It came pouring out now Tweed had broken through the dam. He still remained standing, showing no sympathy, not daring to risk stopping her flow of words.
`He invited me to his house on Priwall Island. I went quite happily – until I saw him in his study. I knew at once that he wasn't the man I'd known in Kenya. He admitted he wasn't. Then he put me a proposition.'
`Go on! Don't stop now.'
`You're being beastly to me. All right.' She- sat stiffly as she continued. 'I had very little money – Ken, my husband, left nothing when he was killed hunting in the bush. It wasn't a secret – that I'd no money. He offered me a generous monthly allowance if I'd tell people he was the Dr Berlin I'd known in the old days. As you said, he needed a witness. I accepted.'
`What did you think this impostor was up to?'
`Oh, he told me some story – that he was the original Berlin's half-brother, that he wanted to carry on his charitable work, that he could do that best if he had his brother's reputation. For raising funds for refugees, things like that.'
`You believed him?'
`Not for a moment.' She was shredding the lace handkerchief. `And he knew it, but he didn't care. He let drop a remark which suggested he was engaged in some kind of smuggling. I thought, what's the harm? I needed the money.'
`Wait a minute.' Tweed produced a document from his breast pocket. 'Read that. It's the Official Secrets Act.'
'Why?'
`Just read it.' Tweed went to the door, asked Butler and Nield to come in for a moment. He explained they were witnessing the signing of the Official Secrets Act by Miss Diana Chadwick. When she had signed the document the two men left the room.
`Now,' said Tweed, 'you must know that Dr Berlin is not only an impostor, he isn't even German. He's English.'
`Yes.'
`Tell me anything you can about his real appearance – without that beard he grows every time he returns to Lubeck when he pretends to be meditating or some other rot. His habits.'
`He collects fine wines…'
`What?' Tweed let out the exclamation involuntarily.
`I said he collects fine wines. He even has a dozen bottles of Chateau d'Yquem in his-cellar at his mansion. He says it's a good investment. And once I caught a brief glimpse of him without his beard just after he'd arrived. He had a loop of hair drooped over his forehead. Rather like Hitler.'
`A catlick?'
`That's right.'
`Now.' Tweed stared hard at her. 'While we were in England I took you round with me to visit four men in their homes. I watched carefully your reaction when you met them – and their reactions. I couldn't spot a reaction which gave any of them away. One of them is Dr Berlin…'
`Really?'
`Yes, really.' Tweed's tone was sarcastic. 'That was why I took you with me. And don't deny it. I checked how much money you had in your handbag before we visited my first suspect. Two hundred and fifty pounds…'
`How very gallant of you.'
Tweed took two steps forward, stood over her. 'You little fool. We are dealing with a mass murderer. And you are the only witness who can point the finger at him. How much do you think your life is worth? After we'd visited all four men you had another four hundred pounds in that handbag. All of them had an opportunity to pass that money to you out of my sight'
`What does my signing that document mean?' she asked quietly.
`That none of our conversation in this room can ever be passed on to another person. If it is, you can be prosecuted and sent to prison.'
`Charming. And to think I was once very fond of you.'
`You want to go to London, don't you? Start a new life, ea. rn your own living? You can do that – once this horrible business is cleared up. You know who Dr Berlin really is, don't you?'
`Yes.'
`Who is he then?'
In a very soft voice, not looking at Tweed, she told him.
Fifty-Four
From his own room Tweed asked Newman to come and see him immediately. He had hardly put down the receiver when the phone rang. It was Captain Palmer of Norwegian Intelligence, a very apologetic Palmer.
`I am covered with shame and confusion, Tweed. And I am so sorry not to have contacted you earlier.'
`What's gone wrong, Georg?'
`We have lost the Nordsee. That is not entirely accurate. The Coastguard never even found the cruiser. It has been quartering a vast area – continuing after dark. What will you think of us?'
`The same high opinion as before. And now it doesn't make any difference. I know exactly where it's heading for. My apologies to the Coastguard for wasting their time.'
`You have time for dinner with me tomorrow night?' `Next time, yes. I'm leaving almost at once. My thanks.'
Newman arrived as he broke the connection, waited for a few seconds, then began dialling Park Crescent. Newman stood by the curtained window while Tweed gave Monica very precise instructions, then paused as Newman gestured. He told Monica Newman wanted a word and collected his shaving gear from the bathroom while Newman carried on a brief conversation which he couldn't hear.
`We're leaving immediately,' he said as he emerged from the bathroom and Newman put down the phone. 'You're ready? Good. Butler and Nield are escorting Diana. They should be in the lobby waiting. We pay the bill, we leave.'
`Where for?'
`Fornebu.'
The lights were on inside the pilot's cabin aboard the Sea King as Tweed bent over the chart with Casey. Newman looked over his shoulder while Butler and Nield fussed over Diana, settling her in her seat in the passenger compartment.
`You think you can spot the Nordsee at night?' Tweed asked.
`Only if I have some idea where to look. We are equipped with the most sophisticated night-seeing devices – which is why the RAF kicked up such a fuss about my borrowing their machine. You must have gone up to PM level,' Casey joked.
Which was exactly the level Tweed had invoked, but he was careful not to confirm the fact. He took the blue crayon Casey was holding and made a neat cross.
`That is the airfield where you land. Time it so we get there close to dawn if you can.' He made another neat cross. 'And that is the point the Nordsee is heading for. You know where she was late this afternoon. What course would you follow?'
He handed the crayon back, Casey studied the chart for a few moments and then carefully marked a course. He shrugged his broad shoulders as he straightened up.
`That's only a rough idea. And we shall arrive there long before a power cruiser can make it.'
`All the better. I need to be there ahead of her.'
`And,' Casey decided, `if we are to make your landfall at dawn, there should be no problem. If necessary, I can land at Esbjerg in Western Denmark to lose a little time, to refuel. We'll see how we go. Take off now?'
`The moment you're ready.'
Tweed was sitting alongside Newman, two rows behind Diana who sat with Butler. He woke with a start, realized he had dozed off. Rubbing his eyes, he stared in surprise out of the window. The first light of dawn was breaking. The Sea King was flying remarkably smoothly. Tweed put on his headset so he could talk with Newman who was wearing his.
'He must be very close. Shouldn't we go up and see Casey?'
'I just did that a few minutes ago. Another twenty minutes yet. No hurry. What happened between you and Diana? She hasn't looked round once.'
'I told you – I was going to grill her. Naturally, she didn't like it. She won't forgive me. All part of the job.'
`Pity. You two looked as though…'
`Drop the subject. Wilson is beckoning to us. We'd better get along there.'
He took off the headset and followed Newman. The vibrations of the rotors drummed in his ears, trembled under his feet. The pilot's view was spectacular. The North Sea was like a sheet of glass, deep purple glass. Ahead the coast of Norfolk curved in a great sweep towards the Wash.