`Several hundred miles.'
`Do me a favour, Bob. Show me how to operate it. I've messed about with cruisers on the Broads, but it was a long time ago…'
He listened while Newman explained the functions of the various instruments. The reporter went over everything three times until he was sure Tweed had absorbed his instruction.
`And if you ever have to take a boat like this out, remember one thing if you forget everything else..
`Which is?'
`Keep your eyes glued for'ard – what lies ahead of you. OK. Look back at the stern occasionally. But it's what's ahead you have to watch. And in misty conditions that means the radar-scope. You seem to have mastered that.'
`I think I hear voices. We'd better get back to Diana.'
Her voice warned them as they opened the door, calling up to them in a voice which carried a note of strain. They had a visitor.
`Gentlemen,' Diana called out, 'we have company. May I introduce you to an acquaintance. Kurt Franck.'
The tall blond German, clad in windcheater, jeans and a leather belt round his middle, his feet shod in trainers, waved a large hand in welcome.
Twelve
`Champagne?' Franck lifted an opened bottle from a table and hoisted it like a flag. Diana had produced four tulip glasses. She sat in her chair, legs crossed, her expression wary.
`Bit early,' Newman replied in German.
'Never too early for champagne! Sit down everyone. Think of a toast…'
Newman sensed Diana disliked her unexpected visitor, the man who had provided a glass of water when she spilt drink on her dress outside the Jensen. Franck, self-assured as the devil, had taken over the cruiser. Without waiting for Tweed to react he poured four glasses. Tweed sat next to Diana with his back to the sun where he could observe the German. Franck raised his glass and gazed at Newman who sat down and reached for his glass.
'I have thought of a toast.'
`Well, come on then! We want to drink…'
'A toast to the swift hunting down of the maniac who killed Helena Andersen…'
Franck froze, his glass in mid-air. His heavy face seemed to grow heavier as his ice-blue eyes stared at Newman. There was a sudden atmosphere of tension aboard the Sudwind.
'I find that a macabre toast…'
'It was a macabre murder. Cheers!' Newman winked at Diana. 'Down the hatch.'
`I'll drink to that,' she said.
'Of course…' Franck sat down and splayed his powerful legs. 'You are a newspaper reporter, so you spend your life grubbing for the dirt…'
`Franck!' Diana said sharply.
`That's OK,' Newman said easily. 'The killing of that Swedish girl was a pretty dirty business.'
`But doesn't your conscience ever prick you?' Franck persisted. 'Poking your nose into people's private lives…'
'It certainly wouldn't bother me if I were investigating you,' Newman told him cheerfully. 'What do you do for a living, anyway? Unless the answer is embarrassing.'
`And why should it be embarrassing?' An ugly note had crept into the German's tone.
`Tell me what you do and we'll know the answer.'
'I'm a security consultant. I protect people's privacy – instead of invading it.'
`That's an interesting job.' Newman sipped a little more champagne, frowned and put down his glass. 'What company?' 'I work independently. Freelance…'
'He chauffeurs rich old ladies,' Diana said with a hint of a dry smile.
'Is that so?' Newman commented. 'Sounds a profitable…' occupation. Some rich dowagers like a handsome young chap at their beck and call…'
`What exactly does that mean?' Franck's left fist clenched on the arm of his chair and his tone was savage.
`Now, now,' Tweed intervened. He leaned forward towards Franck. `I'm having difficulty placing what part of Germany you come from.' He waited, a look of cheerful anticipation on his face.
`Why do you want to know that?'
`I make a hobby of locating local accents. Just a foolish hobby of mine.' He smiled genially. `You don't mind my asking?' `Now we're getting personal,' Franck replied brusquely. `I'd have said Saxony,' Newman interjected.
Franck pushed back his chair, stood up and loomed over Newman. The Englishman placed his glass on the table, stretched out his legs and crossed them at the ankles.
`I find your manner obnoxious,' Franck announced. `And you don't seem to appreciate the champagne..
`Obnoxious? I thought we were having a friendly conversation. As to the champagne, it's lukewarm and a rather inferior brand, now that you bring the subject up…'
`Bollinger? An inferior brand?'
`I'm afraid they saw you coming. The bottle may be Bollinger, the contents most certainly are not. Were you thinking of leaving us?'
`You and I will meet again, Newman.'
`Anytime.' Newman gave a broad grin. `Anytime at all…'
Franck turned on his heel, and strode off the cruiser. The gang-plank trembled under his weight, under the heavy thud of his feet. He disappeared amid the tangle of masts in the direction of the Priwall ferry.
`Well,' said Newman, 'that saved him answering the question where he comes from. I must have said something that disagreed with him.'
`I find him creepy,' said Diana. 'And I don't want any more of his bloody champers.' She hurled the bottle over the side. `He used the fact that he'd given me that glass of water at the Jensen to come aboard the other day. Thinks he's a real charmer. That women will queue up to spend the night with him. I simply love the type. A real lady-killer…'
`Maybe you're nearer the truth than you realize,' Newman told her grimly.
`Munzel has reported contact with Tweed,' Wolf told Lysenko as they wandered through the stark streets between the concrete blocks of rebuilt Leipzig. That means he is close to making his move to liquidate him.'
`How recent is the report?'
`Within the past few hours. His contact with Tweed was late this morning at one of the marinas at Travemunde.'
`How does Munzel safely make such a report?' Lysenko demanded. 'I emphasize 'safely'.'
`We have perfected our communications systems over the years.' Wolf was irked by this constant questioning of his organization. 'Specifically, in this case, Munzel phoned a West Berlin number from Travemunde. A lawyer who specializes in handling any legal problems between families in West Germany with relatives in the East. Bonn trusts him implicitly.'
`So you say. So far the message from Munzel has reached West Berlin. What then?'
`The lawyer has his office within five minutes' walk of Checkpoint Charlie. After receiving the call from Munzel he carries the message in his head and crosses into East Berlin. From there he uses a direct line to me here in Leipzig.'
`I suppose it is foolproof,' Lysenko said grudgingly.
`You'll just have to. take my word that it is. Munzel says he has no doubt he can accomplish his mission within days. At the first opportunity, and those were his very words.'
