Kemel came to attention again.
Vandam sipped his tea. It was part of the act, a way of saying that he had all the time in the world and was not very concerned about anything, whereas the prisoner was in real trouble. It was the reverse of the truth. He said: 'Last night you received a call from the officer on surveillance at houseboat Jihan.'
Jakes shouted: 'Answer the major!'
'Yes,' Kemel said.
'What did he say to you?'
'He said that Major Vandam had come to the towpath and sent him to summon assistance.'
'Sir!' said Jakes. 'To summon assistance, sir!'
'To summon assistance, sir.'
Vandam said: 'And what did you do?'
'I went personally to the towpath to investigate, sir.'
'And then?'
'I was struck on the head and knocked unconscious. When I recovered I was bound hand and foot. It took me several hours to free myself. Then I freed Major Vandam, whereupon he attacked me.' Jakes went close to Kemel. 'You're a bloody lying little bloody wog!' Kemel took a pace back. 'Stand forward!' Jakes shouted. 'You're a lying little wog, what are you?' Kemel said nothing.
Vandam said: 'Listen, Kemel. As things stand you're going to be shot for spying. If you tell us all you know, you could get off with a prison sentence. Be sensible. Now, you came to the towpath and knocked me out, didn't you?'
'No, sir.'
Vandam sighed. Kemel had his story and he was sticking to it. Even if he knew, or could guess, where Wolff had gone, he would not reveal it while he was pretending innocence.
Vandam said 'What is your wife's involvement in all this?'
Kemel said nothing, but be looked scared.
Vandam said: 'If you won't answer my questions, I'll have to ask her.'
Kemel's lips were pressed together in a hard line.
Vandam stood up. 'All right, Jakes,' he said. 'Bring in the wife on suspicion of spying.'
Kemel said: 'Typical British justice.'
Vandam looked at him. 'Where is Wolff?'
'I don't know.'
Vandam went out. He waited outside the door for Jakes. When the captain came out, Vandam said: 'He's a policeman, he knows the techniques. He'll break, but not today.' And Vandam had to find Wolff today. Jakes asked: 'Do you want me to arrest the wife?'
'Not yet. Maybe later.' And where was Elene?
They walked a few yards to another cell. Vandam said: 'is everything ready here?'
'Yes.'
'Okay.' He opened the door and went in. This room was not so bare. Sonia sat on a hard chair, wearing a coarse gray prison dress. Beside her stood a woman army officer who would have scared Vandam, had he been her prisoner. She was short and stout, with a hard masculine face and short gray hair. There was a cot in one corner of the cell and a cold water basin in the other.
As Vandam walked in the woman officer said: 'Stand up!'
Vandam and Jakes sat down. Vandam said: 'Sit down, Sonja.'
The woman officer pushed Sonja into the chair.
Vandam studied Sonja for a minute. He had interrogated her once before, and she had been stronger than he. It would be different this time:
Elene's safety was in the balance, and Vandam had few scruples left.
He said: 'Where is Alex Wolff?'
'I don't know.'
'Where is Elene Fontana?'
'I don't know.'
'Wolff is a German spy, and you have been helping him.'
'Ridiculous.'
'You're in trouble.'
She said nothing. Vandam watched her face. She was proud, confident, unafraid. Vandam wondered what, exactly, had happened on the houseboat this morning. Surely, Wolff had gone off without warning Sonja. Did she not feel betrayed?
'Wolff betrayed you,' Vandam said. 'Kernel, the policeman, warned Wolff of the danger; but Wolff left you
