“He told you I’d arranged for a colleague’s car?”
“Yes, he—”
“That was the plain truth. Anything else?”
Shaw shrugged. “Not much, certainly. Just his manner occasionally, and the fact that he seemed to know the reason for Wicks’s and Fawcett’s arrest at a time when no one outside police circles could have known — except Miss MacKinlay and, through her, myself.” Shaw elaborated on this, telling Worth-Butters also of the curious conversation he had had with Henderson back in Warsaw. “It’s no more than an impression, that’s all, but I feel there’s more to Hartley Henderson than appears on the surface.”
“I see. Then let me tell you this. I have been an intimate friend of his for almost twenty years, and he has my full trust and confidence.” Worth-Butters’ lips were tight, but he added, “You were right to raise the point in view of your feelings, of course. You have to consider every angle as it comes up. But I assure you, you needn’t worry about Henderson.”
“In that case I apologize,” Shaw said at once, “and of course I accept what you tell me. Now, as to Conroy — if only I could get a decent line on what he means to do, what his real aims are, it’d help. But—”
“We know what he means to do, my dear fellow…”
Shaw nodded. “Knock off Kosyenko, yes. But I believe there’s a good deal more behind it than merely the killing of Kosyenko per se.” He hesitated, then on an impulse he asked, “Sir Hubert, is there by any chance a dam around the area we were discussing earlier?” Worth-Butters said, “Yes, and it’s number one on Kosyenko’s visiting list in two or three days’ time. Why d’you ask?”
“I’ll tell you in a moment,” Shaw answered tautly. “Just tell me about the dam and where it is, would you?”
“Certainly. It’s a colossal affair, only recently completed, on the Chalok River. It holds something like a billion gallons and the lake upstream goes on for around… oh, seventy miles odd. As a matter of fact the Chalok’s been diverted to free the valley for the new industry. The dam was top-secret, or supposed to be, until it was in operation. The construction teams and so on were kept in special camps and the whole area was sealed off.” He looked expectantly at Shaw. “Now — what’s on your mind?”
Shaw said, “There may be nothing in this, but both Conroy and Kosyenko were interested in dam construction. That was what they worked on together, in Northern Persia years ago.” He leaned forward. “Kosyenko’s said to be the magnet for Conroy — we know that. I’ve a feeling the magnet could be as much the dam as Kosyenko himself.”
He felt a rising excitement now; things were crystallizing in his mind. The Chalok dam, from what Worth-Butters had just said, was clearly vital to the whole atomic industry of the valley and the uranium workings as well. If Kosyenko was killed there what would be the result? Panic, for a start… and during the panic — what? Sabotage? Was that what Conroy had in mind? Sabotage on the grand scale, the wrecking of the dam and then, as the waters of the Chalok River thundered down the valley to take up their old course once again, the inundation and total smashing of the entire area and its sources of raw material?
It was a shaking thought. And if it was an accurate one — then again, why? Conroy was a Communist.
There was little real daylight yet.
He asked, “Have you any details of the actual construction of the Chalok dam, Sir Hubert?”
“All the details and copies of some of the plans!” Worth-Butters smiled enigmatically. “We still have our ways and means, you know! There’s a man called Forsyth I want you to see — he’ll tell you all you want to know about Andreyev, and he’ll also give you a sight of the Chalok plans.”
Shaw nodded. “Many thanks. I’d like a word with Jones too, if I may.”
Worth-Butters said, “I can’t do that for you, I’m afraid. He’s out of Moscow for the night-something of a pier-head jump. If you need to get in touch you’d better ask for me. Jones’ll be back first thing in the morning, I understand.” He looked quizzically at Shaw. “Can you elaborate a little further about the dam?”
“I can.” Shaw told the First Secretary what was in his mind, “if we let a British subject sabotage Russia’s atomic-power centre as well as assassinate Kosyenko, then we’re in for a full-scale war — and nothing’ll prevent it!”
Eighteen
Later at MVD headquarters, Andreyev said, “But of course you will have been followed. Your Embassy is not staffed entirely by fools.” He gave and eloquent shrug and put a massive chunk of Turkish delight into his mouth. “Nevertheless,” he went on a few moments later, “if you have told them the story correctly in every detail, and have not exceeded your instructions, then there is nothing for you or me to worry about, Cane.”
“I’m pretty sure I fooled them, if that’s what you mean.”
“Good!” the Russian smiled. “Then they will expect you to keep contact with us, you understand — and naturally so, for otherwise our suspicions would be aroused, would they not?” He gave a loud laugh, and slapped his thigh. “It tickles my sense of humor, Cane, that you should be known to both sides in this way, yet with the British believing you to be doublecrossing us!”
Shaw smiled thinly. “And you believing I’m wholly on your side, no doubt?”
Again, Andreyev laughed. “But certainly not, we believe no such thing! Even we cannot indoctrinate a man in a mere matter of hours, Cane. It is quite obvious that you would double-cross us — if you dared!” He leaned forward, waving a finger across the desk at Shaw. “Do not, please, make the great mistake of thinking that we trust you, I or my superiors… but we do realize that you are well enough aware of the consequences of your acting against us in any way. And I warn you that if you have exceeded your instructions inside your Embassy by so much as one word, much trouble will come to you and yours, Cane.”
“But,” Shaw asked with an air of innocence, “how would you know, Colonel?”
“We have our sources,” Andreyev answered enigmatically.
“I thought you said your normal avenues of information had seized up?”
Andreyev fingered a heavy inkstand on his desk and shrugged. “It is true, the avenues through which we would have obtained classified information have been suspended owing to an increasing awareness of the need for security in all the Embassies… and in particular you British have become much more aware of the need to screen local employees. However, we are not without our resources, and we shall know in good time if you have been indiscreet — we Shall judge, you see, from any action which may be taken by your people here or in your own country. We have men and women trained and highly skilled in the interpretation of little things.” He stared unblinkingly at Shaw, a long, cold look. “Be assured that any indiscretion on your part would be reported back to this room, and in that event, Cane, let me repeat what I have told you already — you will never see your family again. Not alive, that is to say.”
“Not alive?” There was a new tautness in Shaw’s voice. “Just what do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I say. If you should act foolishly you will one day be brought to another part of this building where you will be shown their bodies, Cane, their dead and preserved bodies. They would be brought out of the United Kingdom alive if possible, but if it should become necessary to kill them in their own country, then there is in existence a route for the withdrawal to Soviet territory of dead bodies. Even I, Andreyev, do not know this route in detail, but I know it had been used, and successfully, in the past. Not frequently, but enough to have proved its efficiency and to keep the machinery well oiled.” He tapped the desk, sharply. “You understand this, Cane?”