by Leo McNeir
“We don’t know that. We don’t know anything about him. Perhaps he was German.”
“An enemy.”
“A person. The war is history. We have to move on. Whoever his family might be, they have a right to know what became of him.”
Another silence.
“Professor Hallgarten? Hallo? Would you be willing to see me?”
A pause. “Yes, but only you, no-one else. When will you come?”
“Soon. When would be convenient?”
They agreed on a date in the first week of December. When Marnie told Ralph, he was horrified. To make matters worse, Marnie told Beth when her sister phoned that afternoon.
“Are you out of your tiny mind?”
“Beth, I’ll take a flight to Frankfurt. I’ll stay overnight in a hotel, see Hallgarten the next day and fly home that evening. What’s the big deal?”
“Are you serious?”
“I’m serious.”
“Marnie, nothing is ever that simple. Haven’t you learnt that by now? And what about your health?”
“I’m feeling much better.”
“Only two days ago you told me you were still feeling tired.”
“I can –”
“And don’t tell me you can sleep on the plane. And another thing –”
“Okay, okay.”
“Listen to me. You’re forgetting all that Nazi business.”
“That’s all over now,” Marnie protested.
“Then why are you going to see this, this spymaster’s daughter? I thought that was the whole point, that it isn’t all over.”
“So what do you want me to do, just drop the whole thing?”
“Got it in one.”
When later that evening Marnie returned to the subject and had a similar – though less fraught – conversation with Ralph, they arrived at the same conclusion. Marnie was in no state to go to Germany to rake over old troubles and risk stirring up new problems.
That night in bed in her attic room, Anne lay thinking. It was all very unsatisfactory. Hallgarten would only see Marnie, but there was no realistic chance of Marnie being able to travel. They had reached the end of the line. She had no way of knowing that everything was about to change.
Chapter 52
Donovan Returns
Anne was glad the next morning was Saturday. She had slept fitfully, worrying about Marnie and the unwelcome invitation from Ingrid Hallgarten. In the early hours, before drifting off to sleep, she had reached a decision. She would break her vow of silence with Donovan. She wanted his advice. They all needed it.
Straight after breakfast she booted her computer and sent him an e-mail.
Hi
Must talk to you. Something has come up. Urgent.
A
She was surprised to receive a reply almost at once.
Not a good idea.
Anne hit the keys.
I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t really important.
Another rapid reply.
Ring me at home.
Anne dialled Donovan’s home number at once.
“I’m here. So what’s the problem?”
Anne outlined Marnie’s call to Hallgarten and explained that Marnie was not well enough to travel.
“Can Ralph go?”
“She says she’ll only talk to Marnie.”
Anne counted the seconds ticking by before Donovan spoke again.
“Sally Ann. Tonight at six.”
The line went dead.
*
Anne made her way through the spinney with fifteen minutes to spare. It was already dark, and frosted leaves crunched under her shoes on the path. Through the trees she could see lights burning on Thyrsis. She had told Marnie and Ralph that Donovan was coming, and they had suggested she meet him alone at first. They would eat together later.
Not for the first time, Anne felt slightly absurd on Donovan’s account. Was all this cloak-and-dagger stuff really necessary? Were there really neo-Nazis lurking behind every blade of grass? Glebe Farm was tucked away in a peaceful corner of Knightly St John, sheltered from many of the cares of modern life. Then she thought of the cigarette butts in the garden, the strange visitor to the dig site and, further back, her encounters with New Force the previous summer and the mayhem and tragedy of those confrontations.
She stepped aboard Sally Ann and immediately sensed that something was not right. One look told her the doors were closed but not locked. She pulled on the handle and the doors swung open. Faced with the darkness of the interior, she hesitated, not knowing whether to run or call out to Ralph for help. Then the smell reached her. An aroma of coffee floated out from inside, and a smile spread across her face. She walked confidently down the steps into the arms of Donovan Smith.
*
Marnie went on board at seven, joined soon afterwards by Ralph. Pasta was cooking on the stove, and Anne was chopping up tomatoes, cucumber and peppers for a salad while Donovan was setting the table. A rich fragrance of garlic bread pervaded the air. Passing through the sleeping cabin, Marnie wondered if she imagined that the bed cover looked slightly less tidy than usual, but she refrained from comment. Ralph concentrated on opening a bottle of Australian Shiraz Cabernet. Marnie mixed a French dressing, then lit candles and oil lamps as they took their places at the table. In the subdued glow it was hard to imagine any threats from the outside world.
The first part of their conversation centred on catching up with news, with Marnie’s gradual recovery from her hospital treatment and Donovan’s reaction to his first term on the new course. They all seemed reluctant to broach the subject that had brought them together. Inevitably it was Donovan who raised it.
“So, Hallgarten. She wants to meet you, Marnie.”
“I think I’d say she was willing to meet me, probably against her instincts. There’s nothing for her in this, after all.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. If she had nothing to gain, she wouldn’t have agreed in the first place.”
“She didn’t. Professor Fleischer persuaded her.”
“Or thinks she did.”
“How could Hallgarten possibly benefit from meeting me?”
“It could be nothing more than a matter of conscience or perhaps she needs to find out more about her father. It’s not an easy burden to bear, knowing that your father was a leading figure in the Nazi war machine. Anything that shows he was just doing a respectable job would be worth knowing.”
“Running agents would be regarded as respectable?”
Donovan nodded. “At least he wasn’t working in the death camps or involved in war crimes. Intelligence work is nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Donovan,” Ralph began, “however Professor Hallgarten might regard the situation, we’ve agreed that Marnie isn’t up to taking on this assignment.”
“I can understand that.”
“I was wondering,” Marnie said, “whether you might be able to talk to her – on the phone, of course – and find out what she knows.”
“She might feel more comfortable speaking German,” Anne added.
A rueful smile. “I’m touched at your faith in me, but don’t you think I may be a little out of my depth here?”
Marnie said, “Your German is flawless, which is a good start. Also you think quickly and you keep a cool head.”
“Well,” he said, “I’m willing to try.”
“Thanks, Donovan. When do you think you might be able to phone her?”
“What number do you have, private or work?”
“The university.”
“Then it has to wait till Monday,” Ralph said.
“Do you have an address for her?”
Marnie took a slip of paper out of her shirt pocket and handed it across the table.
Donovan read it. “This is private.”
“Yes.”
“With this I can get her home number from directory enquiries. No need to wait.”
*
They sat in the office after dinner
, with Donovan in Marnie’s chair. He rang enquiries and spoke first in English before changing to German.
“That was the easy part. Are we ready? I phone her now?”
“What time is it in Frankfurt?” Marnie asked.
“Just after nine. That’s quite acceptable in Germany.”
“Are you ready, Donovan?” Ralph said.
“I suppose so.”
Anne smiled at him. “Go for it.”
Donovan collected himself before pressing the buttons. After a few seconds he began speaking. The others listened, catching the odd word, including Marnie’s name. They noticed that he gave his own name simply as Donovan. It quickly became clear that the conversation was not going well. Donovan was frowning. Eventually he stopped and handed the phone to Marnie.
“She wants to speak to you.”
Marnie announced herself and assured Hallgarten that she was indeed the person who had spoken with her the previous morning. The professor reiterated that she was willing to meet Marnie in person but not conduct a long discussion on the phone. On that point she was adamant.
“Then I must thank you for your time, professor, but decline your invitation. My current state of health does not permit me to undertake the journey.”
“You had an accident?”
Marnie hesitated, not happy about explaining her medical condition to a stranger. But then, what the hell. “I had a miscarriage with a number of complications. This required two operations to rectify. I’m self-employed and I need to take care of my health for obvious reasons. Fortunately I have an excellent colleague who keeps everything in order.”
“The young man I spoke to?”
“No, he’s a friend.”
“And he is German.”
“Half German, on his mother’s side.”
“Does he have connections with … the former regime?”
“I think he’d better answer that question himself.”
“Please. I would like to speak to him again.”
Marnie passed the phone back to Donovan. This time the dialogue seemed more relaxed. They recognised the name of Donovan’s German grandfather, Professor Dr Klaus Herrmann. This seemed to spark off a lengthy exchange. When he disconnected, his expression was thoughtful and troubled.
“What is it?” Marnie asked.
“She said she was a great admirer of my grandfather, asked me all sorts of questions, as if she wanted to be sure I was who I said I was.”
“I see.”
“No, Marnie, you don’t see. She wasn’t just chatting.”
“What then?”
“She said she would be willing to meet me to talk about her father’s work, if you couldn’t travel.”
Chapter 53
The Best-Laid Plan
It had been a strange weekend. Donovan had gone home on Saturday night, retrieving his bicycle from its hiding place in the spinney and riding off down the towpath to catch a train from Wolverton. They had all agreed to think about Professor Hallgarten’s suggestion and confer again on Monday.
On Sunday morning the consensus at Glebe Farm was that Ralph should go with Donovan. As a renowned and respected academic, he would bring added weight to the discussions in Germany and reassure Hallgarten of their honest intentions. By lunchtime they were wavering.
Would Hallgarten worry that something she revealed might reach others in the university world and find its way into publications? Could Ralph visit the university without making his presence known to the authorities as a matter of courtesy?
By Sunday afternoon they were considering the possibility that Donovan might prefer to travel alone, reasoning that he was a loner by temperament. By Sunday evening they were totally confused.
Donovan had no lectures in the first half of Monday morning and they gathered round the office phone, which Marnie set to hands-free mode, and rang him at eight-thirty. She asked how he felt about travelling to Germany with Ralph, insisting that whatever was decided, she would pay all travel costs.
Donovan hesitated. “I’m not sure why I think this, but maybe we’d be more conspicuous.”
“You think we’d appear an unlikely team?” Ralph said.
“Possibly. No offence, Ralph, but it might be easier for me to travel light.”
“But what if you needed back-up?” Marnie asked.
“Why would I need back-up?”
“I don’t know. I just have an uneasy feeling. You’re always saying how careful we have to be. You might need someone to watch your back, that’s all.”
There was silence on the line. Donovan was thinking that Ralph had great qualities, but they were in the field of economic theory. He was not the first person you’d think of when it came to quick thinking in tricky situations. He was trying to compose a diplomatic way of phrasing that when Anne spoke.
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?”
*
Anne came down the wall-ladder, pulled on her apricot scarf and picked up the rucksack. Marnie was at her desk, chewing a thumbnail, her expression pensive.
“I’ll be back by five, Marnie.” As usual Anne sounded chirpy. “See you later.”
“Right. Anne, I’m not happy about this.”
“It’ll be a doddle.”
“Frankly, I don’t think I give a damn about whose body was in that grave. Who cares?”
“It seems to be bugging a lot of people who want to cover something up.”
“It was all a long time ago, and we’ve got no guarantee that Hallgarten will be any wiser than we are.”
“Look, we’ve come all this way, Marnie. This may be our only chance of finding out what’s gone on here. Sure, we can give up, but let’s have one last try.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Why not? I’m looking forward to it. I’ve never been to Germany before. Donovan said they put up Christmas trees with white lights on everywhere. He says it’s really pretty in Germany at Advent time.”
“And you really want to go in the Mini?”
“We’ll see more that way. We can share the driving, which reminds me, I’ve got a list of things to do: insurance, AA cover, car ferry bookings.”
“You’ve got it all worked out.”
“Donovan’s term ends on Wednesday. I can miss a couple of days of college at the end of the week. That’s okay. I’m well ahead with my work.”
“As simple as that.”
“No probs. We’ll just be two students going to Germany for a break. No-one’s going to pay any attention to us. We’ll drive over on Thursday, visit the university on Friday and drive back on Monday. A nice weekend jaunt. What could go wrong?”
Marnie forced a big smile as Anne went out, though her stomach was churning. What could go wrong, indeed?
Chapter 54
Sleigh Ride
On Thursday morning Anne climbed into the red Mini, optimistic and excited about her first motoring tour on the Continent. Marnie and Ralph kept their misgivings to themselves and waved her off up the field track.
An arm protruded from the driver’s window in a farewell flourish as Anne disappeared from view near the top of the field. Marnie leaned her head on Ralph’s shoulder.
“I don’t think I’ll feel right until she’s safely back.”
“Do you think I should’ve insisted on going with Donovan?”
“No, my darling, I don’t. Donovan’s plan of just blending in with the other students in Frankfurt is sound.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“The only snag is, they’ve got to get there first.”
*
Anne pulled out onto the dual carriageway and headed south. Beside her on the passenger seat lay a folder with all their papers and tickets for the journey. She was thrilled at the prospect of a trip to Germany. During the week she had taught herself some basic German phrases from a book and recited them as she drove along. Of course, they would be unnecessary, given Donovan’s fluency in the language, but that was no excuse for not trying.
This struck Anne as unusual. All the other larger cars were rushing past at high speed. This one was following at a steady sixty. Anne heard Donovan’s voice in her head: be aware, be watchful. Time for an experiment. The first exit from the bypass was coming up.
Anne signalled and slipped off the main carriageway. The Passat followed, keeping well back. At the elevated roundabout she took the third exit, the access road leading back down to the dual carriageway. She was relieved to see that the Passat did not follow; it proceeded past as if to take the next exit off the main road.
Anne chided herself for being neurotic. Returning to her usual cruising speed, she watched the rear-view mirror sporadically, having a clear view back down the road. She had travelled barely half a mile when she spotted a gaggle of cars approaching fast. Some of them were executive expresses, some of them German. They swished past in rapid succession, but one, a dark Passat on the tail of the queue hung back and joined the inside lane some distance behind her.
Was it the same car? Anne felt her hands grow damp on the steering wheel. She made herself take deep breaths. What would Donovan do?
She checked the mirror by moving her eyes only. It was still there, keeping station about fifty yards back. There could be several reasons for its doing so, but she could only think of one. Anne struggled to keep her mind on the road but at the same time try to work out a plan. She could speed up, but the Passat could go faster. She could slow right down, but that would only reveal that she was aware of its presence. To take action meant having a choice of options. That time had not yet come.
A signboard came up indicating the next turn-off. The plan formed itself instantly. At the two hundred yard board Anne indicated a left turn and slowed for the exit. On the climb uphill from the bypass she looked in the mirror without moving her head. Still there.
