‘Why does anyone have to take sides? People always do so when they watch football matches being played, or for a particular horse race where they always want one of them to win… or the side of some political or religious cause. Why do they feel so strongly about choosing a winner when it’s beyond their control?’
‘Only you would know the answer to that one, Primar!’ I snapped. But I want to know what’s happened to my wife.’ I picked up a paperweight from my desk and held it as though ready to throw it at his head.
‘Oh come on, Jason!’ He laughed at the threat. ‘We’re not really going to indulge in histrionics, are we? Not in your office. ‘I’ll explain what happened to your wife in a moment but let me ease your mind by saying that my information is that she’s perfectly all right.’
I laid the paperweight down on the desk. ‘You want something from me or you wouldn’t be here.’
He took a deep breath, almost a sigh of frustration. ‘You know what I’m after. You were almost beaten up for it in Israel.’
‘How could I have obtained the plans.’ I remonstrated. ‘I’ve been back in this country for less than twenty-four hours!’
‘But you’ve been to the weaponry division. I know you’ve been there because everyone knows.’
I stood up and walked towards the window staring down at the city streets. ‘What’s it all about, Primar? You’ve got to come clean and tell me what’s going on!’
‘I thought that Commander Yasood would have given you all the information you need.’
‘He told me all about the cause and his opinion of the future based on past history. What bugs me are the other matters you seem reluctant to discuss. Let’s start by talking about Chedda.’
‘I told you. I’ve never heard of Chedda.’ He flicked the matchstick neatly into the waste-basket nearby and felt in his pocket for another one.
‘We both know you’re lying,’ I accused bluntly. ‘Let’s have the truth for a change. Then I might be able to help you.’
He stared at me for a long time chewing on the end of the matchstick before conceding. ‘Okay,’ he began. ‘Perhaps we can do a deal. You give me the plans and I’ll tell you about Chedda.’
‘Chedda first!’ I was very adamant not to lose the advantage.
He sat back with his legs stretched to the full, placing his hands behind his head. ‘Chedda’s my cousin. We were brought up together… like Esau and Jacob in the Bible. We were always at loggerheads. There was never any brotherly love lost between us. He knew I belonged to the 21st Century Crusaders and put every obstacle he could find in my way. I was originally chosen to form the British end of the organisation and recruited your secretary to assist me. Chedda drove a wedge into that one. He found out the name of the Commander and declared I was unfit for the task, lying about my past and present activities. He pulled all the skeletons out of the cupboard as evidence of his claim. So someone else got the promotion and I ended up a pariah.’
‘Well that rings true,’ I intervened. ‘Schmuel Musaphia denied you’d formed the British end.’
He chewed on the matchstick a while longer. ‘Chedda found out that you were important to me. I believe he diverted you at
Stanstead Airport that morning and took a bomb with him on the plane. He intended to parachute into Crete leaving the plane on automatic pilot to fly to Israel with the bomb on board. Before it reached its destination, it would have exploded ditching your bodies in the Mediterranean so that you’d never be found. Then Chedda would have the laugh on me for losing out. But, for some reason, the bomb went off early.’
‘That’s not consistent with what happened,’ I countered. ‘When we were over Crete, he said he was going to land and started to reduce height. If what you say is true, how do you account for that?’
‘I don’t know the details because I wasn’t there,’ he reacted firmly. ‘The guy was crazy. Who knows what he had in mind? All I can say is that he was out to kill you to spite me. That’s the way it’s always been with him.’
‘And what about the incidents in Crete? Tomar Duran, for example. Commander Spring… our doubles! You know all about that.’
‘I know only of the situation in Britain and Israel,’ he insisted. ‘Only those two countries. Crete is not within my jurisdiction.’
‘All right. Tell me where my wife is!’
‘That’s simple, Jason. When I saw her an hour ago, she was opening the door of your house with her key.’
I leaned over the desk and took him by his shirt front pulling him towards me. ‘Don’t play games with me, Primar,’ I hissed angrily, ‘or I’ll knock the living daylights out of you! Remember, there’s just you and me now!’
‘I’m not kidding. She was going into your house! I released him to ring my number at home but there was no reply. ‘She may have left the house by now,’ he bleated. ‘Perhaps there’s a not. You ought to find out.’ I stood up and made for the door but he leapt from the chair to catch my arm. ‘Is our deal still on?’
I felt in my pocket to remove the envelope with the false microfilm of the plans given to my by Menel. ‘Here!’ I shouted loudly. ‘Take the damned plans and leave me in peace! And for your sake, Jan had better be fit and well!’
He took the envelope, stuffed it in his pocket, bit deeper on the matchstick and left without another word. I went into the outer office to face my secretary.
‘I’m going home,’ I told her. ‘Primar tells me that Jan went to the house this morning. I have to check it out.’
It took me over half-an-hour to get home. I rushed inside shouting out Jan’s name but there was no answer. A note in her handwriting rested on the mantelshelf indicating that she had home but anyone could have entered and placed it there. I merely told me that she had returned to collect some of her clothes and she would be in touch with me in a few days’ time. The situation was infuriating! I had never chased a woman so much in all my life!
Chapter Nine
The pundits who classify themselves as health experts claim that hot showers are refreshing while cold showers cool the blood. I tried both of them but their effects on my were practically negative. When I dried myself off and dressed, I lay on the settee in the lounge nursing a stiff whisky as I cogitated the fast moving affairs of the past twenty-four hours. Gradually, my blood pressure subsided and I began to think clearly and logically again. Someone wanted me to believe that Jan was moving itinerantly from place to place as though she was being deliberately elusive. The other woman in my life, Penny Smith, was becoming even more enigmatic. I believed that she had killed Tomar Duran as I grappled with him on the ground, shooting him in the temple with his own revolver. I saw that incident with my own eyes. So how could he still be alive and well working in the weaponry division of Dandy Advanced Electronics as a research assistant? It beggared belief. Number Five! It suddenly occurred to me that Penny may have shot the wrong man by accident. After all, we were both writhing on the ground. Now there was a thought! I picked up my mobile telephone and rang her.
‘Penny,’ I began, trying to control the level of my voice. ‘I saw Tomar Duran at the weaponry division this morning. The last time I saw him you had shot him dead in Crete. There’s no doubt about it because I spoke to him and he admitted he was in Crete. Can you explain that to me please?’
There was a long pause at the other end of the line before she spoke. ‘Classified information!’ she retorted curtly. ‘I can’t talk about it at present. And definitely not over the telephone.’
‘What do you mean ‘classified information’? I saw the man’s body laying there after you’d shot him.’