Cry of the Hunter - Jack Higgins [41]
He quickly passed along the landing and descended the back stairs. He could hear a murmur of voices and he paused a moment before opening the door. Anne Murray and the boy were sitting on either side of the table. There was a chess board between them and Murphy was in the act of moving his queen. Fallon walked over to the table and smiled. ‘That’s a stupid move,’ he said, glancing down at the board. ‘You’ve got to watch yourself when you’re dealing with a woman.’
She smiled up at him. ‘I’m sorry, but it was the best thing for you – believe me.’
He pulled up a chair and sat down. ‘I’m not annoyed,’ he said. ‘It’s just that another day has passed and I haven’t made any definite plans. We really are in danger here. They might catch Rogan at any minute and that would be the worst possible thing that could happen from our point of view.’
She smiled and said to Murphy, ‘Move the board, will you, Johnny? I’ll make some supper.’ Murphy began to put the pieces into a box and she walked over to the stove and said, ‘You aren’t the only one who’s capable of thinking, you know. What would you say if I told you it was all worked out?’
He looked up in surprise. ‘What do you mean?’
She opened the cupboard and started to take things out. ‘You tell him, Johnny,’ she said. ‘These masterminds hate to have to listen to a woman.’
Murphy grinned and took out a map. ‘It’s a pretty good idea, Mr. Fallon,’ he said, ‘and Anne – Miss Murray, I mean – has worked it out herself. With a little assistance from me, that is.’
Fallon raised his eyebrows. ‘You two must have got very friendly,’ he observed coldly.
Murphy blushed and hastily unfolded the map. ‘This idea is based on something that’s happening here tomorrow. Miss Murray sold some of the furniture to a dealer from Stramore last week. It’s all piled up in the front room waiting. He’s coming tomorrow morning with a removal van.’
Fallon’s interest was aroused immediately. ‘Go on,’ he said, leaning forward.
Murphy grinned. ‘That’s really the most important part of the plan, Mr. Fallon. It’s our way out of town. The place is crawling with peelers. They’ll be having a house-to-house search next. Stuart must be convinced you’re still in town. When the furniture men have loaded the van tomorrow, or at some other convenient time, Miss Murray will call them into the kitchen for tea. Them fellas never refuse. You know what they’re like. You and I can hide ourselves amongst the stuff in the back.’
There was a short silence as the boy looked eagerly into Fallon’s face. Fallon nodded gravely. ‘All right. Let’s suppose it works and we pass through the road blocks. What then?’
The boy nodded. ‘That’s where Miss Murray comes in. She’ll get through the road blocks with no trouble at all. She’s hired a car. It’s out in the garage now, and tomorrow she’ll follow the van. At the first opportunity we’ll hop out and she’ll pick us up. We can try to cross over into Donegall then,’ he added.
There was a long silence and Fallon leaned over and studied the map. After a while he said, ‘Yes, it’s quite a good plan. Not bad at all – so far as it goes.’
Anne Murray pushed a cup in front of him, slopping tea into the saucer, and said indignantly, ‘All right, mastermind. What’s wrong with it?’
He raised a hand in a gesture of defence. ‘Don’t get me wrong,’ he said. ‘It is a good plan, but it needs tightening up a little, that’s all.’ He sipped a little of his tea and leaned back. ‘For instance – what happens if you develop engine trouble? We can’t very well ask our driver to stop and we don’t want to use intimidation because that gives Stuart a direct lead to our whereabouts.’
She snorted. ‘All right. I suppose it could happen, but it isn’t very likely.’
He nodded his head. ‘I agree, but believe me, it’s the unexpected that always