Her wry smile again. ‘Jesus Christ was a Jewish carpenter.’
‘I suppose he was.’
‘Where did they come from? Your mother’s family?’
‘Somewhere in the old Russian Empire, I’m not sure where. Poland perhaps, Lithuania. Slovakia was part of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, wasn’t it? Before the Great War?’ He laughed self-consciously. ‘My father had an old school atlas from before 1914, I looked at it again the other night.’
‘Yes. Some called the Empire the prison-house of nations. But after the war it was worse in many ways, everyone splitting off to claim their own nationality, creating new minorities, each hating the other more and more. And all the nationalists hating the Jews as an alien people, of course. Czechoslovakia was not so bad as most, though, till Hitler destroyed it.’ She put out a hand and touched his arm quickly. ‘I’m sorry, I’m not giving you much comfort.’
He offered her a cigarette. ‘You haven’t told anyone, have you? About me?’
‘I said I would not.’ She looked at him. ‘But I still think you should.’
David laughed bitterly. ‘I really don’t feel this is the best time.’
She inclined her head and stepped away. He was making her keep a secret for him. If only she hadn’t spoken on Sunday. He asked suddenly, ‘Did the Jews in Bratislava speak Yiddish?’
‘Yes, they did. The Jews spoke Yiddish all over Eastern Europe.’ She smiled. ‘Our countries, they were such a babel of languages, everyone speaking at least a bit of three or four.’ She asked softly, ‘Did your mother speak Yiddish?’
‘She put all that behind her, became Anglo-Irish. She said something though, just before she died. Neither my father nor I understood it.’
‘Do you remember it?’
David gave an embarrassed laugh. ‘It was seventeen years ago. I don’t know, it was something like, “Ik hobdik leeb”.’ He turned away, suddenly full of emotion. He heard her repeat the words, with a different emphasis. ‘Ich hob dich lieb.’ He turned round. ‘That sounds like it. What does it mean?’
‘I don’t know,’ she said, looking away. ‘I only knew a few phrases.’
The doorbell rang, making them both jump. Natalia went out, and David heard her light footsteps descending the stairs. She came back with Geoff. ‘Hello, old man,’ Geoff said with forced cheerfulness. ‘How are things?’
‘I think Hubbold’s questioning people.’
Geoff took off his coat and hat, gave David a tight smile though his blue eyes were anxious. ‘It’ll be all right.’
The bell rang again. Minutes later David heard Jackson’s heavy footsteps accompanying Natalia back up the stairs. He came in, grim-faced, nodding to David and Geoff without smiling. He took off his coat and hat, sat down heavily, then said to David, ‘You seem to have set some hares running, one way and another.’
David told him again what had happened to Sarah on Sunday, and about the missing file. Jackson listened, expressionless, putting in the occasional sharp question. When David had finished he sat thinking for some moments.
‘I think your wife is safe,’ he said at length. ‘We’ve managed to trace that student couple. Most of those who got away – not that there were that many, anywhere – have ended up with our people. Those Gentiles who’re willing to help them usually have some contact with us.’
‘What will happen to them?’
‘They’ll get new identities. The Jews won’t be the first people we’ve done that for, not by a long chalk. Now, is your wife quite sure nobody on this committee of hers knew that she went off with this woman who was killed?’
‘She’s certain.’
‘You’ve put us to a lot of work, tracing those two students.’ He sighed. ‘And the other matter, putting secret papers in an open file, that’s worrying.’ His hard, sharp eyes were angry now.
Geoff said, ‘David thought he was about to be caught, he had to act in a hurry.’
Jackson glanced at Geoff briefly, but did not reply. He turned back to David. ‘You say you think Carol Bennett’s been questioned?’
‘Yes, from the way she looked at lunchtime.’
‘How do you think she’ll have reacted?’
‘She won’t be pressured. She’ll say it wasn’t her, she doesn’t know how it happened. Which is true.’
‘Do you think she might make any connection between the missing papers and you?’
‘No. She’s no reason to. And her picture of me is – distorted.’
‘Try to behave normally with her. Don’t tell her about being questioned yourself, she might smell a rat if you do.’
‘I’m supposed to be going to a concert with her on Friday.’
‘I should cancel. Probably best if you and Miss Bennett aren’t seen around together.’
‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’ He sighed. ‘I’ll think of some excuse.’
‘What should David do? If he is questioned again about the papers?’ Natalia asked.
Jackson stared hard at David again. ‘Say you know nothing about it. I’ve been in the Service nearly forty years, it’s not the first time something like this has happened. They’ll go round in circles for a little while, asking everybody, then when nobody accepts responsibility for the mistake, eventually they’ll have to approach MI5 to deal with it, what’s left of them these days. Unless they can find a scapegoat, someone they don’t like who could plausibly be responsible. Possibly Miss Bennett.’ He thought for a moment. ‘We’re safe for the time being. Enough time to deal with the immediate issue, which is Frank Muncaster. Can you hold your nerve, Fitzgerald, if you’re questioned again?’
‘Yes,’ David said. ‘I just deny everything, don’t I? But sooner or later they’re going to connect it to the fact I come in at weekends.’
‘You’re not the only one. And you’ve a twelve-year record of unblemished service, being loyal and unambitious, a happy family man.’ Jackson smiled, coldly. ‘Don’t forget the importance of that. It’s why we took you on.’
‘Yes. I’m used to lying,’ David answered quietly. He looked at Natalia, who glanced away.
Jackson stood, paced up and down the room as he sometimes did, while the others stayed seated. Geoff lit his pipe. They heard two pairs of footsteps ascending the staircase outside, and the door of the prostitute’s flat door slammed shut. David heard a woman’s laugh. Jackson sat down again. He said, ‘Our friend Ben Hall at the asylum has been very nifty. They questioned him about your visit on Sunday and he said so far as he’s concerned you were strangers, old chums he’d allowed Muncaster to contact by telephone. His descriptions of you are mildly misleading.’ He shook his head, smiled coldly again. ‘They do have some steel, those Reds. Now, the danger, as it always has been, is that Muncaster spills the beans, but apparently he’s on some sort of strike, won’t talk. Well, that suits us.’
‘I don’t imagine it suits Frank much,’ David said.
Jackson frowned. ‘Fortunately Hall can keep an eye on him.’
‘The suicide attempt,’ Geoff asked. ‘Was it serious, or just a cry for help?’
‘Oh, it was very serious, according to Hall. But we can’t rely on Muncaster staying quiet.’ Jackson took a deep breath. ‘The people at the top have said he is to be lifted, and soon.’ He looked around the room. ‘They want the three of you involved. You’ve been to the asylum before, and Drax and Fitzgerald know him. You may be able to get his co-operation.’
‘How would it be done?’ Natalia asked.
Jackson got up, began pacing the room once more. ‘Ben Hall will get himself on night duty. He can’t do it for a few days unfortunately, he doesn’t want to put in an urgent special request in case it arouses suspicion. Apparently all the patients are drugged at night to get them to sleep and there’s only a skeleton staff. It will be down to him to get Muncaster out, and you’ll be waiting in a car outside. You’ll take him down to the coast, short rides via a series of safe houses over two or three days. We’re fixing that up now. And an American submarine will be waiting, at a point we’re arranging with the Yanks, to pick him up. Ben Hall will go with you. You’ll have to take leave – some sort of family emergency.’ He stopped and looked between them, his tone suddenly gentle. ‘I won’t pretend there won’t be danger. But you’ll have false papers, cover stories, and so far as we’re aware nobody knows that Muncaster is any more than just an escaped lunatic.’