At the Priory Eve had arrived very late for breakfast, had then eaten two fried eggs with bacon and tomatoes. She had explained her lateness between mouthfuls.
'I hardly slept all night. Just sat up in bed and read a paperback …'
Which, at the time, had seemed odd to Philip. Before going to bed he had wandered round the outside of her suite and there had not been a light on in any room.
He was thinking of this as he stared down and she came back into the room. He handed her the glass.
'Call that a large vodka? For God's sake.'
'Isn't it a bit early…'
'No, it isn't.' she snapped as she filled up the glass. 'Aren't you drinking? You could always pour yourself an extra strong orange juice.'
She flopped down on a long couch, stretched out her legs. He sat down at the far end, watched her while she drank her vodka in two separate gulps. She had calmed down. He reached out and clasped her hand.
'Not yet. We hardly know each other, darling.'
Jumping up, she sat in a nearby armchair, flashed him her warm smile. She leaned forward.
'I don't even know anything about your job.'
'I'm in insurance.' replied Philip, suddenly guarded.
'What kind of insurance? Who are the key people? Is Tweed the top man in your outfit? He's nice. Who does he work with besides yourself? I'm interested.'
'You don't tell me anything about your job,' he reminded her. 'Except to say it's hush-hush…'
'Is yours hush-hush?' she asked quickly.
'No, it's boring to talk about. And I told you before I was in insurance.' He looked at his watch. 'I have to get to the office now I've seen you safely home.'
Annoyed with her swift changes of mood, he just wanted to get out of the place. She leapt up from her chair, threw her arms round him, kissed him full on the mouth, and then broke away.
'Call me tonight, Philip. Before six. I may have to go abroad on a job.'
'Where to?'
'God knows, but my boss does. I'll know when he tells me.'
I'll give you a buzz…'
Tweed was pacing round his office, his mind racing as he played with the pieces of the jigsaw he was trying to assemble.
'You're putting an iron curtain round Leopold Brazil,' Paula commented. 'First Keith Kent going off to Geneva. Now Bill Franklin heading for the same Swiss city to activate his detectives.'
'It will need an iron curtain to pin down what Brazil is up to.'
'You're sure he is up to something?'
'I am after what Beck told me. Otherwise why go to all that trouble to elude anyone following him – switching cars at Ouchy, arriving in Berne, summoning his jet to Belp Airport? He's putting up smokescreens to hide something. The question is what? By the way, Bob, you came here early after delivering Archie to Heathrow. How was he?'
'I collected him from the Black Bear.' Newman pulled a face of resignation. 'It seemed like the dead of night – it was early morning. And Archie was freshly shaved and perky as a squirrel. We arrived at Heathrow in good time for him to catch his flight.'
'Did you check quietly where he was going?'
'You don't play games like that with Archie – he expects to be able to trust you. When we reached the concourse he told me to wait by the bookstall. I saw him heading for the Swissair check-in counter and thought that would be the last I'd see of him. Then I was going to drive here.'
'Something happened then?' Tweed enquired.
'Something unexpected. Archie did come back to me. He showed me his flight ticket – the copy and his boarding card. Just guess where he was flying to. He'll have arrived several hours ago.'
'Just tell me.' Tweed said impatiently.
'Geneva.'
15
There was silence in the office for a few minutes after Newman had reported Archie's destination. Tweed sat in his chair staring at a map of Europe Paula had earlier attached to a wall at his request.
Tweed had stuck pins with coloured heads in the map marking certain cities. Paris, Zurich, Berne, Geneva, Ouchy, and Montreux. Paula had the impression he was not looking at the map at all, that his mind was miles away. Suddenly he sat up very straight.
'Monica, call Butler at his flat, tell him to pack a bag for cold weather, and then come over here. When Pete Nield calls from Dorset tell him to make record time getting here. If he doesn't phone within the hour keep trying him at the Black Bear.'
'What about us?' asked Paula.
'Be ready at a moment's notice to fly to Europe, all of you. Cold-weather kit.'
'Why cold weather?' enquired Marler, still standing against the wall.
'Because the moment I arrived back here I checked in a newspaper the temperatures in Switzerland. They're way below zero and there's been heavy snow. Because of the latter factor pack footwear for snow – and for ice.'
'Action this day.' said Paula. 'We're going on our holidays.'
'Not yet.' said Tweed. 'But I want everyone ready to go.' He stood up. 'And now I have to keep appointments I've made with two people.. .'
He paused as the phone rang. Monica answered, looked surprised, and it was rare for her to show any emotion. She covered the mouthpiece.
'Tweed, you won't believe this but I have on the line Leopold Brazil. Not an assistant – the great man himself. He wants to speak to you.'
Take down this message which I want you to repeat to him word for word. Mr Tweed is away for the whole day…' Monica scribbled in swift shorthand on a notebook the exact wording as Tweed continued. 'I know Mr Newman passed on your request to him to meet you but at the moment he is heavily involved. That's the message. Begin the conversation by saying it's a bad line and you're transferring to another phone. Then pause and start talking as soon as I lift the phone so I can listen in…'
Tweed picked up his phone when Monica nodded, listened with great concentration. When she had finished passing on the message Brazil began speaking again.
'Could you kindly tell Mr Tweed when you see him that I need to see him urgently before there is a catastrophe. I have an executive jet at my disposal which can pick him up from Heathrow and fly him to any airport in Europe of his choice. I would prefer him to come alone. I shall be on my own. Thank you so much…'
Tweed put down the phone at the same moment as Monica. He repeated to the others what Brazil had said, then looked at Newman.
'I once met him but it was quite awhile ago and it was a brief conversation. Listening to him on the phone I had the impression of a man of great charm, also one of great authority but without a trace of arrogance. His voice has a strong timbre. I also detected a ruthless streak. What was your impression on the day you met him at Grenville Grange?'
'Exactly the same as yours.'
'Interesting. And I'm glad I've taken the precautions Monica is about to put into action.'
'I'll have to make a quick trip to my pad.' said Marler.
'Better go now then.'
'You're not going to meet him under those conditions, for heaven's sake, are you?' protested Newman. 'Travelling aboard his jet he'll have you in the palm of his tough hand.'
'We'll see…'
