dear Squadron Leader Roskill –
you're not going to tell me the Israelis fixed that car?'
'It happens that Colonel Shapiro was damn well-placed to get it done.'
'Shapiro?' Razzak exclaimed incredulously. 'You must be joking!'
He continued to stare at Roskill in evident disbelief. 'But you're not, are you!'
'He had the opportunity,' Roskill said defensively. This wasn't how the fat man was meant to react.
Razzak shook his head. 'I think you're being less than frank with me. If Shapiro had the opportunity – if that's what you really believe – you can discount him. Whatever he is, he's not a fool.
dummy2
And if he wanted to do it he wouldn't make such a goddman mess
– it would be done properly while he was lying on the beach at Tel Aviv.'
That familiar tune! It was reassuring to have Audley's assessment confirmed – but disconcerting to have the confirmation from this source.
Unless Razzak was on the level. Unless, unless, unless – there were too many snakes in this game, and not nearly enough ladders ...
'Then if not Shapiro, who do you favour?'
There was a bump and the painful hiss of tyres rubbed callously against the kerb. Roskill glimpsed the bulk of St. Paul's ahead.
'You weren't looking for Colonel Shapiro at the reception this evening, Roskill. Who were you looking out for?' Razzak turned the question back to Roskill.
'I thought we made a deal just now, Colonel. Who were
'I wasn't looking for anyone in particular. I was — how shall I put it – showing my face. Showing it where it isn't often seen. Showing it where I wished it to be seen.'
Razzak paused, then touched Roskill's arm and pointed across the street. 'Who do you see over there, just on the corner?'
'The policeman?'
'The policeman. He isn't doing anything. He's not hunting anyone.
But if there are any criminals walking in the street they can see dummy2
him, and he is saying to them 'I am here. I've got my eye on you.
So don't try anything!' He doesn't have to say a word, but they can hear him just as well as if he shouted.
'And he is just an ordinary bobby. I am a lot more than an ordinary bobby, my friend. For those I wish to be seen by – I am a Scotland Yard chief of detectives.'
'And who would that be?'
'The fools, Roskill – the fools! The ones who throw the grenades and shoot up school buses. The ones who try to play soldiers in the dark while it is safe and then run away before the sun rises. The ones who kill the wrong people at the wrong time.'
'You don't approve of the liberation movement?'
'Liberation my arse!' Razzak snorted contemptuously. 'They couldn't liberate the skin off a rice pudding. They can't even agree what they want to liberate for more than ten minutes, never mind how it's to be done.'
He shook his head vehemently. 'I know what you're thinking too –
that we Egyptians aren't liberators either, because; the Zionists have kicked
'You don't rate guerrilla warfare at all?'
'When it works inside a country – yes! In Vietnam – or the way the Zionists fixed you British in Palestine. But not hit and run from dummy2
across a border. And not by stupid terrorism in foreign countries –
that just makes things worse for us. That's what ruined us in '67.
The bloody Syrians called the tune, and we did all the dancing!
And maybe they would at that, thought Roskill – with the Russians committed and the Americans weary of pulling chestnuts out of the fire. Llewelyn seemed to think there was a chance, anyway – even if Audley was as cynical as ever.
But that wouldn't extract payment for Alan – and by God someone was going to dance for that! The high bloody politicians could pursue their high bloody policies to their hearts' content. Only this once he had his own private score to settle.
'If you wanted to nip trouble in the bud, you've started too late, Colonel,' he said harshly.
'But they didn't get Llewelyn.'
'Not this time they didn't.'
