She walked over to him and looked up at the sad, drawn face. “Let’s go to Sam’s place this evening.”
“Is that what you’d like to do?”
“Yes. I’ll phone Anna so that she’ll be there too.”
They had been at the club just over an hour when the barman whispered to Anna that she was wanted on the phone. She excused herself and went into the back-room that served as a primitive office and a store-room for the cases of drinks.
It was Bill Malloy. “Thank God you’re there, Anna. I’m coming over to the club. Be there in about fifteen minutes. Will you warn Tania that I’ve got some bad news to pass on to Andrei.”
“What is it, Bill?”
“Don’t ask. Just leave it to Andy to tell you. And warn Tania.”
“My God, he doesn’t need more bad news. He’s already consumed with doubts.”
“I know, I was with him a few days ago. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Will it be OK with Sam if I take Andy into your office there?”
“Of course it will. I’ll warn him so that you’re not disturbed.”
It was almost half an hour before Malloy arrived at the club and there was snow melting on the shoulders of his coat. He didn’t sit down as they said their hellos and he turned to Aarons.
“Can I have a word with you, Andy?”
“Sure.”
“Let’s go in Sam’s office.”
Looking puzzled Aarons followed Malloy to the back of the bar and into the small office. Malloy pointed at the solitary chair by the desk, and when Aarons was sitting Malloy took a deep breath. “I’ve got some bad news, Andy. Serov’s dead. Murdered. And it’s political. The KGB or one of those hit-squads they run.”
“What happened?” Aarons said very quietly.
“Angie had gone to visit her parents. When she got back their apartment door had been broken open and Serov was lying there in a pool of blood. She rang for the police and an ambulance but he was already dead. His head smashed in.”
Aarons closed his eyes and was silent for several moments before he looked at Malloy.
“What makes you think it was political?”
“When the police checked his identity and saw he was employed by the CIA they contacted them and they in turn contacted the FBI. It was the FBI who said it was political.”
“How did you hear about it?”
“Angie phoned me and I got in touch with Abe Carney. He phoned me back with the details.”
“Why are the FBI so sure it’s political?”
“First of all, nothing was taken. The place had been searched professionally they said. And then the way they killed him. They smashed his head in with an ice-pick. The FBI said it was the same way they killed Trotsky in Mexico, way back. They reckon it’s a message, or a statement.” He paused. “If they’ve been tailing Serov it means you could be in danger too, Andy. I took the liberty of contacting Bobby Kennedy. He says that they’ll cooperate in any way you want. Somewhere to move to. A pension. New identities for you and Tania. Whatever you want.” He paused. “How about you move in with us for a few days while you work out what to do?”
“Let me talk it over with Tania first.”
“Bobby said that he would arrange FBI protection for you but that would mean explanations and draw their attention to you.”
“We’ll go to a hotel for a couple of days.”
“Bobby said if you moved in with us he could get us protection on the grounds that it was for me because I knew Serov from the war and I work on confidential legal work for Defence. And that’s fact.”
“If Serov’s murder was a message and they know he had contact with me then the message was for me. They don’t send messages if they’re going to kill you. They just do it.” He shrugged. “And they’re desperate for me to go on feeding them my current stuff.”
“How can you be so sure?”
Aarons looked at him. “Because I know the bastards. I know how their minds work. I’ve continued to keep them supplied with what they want. If they write me off they’d have to start from scratch. They daren’t stop the flow.”
For the first time since he’d met Aarons Malloy realised that Aarons really was a spy. Behind that mild, reasoning, rational man was a man who took risks and who worked for people who used ice-picks in a man’s skull as no more than a message. He had always imagined Aarons as a man who researched information on technology and the politics of America and posted them by some route to Moscow. He was aware that Aarons could have been trapped by the FBI and tried as a spy but it had seemed no more than a merely theoretical possibility—not reality. All those years aware that that day could be his last day of freedom. No wonder he went out of his way to have no friends. It must have taken great courage to go along with their deal advising the White House. He had seen it as praiseworthy conviction but it was much more than that.
“I’ll be worried about the two of you until I know what you’ve decided to do. And you’ve got to take it for granted that anything I can do will be done. Just ask and I’ll do it.”
“We’ll go home tonight, Bill, and I’ll sort things out and contact you tomorrow.” He shook his head. “Poor Serov. And poor Angie. Will you be able to help her?”
“Abe Carney’s already taken her under his wing.”
Aarons stood up. “Let’s go back to the girls. I won’t mention anything to Tania until we’re back home.”
“I phoned Anna before I came here and asked her to warn Tania that I was bringing bad news. But she doesn’t know what it’s about.”
Aarons saw the concern on Tania’s face as they got back to the table and she
