Shadow of Doom

by John Creasey

  ‘At the back entrance, I guess.’

  ‘We’ll collect him,’ said Palfrey.

  Five minutes later, with Bruton and Erikson in the back, he drove at a fast pace towards the suburbs, until he came within sight of van Doorn’s house. There were two or three armed policemen at hand, and he had never been more glad to see them. He pulled up outside the house, and they went in a bunch towards the front door. It opened, and Drusilla stood on the porch to greet them.

  ‘All well here?’ asked Palfrey.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Good!’ said Palfrey. ‘Is van Doorn awake?’

  ‘Yes, reading.’

  ‘Tell Anna we’re here,’ Palfrey said.

  Van Doorn was propped up against his pillows. He had been washed, and his beard was clean and trimmed. The ravages which the past fortnight had made on him were all too evident now. He put his book down immediately Palfrey entered.

  ‘You appear excited, my friend,’ he said, and his voice was only an echo of the voice with which Palfrey had become familiar. ‘Have you some news?’

  ‘Of a kind,’ said Palfrey. ‘You may be able to help again.’ He sat down at the side of van Doorn’s bed, his fingers playing with the ‘charm’ which he had pulled from Bane’s watch-chain. ‘You remember the man who was wearing a black mask?’

  ‘I remember it only too well,’ said van Doorn. ‘I can laugh at it now.’

  ‘I don’t think it is to be laughed at,’ said Palfrey, and took the charm out. ‘Is that exactly the same?’

  Van Doorn stared at it in obvious surprise, stretched out his hand and inspected it closely. He did not speak at once – he did not burst out, as Charles had done, to say that it was exactly the same, and he seemed to be in some doubt. Palfrey waited, in a fever of impatience.

  ‘I think it is,’ said van Doorn, ‘but that is not the only remarkable thing about it, Palfrey. I have seen one of those before—several times before.’

  ‘Ah!’ said Palfrey.

  ‘Dias had one, on his watch-chain,’ said van Doorn. ‘He had a habit of playing with it when he did not think anyone was watching him. I often saw it. And there were others—several of the Gestapo had similar things. It did not strike me when I saw the large mask, but now it does. Where did you get it?’

  ‘From an American millionaires’ said Palfrey. ‘Did von Kriess have one?’

  ‘I did not see him with one,’ said van Doorn.

  ‘You’ve only seen them on Dias and Gestapo officials?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Thanks,’ said Palfrey, and put it in his pocket.

  He looked hazy and a little vacant, but his mind was busy. One of those little tokens had been in Lozana’s suit-case, together with the list of names. That was probably a measure of their importance.

  ‘It’s a pity,’ he said; ‘I hoped you’d be able to give me a long list of people who wore them. You couldn’t have made a mistake about where you have seen them, I suppose?’

  ‘No,’ said van Doorn,’ I have not made a mistake, Palfrey. Why are you so interested in it?’

  ‘Its owner nearly threw a fit when he lost it,’ said Palfrey, ‘and he isn’t a man who throws fits as daily exercise. I—Hallo,’ he called out, for there was a tap at the door. ‘Come in, cherubs!’

  It was Charles, with Anna just behind him. Charles was excited, Anna’s eyes had much more than their usual brilliance. That in itself was a cheerful sight.

  ‘Sap,’ said Charles, without preamble, I was telling Anna about the mask charm, or whatever you call it. She’s seen them before.’

  ‘On Dias and Gestapo officers?’ asked Palfrey.

  ‘Oh, that was long afterwards.’ The words spilled out of Anna. ‘At one time it was the emblem of active resistance in Rotterdam. You did not know that, Father, you were not allowed to join the resistance because of your work, but I was with it and there were, of course, many others. Only the leaders had such a mask as that—always it was hidden carefully; many who were caught by the Germans swallowed it rather than allow it to be discovered; but it was discovered. On the night after the battle of Arnhem started it was discovered, and afterwards there was such a purge of resistance leaders, that dreadful purge. You remember that,’ she added, looking at her father sorrowfully.

  ‘Yes,’ van Doorn said, slowly.

  ‘Most of the little charms were destroyed,’ said Anna, ‘but a few were left. I believe that Hans Laander has one now. He had one before, and he escaped the purge. They were used to gain admittance to secret meetings,’ she added, ‘and for many other purposes; the possession of one of those in the early days of the occupation was a pass into every loyal home. I am quite sure of this,’ she added, sharply, for Palfrey looked at her almost as if he could not believe what she was saying. ‘There is no doubt.’

  ‘Of course not,’ said Palfrey. ‘And they haven’t been used since Arnhem?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Yet they reappeared on Dias and Gestapo officers.’

  ‘They were taken as souvenirs,’ said Anna.

  ‘They might have started off as souvenirs,’ said Palfrey, ‘but they have more significance now.’ He handed her the little mask, and she examined it closely. ‘Is it exactly the same?’

  She said: ‘There is one thing different.’

  ‘What is it?’ asked Palfrey.

  ‘The chin was smooth and rounded,’ she said; ‘in this it has a cleft.’ She indicated a tiny mark with her finger-nail, and Palfrey took it to the window and examined it more closely.

  ‘Carved afterwards,’ he said; ‘you can see the marks of the knife or chisel. It’s Burmese blackwood, nearly as enduring as ebony.’ He tossed the little thing into the air, and the sun caught it and made it glint. He was not looking at it, but out of the window, and he was not surprised when a car came along the road, sleek and glistening beneath the sun, and pulled up outside the front gate. Policemen moved towards it, and then dropped back, for only one man stepped out, the man who had been driving.

  It was William K. Bane.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Mr. Bane Makes an Offer

  Drusilla admitted Bane. Palfrey was standing in the dining-room, listening to what was said, but he got very little reward for his eavesdropping. All Bane said was that he wanted to see Palfrey, and he certainly meant to stay. Drusilla showed him into the sitting-room, opposite, and closed the door.

  Palfrey tucked the charm into his pocket and went towards the sitting-room door, pausing outside for a moment and then entering.

  Bane said: ‘Palfrey, I’ll pay you ten thousand pounds in gold for that charm.’

  ‘It’s handsome of you,’ said Palfrey, ‘but it can’t be done. You’ve changed your method, haven’t you? Your first offer was in lead.’

  Bane’s expression did not change.

  ‘The next offer might be in cold steel,’ he said. ‘That charm is worth plenty to me, Palfrey, but it’s worth nothing to you. Maybe you don’t think I mean it when I say ten thousand in gold. When I say a thing I mean a thing. That’s my offer, and it won’t go higher. You’ll be wise to take it.’

  ‘I almost wish I could,’ said Palfrey.

  Bane said: ‘Listen to me, son. I’m older in the tooth than you are. There was a time when you were able to get around and do good stuff; I know about you and your friends. This time it isn’t your field. That was war, and this is what they call peace and you’re hamstrung; if you’re honest with yourself you’ll admit you’re hamstrung. Leave it to me, Palfrey, and when I get to the end of it you can have your radium, and it won’t cost you a penny—or a cracked head.’

  ‘Is Josh Anderson of a like opinion?’ asked Palfrey gently.

  ‘You can leave Anderson out of this,’ said Bane.

  ‘That’s the trouble, I can’t
,’ said Palfrey.

  ‘I guess you’ll have to,’ said Bane. He hesitated, then stepped abruptly to the window. ‘Listen, Palfrey, I’m not fooling you. Come with me. I’ll show you why you’ve got to give me that charm. You won’t get hurt if you stay close enough to me—they won’t try shooting me up.’

  Palfrey said: ‘Until this thing is over I don’t go anywhere with anyone unless I’ve company of my own choosing.’

  ‘Bring whom you like,’ said Bane, carelessly.

  ‘You were asking about Josh Anderson,’ Bane said.

  The man on the bed was Anderson. Palfrey knew him well enough to be sure. Only that morning he had been at the hotel with Bane and Lozana; now he looked close to death. He lay there with that uncanny stare and gave not the slightest sign that he knew anyone had entered the room.

  Palfrey looked up at Bane.

  ‘Why this?’ he said.

  ‘They pumped poison into him,’ said Bane.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because he didn’t come to heel,’ said Bane. ‘And because he wouldn’t part with the charm. They got it from him. Lozana found it this morning—he went to see Josh first. There was a row. This followed. Anderson was safe while he had that little charm, Palfrey, but only until then.’

  ‘And the same applies to you?’ said Palfrey.

  ‘Not to me,’ said Bane; ‘I’ve told you, they want my money. They knew they weren’t going to get any of Josh’s, he was fool enough to tell Lozana so. For twelve months Josh and I have been working to find out what Dias is after; we’ve strung Dias along, but Josh got mad—that was his trouble, he always got mad too easily. It doesn’t pay to get mad. The one good thing was that he told them they could still get their money from me.’

  ‘Money for what?’ asked Palfrey.

  ‘A great number of things,’ said Bane, ‘and the most important I don’t yet know. I hope to—tonight.’

  ‘Why tonight?’

  ‘Because tonight there is going to be a meeting,’ said Bane, ‘and they’ll talk some.’

  Palfrey said: ‘I would like to attend that meeting.’

  ‘Don’t be a fool,’ Bane said, sharply. ‘The moment they saw you they would slit your throat. This isn’t a game.’

  ‘No,’ said Palfrey, ‘but I would still like to attend that meeting. What time is it?’

  ‘Around midnight.’

  ‘Where is it?’

  ‘I don’t yet know. They’ll send a guide for me. And they won’t let me be followed, Palfrey, they’ll take care of that. Don’t try to come, it won’t be worth while to make your wife a widow. When it’s over I will tell you what I learned.’

  ‘With reservations, I’m afraid,’ said Palfrey.

  Bane said: ‘I’ll tell you what I learn.’

  After a long pause Palfrey inserted his thumb and forefinger into his pocket and handed the charm to Bane without a word Bane looked at it – and his broad thumb moved all over it as if seeking something out. It seemed to pause near the chin When he had satisfied himself that it was the right one, he said slowly: ‘I’ll play ball, Palfrey.’

  ‘I hope you will,’ said Palfrey. ‘Are you coming out?’

  ‘I’ll stay a while with Josh,’ said Bane.

  Outside, the three men strolled casually along the street before they reached their car. Palfrey was talking. At all costs they must get another charm; according to Anna there had once been many in Rotterdam, and Laander had one. They go into the car and drove off, and as they passed the nursing home they saw a curtain move at a first-floor window, and Palfrey caught a glimpse of Bane against the dim light in the room.

  They drove round two blocks, and Palfrey pulled the car up not far from the nursing home, but out of sight of it.

  ‘Keep him in sight whatever you do,’ he said. ‘If we lose him we might lose out altogether. I’ll be at the Guyder after ten o’clock.’

  ‘We won’t lose him,’ Bruton said.

  Palfrey left them, and drove through the gathering gloom towards Groote Street. He parked the car outside Laander’s house and knocked at the door. The woman opened it in exactly the same way as she had done the previous night, her expression forbidding until she recognised Palfrey. Then her eyes lit up, and she stepped aside.

  ‘He is still busy,’ she said, ‘he has been working all the afternoon, he has not come down since lunch-time, Mynheer. It is good that you have called, it will make a rest for him.’

  ‘I’ll try to make him take a long one,’ smiled Palfrey.

  ‘You are good, Mynheer.’ She pulled her skirts high as she mounted the stairs. There was a dim light on the landing, but Hans Laander’s door was closed, and there was no light beneath it. Palfrey was not thinking of that; he was wondering whether Laander would part with the miniature mask, whether he could cut a cleft in the chin to make it good enough to gain him entry at the ‘meeting’. Him, or one of the others – it might be wise to send Bruton or Erikson, that had not yet been decided.

  ‘The room is in darkness,’ whispered the woman, ‘perhaps he is sleeping.’

  ‘I have most urgent business,’ said Palfrey, ‘but if you wish I will wait for a little while.’

  ‘We will see,’ said the woman. ‘Hush!’ She tapped gently on the door, but there was no answer. She opened it softly, and the light spread into the room. At first she could not see clearly.

  It was Palfrey, looking over her shoulder, who first saw that the room was in chaos, papers scattered over the floor, desks and tables overturned, drawers open and leaning drunkenly from cabinets – a scene of disorder which, when the woman realised what she was looking at, made her gasp aloud and turn to Palfrey.

  ‘See!’ she cried.

  Palfrey switched on the light. Then they could see the whole room. Laander was lying on the floor in a corner, in a pool of brownish-red, and a brownish-red mark was across his neck, a gaping wound.

  Chapter Twenty

  The Meeting-place

  Why?

  ‘Perhaps because I had been to see him,’ said Palfrey, in a low voice. ‘Perhaps …’

  His voice trailed off. He knelt again by the body, seeing that the pockets had been searched; some of them were turned inside out, and the contents were strewn on the floor about him. The corner of an envelope was stuck in the coagulating blood. He stood up and went to the telephone, and gave van Doorn’s number.

  Anna answered him.

  ‘Anna,’ said Palfrey, ‘this is most important. You remember the thing which you identified for me? Don’t name it.’

  ‘I remember quite clearly,’ said Anna.

  ‘Who else retained one, do you know?’

  ‘Who else besides Mynheer Laander?’ she said. ‘I do not know. Few kept them, Mynheer, because they were so dangerous; most of them were destroyed when the truth about them was learned by the Germans.’

  ‘Try to remember someone else who kept one,’ urged Palfrey.

  ‘I have been thinking of them since you left,’ said Anna, ‘and I can recall no one, no one at all. Cannot Hans Laander help you?’

  ‘No,’ said Palfrey, ‘not now.’

  There was a pause, after a gasp, as if Anna understood something of what had happened from the gravity of his tone. Then she spoke again, steadily.

  ‘Is he there, Mynheer?’

  ‘He has been killed, Anna.’

  ‘So he has been killed,’ she said, ‘and—and you require the little thing, for—vengeance?’ Her voice did not rise, she seemed quite self-possessed, but he could imagine how hard she fought to keep her self-control.

  ‘Yes,’ said Palfrey.

  ‘You may find it,’ she said, ‘if you look in the fitting of the electric light over the desk.’

  The secret messenger came for William K. Bane at a quarter to ele
ven. The man made no attempt to avoid notice, and asked for Bane at the desk. Bruton, who was standing near the revolving doors heard him. Erikson was at the back entrance of the hotel, and Bruton walked through the lounge past the messenger, and into the street.

  ‘Front door, Neil,’ said Bruton.

  ‘Okay,’ said Erikson.

  Palfrey went to van Doorn’s house without any intention of staying for long. Anna let him in. She looked at him reproachfully; she wanted to help the woman who looked after Laander

  ‘It won’t be safe yet,’ Palfrey said. ‘Please believe me.’

  She did not press her point.

  Palfrey went upstairs to the bedroom which he had used the previous night, and Drusilla followed him. He took out the make-up box which he had taken from the luggage boot of the car, opened it on the dressing-table, and looked at her smilingly.

  ‘Do you feel like a hairdresser?’ he asked.

  ‘I suppose you must go,’ said Drusilla.

  ‘Yes,’ said Palfrey. ‘Mine is the only face that will lend itself to deception. I am, as you have doubtless noticed, a perfect Little Willie.’ He handed her a pair of clippers.

  They worked for half an hour, and then Palfrey went downstairs into the living-room where Charles and Stefan were talking together. Stefan looked startled at first, Charles positively jumped.

  ‘Who the devil are you?’ he snapped.

  ‘Not the Devil,’ said Palfrey, in his normal voice.

  Palfrey still waited outside the door Erikson had shown him.

  A woman appeared, walking swiftly, warning him by the rustle of her clothes. She pressed the bell – long, short, long – and the door opened and she disappeared.

  ‘Good enough,’ murmured Palfrey.

  He went back to the front door, opened it, then let it close behind him. It was possible that it sounded a bell somewhere in this building, and that if the bell did not sound he would immediately be suspect. As it was, he might be called upon to give a name. If he were …