by Colin Forbes
`Diana has found herself a flat. She has also found herself a job. She doesn't waste much time.'
`Give her my congratulations when you see her.'
`Not a good idea.' Newman paused. `She doesn't want to see you again. I argued, got nowhere. I'm taking her out to Waltons for dinner tonight. And I made my statement to the police about the Norfolk business. They weren't too happy. As you suggested, I told them to contact you and that shut them up. Case closed.'
`Don't worry about Diana. She needs a new start in life. I am also very grateful to you…'
'Nonsense. My experience inside the DDR may come in useful one day. And I'm sorry about Diana. I thought maybe you and she…'
`Forget it. I'm very tired.'
`And Kuhlmann might like this back.' Newman laid a Luger on the desk. 'I've got rid of the ammo. What about Dr Berlin – the German end?'
`Kuhlmann is handling that. I had a long talk on the phone with him. He's spreading the rumour Berlin has returned to Leipzig. End of story.'
`See you, then…'
Monica came into the office after Newman had left. She found Tweed sitting at his desk, writing out a letter. Placing a file on his desk, she caught sight of a sentence.
`My God! What are you doing?'
`Writing out my letter of resignation. I committed a major error of judgement – when I chose Hugh Grey.'
`But that's buried…' She paused. 'Sorry, that was not a very well phrased comment. You solved the problem brilliantly.' `And I created it.'
`I phoned Paula Grey as you asked, and she's at my place. I told her you were holding an important meeting out at Hawkswood Farm. She seemed glad to come. Last night – over a pot of tea – she broke down. Told me she saw Hugh drive off after his birthday party two years ago. Later she found drops of blood on his shirt. That's why she put Portman, that private investigator, on his track. Did you suspect it was Grey?'
'He was my prime suspect, yes. Little things. We all live by habit. I noticed the countryside close to Travemunde was very like East Anglia – I think that was why Grey chose the port as his base. Nostalgia for home surroundings. Later – after Newman told me about the huge drug cargo – I recalled the reinforced landing stage at the edge of the Wash. The clincher was the absence of something. Grey knew he was being followed by Portman and never reported it to me, which would have been his normal reaction – in case it was the opposition. He didn't dare do that – it could have led to Grey himself being put under close surveillance.'
`And what about that weird episode when Diana caught him unawares at the mansion on Priwall Island? When she saw him before he'd grown his beard and he had a catlick over his forehead. Rather like Hitler I think you said?'
'My guess is he only had seconds to act – but he had fast reflexes. He combed his hair down over his forehead – so if she ever passed on his description to the wrong person they would think it sounded like Guy Dalby – which it did. Hugh had to be a very clever villain to achieve what he did.'
He finished writing, read through the letter, then placed it on his desk and leant back in his chair. Monica reached forward, picked up the sheet, folded it and put it inside her handbag.
'I haven't signed it yet. What are you doing?'
`Sleep on it,' Monica advised.
'I was going to.'
'For a week. If, at the end of a week, you still feel the same way, I'll give this letter back to you.'
'I won't change my mind…'
'Of course not,' she replied. 'And now, just for once, I'm going home early.'
Tweed was left alone, sitting at his desk, staring at the wall map which showed the border between two worlds – East and West.
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