'What is 'the same route as always', which I believe is the phrase you used earlier,' Kellerman enquired, 'in connection with the big consignment?'
'Amsterdam through to Copenhagen,' Marker said promptly. 'On from Copenhagen by train, across the ferry at Elsinore over the Oresund to Sweden. Then the last lap by the same train until it reaches its final destination — Stockholm. The train ferries at Elsinore are a damned nuisance. If they had to take it by scheduled air flight — or by car or truck — sooner or later we would get lucky in our searches. But you can't search a whole train and whole trains cross from Elsinore on the giant ferries.'
'Thank you,' said Kellerman, and withdrew from the conversation.
'You said your opposite number you phoned about the danger to a statesman's life thought you were mad. At least he said that, you added. What did you mean?'
'I am perfectly sure he had already sold out to the Stockholm Syndicate.' Marker stood up and paced slowly round his desk. 'It is so easy, is it not? You take the large bribe, salt it away in a numbered bank account, and remove whatever horrible threat has been made against your wife, family, mistress or whoever. They offer you heaven or hell. Is it so surprising that many in countless different countries accepted the former and became part of the Stockholm Syndicate system — if only as informants? Cabinet ministers have made deals. Oh, yes, Mr. Foxbel, do not disbelieve me — I have seen it in their eyes when certain subjects are raised.'
'It's a kind of leprosy,' Beaurain murmured. 'It will have to be burned out with red-hot pokers.'
'Do not underestimate them,' Marker warned.
'Do something for me, please.' Beaurain's manner had changed suddenly as he recovered from the shock of sensing that Marker had been close to despair. 'Check back on Dr. Benny Horn's background — where he came from, how he set up in that house on Nyhavn.'
'I can tell you now. He was born in Elsinore — or just outside the port. He built up his business as a dealer in rare editions and two years ago moved to Copenhagen.'
'I want more than that, Marker!' Beaurain was brusque. 'I want men — a whole team — sent to Elsinore to interview every person who ever knew him.'
'He was something of a recluse and travelling a lot in his profession.'
'I want him pinned down! Like a butterfly in a collection! Do you have a photograph?'
'One — he is a difficult man to catch in the camera lens. The picture is not good — taken at a distance with a telephoto lens.' Marker unlocked a steel filing cabinet, took out an envelope from which he extracted a photo. Beaurain glanced at it and then showed it to Kellerman who handed it back without comment.
'Show that picture to everyone who ever knew Horn in Elsinore. Find out whether — since he arrived in Copenhagen two years ago — he has ever spoken to or been seen by anyone who knew him when he lived in Elsinore. I just have a funny feeling about Benny Horn. I can call you here?' Beaurain queried.
'Better to call my apartment after eight in the evening. Here is the number. When you call say you are Krantz and give me the number of the phone you are using. Always use a payphone. Then wait for me to call from the payphone in my street,'
Beaurain paused. Zenith. The terror was appalling and spread across a whole continent, the scale of the terror even greater than he had realised. How many men were there of the calibre of Bodel Marker? Men who would live alone in their own private fortress with their families sent maybe thousands of miles away for safety.
Power was being exploited quietly to enslave and manipulate whole nations. And the most horrible aspect of all on the surface everyday life proceeded as though nothing abnormal were happening.
'Contact Henderson priority, Monique. Tell him Elsinore is the present objective. Within two hours I want the place flooded with his people searching for a man and a girl. Here are the descriptions.'
Speaking from a street payphone near the Royal Hotel, Beaurain reproduced in a few words the vague impression of Dr. Benny Horn obtained from the photograph Marker had shown him. The other description was more precise and was based on Kellerman's word picture of Black Helmet. The instruction to Jock Henderson was to find the couple quickly, mount a round-the-clock surveillance on them, but above all not to let them know they were being watched.
'Next request, Monique, please call Dr. Henri Goldschmidt of Bruges and ask him to provide urgently everything possible on the origins and background of Dr. Otto Berlin. Then, on my behalf, using the code word Leuven, call Chief Inspector Willy Flamen of Homicide with the same request — everything he can dig up on where Otto Berlin came from, his whole history back to his childhood. OK? I'll call you back when I can. We're on the move so forget the Royal Hotel.'
Leaving the phone booth, he joined Kellerman who had been strolling up and down outside as though waiting to make his own call. He relayed the gist of his conversation to the German as they hurried back to the hotel.
'She'll get through to Henderson immediately by radio aboard Firestorm.'
'Which is still just north of Elsinore? It sounds as though you're launching an invasion of one of Denmark's key ports.'
'Almost comes to that,' Beaurain agreed briskly. All his previous irritation and frustration had vanished now that he was able to set the wheels of action in motion.
Two outboard-powered dinghies had reached the shore north of Elsinore where Louise had left the Citroen the previous night. In the lead boat were Louise, Henderson and two guards armed with submachine guns. In the second boat four men, equipped with the same weapons and various other devices, watched the car which stood parked in the same position Louise had left it, the headlamps pointing out to sea.
It was eleven o'clock on a beautiful morning, the sun shining out of a clear blue sky. It was already very warm and the reflection off the wavelets was a powerful glitter. Louise walked towards the Citroen, shoulder-bag over her arm, ignition key in her hand. Henderson followed close behind while two of the guards fanned out beyond towards the forest and the track with their weapons at the ready.
'You're driving straight into Elsinore to look for those two from Nyhavn?' Henderson asked as she reached the car door.
'Yes, Jock.' She turned and he was very close to her. 'But only after we have gone over the car with a fine- tooth comb for explosive devices.'
'Why?'
'Because I was followed by a Porsche from Elsinore. Because I think sooner or later after checking several tracks the person in that Porsche would find this Citroen. Because since then they have had plenty of time to turn it into a death-trap.'
Top marks!' Jock turned to the men from the second boat who were grinning as they stood waiting and holding small toolkit bags. 'Go ahead,' he told them. 'And for Christ's sake be careful.'
Louise let Henderson lead her away by the arm a safe distance from the Citroen as the bomb squad started work assembling its equipment rapidly, including a circular mirror on a long handle for looking under the car. Louise glanced at the Scot with an amused expression.
'You really thought I was going to get inside and start the engine! If not, why were you practically hugging me when we got there?'
'You damned near fooled me, that's why! The confident way you walked up with the key held in your hand. I admit it — I was ready to haul you back fast if you'd tried to use the key.'
'Why not check with me earlier?'
'I never stop testing people's alertness particularly on a major operation. I think the balloon is about to go up, and the process will start in Elsinore.'
'You managed to avoid the railway police? You are sure that no-one saw you hide the consignment?' Dr. Benny Horn asked as he polished his rimless glasses and hooked them on again over his ears.
He was talking to Sonia Karnell who had just returned to his room in his new Elsinore headquarters, the Hotel Skandia. Black Helmet was dressed like a man, and wore a white nautical cap. From a paper carrier bag she took out a railway man cap and threw it on the bed. She was dressed entirely in black.
'That damned thing gave me a headache — it's too tight. Do you think I'd be here if I hadn't evaded the railway police, for God's sake? As for the consignment, all the heroin is now packed inside the wagon containing packing material.'
'No need to get upset, my dear,' Horn replied mildly. I was only…'
