“I thought I’d be able to help you, Billy, I really did. But you sure stepped into it this time. As soon as I mentioned you were looking for Russians, that goddamn major was on the phone to the, MPs.”
“You said there weren’t any Russians here,” I said as we stopped at a second-floor doorway.
“There aren’t. I wasn’t lying to you. But there is something brewing, all top secret, and I thought they might let you in on it, given your connections. But they didn’t give me a chance to explain, so I thought it would be best to get you out of Dodge. Again. You’re a lot of fun to have around, you know that?”
“I’m my own barrel of monkeys. What about your sergeant?”
“He’s been with me for a year. He’s solid, don’t worry about him. You come here alone?”
“No, I had a driver. He went to find the mess hall.”
“Christ. Tell you what, I’ll get him and tell him to hustle out to the main gate. You go out the back door, right down those stairs, and take off before they notice we’re not in my office. Hank will keep them talking a while longer. Drive back on the main road in ten minutes and pick up your driver. How will I know him?”
“He’s a corporal, and guaranteed he’s the biggest guy in the room.”
“OK, get going. I’ll look you up in London, at Norfolk House, right?”
“Yeah, and I’m quartered at the Dorchester. Bull, you said you didn’t lie to me. So there are no Russians here?”
“I haven’t seen any. Can’t say anything else. Now get the hell out of here.”
I did. I walked around the back of the building like I owned the place. Started up the jeep as a couple of snowdrops double-timed across the lawn. The MPs in their bobbing white helmets, looking just like the little flowers. I had to admire Bull for trying, but it would’ve been better all around if I’d just stayed in bed today.
Ten minutes later I picked up Big Mike and gunned the jeep, putting distance between us and trouble. I had a feeling it was going to catch up.
“Looks like the air force doesn’t much like you, Billy.”
“Pretty much par for the course. Bull found you all right?”
“Yeah. Decent guy for an officer. No offense intended.”
“None taken. You get any coffee?”
“Yeah, along with a couple of baloney sandwiches. Not much for a growing boy. But I did have a nice chat with a corporal who apparently hadn’t gotten the order to imprison anyone asking about Russians.”
“What did this corporal say?”
“That they don’t come here no more. On account of security.”
“But they’ve been here? Was he sure they were Russians?” I asked, checking the rearview mirror. No one in pursuit. Yet.
“Yeah, five or six of them. And she was a WAC corporal. She said she knew a little Russian from her grandmother and spoke to one of them. She recognized the uniforms, too. You know those shoulder boards they wear? Plus a couple of them had a big red star above their pocket, some kinda medal.”
“Would she recognize any of them if she saw them again?”
“I thought you might want to know that, so I asked her. She said yes, she’d recognize two of them. The guy she talked to and the guy who told her to get lost.”
“In English?”
“Yep, she said he spoke good English. Took the other officer by the arm and herded him back into the group. She said the one she talked to spoke perfect English, no trace of an accent.”
“Sounds like they had a NKVD minder.”
“That’s their secret police, right?”
“Yeah. Like the one who ended up dead a few nights ago,” I said as I slowed.
“Billy, what the hell are you doing?” Big Mike said, gripping the dashboard as I took the jeep into a hard turn.
“Going to pay your WAC corporal a visit. What’s her name?”
“ Estelle. Estelle Gordon. But why are you going back there? They’ll be on the lookout for you.”
“No, they won’t. I got away. The last thing they’d expect is for me to turn up again.”
“They got pretty solid thinking on their side, Billy.”
“Yeah, but they’re not looking for you. I know where the back door is. Stay in front of me and I’m all set.”
“Sure, that’ll be a breeze. You going to show Estelle that photo?”
“That’s the idea.”
“Great,” Big Mike said. “I show up with a lieutenant on the lam showing off a picture of a guy minus the back of his head. I’m sure Estelle will want to see me again.”
“You didn’t waste any time in there, did you?”
“Hell, no. I had to talk to somebody, didn’t I? I picked the noncom who looked the smartest and had the best legs. Just happened to be all in one package.”
Corporal Estelle Gordon worked in the logistics office. We got in easily. People always tended to look at Big Mike, which meant that any normal person around him was invisible. I sat across from her, shielded from the rest of the G-4 staff by a row of filing cabinets. She did look intelligent, her quick eyes darting between Big Mike and me as he introduced us. Her eyes were large and brown, the kind of eyes a guy could get lost in. But she was all business with me, straight backed, her hands folded on the desk in front of her.
“Lieutenant Boyle, I’m not sure I shouldn’t call the MPs. Aren’t they looking for you?” She smiled, but it was the kind of smile reserved for naughty children and mischievous lieutenants.
“It’s all a misunderstanding, Corporal. I only need a minute of your time. I want to know what you can tell me about the Russian officer who broke up your conversation with the other Russian. Would you recognize him if I showed you a picture?”
“Why, Lieutenant?” Her hands were still folded, but one finger tapped against her knuckles. She was interested.
“Because a Russian officer was murdered, in London. I need to know if he was one of your Russians.”
“How many Russians are there in England, Lieutenant Boyle? I wouldn’t think they’d be so hard to keep track of.”
“Listen, Corporal Gordon, this is a murder investigation. I’d appreciate an answer.”
“If it was murder, why aren’t the MPs asking?”
“Because they’re busy looking for me. Do you know how to actually answer a question?”
“Yes, I do. See?”
“Estelle,” I said, leaning closer to her. “Are you under orders not to talk about the Russians?”
“If such an order had come down since you gave the MPs the slip, I wouldn’t be able to answer that question, would I, Lieutenant Boyle?”
“See, I told you she was smart,” Big Mike said. He was leaning against the filing cabinets, keeping watch and threatening to crush them. Estelle rewarded him with a smile. A nice one.
“OK,” I said. “I’m not going to ask you anything. But I am going to show you a photograph. I’m sorry, but it’s not pretty.”
“The dead… individual?” Estelle asked.
“Yes.”
“And you’d like to know if I recognize this person, regardless of nationality?”
“Exactly,” I said, glad to have finally figured out how to play this game. I placed the picture of Gennady Egorov’s face on her desk.
“That’s the bastard who told me to get lost,” she said. “He wasn’t very nice about it either.”
“Somebody wasn’t nice to him either.”
“Hey, it wasn’t me,” Estelle said, raising her arms in mock surrender. “I haven’t had a pass to London in weeks. Although I am due one in a couple of days.” This was followed by a wink in Big Mike’s direction.
“When was this, exactly?”
“Oh, I’d say about two weeks ago,” Estelle said, checking her calendar. “Just short of that, actually. It was the same day we had a big meeting with Fighter Command, so I remember. Twelve days ago. When was he killed?”
“Six days ago. Last Friday night,” I said. “Did you see him again?”
“Yes, one more time, but I kept my distance. It was two days later, when they all came here again, along with three officers from the Royal Navy.”
“The Royal Navy? Why?”
“No idea, Lieutenant. And I’m not asking. I want to get to London, not Leavenworth.”