scheme didn’t get you sent away for more years than you’ve got left to live.’
‘What
Wilson gave an uncertain movement with his hand. ‘One of the many things we’ll never know is why they held back the film roll of the drawing they planted in King William Street. We can only thank Christ that they did and we were able to destroy it. We know they retrieved what we put there because we followed Losev every step of the way. Now all we can do is sit and pray, which is hardly enough but all there is. There’s been a lot of direct telephone conversations between the President and the Prime Minister. Between the American directors and myself, as well. No one believes it’s going to work; that it stands a chance in hell.’
‘What about the people rounded up from the safe house?’
‘There’s a lot of squabbling over that. America is pressing for a full-blown spy trial: certainly they want to sweat every drop they can out of the scientist. His name turns out to be Yuri Guzins, incidentally: we traced him from some photographs taken at the Soviet installation at Baikonur.’
‘What do you want to do?’
‘Guzins is tempting: bloody tempting,’ said Wilson. ‘The other two don’t matter. I’d prefer to have Obyedkov expelled: usual grounds about activities not in keeping with his supposed diplomatic status. The other one too, for entering on a false passport. The FBI have identified him as Alexandr Petrin. He’s based in the Soviet consulate in San Francisco. Washington take that as positive confirmation that Krogh’s leaked everything there is to tell about the work his company were doing.’
‘What about Krogh?’
‘That’s what really angers the Americans,’ disclosed Wilson. ‘There’s been a second operation and there doesn’t seem to be any doubt there’s permanent and severe brain damage. He can’t talk even if he wanted to. Seems it’ll never be possible to bring him to trial.’
‘So who’s going to get their way?’ pressed Charlie.
Wilson sighed, shifting himself against the window sill. ‘The trouble with staging a major trial is that restricted though it would be, actually in camera, there would have to be some revelation that America has lost its Star Wars supremacy. That would cause an enormous public outcry in America but for the wrong reasons: there would be a huge loss of confidence, a fear that they were no longer in control but vulnerable instead, not outrage that Russia steals Western technology, because most people accept that already. I can’t see any purpose in finger-pointing: it’s closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.’
‘Which leaves Blackstone?’
‘Who didn’t actually do anything,’ reminded the Director General. ‘We’ll orchestrate the court hearing quietly enough. It will be a closed session again. The charge will be
‘The decision is ours, here in London, isn’t it?’ pointed out Charlie. ‘There could only be an American prosecution if Krogh could be arraigned, which he can’t.’
Wilson smiled, a teeth-baring expression. ‘I’ve made the point,’ he said. ‘It’ll all come down in the end to a political chess game between London and Washington. Who gains or loses more by making or winning concessions.’
‘I can’t go back to Vauxhall, can I?’ guessed Charlie.
‘Of course not,’ said the Director at once. ‘We know that flat’s identified, just like we know you were definitely targeted.’
‘Pity,’ said Charlie sadly. ‘There’s a good pub there. The Pheasant.’
‘That’s precluded too,’ announced Wilson. ‘You can stay at the department place for as long as you want, until you find something else. We’ll clear Vauxhall for you. And there’ll be the phoney trial, of course.’
Charlie had wondered if Wilson would do it. ‘On the stuff that was supposed to be found in the flat?’
The Director General nodded. ‘In camera again,’ he agreed. ‘Charge can be something like receiving payment for unspecified acts of espionage. The Attorney General isn’t going to like his courts being used like this but I think I can persuade him. We belong to the same club, you know.’
‘I didn’t know,’ said Charlie. ‘It’s necessary, I suppose.’
‘If Berenkov believes you’re out of circulation he isn’t going to have another try, is he?’
‘No,’ agreed Charlie. ‘So it’s extremely necessary.’
Wilson laughed, adding whisky to both their glasses. ‘Just imagine!’ he said. ‘Officially it’ll mean you’ll cease to exist.’
‘People have been treating me like that for years,’ said Charlie.
‘Don’t ever forget what I’ve said, about how you operate in the future?’
‘I won’t,’ promised Charlie. Let’s cross each bridge when we come to it, he thought easily.
‘I mean it,’ warned Wilson. ‘Any more wild independence and I’ll have you out of this department so fast your feet will leave scorch marks!’
‘Trust me,’ invited Charlie.
‘Always the trouble, Charlie. Always the trouble.’
‘I wanted to see you,’ said Laura.
‘Been busy,’ said Charlie. ‘Sorry.’ If she had not actually come to the fifth floor and physically confronted him he would still probably have made an excuse to avoid their meeting – which, he decided, now they were together, was ridiculous. Why shouldn’t they have a drink together?
‘I know bits,’ said Laura. ‘Not a lot. Just bits.’
‘It’s very complicated,’ said Charlie, in attempted dismissal. ‘What’s the financial department like?’
‘Better view,’ said Laura. ‘He’s trying to redesign the expenses claims forms. He wants much more detail.’ The entire department Harkness now controlled was separate from Westminster Bridge Road, across the river and nearer to Whitehall. Refusing to be put off, Laura said: ‘I want to ask you something.’
‘What?’
‘That day in the street, when you told me you didn’t want to keep the date? Did you know then that the Russians had picked you up?’
‘Yes,’ said Charlie.
‘So it was to protect me?’
‘It was probably already too late by then,’ apologized Charlie. ‘I wanted to keep you out of it if I could.’
Laura smiled and reached across the wine-bar table, pressing his hand. ‘Thanks,’ she said.
‘I wish I’d realized sooner,’ said Charlie. ‘I was slow.’
‘I did what you wanted, you know,’ offered Laura. ‘Before that, I mean. I gossiped to Harkness, about you. He seemed to think it was very important.’
‘I’m sorry about that, too,’ said Charlie. ‘Using you like that.’
‘Are you!’ she demanded quizzically.
Charlie smiled back at her. ‘Sort of,’ he said.
‘They say there was a woman involved,’ said the girl. ‘Someone you knew?’
‘Yes,’ said Charlie. The rumour mill was very active, he thought.
‘Can you tell me about it?’
Charlie topped up both their glasses from the Montrachet bottle between them. ‘No,’ he said positively. Over, he thought: finished.
‘Oh,’ said Laura, rebuffed.
‘There’s nothing to tell,’ said Charlie.
‘Paul’s asked for a divorce,’ she announced abruptly. ‘His girlfriend is pregnant again. They want to get married.’
‘I’m…’ started Charlie, and stopped. He said: ‘No. It would sound trite.’
‘Thanks anyway.’ She was silent for a moment and then she said: ‘That’s not why I made contact. I mean I didn’t think…’ Her voice trailed off and she shrugged.
‘I didn’t think it was,’ said Charlie.
She smiled at him hesitantly. ‘I’d like to see you sometimes, though. If you’d like to, that is. Nothing serious. No commitment. Just a drink occasionally, like now.’
‘Yes,’ said Charlie doubtfully. They were two lonely people, he thought. Why not?
