t like too much and makes me more than glad that your friend gave those scars a degree of permanence. I mean, they may have reservations about me that I didn’t suspect before.’
‘What makes you suspect now?’
‘A rather disquieting remark that one of those gentlemen let drop a few minutes_ ago — Professor Span, it was. He said he came from Utrecht. He is firmly of the opinion that the Agnelli brothers come from the same place.’
‘So?’
‘It may have escaped your memory, sir, but Vasco — Sergeant Westenbrink — also comes from Utrecht.’
‘Damn id’ De Graaf said softly. The implications had struck him immediately. ‘Oh, damn it all!’
‘Indeed. Cops and criminals generally have a working knowledge of each other. Two things may help, though. Vasco spent much of his time in Utrecht working under cover and he’s been in disguise — sort of — since he took up residence in Krakerdom. Imponderables, sir, imponderables.’ ‘Your continued existence would seem to me to be another imponderable,’ de Graaf said heavily. ‘There is no call — ‘
‘Yes, sir, I know, over and above the call of duty. Let’s just say in for a penny in for a pound, or, if you like, a calculated risk. By my calculations, the odds are on me.’ He pulled up outside de Graaf’s house. ‘I am glad that I’m not a betting man.’ He peered at his watch. ‘Six-seventeen. If I want to reach you in the next hour or so you will, of course, be in your room in the Trianon.’
‘Briefly only, sir. For about forty minutes, from, say, six forty-five onwards, I’ll be in La Caracha.’
‘The devil you will! La Caracha. I thought someone was delivering some data or whatever it is in the Trianon at six thirty and that you were going to study that?’
‘I don’t have to look at it. I know how to operate radio controlled detonations. When I explained to them at length the difficulties involved in radio detonation, that was for their benefit and my benefit. Their benefit, to convince them that I really was what I purported to be, a whizz-kid in explosives: my benefit, to find out how much they really knew about the subject, which appears to be singularly little. Work that one out, sir — why so highly organised a group is anything but organized in what would appear to be a very — if not the most — vital department. That’s one of the reasons why I said that by my calculations the odds are on me — I think they may really need me and be prepared to lean over just so slightly backwards to give me the benefit of the doubt.
‘But the real reason for whatever optimism I have lies in La Caracha. You may remember I asked Vasco to meet me in Julie’s flat. I changed my mind about that: I think that the further he and I — in any capacity of Danilov — keep away from the flat the better. So I’ve arranged to meet him in La Caracha. I also took the liberty of phoning George and asking him if he would be interested in giving me a little assistance. He said he would be more than pleased. I did not — I repeat not, sir — co-opt him in your name. I thought there were some things you’d rather not know about — officially, that is.’
‘I see. You have a point. I sometimes wonder, Peter, how many things I don’t know about, officially and unofficially, but now is not the time for brooding. I mean, you haven’t the time. And how do you propose to have those two help guarantee your continued existence?’ ‘They will, I hope, be keeping an eye on me. A close eye. Vasco, as I think I’ve mentioned, has no equal as a shadower. And George — well, he has other virtues.’
‘So I’ve noticed. May heaven help us all.’
Agnelli’s messenger arrived punctually at six-thirty, less than two minutes after van Effen had arrived back in his room at the Trianon. A man, van Effen reflected, ideally suited for his task — a small, drab, unremarkable nonentity of a man who could have been first cousin of the other nonentity who consumed so remarkably few jonge jenevers in the close vicinity of the reception desk in the lobby. He handed over a yellow envelope, said that someone would be around to pick him up at seven forty-five and left, less than twenty seconds after his arrival.
‘No,’ Sergeant Westenbrink said. He was seated with van Effen and George in a small private room in La Caracha. ‘I don’t know the Annecys — the two that you didn’t put in prison, that is.’
‘Do they know you?’
‘I’m sure they don’t. I never came into contact with them. They left for Amsterdam about three years ago.’
‘Ah, I’d forgotten. Either of you bear this broadcast that was supposed to be made to the FFF?’
‘It was made,’ George said. ‘Minister of justice’s house. 8 p.m. Guarantees of immunity — I assume the government believed in the threat to turn the Oostlijk-Flevoland into a new sea.’
‘Well, doesn’t concern us at the moment. You are sure you want to come in on this, George?’
George seemed to reflect. ‘Could be difficult, even dangerous. There might even be violence.’ He frowned, then brightened. ‘But one does get so tired of serving Rodekool met Rolpens.’
‘So. If you’ll be kind enough to have your car outside the Trianon — or, shall I say, in the discreet vicinity — by seventy forty. Might leave in my Volkswagen, might be in the car of whoever comes to pick me up. I don’t for a moment think you’ll lose us but, in any case, you know we’ll be heading in the general direction of the royal palace.’