The Angry Hills - Leon Uris [57]
Lisa smiled and her voice lost some of its coldness. “We have been rude to each other. I suppose it was natural under the circumstances.”
“You know something? You’re not fooling me for a minute?”
“What do you mean?” she said, half-startled.
“You aren’t half as cold as you’d like me to believe. I don’t suppose we’ll be seeing each other, so thanks again.”
“I’m afraid you’re not rid of me,” she said. “I have been assigned to check here daily.”
“Swell... See you around...”
“My name is Lisa.”
“See you around, Lisa.”
“Good-bye, Vassili.”
The long black Mercedes-Benz staff car turned down Hermes Street in the direction of Anton’s Dress Shop.
“Do you really think you are doing the right thing, Konrad?” Zervos asked.
“I believe so. Lisa must surely know by now that her time has run out. She will listen this time.”
“I don’t like it. She may run back to the Underground with the whole thing.”
“And perhaps you have a better idea?”
Zervos shrugged. Heilser and Zervos had learned from questioning the villagers of Paleachora that Morrison had been attempting to get to Athens with the aid of a man named Christos who was killed in the raid. Although Morrison had escaped farther into the hills, both of them were certain he had made or was trying to make contact in Athens. Everything now indicated his contact would be a group revolving around Papa-Panos, Dr. Thackery and a former Greek professor named Thanassis.
Anton ushered them into the office where Lisa waited.
“Good afternoon, Lisa,” Heilser said in a gentle voice. “You look tired? Have you been feeling well?”
“I am certain my health is of no concern to you.”
“On the contrary. I’m quite concerned. Did you see your children?”
“Yes, I saw them.”
Heilser paced the room a moment, then balanced himself on the edge of the desk and fiddled with Anton’s letter opener. “Tell me, Lisa. Do you know an American by the name of Dr. Harry Thackery?”
“No... Why?”
“Oh, we thought perhaps you did.”
“He’s working with your Underground. No doubt you’ll meet him sooner or later, if you already haven’t,” Zervos said.
The strange line of questioning threw her off guard.
“How about a priest named Papa-Panos?”
“I know him.”
“What do you know?”
“Only what everyone else in Athens knows.” Lisa thought, either the two of them are groping or they are on to something....
“Now, Lisa. The purpose of this is to let you realize that we are not entirely ignorant of what is going on.”
“I’m sure you’re not,” she replied.
“We are also aware of the fact that you’ve been lying to us. But I’m willing to let that be water under the bridge. What I want to know is whether or not you are willing to begin co-operation.”
“I made a bargain...”
“Just a minute,” Zervos interrupted. “You sound like a broken record. Our patience has run out. You understand what we mean without spelling it out?”
“I understand,” she whispered.
“I am going to offer you a proposition, Lisa. In exchange for some information, I will return your children to you and arrange a boat for you to Egypt.”
Lisa tried to mask her excitement.
Konrad Heilser opened his billfold and handed her a picture. It was one reproduced from the book jacket of Michael Morrison’s Home Is the Hunter. She stared at it....
“This man is either in Athens or will be shortly. I will give you three weeks to turn him up. If you don’t...
She handed the picture back. “Is that all?”
“That is all.”
“You may go first today,” Zervos said. “I wish to stay and purchase some dresses.”
Lisa walked from the office slowly. The eyes of Heilser and Zervos followed her. The door shut
“She knows them,” Heilser said.
“Difficult to tell about that woman—she masks her emotions so well.”
“She cannot mask that commendable trait of mother love...”
“By the way, Konrad. Do you really intend letting her go to Egypt with her children?”
“Of course not.”
“Come. Let us go to my place. I’ll show you my latest who will make you forget even Lisa.”
SIX
MUCH OF LISA’S USUAL calm was gone now. In the