Confessional - Jack Higgins [57]
'As I told you, sir, we stopped off at Harrods on the way from Heathrow to get her a few things. Only had what she stood up in.'
'She'll be broke, of course,' Ferguson said. 'We'll have to tap the contingency fund.'
'As a matter of fact that won't be necessary, sir. It seems she has a very substantial bank account here. Record royalties and so on. She certainly won't have any difficulty in earning her living. They'll be clamouring for her, all the impresarios, when they know she's available.'
'That will have to wait. She's very definitely to stay under wraps until I say so. What's she like?'
'Very nice indeed, sir. I settled her into the spare room and she was having a bath.'
'Yes, well don't let's make her too comfortable, Harry. We want to get on with this thing. I've heard from Devlin and it seems another of McGuiness's hatchet men, the one who was supposed to be keeping an eye on Cherny, has turned up in the Liffey. He doesn't waste time, our friend.'
'I see, sir,' Fox said. 'So what are you suggesting?'
'We'll get her over to Dublin now - this afternoon. You can escort her, Harry. Hand her over to Devlin at the airport, then get back here. You can go to Paris on the morning shuttle.'
Fox said mildly, 'She might just feel like sitting down for a moment. Taking a deep breath. That sort of thing.'
'So would we all, Harry, and if that's a subtle way of telling me how you feel, then all I can say is you should have taken that job they offered you at your uncle's merchant bank. Start at ten, finish at four.'
'And terribly, terribly boring, sir.'
Kim opened the door at that moment and ushered in Tanya Voroninova. Her eyes were slightly hollowed, but she looked surprisingly well, the general effect enhanced by the blue cashmere sweater and neat tweed skirt she had purchased at Harrods. Fox made the introductions.
'Miss Voroninova. A great pleasure,' Ferguson said. 'You've certainly had an active time of it. Please sit down.'
She sat on the couch by the fire. 'Have you any idea what's happening in Paris?' she asked.
'Not yet,' Fox said. 'We'll find out in the end, but if you want an educated guess, the KGB never care for failure at the best of times and if we consider your foster-father's special interest in this case ...' He shrugged. 'I wouldn't care to be in Turkin or Shepilov's shoes.'
'Even such a shrewd old campaigner as Nikolai Belov will have difficulty surviving this one,' Ferguson put in.
'So, what happens now?' she asked. 'Do I see Professor Devlin again?'
'Yes, but that means flying over to Dublin. I know your feet have hardly touched the ground, but time is of the essence. I'd like you to go later on this afternoon if that's all right. Captain Fox will escort you and we'll arrange for Devlin to meet you at Dublin Airport.'
She was still on a high, and somehow it seemed a part of what had already happened. 'When do we leave?'
'The early evening plane,' Devlin said. 'Sure, I'll be there. No problem.'
'You'll make your own arrangements about the necessary meeting with McGuiness so that she can look at whatever photos or other material they want to show her?'
'I'll take care of it,' Devlin said.
'Sooner rather than later,' Ferguson told him firmly.
'I hear and obey, O Genie of the lamp,' Devlin said. 'Now let me talk to her.'
Ferguson handed her the phone. Tanya said, 'Professor Devlin? What is it?'
'I've just heard from Paris. The Mona Lisa is smiling all over her face. See you soon.'
And in Moscow important things had been happening that morning. Events that were to affect the whole of Russia and world politics generally, for Yuri Andropov, head of the KGB since 1967, was named Secretary of the Communist Party Central Committee. He still inhabited his old office at KGB headquarters at Dzerhinsky Square and it was there that he summoned Maslovsky just after noon. The General stood in front of the desk, filled with foreboding, for Andropov was possibly the only man