Donna looked at me in something close to panic.
I paused to think. ‘OK,’ I said. ‘I see that. Let me start by saying it wasn’t me. I never divulged what happened to anyone, let alone a Russian.’
‘OK,’ said Watkins. ‘If you aren’t responsible, do you know who is?’
I had no clue. No clue at all. I could see how I was the most likely spy. So likely, I was surprised they hadn’t already arrested me and bundled me off to some cell in the FBI building in Washington.
I immediately wondered whether I should start by coming clean about what I had told Donna. That she knew about the near-launch. But would that get her into trouble?
For a second I thought that maybe she had given the information to the KGB after all, or maybe just to Pat Greenwald in an innocent discussion about nuclear accidents. That was the most likely explanation.
But even that would be enough to place us both in deep trouble.
I exchanged glances with Donna. She was a smart woman. And by that stage we had been married for ten years. We knew each other very well. She knew what I was thinking.
And I knew there was something she wasn’t telling me.
That scared me.
She leaned back in the armchair. The three of us, me and the two FBI agents, watched her.
She spoke. ‘I told someone about Pat. About her contact with the Gorky Group. One of Bill’s fellow officers.’ She sighed. ‘Through Bill, he knew my politics. He wanted me to put him in touch with a peace activist who had contacts with Russia. I thought he just wanted to join the cause. It never occurred to me he would want to give away secrets.’
‘Who?’ Agent Watkins asked.
‘Commander Driscoll.’
THIRTY-SIX
Saturday 30 November 2019, Norfolk
‘So that’s who Pat Greenwald was,’ said Bill. He took a last spoonful of soup, which was cold by now, and sat back in his chair.
‘Wait,’ said Megan. ‘Wasn’t Commander Driscoll the captain?’
‘That’s right,’ said Bill. ‘It’s confusing. The captain of a nuclear submarine usually has the rank of commander.’
‘Didn’t he kill himself?’ said Toby.
Bill breathed in deeply and nodded. ‘Yes, he did. A few months after the near-launch incident. We all thought it was because he couldn’t get over what happened then. But maybe it was because he told the Russians stuff he shouldn’t have. Who knows? It’s very sad.’
‘Did the FBI investigate him?’ said Megan.
‘Probably,’ said Bill. ‘I don’t know. I never heard any more about it. I didn’t ask, and they didn’t tell me. My guess is they dropped it. Nobody wanted to bring up the near-launch, even after the Cold War was over.’
‘What about Pat Greenwald?’ said Megan. ‘Did the FBI investigate her?’
Bill shrugged. ‘No idea.’
‘Does Admiral Robinson know all this?’ Toby asked.
‘Yes he does. I told him at the time. He told me to forget it.’
‘Part of the great cover-up?’
‘What can I say?’ said Bill.
‘Does Prestwitch know?’ said Toby.
‘I’m not sure.’ Bill frowned. ‘Probably not. I doubt that US intelligence would like to share that kind of screw-up with their allies. Why do you ask?’
‘Because I told the police I would tell Prestwitch everything I knew about Craig’s death.’
‘Why would you do that?’ said Bill.
‘To help them find who killed Sam Bowen,’ Toby said. ‘And now Lars. And to get Alice out of jail.’
‘But I told you all about the Hamilton’s last patrol on condition you would keep it quiet.’
‘You made me sign the Official Secrets Act. Which is why I told the police I would talk to MI5. Then they can decide what to tell them.’
‘No, Toby. Don’t do that. I’m warning you. I trusted you.’
‘No, Bill. Someone’s got to help the police. Someone’s got to help Alice.’
‘If all this becomes public, Donna will be accused of being a spy.’
‘Mom’s dead, Dad,’ said Megan.
‘Yes. And I want her to rest in peace.’
‘Are you concerned that you might be prosecuted?’ Megan said.
‘Maybe,’ said Bill.
‘I don’t understand why. You didn’t know anything about it,’ said Toby.
‘If you are telling us the whole truth,’ said Megan.
Bill’s shoulders slumped and he poured himself another glass of wine.
‘Don’t either of you see the real reason why I don’t want the cops to find out any of this?’
Megan and Toby were silent.
‘Isn’t it obvious?’
It wasn’t to Toby and Megan.
‘Because I think Alice killed Sam Bowen.’
THIRTY-SEVEN
Megan looked at Toby and then her father. ‘You’re crazy. Why would she do that?’
‘To protect me.’
‘From what?’
‘From Sam Bowen publishing his book and accusing me and your mom of being spies. From me being charged with treason.’
‘But that wasn’t ever going to happen, was it?’
‘I think Alice thought it might,’ said Bill. ‘It’s the only thing that makes sense. I know Donna told her a lot before she died, a lot more than she told the rest of you girls. I saw her talking to Sam Bowen at the dinner table, and then she went to see him at the pub. She must have thought I was in danger of being unmasked.’
‘And so she killed him?’ said Megan. ‘That’s absurd. I can’t believe Alice would kill anyone. Can you, Toby?’
‘No, of course not,’ Toby replied loyally. But actually he thought it was just possible that Alice could kill someone to protect her father. Not to protect herself, not to protect Toby, but to protect Bill? Maybe.
Bill could see Toby’s doubt. ‘You know I’m right,’ he said. ‘I’ve tried to hide from this myself. I don’t want to think my daughter killed anyone. And I still hope to God I’m wrong. But whatever she’s done, she’s still my daughter. Your wife. Your sister. We still have to do all we can to protect her.’
‘Have you spoken to her about it?’ Toby said.
‘No.’
‘Why not?’
‘At first I didn’t want to believe it. And then when the police arrested her, I didn’t have the chance. Besides, I don’t know what I’d say to her.’
Toby snorted. But, actually, he sympathized with Bill. He didn’t want to admit to himself that he suspected Alice of murder, let alone to her.
‘Look, I only told you all this because I thought you both had a right to understand what happened,’ Bill said. ‘And because I wanted you to realize that you shouldn’t talk about any of this to the cops.’
‘And Prestwitch?’
‘And Prestwitch. You can maybe tell him that it was actually me who killed Craig – the admiral probably told him that already – but nothing about Greenwald. You owe it to Alice.’
‘No. I don’t believe she killed anyone.’
Bill stared at Toby. ‘All right. Even if you don’t think she killed anyone, surely you can see that the police might suspect she did. And if you tell them about Pat Greenwald, they will think she had a motive. You can’t take that risk.’
Toby drained his glass. ‘What about Lars? We know Alice can’t possibly have killed him. So who do you think shot him?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Bill.
‘Did he know about the FBI investigation?’
‘Yes. They interviewed him after me. Went all the way to the Caribbean to do it.’