It was a puzzle all right; but Shaw meant to hold his hand a little longer, give the fellow a chance to make himself known if he was genuinely trying to help — anyway let things crystallize a little more certainly first, before he made any report to Latymer. But in the meantime he would keep an eye on Andersson.
He said as much to Gresham, adding: “There doesn’t seem to be anyone else. I’m damned if I can see where to start in on this job, Colonel.” He sighed, rubbed at his nose. “It’s a waiting game, and I don’t like waiting games.”
Gresham blew out his moustache. “We’ll get a lead sooner or later,” he said. “Just be patient. Like the Chinese — what?”
He gave his staccato laugh.
Shaw spent what was left of the afternoon familiarizing himself properly with the ship’s layout, feeling once again that extraordinary tenseness in the atmosphere. Every one, he thought, had the sort of look as though they were constantly glancing over their shoulders… the stewards seemed surlier than ever, the leading hands always looking around for an opportunity to pounce. There had been the dance late last night, but there had been no gaiety beyond a feverish and phoney kind of fervour whipped up by the ship’s orchestra and the entertainments staff. Few couples danced and mostly the passengers had drifted off comparatively early to bed, only a few earnest drinkers remaining in the bars. That wasn’t the usual style in a luxury liner. Nerves? If so, why? Gresham had been positive there had been no leak about REDCAP.
It was just a feeling in the air.
Coming down the companion way from the sports deck he almost bumped into Judith Donovan, who was coming out of the lounge on the veranda deck. He had only seen her at meals — they were both at the same table — since they’d embarked, and they hadn’t talked much. Now, he smiled at her in a friendly way; he couldn’t help that. He noticed that she looked brighter straight away when he smiled at her.
She asked demurely, “Forgiven me?”
“Oh — I suppose I have! I don’t know. You’re a naughty girl, you know.”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
He looked at her critically, noted the black rings under her eyes, eyes which looked red and puffy. She’d been crying. He said, “You won’t feel like joining in the fun and games, I know. But perk up, Judith, and take things easy.” He added, “What about a cup of tea?”
“All right. It’s a bit late, though, isn’t it?”
He glanced at his wrist-watch. “Not very. Just late enough so we may get a table to ourselves. We sit anywhere we like for afternoon tea, I understand.”
He took her arm, assisted her down the stairway to the dining-room. The place was emptying, and Shaw found a table for two over by the ship’s side. He led her to it, collected some food on the way. When they’d sat down Judith poured the tea. As she did so, she gave a small shiver and spilled some tea in a saucer.
She said quietly, “Sorry.” She glanced up at Shaw quickly, “It’s this ship. Somehow it’s giving me the creeps.”
“You too?”
She looked up again. “Why — yes! Don’t tell me it’s affecting you as well, Commander Shaw?”
“But it is.” He grinned, reached out and touched her hand. “But not to worry. I rather suspect it lies only in our own imaginations. Don’t you?”
She said, “Yes, could be.” She fiddled with the tea-things, then asked: “Have you got anywhere yet?”
He protested. “Give me time!” He looked across at her sympathetically. He added, “If I were you, do you know what I’d do?”
“What?”
He said seriously, “Just forget all about this. Everything that’s happened, if you can. Just try to have a holiday, and get over things.”
She shook her head decisively. “No. That’s not what I came aboard for. I want to help you.”
“But look, I can’t let you get involved in this. Anything could happen, you know that. It wouldn’t be right. Besides, if anybody by the name of Donovan was known to be helping me it’d stand out a mile to — certain people.”
She gave a small, exasperated sigh. “I told you, the name’s Dangan.” She hesitated, then went on passionately: “I know the risks. I’ve lived with this kind of thing so long on and off, not knowing what the next knock at the door would turn out to be, whether we were going to be arrested, Daddy and me. Or shot. Or anything. I said I came to help. Well?” She looked him right in the eyes, challengingly; her fresh young appearance, so appealing, struck Shaw almost like a blow in the face. He looked away, down at the table, pushed a knife around awkwardly. This was a remarkably self-possessed young woman, quite different from the broken girl who’d been looking out of the window of the West Kensington flat so short a time ago; she had steeled herself in some way… Shaw had the sudden idea that if once she let go, then she really would go right under, and that she was holding on only by keeping active, keeping in touch with what had been her father’s life, holding fast to the single idea of finishing what he had started and if possible of clearing his name in the end.
Shaw looked up, met the straight glance. “All right, Judith,” he said quietly, knowing now that he couldn’t rebuff the girl altogether. “You shall help me. And I’ll be glad of it.”
She said, “Well, that’s fine; that really is. What do you want me to do?”
He leaned across the table. “Are you quite sure, for a start, that you’ve told me everything? And you’re quite sure you’ve never seen Karstad?”
“Of course — to both questions.”
“And you’re sure, positive, that he never saw you? That may be important.”
She said wearily, “Yes, of course I’m sure.”
“Very well. Now, there’s a man called Andersson aboard — Sigurd Andersson.” He described the man. “I want you to keep as clear of him as you know how, short of getting him to think there’s anything behind it.”
She smiled, dimpling attractively. “You mean if he makes a pass at me, or something? A girl can cope with that all right.”
He shook his head. “It’s nothing to do with making passes. I believe he may be Karstad.” He noted that she had gone a little pale as he said that. He went on, “We still don’t know what sort of a game Karstad’s playing, but I really don’t believe leopards do change their spots, you know, Judith. So I’d rather you kept away.” He added, “My dear, you do understand — unless he’s absolutely sure you never saw him when he visited your father he may think you can identify him, that’s if he links Dangan with Donovan of course, and we can’t be sure he won’t.”
She made a face at him. “It’s too late to worry about that now.” Then she looked at him accusingly. “Is all this what you mean by helping you?”
“In a way, yes. But there’s something else. It won’t sound exciting, but it’s very important in its way. Help to give me cover. If Andersson is really Karstad he’ll know me and he’ll know what my job is, so that’s a chance we must accept — in any case, if he’s Karstad, and if Karstad’s on our side, he should be actually wanting to pass on some information to me, shouldn’t he? But there’s no reason why anybody else should know about me, and I’d just as soon they didn’t. Just to be on the safe side and keep the passengers from asking too many questions or getting panicky. Now, it’d be quite natural for us to strike up a friendship on board, just as we’re doing now, and just as you said after we’d left Naples yesterday. You can know all about me, spread the word that I’m harmless.” He repeated his cover-story and then he smiled kindly. “All right?”