A Devil Is Waiting - Jack Higgins [34]
“Claude and I have a mutual interest in someone who’s agitating at Speakers’ Corner this morning, Ali Selim.”
“What’s he rabble-rousing about now?”
“The President’s visit on Friday. What he’s already calling the Great Satan’s descent on London.”
“That could lead to a riot, Giles. Not exactly the right scene for a man in a wheelchair.”
“Oh, the police will be out in force, but if you are going anywhere near, make sure you’ve both got your warrant cards with you.”
When Holley drove the Alfa into Highfield Court, Sara came out to meet him wearing a khaki linen suit, a brown leather bag over one shoulder. He was wearing Ray-Bans, his flying jacket, and blue cords.
“You’re still looking very sharp,” she told him. “We don’t need the car, it’s only a short walk to Park Lane, and the subway will take us straight into Hyde Park.”
“And right next to Speakers’ Corner,” he said. “I was going to talk to you about that. Have you got your warrant card?”
“Oh yes, it was a present from Roper in a package he had delivered to the house along with this.” She opened her bag and took out a snub-nosed .22 Colt. “With the new silencer.”
“Plus hollow points?”
“Naturally.”
“Well, you must carry them at all times. There’s been a development. Put your fine Intelligence Corps mind on this.”
He told her what had been discovered about the Alfa, the Frenchman at the Dark Man, Claude Duval, everything.
As they turned into Park Lane, she said, “Whoever it is, it must be you they’re targeting, Daniel. I’ve only just joined.”
“That’s a fair point,” Holley said.
“Let’s talk as we walk.” She slipped her hand into his arm.
Henri Legrande and Kelly had followed the Alfa from the Dorchester and were sitting in the Citroën in South Audley Street waiting for the Alfa to emerge.
When Holley and Sara appeared, Henri said, “I’m going to follow on foot. I can walk around with impunity, but not you. Holley would recognize you instantly. Wait for me in Grosvenor Square somewhere by the American Embassy. I’ll find you.”
Kelly said, “You’re right,” scrambled behind the wheel of the Citroën as the Frenchman got out, and drove away.
When Holley and Sara went up the steps from the subway and entered Hyde Park, they could hear the noise from Speakers’ Corner at once. They paused to listen.
“Who is this Ali Selim?” Sara asked.
“British-born, three months ago he came back home from several years in Pakistan and started to agitate as the mullah at the Pond Street Mosque in Hackney. You were in Arizona for that period, so you wouldn’t have heard of him. Would you like to go see what’s happening?”
“Actually, I’d like to meet Giles Roper for real. So far I’ve only seen him on screen.”
“Well, let’s see if we can find him.”
He took her hand and they followed the path, the noise getting louder, until they reached Speakers’ Corner. The crowd was already large. Individual speakers worked from their stands to offer a wide range of topics, some from people who took their politics seriously, but there were also cranks of every persuasion. There were a number of police vehicles parked on the fringe, the officers a mixed bag of men and women in normal uniform, riot police in full gear in the background.
“There’s the van parked to the right of that police line.” Holley pointed. “That’s Roper in his wheelchair talking to Claude Duval in the navy blue trench coat, and the black guy standing at the front of the vehicle is Sergeant Tony Doyle.”
Roper saw them and waved, and they approached. “We meet properly at last, Sara. Tony, you’ve only met on screen, like me.”
Doyle held out his hand. “My pleasure, ma’am.”
Roper turned to the man in the trench coat. “This is Claude Duval of the DGSE, who is not supposed to be here at all.”
Duval took her hand and kissed it gallantly. “Your behavior at Abusan was truly remarkable. It is an honor to meet you.”
She said, “I appreciate the compliment coming from a man like you, Colonel, but when you think about it, I didn’t have much choice at Abusan. It was fight or die.