Comrade Charlie

Committee.

Everyone settled down to another period of waiting, for the arrival of Robert Springley. Harkness returned to the evidence table – although to the folders, not the drawing. The two Whitehall men withdrew pointedly to a part of the room where they could not be overheard and at once started an intense, head-bent conversation. The stenographer and the recording operator sat back, stretching, grateful for the temporary rest. The stiff-legged Wilson was the first to stand. The Director General caught Charlie’s eye, jerking his head, and Charlie crossed to where the man was, beyond the half-moon table.

Wilson said: ‘I think you’ve publicly made your point with sufficient forcefulncss for the moment. No more.’

‘Yes, sir,’ accepted Charlie.

‘I still want a further explanation.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘For Christ’s sake stop parroting “yes, sir” at me!’

‘I’m pretty sure the drawing is from the Isle of Wight.’

‘You’re in deep trouble if it came from a man you let run.’

‘I accept that.’

‘Why the hell did you let it go on!’

‘I thought I’d closed him off: that the risk was justified.’

Wilson snorted, in impatient anger, nodding in the direction of the intensely talking government officials. ‘They’re right, you know. If something involving America’s Strategic Defence Initiative has reached the Russians from one of our places the shutters are going to come down with a sound we’ll hear all the way from Washington. The Americans would actually have to consider abandoning it: starting all over again.’

‘I realize that, too.’

‘Christ!’ said Wilson again but more to himself than to Charlie. ‘I can’t think of a comparable disaster! Nothing!’

They both turned, at movement from the door. Witherspoon entered first, followed by Springley. The white- haired project chief had had time during the flight to recover from being roused from his bed but he was still blinking in bewilderment. He was wearing a carelessly put on tweed jacket over a roll-neck sweater. The man frowned around the room in continuing confusion, his face breaking slightly at recognition of Charlie Muffin.

When he spoke it was to Charlie. He said, complaining: ‘No one will tell me anything, except that there’s some sort of crisis: that this is a security committee. What is it? What’s happened?’

Wilson said to Charlie: ‘You might as well take him through it. He knows you.’

Harkness didn’t hear the exchange but his look was one of undisguised hatred – and without caring that it was undisguised – as Charlie went to the project chief, to lead him back to the table where Harkness still stood. Charlie ignored the deputy Director. He picked up the flimsy drawing, offered it to Springley and said: ‘Can you identify that?’

Springley only looked at it briefly, for no more than seconds. After which his gaze came up, first to Charlie and then more widely, out into the room. He was smiling slightly, the smile of someone completely baffled but who imagines they are having some incomprehensible trick played upon them. He said: ‘What is this?’

‘That’s what I am asking you, Mr Springley,’ said Charlie, cautious against giving the man any lead or guidance.

‘One of the drawings,’ said the project chief, spacing the words in growing disbelief. ‘The final drawing of the planned sidescreen moulding, with the process description. Where did it come from?’

There were several sounds of audible reaction throughout the room but Charlie didn’t see who made them. He said: ‘That’s what we want you to tell us.’

‘Blackstone!’ interrupted Harkness foolishly. ‘It was stolen by Blackstone, wasn’t it!’

There was another audible sound, one of annoyance, and Charlie knew this time it was from the Director General.

‘No,’ said Springley, shaking his head. ‘It’s one of the drawings from the project but not the drawing. It’s a completely accurate copy…’

‘By Blackstone!’ said Harkness again, but it was not the deputy’s interjection that caused the project manager to stop in mid-sentence. Springley went back to the drawing, looked up and said: ‘Dear God! Oh dear God what’s happened?’

Charlie thought that if God responded on each occasion he’d been called upon already it was going to be a busy night for all concerned. Encouragingly he said: ‘What?’

‘Krogh!’ said Springley weakly. He shook his head once more. ‘It has to be. I even thought…it actually crossed my mind…not very strongly, you understand…but I did…I thought it was strange…’

‘I’m not following you,’ said Charlie. ‘Who’s Krogh?’

‘The chairman of the main American manufacturing company,’ said Springley. ‘He approached us weeks ago: said he wanted to visit to ensure that what we were making and what his plant were constructing were compatible…’ The man trailed off, lost.

‘The American manufacturer came to you!’ prompted Charlie.

‘Over a fortnight ago now,’ confirmed Springley. ‘The company checked his bona fides, of course. He had the topmost clearance. He said he wanted to study our drawings and he did, for days. Told me once that he was glad he did, because he’d thought for a while that there had been an incompatibility. There wasn’t, it turned out. That’s what he said, anyway… Oh God, what a mess!’

‘He saw everything?’ pressed Charlie.

‘Everything there was. All of it.’

‘How many drawings?’

‘Twenty-four.’

‘Shit!’ said Charlie, not talking to anyone but looking at what the project chief still held in his hands, which were shaking now. Charlie said: ‘When did he leave…the last day he was with you?’

Springley shrugged uncertainly. ‘Over a week ago. Maybe nine or ten days.’

‘It’s important!’ said Charlie. ‘Be precise.’

‘I can’t be, not exactly,’ apologized Springley. ‘Eight days, I think: yes, eight days.’

‘Where is this American firm based?’ It was the Welshman, from behind.

‘California,’ said Springley at once.

‘We’ve got to tell America now! At once!’ said the Whitehall official. ‘It’s still only afternoon there. They can pick him up at once.’

‘He’s not there, is he!’ said Charlie, not bothering to turn. ‘We’ve already seen that the drawing’s dated, with what is now yesterday’s date. And it was found here, in England. So that’s where he’s working, somewhere here in England.’ And I bet I know where, Charlie thought.

‘This gets worse…appalling…’ said the Welshman. ‘We must alert the embassy here, then. They’ve got security secondment in Grosvenor Square. FBI as well as CIA.’

Charlie moved slightly away from the project chief, gazing down contemplatively. When he looked up it was to Wilson. ‘It is a disaster,’ he said. ‘An unmitigated one. If this man Krogh has been here, copied all twenty-four drawings, then it can only mean he’s already passed over, long ago, everything there was to have from his plant in California.’

‘Yes,’ agreed the Director General at once. ‘And it doesn’t matter a damn, in the end, that strictly speaking it’s not our leak, either.’

‘But that drawing is our responsibility, isn’t it!’ demanded Charlie suddenly. ‘I mean we could argue that we’ve got the right of decision over it?’

Wilson frowned, head to one side, then looked for guidance to the other two men: Harkness was not included. First the Welshman, then the other official shrugged. Wilson said: ‘What’s the question about, Charlie?’

‘Desperation,’ admitted Charlie. ‘Absolute, utter desperation.’ He went back to Springley, gesturing to the drawing. ‘Explain that to me. Completely. Every detail.’

‘Like I said, it’s a drawing of the sidescreen moulding,’ began Springley hesitantly. ‘More to explain the