The Shadow Killer

53

The meeting between Thorson and his commanding officer, Colonel Franklin Webster, was brief. Thorson had been sworn to secrecy. First, they dealt with the incident involving Billy Wiggins.

‘Extremely regrettable,’ said Colonel Webster.

There were many other words Thorson could have used to describe Vera’s fate, but he chose not to comment.

‘I understand it was motivated by jealousy,’ said the colonel. ‘A crime of passion.’

‘Apparently she had started seeing an American,’ said Thorson.

‘Extremely regrettable,’ repeated Webster, and Thorson told him that Sergeant Wiggins had been arrested and was now awaiting deportation to Britain.

‘Yes, of course,’ said Webster, seeing no reason to waste any more time on the matter. ‘Anyway, I have had several meetings with our friends at the Leper Hospital,’ he continued, ‘and although they’ve been accommodating, they’re not giving much away. Of course we have to respect the fact that they can’t go public about their operations. They had no choice but to dispose of the man. They had their reasons and although things went very wrong, there’s no need to pursue it any further. It seems like the man chosen to carry out the execution was one of Ballantine’s team. He’s no longer in the country. His negligence is Ballantine’s problem. Hopefully Graham’ll learn from this.’

‘Yes, sir,’ said Thorson. ‘I understand Intelligence were prepared to intervene in our investigation if necessary.’

‘There’s more at stake than that, Thorson. Though they didn’t tell me straight, they hinted that they’d only narrowly prevented the exposure of a major counterespionage operation on the Continent. They’ve gone to great lengths to protect their people. This Felix almost upset the applecart. An amateur, I’m told. A dilettante.’

‘Yes, he doesn’t seem to have had much training. Though he did figure out that he was being used to pass on false information, and he was intending to warn them.’

‘I’ll give him that.’

‘I heard he was fed information about Churchill’s movements.’

‘Of course, that information is confidential; it’s none of our business,’ said Webster. ‘They say that their operations were at risk of being compromised, and we have to take their word for it. There wasn’t much time, so they had to act fast, though granted they could have planned the assassination better.’

‘They sure could.’

‘But a necessary sacrifice like that is of little significance when you consider the big picture. The Icelandic government has agreed that the matter should be classed as a military secret. It’s nothing to do with them, anyway: the Icelanders aren’t involved in this war.’

Thorson didn’t see any point in arguing.

After the meeting, Thorson went round to see Flóvent, who was sitting in his office on Fríkirkjuvegur. In spite of being sworn to secrecy, Thorson judged it safe to confide in his Icelandic colleague about what he had learnt from Colonel Webster. Brynhildur had been released. No official explanation had been given for Felix’s death: his suicide was being treated as a family tragedy. Flóvent had found the radio transmitter he had been using hidden in Rudolf Lunden’s dilapidated summer house on the coast at Vatnsleysuströnd.

‘And Eyvindur?’ asked Flóvent after they had talked over the case yet again. They had discussed it endlessly in these last few days, always getting stuck on this same question.

‘There’s a war on,’ said Thorson.

‘Is that supposed to make it all right?’ asked Flóvent.

‘Officially the case remains unsolved, whatever happens further down the line. I guess there’ll be nothing to stop someone revealing the truth once the war’s over.’

‘And the swastika on his forehead?’ asked Flóvent.

Thorson shrugged. ‘I don’t know how these people’s minds work.’

‘A necessary sacrifice?’ said Flóvent, making a face.

Thorson said nothing.

‘I wondered if they were more jittery than usual at the Leper Hospital because of the visit,’ Flóvent said.

‘Visit?’

‘Apparently he’s on his way.’