The Tightrope Men

Twenty-Two

‘Where the hell is Denison?’ said Carey irritably.

McCready was soothing. ‘He’ll be along. He’s not very late.’

Carey was on edge. ‘He could have been jumped again.’

‘It’s you that’s jumpy. Armstrong’s looking after him.’

Carey said nothing. He bent his head to re-read the lengthy cable. Presently he said, ‘Well, that’s cleared up. It was a hell of a problem while it lasted.’

‘What was?’ asked Harding interestedly.

‘When Denison was lifted from the sauna he came out with a string of mathematical stuff to confuse the opposition. He didn’t know what it meant himself but it was the jargon Meyrick might have used.’ He tossed the cable on to the table. ‘We couldn’t see how Denison could possibly have known it.’

Harding said, ‘It must have come out of his past somewhere.’

‘Precisely,’ said Carey. ‘But he didn’t have that kind of past.’

‘Of course not.’ Harding wrinkled his brow. ‘He was a film director.’

‘Of a special kind,’ said McCready. ‘He made documentaries. We found he’d done a series of educational films on mathematics for the public relations department of one of the big computer firms. I suppose a film director must have a working knowledge of his subject although, judging by some of the movies I’ve seen, you wouldn’t think so. Anyway, somebody talked to the computer people and we find that not only did he have a ready grasp but a keen interest. The films were largely in cartoon style and the subject was probability theory. He knew the jargon, all right.’

‘But it gave me a shudder at the time,’ said Carey. ‘Mrs Hansen, ring the hotel and find what’s keeping Denison.’

Diana Hansen got up and crossed the room. She was about to pick up the telephone when it rang shrilly. She put it to her ear, then beckoned to Carey. ‘For you — it’s Armstrong.’

Carey took the telephone. ‘Ian, what’s the hold-up?’

‘I was in my room,’ said Armstrong. ‘I had my door open so I could see the door of Denison’s room. About twenty minutes ago Miss Meyrick busted out of there fast so I went into the corridor to find what was happening. She grabbed me and said Denison had had some kind of attack. I went into the room and found him on the floor, out cold. He came round about five minutes ago.’

‘Is he all right now?’

‘He says he is.’

‘Then you’d better bring him along here,’ said Carey. ‘I’ll have Harding have a look at him.’

There was a pause. ‘Miss Meyrick says she’s coming, too.’

‘Nothing doing,’ said Carey. ‘Ditch her.’

‘I don’t think you understand,’ said Armstrong. ‘When she spoke to me in the corridor she said Denison had had an attack — not Meyrick.’

Carey’s eyebrows crawled up his forehead. ‘She knows?’

‘Apparently so.’

‘Bring her along and don’t take your eyes off the pair of them. And be discreet.’ He put down the telephone. ‘The girl has caught on — and your patient is coming home to roost, Harding. He’s had another of his thingummy attacks.’

‘A fugue,’ said Harding. ‘It must have been the Meyrick girl.’

‘She called him Denison,’ said Carey flatly.

They waited for twenty minutes in silence. Carey produced his pipe and filled it, and then smoked jerkily. Harding stretched out his long legs and contemplated the tips of his shoes with an all-consuming interest. His forehead was creased into a frown. Diana Hansen smoked cigarettes one after the other, stubbing each out half-way down its length. McCready paced back and forward, wearing a groove in the carpet.

There was a tap at the door and everyone jerked to attention. McCready opened it, letting in Lyn and Denison, with Armstrong close behind. Carey stared at Denison. ‘Harding would like a word with you in the other room. Do you mind?’

‘No,’ said Denison quietly, and followed Harding.

When the door closed behind them Carey stood up and said to Lyn, ‘Miss Meyrick, my name is Carey and I’m from the British Embassy here. This is Mr McCready. Mrs Hansen you already know, and you’ve already met Mr Armstrong.’

Lyn Meyrick’s face was pale but two pink spots deepened in her cheeks when she saw Diana Hansen. Then she flung out her arm at the door through which Denison had gone. ‘Who is that man? And where is my father?’

‘Please sit down,’ said Carey, and nodded to McCready who brought up a chair.

‘I don’t understand,’ said Lyn. ‘He said his name was Denison and he told me an unbelievable story...’

‘...which happens to be true,’ said Carey. ‘I wish it wasn’t so.’

Lyn’s voice rose. ‘Then what’s happened to my father?’

Carey wagged his eyebrows at Diana Hansen who stood up and went close to Lyn. He said, ‘Miss Meyrick, I’m sorry to tell you this...’

‘He’s dead, isn’t he?’

Carey nodded. ‘We believe it to be an accident. His body was recovered from the Baltic three days ago. There had been a collision between an oil tanker and another ship.’

‘Then what this man, Denison, said is correct?’

‘What did he tell you?’

They listened as Lyn spoke and finally Carey nodded. ‘He seems to have given you all that’s relevant.’ He noted that Denison had not told her of the contents of Merikken’s papers; he had just said they were important. ‘I’m sorry about your father.’

‘Yes,’ she said coldly. ‘I suppose you are.’

Carey thought that she found no difficulty in holding back her grief but that might be understandable in the circumstances. He said deliberately, ‘Miss Meyrick; after Denison had told you his story did you try to probe into his past?’

‘Why, yes; I wanted to know who he was — who he is.’

‘You must never do that again,’ said Carey solemnly. ‘It could be most dangerous for him.’

She flared up. ‘If only a quarter of what he told me is true, what you’re doing to that man is despicable. He ought to have psychiatric treatment.’

‘He’s getting that now,’ said Carey. ‘Dr Harding is a psychiatrist. How did Denison give himself away?’ She told him and he nodded. ‘We couldn’t hope to get away with it for ever,’ he said philosophically. ‘But I did hope for another day. I was going to separate you tomorrow.’

‘My God!’ she said. ‘Who the hell do you think you are? We’re not chess pieces.’

‘Denison is a volunteer,’ said Carey. ‘It’s his own choice.’

‘Some choice!’ she said cuttingly.

The door behind Carey opened. He swung around in his chair and saw Harding alone. ‘Ian, go and sit with Denison.’

‘It won’t be necessary,’ said Harding. ‘He’ll be out in a minute. I’ve just given him something to think about.’

‘How is he?’

‘He’ll be all right.’

‘Does he remember spilling the beans to Miss Meyrick?’

‘Oh, yes,’ said Harding. ‘It’s just that he can’t remember what Miss Meyrick was asking him just before he passed out.’ He looked at Lyn with interest. ‘What was it?’

‘I wanted to know who he was,’ Lyn said.

He shook his head. ‘Don’t try that again. I think I’ll have to have a talk with you, young lady.’

‘Don’t bother,’ said Carey grimly. ‘She’s going back to England.’

Lyn inspected Harding with a cold eye. ‘Are you a doctor?’

Harding paused as he lit a cigarette. ‘Among other things.’

‘I think you must have been confused when you took the oath,’ she said. ‘You took the hypocritic oath instead of the Hippocratic oath.’ Harding coloured but before he could answer she had rounded on Carey. ‘As for going to England, I most certainly am. A lot of people will be very interested in what I have to tell them.’

‘Oh, I wouldn’t try that,’ said Carey quietly.

‘Try to stop me,’ she challenged.

Carey leaned back in his chair and glanced at McCready. ‘It looks as though we’ll have to keep her here, George. Arrange the necessary — booking her out of the hotel and so on.’

‘And then what?’ she asked. ‘You can’t keep me here for ever. I’ll be back in England some time and I’ll make sure the story gets around about what’s been happening to this man. It will make interesting reading.’

McCready smiled. ‘The papers won’t print it. There’s a thing called a “D” notice.’

She looked at him contemptuously. ‘Do you think twenty universities full of students will take any account of your stupid “D” notices?’ she asked in scorn.

‘My God!’ said McCready.‘She’s right. You know what students are like.’

‘So what are you going to do?’ she asked interestedly. ‘Kill me?’

‘They’re going to do nothing,’ said Denison from behind Carey. He closed the door behind him. ‘Or they’ll have to get themselves another boy.’

Carey did not turn round. He merely said, ‘Draw up a chair, Denison. We have a problem to solve.’

Denison sat next to Carey. ‘Coercion won’t solve it.’

‘So I’m finding out,’ said Carey caustically. ‘So maybe we’ll try persuasion. What exactly is it you want, Miss Meyrick?’

She was suddenly nervous. ‘I want you to stop whatever it is you’re doing to... to him.’ Her hand trembled as she pointed at Denison.

‘We’re not doing anything to him. He’s a volunteer — and he’ll confirm it.’

She flared. ‘How can he be a volunteer when he doesn’t know who he is? Any court of law would toss out that argument.’

‘Careful,’ said Harding suddenly, watching Denison.

‘He needs help,’ she pleaded.

‘He’s getting it,’ said Carey, and indicated Harding.

‘You already know what I think of that.’

‘Tell me something,’ said Carey. ‘Why are you so agitated about Denison? He is, after all, a stranger.’

She looked down at the table. ‘Not any more,’ she said in a low voice. She raised her head and regarded Carey with clear eyes. ‘And aren’t we supposed to care for strangers? Have you never heard of the parable of the Good Samaritan, Mr Carey?’

Carey sighed, and said dispiritedly, ‘See what you can do, Giles.’

Denison opened his mouth and then closed it again. It was the first time Carey had addressed him by his Christian name, as he normally did with Armstrong and McCready. Was he now accepted as a member of the team, or was it just that the cunning old devil had decided to use psychology?

He looked across the table at the girl. ‘I know what I’m doing, Lyn — and this operation is very important.’

‘How can you know what you’re doing?’ she demanded. ‘You’re not competent to judge.’

‘That’s just what he is,’ interjected Carey. ‘Sorry, Giles; carry on.’

‘That’s not the point,’ said Denison. ‘It wasn’t of my own free will that I was pitched into the middle of all this, but now that I’m in it I agree with Carey. If the operation is to be a success then I must continue to be Meyrick — to be your father. And that I’m going to do, regardless of what you think. I appreciate your concern, but this is too important for considerations like that.’

She was silent, biting her lip. She said, ‘All right, Har... Giles. But on one condition.’

‘What’s that?’

‘That I come with you — as Lyn Meyrick with her father.’ There was a dead silence around the table. ‘Well, isn’t that what you wanted — for the masquerade to go on? You’ve used me unknowingly — now you can use me knowingly.’

Carey said softly, ‘It might be dangerous.’

‘So is having a father like Harry Meyrick,’ she said bitterly. ‘But that’s my condition — take it or leave it.’

‘Taken,’ said Carey promptly.

‘No!’ said Denison simultaneously.

They stopped and looked at each other. ‘She’s stubborn,’ said Carey. ‘And she’s got us by the short hairs. It’s the answer.’

‘Are you sure?’ asked Denison. He might have been replying to Carey but he looked at Lyn.

‘I’m sure,’ she said.

‘Well, that’s it,’ said Carey briskly. ‘Now we can get on with the planning. Thank you, Dr Harding; I don’t think we’ll need you on this. I’ll keep in touch with you.’

Harding stood up and nodded. He was walking to the door when Lyn said, ‘No!’ Her voice was sharp.

Harding stopped. ‘No what?’ said Carey exasperatedly.

‘Dr Harding stays with Giles,’ she said. ‘The three of us stay together.’

‘For Christ’s sake!’ said Carey, and a suppressed snort came from McCready.

Harding had a white smile, ‘My dear Miss Meyrick; I’m hardly... I’m no... no...’

‘No guman, like the rest of them probably are? Well, let me tell you something. You won’t be worth a damn as a psychiatrist unless you stay with your patient.’

Harding flushed again. Carey said, ‘Impossible!’

‘What’s so impossible about it?’ Lyn looked at Harding speculatively. ‘But I’m willing to leave it to the doctor — and his conscience, if he has one. What about it, Dr Harding?’

Harding rubbed his lean jaw. ‘Insofar as it will help Denison I’m willing to stay. But I warn you — I’m no man of action.’

‘That’s it, then,’ said Lyn, parodying Carey.

Carey looked at her helplessly, and McCready said, ‘It might not be a bad idea if the doctor is willing, as he seems to be.’

Carey gave up. ‘Sit down, Harding,’ he said ungraciously.

As he picked up his briefcase Denison murmured, ‘You did say by the short hairs, didn’t you?’

Carey ignored him and opened the briefcase. ‘I have reason to believe that quite a lot of people are interested in the movements of Dr Meyrick. We’re going to give them some movements to watch.’

He spread out a large map of Finland. ‘George will fly to Ivalo in Northern Lapland—’ his finger stabbed down — ‘here. That’s as far north as you can fly in Finland. There’ll be a car waiting and he’ll drive still farther north to this place up by the Norwegian border — Kevon Tutkimusasema — that’s a station for the exploration of the Kevo Nature Preserve, the jumping off place, as you might call it.’

He looked up at McCready. ‘Your job is to cover the party from the outside. You’ll inspect Kevo Camp, make sure it’s clean — and I don’t mean in the hygienic sense — and you’ll keep an eye on the party all the time it’s up there. But you won’t acknowledge it — you’ll be a stranger. Understand?’

‘Got it,’ said McCready.

‘Denison and Mrs Hansen — and now, of course, Miss Meyrick and Dr Harding — will travel by car from Helsinki. You will leave early tomorrow and it will take you two days to get to the camp at Kevo. George will already be there but you don’t recognize him. He’s your trump card should you get into trouble.’ Carey’s finger moved slightly south. ‘You will then explore the Kevo Nature Park. It’s rough country and you’ll need packs and tents.’ He wagged a finger at McCready. ‘We’ll need extra gear; see to it, George.’

‘What’s the point of all this?’ asked Denison.

Carey straightened. ‘From my reading of Meyrick’s dossier and from what I know of his character he never did take an interest in natural history. Is that correct, Miss Meyrick?’

‘He was a pure technologist,’ she said. ‘If he ever thought of natural history — which I doubt — it would be with contempt.’

‘As I thought,’ said Carey. ‘So if Meyrick becomes interested now it will be out of character. The people who are watching him — as I am certain they are — will be mystified and will suspect an ulterior motive, which I will be careful to provide.’ He tapped Denison’s arm. ‘You’ll take some simple instruments — a theodolite and so on — and you’ll act out a charade as though you’re looking for something. Got the idea?’

‘A red herring,’ said Denison.

‘Right. You’ll spend three days at Kevo and then you’ll move south to another Nature Park at Sompio. There you will put on the same act until you’re recalled.’

‘How will that be done?’ asked McCready.

‘There’s a little village called Vuotso just outside. I’ll send you a telegram to poste restante — “Come home, all is forgiven.” It would be useful to have webbed feet at Sompio — it’s very marshy.’

‘Then there’ll be wildfowl,’ said Harding with sudden enthusiasm.

‘Very likely,’ said Carey uninterestedly.

‘Let me get this straight,’ said Denison. ‘Meyrick is supposed to be looking for something — let’s say buried — in a Nature Park, but he doesn’t know which one. And all he has to go on are landmarks, hence the theodolite for measuring angles.’

‘Just like in a treasure hunt,’ said Lyn.

‘Precisely,’ said Carey. ‘But the treasure doesn’t exist — at least, not up there. I’ve even got a map for you. It’s as phoney as hell but very impressive.’

Denison said, ‘And what will you be doing while we’re wandering all over the Arctic?’

Carey grinned. ‘Young Ian and I will nip into Svetogorsk to dig up the loot while, hopefully, all eyes are on you.’ He turned to Mrs Hansen. ‘You’re very quiet.’

She shrugged. ‘What’s there to say?’

‘You’ll be bodyguarding this lot from the inside. I had hoped you’d have but one person to worry about but, as you see, there are now three. Can you manage?’

‘If they’ll do as they’re told.’

‘They’d better,’ said Carey. ‘I’ll give you something a bit bigger than the popgun you so incautiously let Denison see.’ He looked about. ‘Can anyone else here shoot?’

‘I’m not bad with a shotgun,’ said Harding.

‘I doubt if a shotgun in a Nature Preserve would be appreciated,’ said Carey ironically. ‘But at least you’ll know one end of a gun from the other. I’ll let you have a pistol. What about you, Giles?’

Denison shrugged. ‘I suppose I can pull the trigger and make the thing go bang.’

‘That might be all that’s needed.’ Carey looked at Lyn, appeared to be about to say something, and changed his mind.

‘Are you expecting shooting?’ asked Harding. He looked worried.

‘Let me put it this way,’ said Carey. ‘I don’t know if there’ll be shooting or not, but if there is, I hope you’ll be on the receiving end and not me, because that’s the object of this bloody exercise.’ He put the map back into his briefcase. That’s all. Early start tomorrow. George, I’d like a word with you before you go.’

The group at the table broke up. Denison went across to Lyn. ‘Harding told me about your father. I’m sorry.’

‘No need,’ she said. ‘I ought to feel sorry, too, but I can’t.’ She looked up at him. ‘Carey said you are a stranger, but it’s my father who was the stranger. I hadn’t seen him for two years and when I thought I’d found him again, and he was different and nicer, I hadn’t found him at all. So then I lost him again and it made no difference, after all. Don’t you see what I mean?’

Denison followed this incoherent speech, and said, ‘I think so.’ He took her by the shoulders. ‘I don’t think you should come on this jaunt, Lyn.’

Her chin came up. ‘I’m coming.’

He sighed. ‘I hope you know what you’ve got yourself into.’

Carey filled his pipe. ‘What do you think, George?’

‘The girl’s a bit of a handful.’

‘Yes. Look after them as best you can.’

McCready leaned forward. ‘It’s you I’m worried about. I’ve been thinking about Meyrick. If the people who snatched him were the Russkies, and if he talked, you’re in dead trouble. You’re likely to find a reception committee awaiting you in Svetogorsk.’

Carey nodded. ‘It’s a calculated risk. There were no signs of physical coercion on Meyrick’s body — burn marks or anything like that — and I doubt if he’d talk voluntarily. I don’t think they had time to make him talk; they were too busy smuggling him around the Baltic. In any case, we don’t know who snatched him.’

He struck a match. ‘It’s my back I’m worried about right now. I had a talk to Lyng last night on the Embassy scrambler. I told him that Thornton was nosing about. He said he’d do something about it.’

‘What?’

Carey shrugged. ‘They don’t use guns in Whitehall but I believe they have weapons that are equally effective. It’s no concern of yours, George; you won’t have to worry about the Whitehall War until you get up to my level.’

‘I’m not so worried about Whitehall as I am about Svetogorsk,’ said McCready. ‘I think it ought to be swapped around. Armstrong can go north and I’ll come with you acioss the border.’

‘He doesn’t have the experience for what might happen up there. He’s yet to be blooded, but he’ll be all right with an old dog like me.’

‘He’d be all right with me,’ said McCready. ‘He and I could cross the border and you could go north.’

‘Sorry,’ said Carey regretfully. ‘But I’m pushing sixty and I don’t have the puff for that wilderness lark. And I don’t have the reflexes for the fast action you might get. The plan stands, George.’ His voice took on a meditative note. ‘This is likely to be my last field operation. I’d like it to be a good one.’