Floodgate

Four

The tall, thin young man in the dark and dripping raincoat would rarely have called for more than a passing glance or a comment on the fact that he did look rather unprepossessing, an impression increased by the black hair plastered to his head by the heavy rain and that he sported an ill-trimmed black moustache. The moustache, in fact, had not been trimmed at all: he had been in an unusual hurry that morning and had pasted it on ever so slightly askew.

He was standing almost in the middle of the square when he saw her, angling across and coining almost directly towards him. Annemarie, her war paint back in position again, looked as miserable and bedraggled as the young man, who now stepped out into her path.

‘Annemarie, is it?’

Her eyes widened and she looked quickly around. Despite the near torrential rain there were a fair number of people around and a flower and vegetable open-air market only metres away. She looked again at the young man, who was smiling, a rather pleasant smile despite his overall appearance. ‘Please don’t worry, miss. Hardly the place where anyone would think to carry out a kidnapping. You must be Annemarie — there couldn’t be two people answering the description I was given. I’m Detective Rudolph Engel.’He brought a badge from his pocket and showed it to her. ‘I could, of course, have stolen this. Lieutenant van Effen wants to see you. He’s in his car.’

‘Why should I believe you? Why did he send you? He knew where I was. He could have come to see me. What car does he have?’ ‘A black Peugeot.’

‘You would know that, wouldn’t you?’

‘Yes.’ The young man was patient. ‘When you’ve worked under someone for five years you do know something about him. The Lieutenant said to me, “Miss Meijer is very suspicious. Mention the Amazon, her father, the Colonel and someone’s ‘lack of courage’.” I have no idea what he meant.’

‘I do.’ She took his arm. ‘I’m sorry.’

Van Effen, relaxed behind the wheel of his car, was this morning sporting a homburg hat and a big, black, square beard of the type favoured by Sephardic Jews. He looked round as Annemarie opened the passenger door and looked in.

‘Good morning, my dear.’

‘Good morning, he says. What are you doing here?’

‘Sheltering from the rain. It’s coming down in buckets. You must have noticed. Come in, come in.’

She sat down and looked at him accusingly. ‘Five metres, you said. Never more than five metres; away. Sixty seconds in every minute. That’s what you said. Where were you? Your promise to look after me! Fine promise.’ ‘Man proposes, God disposes.’ If van Effen was remorse stricken, he concealed it well. ‘Besides, you were being looked after. By proxy. Don’t tell me you didn’t see a rather elderly gentleman hanging around, slightly stooped, grey beard, grey coat and a white stick. He was looking after you.’

‘I saw him. That creature! He couldn’t have looked after a kitten.’ ‘Whatever that means. That creature is young, fit, a judo expert and a very accurate shot.’

‘Beards,’ she almost muttered. ‘Beards, moustaches, that’s all they can think of. Disguises! Well, thank you, someone was there, but you broke your promise.’

‘It was politic to do so. I was close behind and you were less than a hundred metres from your rendezvous when I caught sight of no other than Mr Paderiwski following you even more closely than I was. Mr Paderiwski is shrewd, observant and doesn’t like me, which is a nasty combination. He might just have recognized me, especially when I was in close attendance on you. I had taken the precaution of taking two of my detectives with me — think nothing of the fact that we obviously care so much about you — and I decided discretion was the better part of foolhardiness. Hence the switch.’

Engel said through van Effen’s open window: ‘Anything further, sir?’ ‘No. Not here. Don’t lose sight of our friend.’

‘Well, I’ve already seen him, sir. There can’t be another bald, pepper and salt beard with a squint around.’

‘Julius Caesar?’ Annemarie said.

‘None other. I didn’t tell. Rudolph here what his name was. He wouldn’t have believed me. A close but not too close eye on our Julius. And make sure there are always a few people around. I’d rather lose him than lose you. Don’t forget what happened to your two colleagues yesterday.’ ‘I won’t forget, sir. ‘The expression on his face was testimony enough to that. He turned and walked away into the rain.

‘Mollified?’ Van Effen started the engine and drove off. ‘A bit.’ She smiled a little. ‘Did you have to tell him I was a coward?’ ‘I did not. Someone was, I said.’

‘It doesn’t matter, because I am. I don’t like riding around in this car, for instance.’

‘It takes time to get seats fixed. And what’s that got to do ‘Please. I mean that this car is known. To criminals, I mean.’ ‘Pfui. There’s a couple of hundred like this in the city.’ She said sweetly: ‘There’s a couple of hundred with the same licence plates?’

‘What’s that got to do with anything? You know the licence number of this car?’

‘More or less. Rotterdam. Three nines. We are trained to be observant, remember?’

‘But not observant enough to notice that these were clip-on plates, not screwed. Today, this car is registered in Paris with a big ‘F’ at the side to prove it. I have access to an unlimited number of plates.’ She made a face but said nothing. ‘You should be interested in more important things. Such as the latest antics of the FFF.’

‘Yes?’

‘There were no antics. They didn’t blow the dyke of the North Holland canal. They called in to both the papers and the police less than ten minutes ago. Positively hugging themselves, they are. Said they never promised they would blow the canal — which is quite true — only that there would be considerable activity in that area at nine o’clock this morning. There were, they reported, scenes of very considerable activity which is again quite true. All rescue and repair teams were there, waiting, as were considerable numbers of police and army, not to mention air force helicopters. They claimed to have taken a good number of aerial photographs of the scenes, just for keepsakes.’

‘You believe that, too?’

‘Certainly. I have no reason to disbelieve it.’

‘But aerial photographs How could that be possible?’ ‘It would be all too simple, I’m afraid. There would be any amount of helicopters buzzing about there this morning. An extra one wouldn’t be noticed especially if, as is highly likely, it was carrying some official markings.’

‘What was the reason behind this pointless and idiotic exercise. ‘It was far from being idiotic and very much to the point. just in case we missed the point they spelt it out very clearly. They said that in the space of twenty-four hours they had reduced the country, most especially the authorities, to a state of frustrated helplessness. The so-called authorities — they had a number of cynical and very unpleasant remarks to make about the government, the police, the army and those whose duty it was to look after the safety and welfare of dykes, locks, weirs, sluices, dams and I forget what else — were totally powerless to do anything to stop them. AD they had to do, they said, was to stop at home, stick a pin into a map, phone the papers, sit back and never go within a hundred kilometres but still guarantee that the law, the army, the repair and rescue teams would be out in full force. It was, they said, both an entertaining and gratifying situation. One can readily understand why they feel that way.’

‘And not a word about their purposes, no hint as to what lies behind it all?’

‘No hint, but a suggestion that we might soon know what their demands are going to be. They didn’t use the word “demands” but they can have meant nothing else. Tomorrow, they said, they were going to flood a really large area of the country and after that they would probably have talks with the government. Can you imagine? The sheer cold arrogance of it all. They speak as if they are an independent sovereign state. Next, one supposes, they’ll be calling for an open debate in the UNO.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘Plenty of time. Two minutes to remove this outfit — no washing or soaking required — and five minutes to put on my Hunter’s Horn uniform. I suggest coffee.’

She put a hand on his arm. ‘You really are going there, aren’t you, Peter.’ ‘Of course. I’ve said so. Somebody has to and as I am the only person who’s been in contact with them, it has to be me. How else do you think the law would ever get anywhere unless it’s prepared, just once in a while, to take the initiative?’

‘I wish you weren’t going. I feel certain something is going to happen. Something awful. You could be hurt, even killed, or, maybe even worse, crippled for life. You know what they d: d to those two men. Oh Peter!’ She was silent for a moment, then said.: ‘If I were your wife, I’d stop you.’ ‘How?’

‘I don’t know,’ she said miserably. ‘Appeal to your better nature, love for me, something like, “For my sake, if you care about me, please don’t go.” Something clever like that,’ she said bitterly.

‘Well, you’re not my wife, and, even if you were, I’d still go. I’m sorry that sounds hard and selfish and cruel, but it’s my job and I have to go.’ He put his hand on her arm. ‘You’re a very kind girl and I do appreciate your concern.’

‘Kind? Concern?’ She caught his wrist and gently removed his hand from her arm. ‘Concern!’

‘Annemarie!’ Van Effen’s surprise was genuine. ‘What on earth’s wrong.’ ‘Nothing. just nothing.’

Van Effen gazed ahead for some moments, sighed and said: ‘I don’t think I’ll ever understand women.’

‘I don’t think so either.’ She seemed to hesitate, then said: ‘I don’t much fancy going to a coffee-shop.’

‘If you wish we won’t. But why not?’

‘I don’t much care for wearing this face in public. Where there are decent people around. It doesn’t matter back there. And I don’t think you are particularly keen on being seen among the same public with a freak like me.’

‘I know what lies behind the war paint so it doesn’t matter to me.’ He paused. ‘Maybe I don’t know anything about women but I always know when they’re telling fibs.’

‘I’m telling fibs?’

‘Of course you are.’

‘Well, yes, I am. Can’t we have coffee at Julie’s place. It’s only another five minutes.’

‘Sure. Time I have. I know you’re very fond of Julie. But are you also worried about her?’

‘I think she’s worried about me. Even though she knew you would be there she didn’t like the idea of my going back to that place.’ ‘You didn’t answer my question. You’re not, perhaps — well, just a little bit worried about her?’ She remained silent.

‘The Annecy brothers. Would you believe, I’ve never even seen either of them? I regard them as a fairly distant menace.’

‘The menace I’m thinking of is a great deal nearer to home. Well, not menace. Problem, rather.’

‘This is something new on me. A bagatelle, whatever it is. Give me the name of this person or problem and I’ll attend to it.’ ‘Indeed, Lieutenant.’ Something in the tone of her voice caught van Effen’s attention and he gave her a long speculative look. ‘And how do you attend to this bagatelle, when the bagatelle in question is yourself?’

‘Ah. Me again. I don’t suppose there’s any point in repeating the old complaining question?’

‘Which is what?’

‘What the bell am I supposed to have done this time?’ ‘By your standards, I suppose, absolutely nothing.’ ‘I detect a certain sarcasm? Or is it irony? I’ve noticed an increasing use of it. Not becoming, Annemarie. You should do something about it. Well, what have I done?’

‘Reduced a lovely girl to team. Not once, but three times. And when I say lovely, I don’t just mean beautiful. I mean the nicest, kindest, warmest person I’ve ever met. Three times. But it’s as I said. By your standards, a bagatelle.’

‘Julie?’

‘Julie! Who else would I mean? Or do you have a whole collection of ladies that you go around reducing to tears?’

‘What’s she crying about?’

‘What’s she — I don’t know what to say. I can’t believe you’re cruel, indifferent. But don’t you care that she’s upset?’ ‘Of course I care. I’d care more if I knew why she was upset.’ ‘I wonder. You’ll think it funny. For one thing, you left last night without a goodnight hug and kiss. You’ve never done that before, she says.’

‘Funny? It’s ludicrous. My men getting hospitalized, a gang of lunatics threatening to inundate our country, another gang of lunatics wanting to hire me to blow up the palace or whatever, nations toppling and I’m supposed to be worried about smooches? A bagatelle? Soon fix that.’ ‘Of course you will. A double ration of affectionate farewells. Georgie, Porgy, pudding and pie, kissed the girls and made them cry.’ ‘Shakespeare?’

‘English nursery rhyme.’ Her voice was very curt indeed. ‘Perhaps a bagatelle. What does matter is that she says she hurt two people she loves because she was meddlesome. I suppose she means you and me. Said she thought she was helping but that she was too clever or too stupid for her own good.’

‘That’s her problem. A little bit of self-analysis never did anyone any harm.’

‘Self-analysis! You told her she was interfering and too smart for her own good. Anybody’s good.’

‘Julie told you that?’

‘Of course she didn’t. She’s too loyal — misplaced loyalty, perhaps. Julie would never have said that — she’s too unselfish to think about herself. But it sounds exactly like you.’

‘I’ll say I’m sorry. Very, very sorry.’

‘And, of course, you’ll tell her that I told you to.’ ‘No. I must say Ws a sad thing to be held in such low esteem by two ladies you love.’

‘The Lieutenant is pleased to be flippant,’ she said coldly. ‘Flippancy? Never. You don’t believe me?’

‘No, I don’t believe you.’

‘I care very much about you. But as a matter of principle and in the interests of discipline, a barrier must remain between the officer class and rankers.’

‘Oh, shut up!’ The tone was one of pure exasperation. ‘The principle doesn’t seem to be standing up very well,’ van Effen said gloomily. ‘And the barrier’s flat. So much for discipline.’ Annemarie give no indication that she had heard a word he’d said.

Julie, polite but reserved, had gone to make coffee, Annemarie had headed for the bath and van Effen spoke to the guard, a man called Thyssen, who assured him that all was quiet and that the man he had relieved had had a similarly uneventful night. Julie entered the living-room just as he did: she was still quiet and unsmiling.

‘Julie?’

‘Yes?’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘For what?’

‘I’ve hurt my julie.’

‘You? Hurt? How?’

‘That’s right. Make it easy for me. I know you’ve been upset, most likely still are. Annemarie told me.’

‘Did she tell you why?’

‘No. But it didn’t take my analytical mind, the one you’re always denigrating, very long to figure it out. In retrospect, I could have been n. ore tactful. But things on my mind, lots of things. Apart from those things, you’re upset, Annemarie is upset because you’re upset, and I’m upset because the two of you are upset. I’ve got to go out and see some desperate criminals and I can’t afford to be upset. I have to be careful, crafty, cunning, calculating, watchful and ruthless and I can’t be any of those things if I’m upset, and I’ll only be upset if you insist on remaining upset. So you’ll have me on your conscience for the rest of your life if something happens to me, such as being shot in the head, thrown off a high building or drowned in a canal. Are you still upset?’. She came close to him; linked her hands behind his neck and put her head on his shoulder. ‘Of course I am. Not because of last night, but because of what you’ve just said. You’re the only brother I have and I suppose I have to love someone.’ She tightened her grip. ‘One of those days the gallant Lieutenant is going to go out into what the gallant Lieutenant calls the dreadful night and the gallant Lieutenant is not going to come back.’ ‘This is the morning, Julie.’

‘Please. You know what I mean. I feel fey, Peter. I feet something dreadful is going to happen today.’ She tightened her grip even more. ‘I do so wish you weren’t going out. I’d do anything in the world to stop you. You know that this is not the first time — that I’ve felt this way, I mean — it’s been three or four times, and I’ve been right every time. Change your appointment, Peter, please, darling. I know, I just know how I won’t feel this way tomorrow.’

‘I’ll come back, Julie. I love you, you love me, I know you’d be terribly sad if I didn’t come back, so I’ll have to come back, won’t V ‘Please, Peter. Please!’

‘Julie, Julie.’ He smoothed her hair. ‘You lot certainly do wonders for my morale.’

‘What do you mean “you lot’

‘Annemarie’s been at it too. Feeling fey, I mean. Prophesying death, doom and disaster. You can imagine how this cheers me up no end. Tell you what. A compromise. I promise you I won’t be lured astray by any bad men or go anywhere with them from the Hunter’s Horn. I’ll listen to what they say then make my plans accordingly. Basically, I think that I’ll arrange to meet them again at a time and place of my own choosing, this being after I’ve learnt what their plans are for me — or their evil intentions. So, a deal. If you promise me one of your cordon bleu lunches — finest French wines, of course — for one o’clock, I’ll promise I’ll be here at one.’

Still with her hands linked behind his neck she leaned back and looked at him. ‘You will?’

‘Just said so. Your eyes are funny. About to weep salt tears for the gallant Lieutenant?’

‘I was thinking about it. ‘She smiled. ‘I’ve changed my mind. I’ll think about the lunch menu instead.’

Annemarie came in. She was wearing a bathrobe that was much too large for her and a towel wound around her presumably still very wet hair. She smiled and said: ‘It’s difficult to move around this house without interrupting private conversations. Sorry I look such a fright.’ ‘You can frighten me at any time,’ van Effen said cheerfully. ‘She really isn’t too bad looking, is she, Julie?’

‘She’s the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen.’

‘In my profession you don’t get to see many girls, beautiful or otherwise.’ He looked at Julie consideringly. ‘You’re not too bad yourself. But, then, I’m used to your face. It’s a toss-up. And who am I to quibble in — or at — such company?’

It pleases the Lieutenant to be carefree and light-hearted, Julie,’ Annemarie said acidly. ‘He was anything but this morning. What have you done to him?’

‘We’ve been conducting a mutual admiration party,’ van Effen said. ‘No, we haven’t. And I haven’t been appealing to his better nature either — I wouldn’t know where to look for that. I think maybe we’re slightly unfair to the poor man. Both you and 1, it seems, have been full of bad omens and predicting all sorts of awful things that are going to happen to him. He was just suffering from some gloom and despondency, that’s all.’ ‘He wasn’t the only one,’Annemarie said. ‘Your cloud seems to have lifted a bit, too.’

‘You’re choking me,’ van Effen said.

‘Ah!’ She unclasped her hands. ‘Peter says he isn’t going to do anything brave today. just going to the Hunter’s Horn, meeting whoever is there, make arrangements for another meeting and then leave. Going to find out what their plans for him are. Thing is, he’s going directly there — where he’ll be guarded by heaven knows how many armed detectives — and coming directly back again.’

Annemarie smiled, her relief as obvious as Julie’s. ‘That is good. ‘The smile slowly varnished. ‘flow do you know he’ll keep his word?’ ‘A police officer’s word — ‘van Effen began.

‘Because he’s coming back at one o’clock. For lunch. Extra special. French wines. He knows what I’m like if anyone is late for my meals, far less misses them. Besides, I’d never cook for him again.’ ‘Banned for life? No, not that. I’ll be back. Guaranteed.’ Annemarie said: ‘Is;he coming for us or for the lunch’.,’ ‘The lunch, of course—. Us he can see any time.’

‘Not or — and,’van Effen said. ‘A peaceful hour. I may well be called upon to attend to something about two o’clock. The FFF, I mean.’ ‘I thought,’ Annemarie said, ‘that they weren’t going to do anything until some undisclosed time tomorrow.’

‘I was about to tell you. I was interrupted.’

Julie said: ‘Somebody interrupted you?’

‘She did. She was either being fey, like you, or getting on to me about something or other.’

‘What?’ Annemarie said.

‘How can one remember one instance out of so many? However. The FFF promise to entertain us at two o’clock this afternoon. Same place on the North Holland canal north of Alkmaar as promised this morning — they say the mines have been planted since yesterday, that they elected not to fire them and defy us to find them — and also the Hagestein sluice.’ ‘The what?’ Julie said.

‘A sluice. Technically, I believe, a regulable weir. Concrete structure to control the flow of water. South of Utrecht, on the lower Rhine. They may attack one or the other, they say, or both, or neither. The old uncertainty principle. Well, time to dress for my appointment.’

He squeezed his sister’s shoulders, kissed her, did the same to an astonished Annemarie, said: ‘Someone has to uphold the law,’ and left. Julie looked at the closed door and shook her head. ‘There are times, I feel, when someone should pass a law against him.’

Van Effen, attired as he had been for his visit the previous afternoon, parked his car — not the Peugeot — in a side street three blocks away from the Hunter’s Horn and made his way to the back entrance of the restaurant. As the Hunter’s Horn was situated in a far from salubrious area this door was kept permanently locked. Van Effen had the key. He entered, passed into the semi-darkness of the passageway beyond and had just relocked the door when something hard jabbed with painful force into the small of his back.

‘Don’t move.’

Van Effen didn’t move. He said: ‘Who is it?’

‘Police.’

‘You have a name?’

‘Raise your hands.’ A torch flicked on behind him. ‘Jan, see if he has a gun.’

Hands fumbled at his jacket and he felt his shoulder holstered gun being removed. Van Effen said: ‘So. My hands are up. My gun is gone. May I turn round?’

‘Very well.’ Van Effen turned. ‘Is that the way, Sergeant Koenis, to teach your men to search for weapons?’ He lowered his hands and hitched up his trousers. There was an ankle holster, each with its Lilliput, attached to each leg. ‘Put on the overhead light.’ The light came on. The man with the gun said: ‘Good God. Lieutenant van Effen. Sorry about that, sir.’

‘Just as long as you didn’t shoot me full of holes, Sergeant. Nothing to be sorry for. Semi-dark, and, with my back to you, my trademarks, scar and black glove, weren’t visible. And, of course, you weren’t expecting me to enter this way. I’m just glad to see that you and your men are so on the alert.’

‘I didn’t even recognize your voice.’

‘Cheek padding. I must admit it does alter the voice somewhat. How many men do you have here, Sergeant?’

‘Five, sir. Two with machine pistols.’

‘And in the street outside?’

‘Another five. Behind first-floor windows. Another two machine pistols.’ ‘Very gratifying. To see that the Colonel places so high a value on his Lieutenant.’ He turned to the young policeman who field the gun in his hand. ‘Do you think I could have my property back?’ ‘Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. Of course.’ The policeman was highly embarrassed. ‘I won’t make that mistake again.’

‘I know you won’t. Go and ask Henri if he’ll come here — Henri’s the sad-looking man behind the bar.’

When Henri appeared, lugubrious as ever, he said: ‘I hear you’ve been held at gunpoint, Peter. Must have been a rather unusual experience for you. My fault. I forgot to tell the Sergeant that you had your own key. Never expected you to come that way.’

‘No harm. Customers. How many?’

‘Three only. And, yes, they’re regulars. Any more come in when you and your visitors are talking and I’ll keep them well away. No one will be able to hear a word you say.’

, Except you, of course.’

Henri almost smiled. ‘Except me. The gentleman who was here said they wouldn’t find the microphone even they looked for it. He asked me if I could find it and I couldn’t. Not in my own bar. He said he thought it was highly unlikely that they would look anyway.’

‘I think so too. Switch on the recorder in the office as soon as they come through the door. I shall be off now and make a respectable entrance through the front door. They’ve probably got someone watching.’

Van Effen was sitting in the booth nearest the door when the three men entered, Agnelli in the lead. Van Effen stood and shook hands with Agnelli, who seemed no less genial and friendly than he had on the previous occasion.

‘Very pleased to meet you again, Mr Danilov,’ Agnelli said. ‘Helmut, of course, you know. ‘Paderiwski didn’t offer to shake hands. ‘And this is my brother, Leonardo.’

Leonardo Agnelli did offer to shake hands. Hc bore no resemblance to his brother. He was short, squat and had black beetling brows. The brows in themselves meant nothing, he’d just been born that way: in his own ugly way he seemed just as harmless as his brother, which again, of course, meant nothing. Introductions over, van Effen sat down. Agnelli and the other two men remained standing.

Agnelli said: ‘This is your favourite booth, Mr Danilov? Van Effen looked slightly puzzled. ‘I don’t have a favourite booth. This is — well, it’s just the one furthest away from the rest of the customers. I thought you might appreciate the privacy.’ ‘We do, we do. But would you mind if we went to another?’ Van Effen gave them some more of the same puzzled frown. ‘Not at ail. But I think I’m entitled to know why. Stop! I have it. The concealed microphone. A splendid basis for mutual trust.’ He appeared to think briefly. ‘Might have done the same myself.’

‘You’re an explosives expert.’ Agnelli sounded apologetic. ‘Such people usually — always, I believe — have a considerable knowledge of electronics.’

Van Effen smiled, stood, moved out into the aisle and waved a hand toward the empty booth. ‘A thousand guilders to the first man to find the concealed microphone which I’ve just spent hours installing under the fascinated gaze of the proprietor and his customers. A thousand guilders for a few seconds’ work. I have a generous nature.’ Agnelli laughed. ‘In that case, I don’t think we need bother to move.’ He sat and gestured that the other two should do the same. ‘Not joining us, Mr Danilov?

‘When I’m talking I — ‘

‘Of course. I think we’ll all have beer.’

Van Effen ordered, sat and said: ‘Well, gentlemen, to the point.’ ‘Certainly.’ Agnelli smiled. ‘That’s the way I prefer it. We have reported to our leader and he seems to approve our choice.’ ‘I had hoped to see him here this morning.,

‘You’ll see him tonight. At the Dam Square. The royal palace, to be precise, part of which, with your expert assistance, we intend to blow up tonight.’

‘What!’ Van Effen spilled some of the beer which he had just picked up. ‘The royal palace! You did say the royal palace?’

‘I did.’

‘You’re mad. You’re quite mad.’ Van Effen spoke with simple conviction.

‘We don’t think so. Nor are we joking. Will you do it?’ ‘I’ll be damned if I will.’

Agnelli smiled his easy smile. ‘You have been overcome by a bout of righteousness? A law-abiding upholder of justice and the straight and narrow path?’

‘None of those things, I must admit. But you must understand that although I operate mainly outside the law and have a past that wouldn’t bear rigorous examination, in fact, any kind of examination, I’m a pretty normal citizen in most ways. I’ve come to like the Dutch, and, although I don’t know them from Adam, I’ve come to respect, even admire, their royal family.’

‘Your sentiments do you credit, Mr Danilov. Believe me, I share them. But I hardly think those are your real reasons for refusing. You said yesterday afternoon that you would not become involved in any operation where there might arise even the danger of risk to limb, far less to life. Is that not so?’ Van Effen nodded. ‘I assure you no such risk will arise tonight.’

‘Then you just want to cause a harmless explosion inside the palace-‘ ‘Precisely.’

‘And why in heaven’s name should you want to cause a harmless explosion inside the palace?’

‘You are not to concern yourself with that. It is, as you may well guess, a purely psychological gesture.’

‘How am I to know it will be harmless?’

‘You’ll be able to satisfy yourself on this score when you get there. The explosion will take place inside an empty cellar. There are empty cellars on either side of it. All four doors are lockable and we will remove the keys after they have been locked. There are also empty cellars above. There is absolutely no danger to anyone involved.’ ‘There’s danger to us. The palace is heavily guarded. Word has it that the guards are likely to ask questions of an intruder after they’ve shot him dead. My aversion to people getting killed includes myself.’ ‘Please, Mr Danilov. We are not simple-minded. Do I look like a person who would embark upon an operation like this without every detail being meticulously planned in detail beforehand?’

‘I’ll grant that. You don’t.’

‘Then you may rest assured that we will encounter no trouble. As an additional assurance, both our leader and I will be there with you. We have no more ambition to end up in durance vile than you have.’ ‘Maybe your records are not so unblemished either.’ ‘Unblemished or not, it would go hard with anyone caught with explosives within the precincts of the palace.’

‘Very neat.’ Van Effen sounded sour. ‘So now you know I have a record whereas I don’t know whether you have or not.’

‘It hardly matters, does it?’

‘If it does, it escapes me at the moment. It’ll probably come to me when it’s too late. What’s this bomb like?’

‘I’m not sure.’ Agnelli smiled. Van Effen had practically committed himself. ‘I’m not an explosives expert. Such talents as I have lie elsewhere, more in the organizing field, shall we say. I understand that it weighs three or four kilos and is made of some material called amatol.’

‘What are the cellars made of?’

‘Made of? You mean the walls?’

‘What else could I mean?’

‘I really couldn’t tell you.’

‘I don’t suppose it matters. I was just trying to figure the blast effect. If the cellars are deep and have ‘Those cellars are very deep.’

‘So. And with the palace on top they’ll have to support a very considerable weight. I don’t know how old this particular part of the palace may be, I know nothing about the palace, but the walls would have to be pretty stoutly built. Reinforced concrete is unlikely. Dressed stone, I should guess, and of a considerable thickness. Your little firework is hardly likely to dent them. AU the people in the palace will be aware of is a slight shake, if that, a tremor that wouldn’t raise any eyebrows at the nearest seismographic station, wherever that may be. As for the sound factor, it would be negligible.’

‘Are you sure?’ Agnelli’s tone was unaccustomedly sharp. ‘if my assumptions are correct, and I see no reason why they shouldn’t be, then I’m sure.’

‘No loud bang?’

‘They wouldn’t hear it in the palace drawing-rooms, far less out in the Dam Square.’

‘How could one ensure that it is heard?’

‘Bring along enough spare amatol, let me have a look at the walls and I’ll tell you. ‘Tell me, is it your intention just to leave the explosive there, lock the doors, throw away the keys — it will have occurred to you, of course, that there will be duplicates?’

‘These we have.’

‘And arrange for the bang after you’re clear of the palace?’ Agnelli nodded. ‘Then why on earth do you want me for a simple job like this? I’ve little enough in the way of conscience but I’d feel downright guilty taking money for a job like this. A young teenager in his first year in a physics or chemistry lab could do this. All you require is a battery, any old alarm clock, some household flex, a fulminate of mercury detonator, a primer and you’re off. Even simpler, all you require is a length of slow-burning RDX fuse. What you don’t want is an explosives expert — me. It’s a matter, Mr Agnelli, of professional pride.’ ‘This is a job for a professional. It’s to be set off by remote radio control.’

‘A teenager in his second year in a physics or chemistry lab. Can’t you do, yourselves?’

‘For good reasons we want an expert. The reasons are not for you.’ ‘You have the technical data for this radio-controlled device.’ ‘A professional needs an instruction book?’

‘Only an amateur would ask a professional such a stupid question. Of course I need an instruction book, as you call it, but it’s not instructions I require. These systems are not difficult if you know how they work. Problem is, there are quite a number of different systems: it’s not instructions I require but data. As far as the device and the control are concerned, I need to know such things as voltage, wattage, wavelength, radio range, type of detonator, the nature of the triggering mechanism, the type of shielding and a few other odds and ends. You have this? The data, I mean?’

‘We have. I shall bring it along tonight.’

‘You will not. I have no wish to give offence, Mr Agnelli, but only a rank amateur would suggest that I start to learn about this device on the spot. I want to be so thoroughly familiarized with the data that I can leave them all behind before I go near the place. 1 shall want those data at least an hour in advance.’

‘Or no deal?’

‘I wouldn’t insult you by making threats or blackmail. I assume that a reasonable man, recognizes a reasonable request?’

‘He does. We’ll send it around at, say, six-thirty this evening?’ ‘Fine.’ Van Effen paused briefly. ‘Well, well. We have been making diligent enquiries, haven’t we?’

‘It really wasn’t very difficult. We come now to the delicate question of remuneration — although I did promise it would be on a generous scale.’

‘You did mention the possibility of permanent employment?’ ‘I did.’

‘Then let’s regard this as a test demonstration. You know, efficiency, reliability, professionalism. If I measure up, let’s then discuss payment for future jobs.,

‘Fair and generous. So fair, in fact, that I feel almost diffident about raising the next delicate point.’

‘I would hare for you to embarrass yourself Let me raise it for you.’ ‘This is more than generous.’

‘My nature. You have given me highly secret and very valuable information for which the police would doubtless reward me handsomely.’ Van Effen knew from Agnelli’s brief frown then renewed smile that he had indeed guessed correctly. ‘I shall not be giving this information to the police. Reasons? One, I am not a double-crosser. Two, I don’t like the police and they don’t like me — I don’t want to be within a long distance of any policemen. Three. Purely selfish and financial — I am certain I can make a great deal more money from working for you on several occasions than I can from betraying you once. Four, I do not wish to spend the rest of my life with a hit man or hit men only one step behind.’ Agnelli was sniffling very broadly now. ‘The fifth is the most compelling reason. From what you have just told me you obviously have informers, contacts inside the palace who would immediately alert you to the presence of the police. As there could and would he only one person who could have betrayed you I could, possibly, be summarily disposed of, although I think you would find it much more elegant to turn me over to the police and suggest that they have a look at extradition requests from Poland and the United States. I think I would prefer the States — I might at least get a semblance of a fair trial there. I am not wanted, of course, under the name of Danilov: but the description of villains is usually pretty thorough and there can’t be many wanted men going round with a facial scar and a ruined left hand like mine. You can understand, Mr Agnelli, why I shall be giving the police a very wide berth indeed.’

‘I must say that you and the law don’t appear to have a great deal in common. Thank you, Mr Danilov, for having done my delicate task for me. That was exactly what I did have in mind. I am quite sure that you are going to be a very valuable member of our team.’

‘I can be trusted, you think?’

‘Unquestionably.’

‘Then I am doubly honoured.’ Agnelli raised a questioning eyebrow. ‘I didn’t have to remove the magazines from my guns today.’ Agnelli smiled, stood, shook hands and left with his two companion;s. Van Effen went to the office, listened to the playback of the recording, expressed his satisfaction and thanks to Henri, pocketed the tape and left.

As had now become his custom, van Effen parked his car at the rear of the Trianon but entered by the front door. A nondescript little man, seemingly engrossed in a newspaper, was seated close by the desk. Van Effen spoke to the man behind it.

‘I’d like a menu, please.’ He paid no attention to the seated man. ‘Thank you.’ He ticked off some items on the menu. ‘I’ll have that, that and that. And a bottle of burgundy. in my room at twelve-thirty please. After that I don’t want to be disturbed — so no phone calls, please. I’d be glad if you would give me a wake-up call at four o’clock.’ Van Effen took the lift to the first floor, walked down the stairs and peered cautiously round the comer. The little man had gone. He went across to the desk.

‘I see you’ve lost a valued customer, Charles.’

‘Hardly valued, Lieutenant. He drinks one tiny jonge jenever once every hour or so. That’s his third time here since last night. He is rather obvious, isn’t he?’

‘He doesn’t seem to think so. Will you cancel my lunch, Charles?’ Charles smiled. ‘Already cancelled.’

Van Effen left the Trianon a few minutes later, his appearance returned to normal.

‘Well,’ van Effen said, ‘were you worried stiff about me?’!Of course not,’ Julie said. ‘You told us there was nothing to worry about.’

‘Liar. You, too.’

‘Me?’ Annemarie said. ‘I haven’t said a word yet.’

‘You were about to. Your concern is perfectly understandable. A jonge jenever, large. The very jaws of death, I tell you.’ ‘Tell us about brave Daniel,’ Julie said.

‘In a moment. First of all, I must phone the Colonel. He will be consumed with anxiety about his trusty lieutenant.’

‘It’s twelve-thirty,’ Julie said. ‘If I know the Colonel his only concern now is what aperitif he’s going to have before lunch.’ ‘You do him an injustice. And, incidentally, me.’ He took the drink from his sister. ‘May I use your bedroom?’

‘Of course.’

Annemarie said: ‘I thought

‘There’s a phone there.’

‘Ab. State secrets.’

‘Not at all. Come along. Both of you. It’ll save me from having to repeat myself.’

He sat down on Julie’s bed, opened a bedside cupboard and extracted a phone. Annemarie said: ‘That’s a curious-looking instrument.’ ‘Scrambler phone. Any eavesdropper who is locked into your telephone hears only garbled nonsense. A device at the recipient’s end works in reverse and makes the jumble intelligible again. Much used by secret services and the Letter class of spy. Very popular with criminals, too. The original connection was to my apartment but I can also call de Graaf on it.’

He got through immediately. ‘Good morning, Colonel … No, I have not been attacked, kidnapped, tortured, assassinated or otherwise set upon … Quite the contrary;. Positively cordial … No, there was a newcomer. Romero Agnelli’s brother. Genial mafia-type, quite friendly, really, rejoicing in the name of Leonardo Agnelli … Yes, it is rather splendid, isn’t it, and yes, we’ve made some arrangements. I am engaged to blow up the royal palace at eight p.m…. No, sir, I do not jest.’ He covered the mouthpiece and looked at the two startled, wide-eyed girls. ‘I think the Colonel’s drink has gone down the wrong way. Yes, sir, amatol. Triggered by a remote-controlled radio device, details of which I shall be receiving this evening … Certainly I intend to do it. They’re depending on me … No, it’s deep in the cellars. There will be no loss of life … Very well.’

He covered the mouthpiece with one hand and gave his empty glass to Julie with the other. ‘I’m to keep a respectful silence while he communes with himself before telling me what to do. I don’t need telling and I almost certainly won’t agree with what he suggests.’ ‘Blowing up the royal palace.’ She looked at Julie who had just brought in the jenever bottle. ‘The palace. Blowing it up. He’s mad. You — you’re a policeman!’

‘A policeman’s lot is a hard one. All things to all men. Yes, I’m listening!’ There was a long pause. Julie and Annemarie studied his face covertly but closely, but he gave no indication as to what he was thinking although he did permit himself the occasional thoughtful expression as he sipped some more jenever.

‘Yes, I understand. Alternatives. First, you can pull me off altogether and you have the means to ensure that I do this, so, of course, I would have to accept that decision. But there’s a difference between pulling me off a job and putting me back on to it again. Should this prove to be the first in a series of bomb outrages — and you know better than anyone that those things almost invariably happen in cycles — then I should have to refuse to be assigned to the investigation on the grounds that I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to investigate this group’s activities and you denied me the opportunity … Certainly, sir, you could ask for my resignation on the grounds of refusing to obey orders. I would refuse to resign. You’d have to fire me. And then, of course, you would have to explain to your minister that you fired me because you had made a mistake, because you had refused to listen to me, because you wouldn’t give me the chance to stop what may be a new crime wave before it started, because you had backed your own judgement against mine and you had been wrong. Throw as many chestnuts as you like into the fire, Colonel. I refuse to pull them out. And I refuse to resign. Excuse me, sir.’

Julie had sat beside him on the bedside and had put both hands on his telephone arm as if trying to pull it away.

‘Stop it, Peter, stop it.’ Despite the fact that van Effen had prudently covered the mouthpiece, her voice was low, tense, urgent. ‘You can’t talk to the Colonel like that. Can’t you see that you’re putting tile poor man in an impossible situation?’ Van Effen looked at Annemarie. From her compressed lips and slowly shaking head it was evident that she was of the same opinion as Julie. Van Effen looked back at his sister and she visibly recoiled from the expression on his face.

‘Why don’t you hear me out instead of indulging in a repetition of last night’s unwarranted interference and blundering into things you know nothing about? You think he’s in an impossible situation? Listen to what I say and judge what kind of position I’m in.’ She slowly removed her hands and just looked at him, her expression uncomprehending. Van Effen raised the phone again.

‘Forgive the interruption, Colonel. Julie says that I have no right to talk to you in this fashion and that I’m putting you in an impossible situation. Julie, alas, doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Annemarie, who is also here, agrees with her but she wouldn’t know what she’s talking about either. In fairness to them I must say that, judging by the way they are looking at each other, they don’t think I know what I’m talking about either. You people are only on the periphery: I’m the man in the middle. An impossible situation, she says. Consider your alternative. ‘I go ahead as planned with Agnelli and company. You, you say, will ensure my safety. In the first place you are duty-bound — you claim — to notify the royal household using as justification the many threats that have been made against the royal family in recent months. You will have the Dam square invisibly cordoned off by snipers. You will have anti-terrorist police squads inside die palace itself. It has apparently never occurred to you that those criminals have their moles and informants pretty thick on the ground and that the presence of even one extra policeman will be immediately reported. I have been warned that if any such thing happened they would know that there could have been only once source, one person, through whom this information reached the police. And I don’t think — I know — that the palace security is pitiful and that those spies move freely within the gates. Lift that telephone to the palace, to your anti-terrorist squads, to any other policeman, and you might as well reach out for pen and paper and write down and sign my death warrant.’ That was, van Effen was aware, pitching it rather strongly, extradition was the worst he had to face, even assuming they had penetrated his disguise, which was uncertain. But now wasn’t the moment for such niceties. ‘Ensure my safety? You’ll ensure my death, van Effen in a better world by midnight. What’s one detective-lieutenant less just so long as your pettifogging rules and hidebound regulations are concerned? Maybe — no, I’m sure — that Julie and Annemarie don’t like me very much at the moment but I think they’ll have the grace to testify at the inquest that I did do my best to save my own miserable skin.

‘That, of course, is the absolute worst scenario and I’ve no intention of being part of it. I’ve been thinking during our conversation and I’ve changed my mind about one thing. You’ve offered me two alternatives. One leads to being fired, the other to the old pine box. I’m not quite in my dotage yet and I think it would behove me to find some form of work where I’ll be faced with threats of neither dismissal nor extinction. If you send one of your boys round to Julie’s place I’ll let him have my written resignation. At the same time I’ll give him the tape-recording I had made in the Hunter’s Horn this morning. I hope that you and your University friends will be able to make something of it and of the other tape-recorded telephone messages. Sorry about this, Colonel, but you leave me with no option: I seem to have run out of alternatives.’ He replaced the telephone in the bedside cupboard and left the room.

When Julie and Annemarie rejoined him he was sitting relaxed in an armchair, legs crossed and jenever in hand. For a man who had just made such a momentous decision he seemed singularly unconcerned. Julie said: ‘May I say something?’

‘Certainly. Compared to what the Colonel said and what he is no doubt thinking at this moment your slings and arrows are as nothing.’

She smiled faintly. ‘I haven’t lost my senses or memory. I have no intention of being — how did you put it so charmingly last night — cool, clinical, superior and handing out unwanted and unsolicited advice. I am sorry for what I said in the bedroom. I didn’t know you were in so impossible a situation. But if I go on to say that I also think you’ve put the Colonel in a fearful fix, you’ll probably say that you appreciate that a lieutenant’s life i ‘ s as nothing compared to the Colonel’s finer feelings. Well, I still say I’m sorry, but

Annemarie interrupted. ‘Julie?’

‘Yes?’

‘I wouldn’t bother saying sorry to him again. I don’t for a moment believe he’s in an impossible situation. Look at him. He’s getting high blood pressure through trying not to laugh out loud.’ She gave him a considering glance. ‘You’re not very active. I thought you came through here to write out your resignation.’

He frowned, looked off into the middle distance, then said: ‘I’ve no recollection of saying that.’

‘That’s because you never had any intention of writing out your resignation.’

‘Well, well. We’ll make a lady detective of you yet. You’re quite right, my dear, I did not. How could I? How could I leave Uncle Arthur alone to cope with the rising wave of crime in Amsterdam? He needs me.’ Annemarie said to Julie: ‘If I were to say to him, that he is as Machiavellian as he is big-headed, do you think he would fire me? Or just try to reduce me to tears?’

Van Effen sipped his jenever. ‘Fortunately, I am above such things. And you must never confuse Machiavelism with diplomacy, big-headedness with intelligence.’

‘You’re right, Annemarie. I’m sorry I said “sorry”.’ Julie looked at van Effen with something less than affection. ‘And what are you going to do now?’

‘Just sit. Waiting.’

‘Waiting for what?’

‘The phone. The Colonel.’

‘The Colonel!’Julie said. ‘After what you said to him?’

‘After what he said to me, you mean.’

‘You’re going to have a very long wait.’ Annemarie spoke with conviction. ‘My dear children — or should I say babes in the wood — you sadly underestimate the Colonel. He is infinitely shrewder than either of you. He knows very well indeed what the score is. He’s taking some time to make this call because he’s figuring out a way to beat a strategic retreat without loss of dignity, peace with honour, if you will. Now there, if you like, does go a man with a Machiavellian cast of mind — after forty years battling with the underworld one does develop a certain cast of mind. I told the Colonel that he had left me with no place to go. De Graaf, being de Graaf, realised at once what I meant — that he had no place to go. I

Julie said: ‘Seeing you’re so clever, would you mind ‘There’s no need to be unpleasant. Look at me. I am treating you with unfailing courtesy-or should I say chivalry-‘

‘I suppose. What’s the Colonel going to say?’

‘That’s on consideration — or on re-consideration — well, he’s going to give me carte blanche. The 8 p.m. assignation is on.’ ‘It would be nice to see you wrong for once,’Julie said. ‘No, I didn’t really mean that. I only hope you are wrong.’

For a time no one spoke. The girls kept looking at the telephone on the coffee table by van Effen’s side. Van Effen wasn’t looking at anything in particular. The phone rang.

Van Effen picked it up. ‘Ah! Yes … I accept that. that maybe I did step out of line. But 1 was provoked.’ He winced and held the telephone some distance away from his ear. ‘Yes, sir, you were provoked too … Yes, I thoroughly agree. A very wise decision, if I may say so… Of course, you will be kept in the picture, sir … No, they don’t trust me … Yes, sir, here. Goodbye.’

He hung up and looked at Julie. ‘Why aren’t you in the kitchen, my girl? Distinctly smell burning. 1 was asked for lunch — ‘ ‘Oh, do be quiet. What did lie say?’ ‘Carte blanche. 8 p.m.’

Julie looked at him, her face still, for what seemed a long time but could only have been a few seconds, then turned and went to the kitchen. Annemarie made a couple of steps towards him, stopped and said: ‘Peter.’

‘Don’t say it. I’ve already got out of one difficult situation. Don’t you and Julie put me in an impossible one.’

‘We won’t. I promise. You know that we can’t help what we feel and you can’t blame us for that. But you could blame us if we did start talking about it, so we won’t. That’s sure.’ She smiled. ‘Now, isn’t that considerate.’

‘Very. Do you know, Annemarie, I do believe I’m beginning to like you.’ ‘Like me?’ She gave him a quizzical look. ‘So you didn’t even like me when you kissed me this morning? Absentmindedness, I suppose. Or do you just go around kissing policewomen as a matter of routine? Something to do with their morale, no doubt.’

‘You’re the first.’

‘And, no doubt, the last. We all make mistakes, whatever I mean by that cryptic remark. Who do-Isn’t trust you?’

‘Who doesn’t — what?’

‘Something you said to the Colonel.’

‘Ah. My criminal associates. We parted at the Hunter’s Horn professing mutual trust and faith. Didn’t stop them from staking a man out at the Trianon. An irritation. No problem.’

‘And after lunch?’

‘Stay here a bit. The Colonel is going to call me. That will be after we hear what, if anything, the FFF have been up to at two o’clock. The Colonel is convinced that they will not blow up the Hagestein. Frogmen have found no traces of any underwater charges in position.’ Van Effen called his office and asked for the desk sergeant. ‘The men on Fred Klassen and Alfred van Rees. They called in at noon?’ He listened briefly. ‘So van Rees has lost our man. Chance or on purpose, it doesn’t matter. I assume you have the licence number. All officers on patrol. Not to approach. just locate. Note this number and call me here.’

Lunch was an excellent but hardly festive meal. Julie and Annemarie were determinedly over-bright and over-cheerful and the harsh edges of strain occasionally showed through: if van Effen noticed anything amiss he made no comment: her brother, Julie knew, rarely missed anything.. They had coffee in the living-room. Shortly after two o’clock a young motor-cycle policeman came to collect the Hunter’s Horn tape. Julie said: ‘I hear that you are awaiting a call from the Colonel. After that?’

‘Your bed, my dear, if I may. I don’t know when I can expect to sleep tonight or even if I will sleep so I think an hour or two might be of some value. That hour or two, of course, would be helped along by the brandy you have — unaccountably — so far failed to offer me.’

The Colonel’s call came when van Effen was halfway through his brandy. It was a brief call and one-sided. Van Effen said yes’ several times, ‘I see’ a couple of times, then told the Colonel goodbye and hung up.

‘The FFF blew up the North Holland dyke at exactly 2 p.m. Extensive flooding, but shallow and no lives lost. Not according to first reports. The Hagestein weir was not touched. As the Colonel says, he expected-this. The frogmen had located no charges and he is convinced that the FFF were unable either to approach the weir or conceal charges. He’s further convinced that their blasting techniques are primitive and limited only to simple operations like blowing up dykes and canal banks.’

‘But you’re not convinced of this, are you?’ Julie said.

‘I’m neither convinced nor unconvinced. I know no more about it than you do. Maybe the Colonel finds it preferable, more comforting to think along those lines: maybe the FFF want the Colonel — us, the country — to think along those lines. They have all the hallmarks of being a devious and highly organized bunch. That impression, too, may be deceptive. Are they a simple-minded group trying to make us think they are devious or a devious-minded group trying to make us think they are simple? Figure it out for yourselves. I can’t. I’m going to rest lightly. Turn on the radio, would you? The FFF have, it seems, got into the habit of making a public announcement after what they no doubt regard as being one of their master strokes. Don’t bother to wake me to convey their next dire threat. In fact, don’t bother me for anything.’

He had barely dropped off when Julie came in and shook him awake. He opened his eyes and, as was his custom, was almost instantly awake. He said: ‘This is the way you don’t disturb me? The heavens have fallen in?’ ‘I’m sorry. A letter came for you.’

‘A letter? An exhausted man is torn from his slumbers ‘It came by special delivery,’ she said patiently. ‘it has Urgent stamped all over it.’

‘Let me see.’ He took the envelope from her, glanced briefly at the address and postmark, opened the envelope, half extracted the contents, pushed it back inside again and slid the envelope under the pillow. ‘And I’m disturbed by this. One of my fellow officers trying to be witty. Next time, be sure the heavens have fallen in.’

‘Let me see what was inside that letter,’ Julie said sharply. She sat on the bed, laid her hand on his arm and said in a gentle voice: ‘Please, Peter?’

Van Effen made to speak, said nothing, reached under his pillow, retrieved the envelope and gave the contents to Julie. It was not a letter, just a plain postcard, blank on one side. On the other side was a crude drawing of a coffin and a hangman’s noose. Julie tried to smile. ‘Well, it has been three months since the last one, hasn’t it?’

‘So?’ Van Effen sounded indifferent. ‘It’s been, as you say, three months. And what’s happened in that three months? Nothing. And no reason on earth why anything should happen in the next three months.’ ‘If it’s so unimportant, why did you hide it?’

‘I didn’t hide it. I put it away in the full view of my little sister whom I didn’t want to upset.’

‘May I see that envelope, please?’ She took it, looked at it and handed it back. “All the others had come from other countries.

This one is postmarked Amsterdam. That was the first thing you saw and that’s why you put it away. The Annecy brothers are in Amsterdam.’ ‘Maybe. Maybe not. This postcard could have come from any country to a friend or accomplice in Amsterdam who sent it on to this address.’ ‘I don’t believe that. Kid sister or not, I’m all grown up and a big girl now. I can think for myself, I can feel for myself. I know they’re in Amsterdam. And so, I’m sure, do you. Oh, Peter. It’s all too much. One set of madmen threatening to flood our country, another set going to blow up the palace and now this.’

She shook her head. ‘Everything at once. Why?’

‘It is an unusual set of circumstances.’

‘It is a — oh, do be quiet. Do you have no idea what is going on?’ ‘I’ve no more idea than you have.’

‘Maybe. Maybe not. I’m not sure I believe you. What are we going to do? What are you going to do?’

‘What do you expect me to do? Patrol the streets of Amsterdam until I find some character carrying a coffin over his shoulder and a noose;n his hand.’ He put his hand on her arm. ‘Please excuse momentary irritation. There’s nothing I can do. Second thoughts, yes. I can go back to sleep, Next time, make sure the heavens have fallen.’ ‘You’re hopeless.’ She half-smiled, rose, shook her head again when she saw that his eyes were already closed and left the room.

He had barely dropped off for the second time when Julie returned. ‘Sorry again, Peter. The Colonel. I told him you were asleep but he said it didn’t matter if you were dead, I was to bring you back To life again and get you to the phone. He left me in no doubt that it was very urgent indeed.’

Van Effen touched the bedside cupboard. ‘He could have used the scrambler.’

‘Probably using a public phone.’

Van Effen went through to the living-room, took the call, listened briefly, said: ‘I’m leaving now,’ and hung up.

Julie said: ‘Where?’

‘To meet a person the Colonel says may be a friend. I don’t know his name.’ Van Effen put on shoulder holster, tie and jacket. ‘Things, as you said, Julie, tend not to occur singly. First, the dyke nut-cases. Then the palace nut-cases. Then die Annecy nut-cases. Now this.’ ‘Whatever “this” may be. Where’s your friend?’

‘Wouldn’t you know. He’s in the mortuary.’