A Woman Involved. John Davis Gordon

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      ‘Mind your own bloody business!’

      ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ Carrington said. He meant it. ‘I’ve offended you, I’m truly sorry, but what I really mean is, it is my business you see. How Mrs Hapsburg has taken to you coming back into her life is most important to us. That’s why we sent you. May I ask – are you two – er – close?’

      Morgan glared at him. ‘Very. Now go to hell.’

      ‘Excellent. I will presently, but excellent. And? What has she told you, Jack?’

      ‘Nothing.’

      ‘Nothing?’ Carrington moved to the consul’s desk, and sat down. He opened his briefcase. ‘Sit down, we’ll start the debriefing.’

      ‘We will not! I’m going to sleep. And so is Anna.’

      ‘She has told you nothing at all? I don’t believe you.’

      ‘Gee, that’s tough, Carrington. What I want to know is what you plan for Anna Hapsburg.’

      Carrington put a match to his pipe. He puffed out smoke.

      ‘We fly tonight in an RAF jet to England. You and Anna will be comfortably accommodated in a safe house. She’ll be debriefed. And you.’ He shrugged. ‘After that, she’s free to do what she likes.’

      Morgan resisted saying: She’s free to do what she likes right now! Carrington went on: ‘What we need to know is, is she going to give trouble?’

      ‘Trouble?’ Morgan said dangerously.

      ‘Is she going to cooperate?’

      ‘And if she doesn’t?’

      Carrington sighed. ‘That’s the tricky part.’

      Oh Jesus … He had to bite his tongue.

      ‘She’ll cooperate. She’s glad to be off the island. She very much wants to go to England with me.’

      ‘Good,’ Carrington said with relief ‘– we’re so pleased. We’re relying on you to reassure her – that’s why we sent you, and jolly well done, too, Jack.’

      Morgan jabbed an angry finger at the man: ‘Then get off my back! Don’t you dare burst in here like a bull in a china shop with your big tactless mouth and your supercilious smirk and start demanding answers! Or in addition to getting your nose flattened you’ll frighten her off, you big prick! You’ll make her suspicious! So leave us severely alone until we get to England! And then if you try any tricks on her …’ He held up his finger. ‘I’ll break your neck.’ He jabbed his finger at the ceiling. ‘Now I’m going upstairs to sleep! Don’t you dare come near us until it’s time to leave!’

      He glared at the man, then strode out of the room.

      Carrington smiled and raised his hands in peace.

      Morgan strode up the stairs with four bottles of beer and the civilian clothes the consul had given him. Mrs Gillespie was coming down, clutching a bundle of Anna’s clothing. She shook the bundle gaily as she darted past him: ‘Just going to stick these in the washing machine – do give me anything of yours, they’ll be dry in a jiffy! Just leave them outside your door …’

      ‘Thank you.’

      He climbed the stairs, and opened the door to the first bedroom. It had a private bathroom and there was the sound of the shower. He closed the bedroom door behind him. There was a key. He locked the door.

      He went to the window. The air conditioner was humming. He twisted the catch and slid the window open. He looked out.

      The room was on the side of the house. It was a straight-forward drop from the window, onto lawn. And the window immediately below was the consul’s study. Beyond the lawn were flowerbeds, tropical trees, then a garden wall. About eight feet high. Beyond a road led down to the beach. The other way was the suburban road. Heavily treed. Lampposts.

      He turned to the bathroom door. The shower suddenly stopped; the curtain swept back. The door opened and Anna came out.

      She was wearing Mrs Gillespie’s bathrobe. Water was still running off her. Her washed hair hung in long tresses. She looked at him angrily.

      ‘You lied to me.’

      He held up a finger, then pointed at the door. He walked into the bathroom, and switched on the shower again. He beckoned her back into the bathroom. She came. He said softly:

      ‘Anna, this is your last opportunity to think about this. Now, at midnight they’re flying us to England on an RAF plane. The British intend to interrogate you about this evidence. If you cooperate, I believe you’ll be safe. They’ll protect you from the Russians. Now, do you want to do so?’

      Her eyes flashed. ‘You lied to me! And I’m telling you loud and clear that I’m not going! They have no legal right to make me go anywhere – I’m an American citizen and I demand to see the American consul!’

      He closed the door.

      ‘Yes, I lied to you! But it’ll do you no good screaming for the American consul because the American government is in on this! How do you think the British got me into an American uniform in an American war? Why did the American admiral have you flown to the British authorities in Trinidad?’

      ‘Why indeed? I think you better start telling me the truth!’

      ‘The truth is yes, I was sent by the British to find you and get you to England! Because yes, the British and Americans want to find this information of Max’s! Just like the Russians want to!’

      She hissed, ‘And what are the noble British going to do with it?’

      ‘I don’t know!’

      ‘You’re lying to me again!’

      He closed his eyes angrily. ‘I am not lying now, Anna. I don’t know what the information is, so I don’t know what they’ll do with it. They’ll exploit it, yes! Now, you’ve got two options –’

      ‘Why did you lie to me?’

      ‘Goddammit, because you were overwrought! You didn’t trust me! I had to figure out what this was about and what to do about it!’

      ‘No – you lied to me because that was your assignment! The British told you to get the story out of me –’

      ‘Correct! But I was also lying to win your trust so I could figure out what to do! Now I’m trying to help you.’ He glared at her. ‘Now, you’ve only got two options, Anna. You can fly with them to England, and hire a lawyer to protect your rights. But I don’t think you’ll have a chance to do that. You’ll be whisked from some military airfield to some unknown destination to be interrogated –’

      ‘I’m not going with them to England!’

      He looked at her. ‘Is that final?’

      ‘Yes!’

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