C. Sansom - Winter in Madrid

‘Of course, señor .’

‘It is quiet tonight.’

‘There are few visitors in this weather.’

‘ Ay , it is cold. But not too cold to pray.’

The priest walked over to the seats and took one a few rows ahead of Harry. He seemed preoccupied and appeared not to have noticed the other penitent in the gloom. Francisco sat down again.

His eyes darted between Harry and the priest, who had got down on his knees, burying his face in his hands.

The door opened again. Harry shot a glance at the priest but he went on praying as Sofia came in. Harry leaned round and pointed at the priest. To his surprise Sofia slipped quickly over to the ugly confessional box under the window and flattened herself against its side, concealing herself. Harry stood up, puzzled. His knee banged against the bench and he set his teeth at the noise and the sharp pain. He crossed to the confessional, trying to keep his echoing footsteps to a slow measured pace: the priest would surely look up if he heard anyone running in here. But still the priest knelt, praying.

‘What is it?’ he whispered anxiously. ‘Is Barbara safe?’

‘Yes. I left her at the bridge. But that red-haired priest, we met him. I told him we were staying at the convent, going straight back there. He mustn’t see me here with you. And when Barbara comes with Bernie—’

‘I’ll have to get the old man to get rid of him.’

Sofia shook her head rapidly, a frightened gesture. ‘He won’t tell a priest to leave the cathedral.’

‘He must.’ Harry squeezed her arm and walked steadily down the nave to where Francisco stood.

BARBARA STOOD stock still, clutching the cold rail.

‘Cat got your tongue?’ Sandy jeered. He smiled again, enjoying her astonishment. ‘Remember that call you had from the prison guard? I was listening in; I picked up the phone at the same time.’ His tone was mild, conversational. ‘Afterwards I opened that bureau of yours, saw all the details you had in there. The map with the bushes by the bridge marked.’

‘But how did you open it?’

‘I kept a key to the bureau when I bought it.’ He smiled. ‘I always keep a duplicate key for everything I buy with a lock. Especially if it’s for someone else. Old habit.’

Barbara said nothing, just stood looking at him, her breath coming in sharp stabs.

‘How long have you known Piper was alive?’ he asked. ‘How long have you been planning this?’

‘A couple of months,’ she replied quietly. She studied his face. What was he going to do? His eyes were furious. Despite the cold there was sweat on his brow.

A muscle twitched in his cheek. ‘Was Brett in this too?’

‘No.’ Bernie didn’t know Harry was here. She looked at the hand Sandy kept in his pocket. There was a bulge there. Did he have a gun too?

‘They’ve been to the house for you,’ she said. Her heart was pounding; it was hard to keep her voice steady, but she must. ‘The police. They took everything from your office.’

‘Yes, I thought they would have by now. I’ve got a passport that’ll see me onto a ship at Valencia. Belonged to one of the French Jews but it’s got my face on it now. I thought I’d just stop off here on the way.’

She gripped the gun, working her fingers so they held the trigger. ‘Where’s Pilar?’ she asked. Her voice was steadier now.

‘Gone. I paid her off. She was just a little diversion. Nothing important, like the way you betrayed me.’ He hissed the word with sudden fury, then took a deep breath and continued in his bantering tone. ‘Well, the worm turned into a dragon all right. And to think I made you. I should have left you to rot in Burgos.’

She didn’t reply, just stood looking at him. He glanced back along the bridge.

‘He’s over there,’ he said, ‘waiting in some trees up the road. I saw him. I’ve been behind a tree up there, waiting. I was going to kill him. I wanted you to find him dead. But he heard me lighting a ciggy behind a tree and that put him on the alert, so I came here instead. After all, nothing’s more dangerous than a cornered man. I shouldn’t think he can see us at this end of the bridge.’ Sandy inclined his head towards his pocket. ‘I’ve got a gun, by the way.’

Barbara could just make out the clump of trees a few hundred yards up the road. Was Bernie really there? ‘Why, Sandy?’ she asked. ‘I mean, what’s – what’s the point now? It’s all over.’

Sandy’s voice was still low but it had turned cold. ‘He used to treat me like a piece of dirt at school, like my bloody father. He tried to keep Harry from me. And now he’s got you to betray me and get him out of prison. Well, I’ll have my revenge.’ He smiled again; a strange smile, almost childish. ‘I like revenge; it’s real.’

She stepped back involuntarily. There was something wild now, deranged, in his voice.

‘Don’t bloody look like that,’ he said. ‘Have I done anything worse than what Piper and all the other ideologues did to Spain? Eh? Have I?’

‘Bernie didn’t get me to do this, Sandy, it was my idea. He didn’t even know until a little while ago.’

‘I’ve still been betrayed,’ he said. ‘But I won’t let it happen again. I won’t be just cast out, discarded. If that’s my fate, I’ll fight it to the end. I will.’ His dark eyes were wild, bulging. She didn’t reply. They stood facing each other for a moment, the occasional snowflake drifting down. Sandy took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a second, and when he spoke his tone was conversational again.

‘How did you get here? Train?’

‘Yes.’ He didn’t know Harry and Sofia were here, he thought she was alone. But they couldn’t help her in the cathedral.

‘I suppose you’ve got a change of clothes for him in that rucksack.’

‘Yes.’

‘Well, I’ll tell you what you can do. You can turn round and go back the way you came. Go back to England. Then I’ll deal with him.’ He nodded at his pocket. ‘I’d like to kill you too but a shot from here might be heard.’ He leaned forward then, his face working. ‘Just don’t ever forget, for the rest of the life I’m letting you have, don’t forget I won .’ He almost hissed the words; he sounded silly, like a child. He gestured with the thing in his pocket. ‘Now, turn round and start walking.’

She released her hold on the rail, took a deep breath.

‘Go on.’ His voice rose. ‘Now. Or I will shoot you, damn it. Three years I spent building you up from nothing so you could betray me. Bitch. Turn round, start walking.’

Barbara put her hand in her pocket and drew out the Mauser. She took it in both hands and thrust out her arms, slipping the safety catch as she levelled it at his chest.

‘Throw your gun over the bridge, Sandy.’ She was surprised how clear her voice was. She spread her legs, concentrating on her balance. ‘Do it. Do it now or I’ll kill you.’ As she spoke she knew she could if she had to.

Sandy stepped back a pace. He looked astonished. ‘You – you’ve a gun?’

‘Take yours out of your pocket, Sandy. Slowly.’

He clenched his fists. ‘Bitch.’

‘ Throw your gun off the bridge! ’

Sandy looked into her eyes, then pulled his hand slowly from his pocket. She thought, what if he whips it out and shoots me. But she would get her shot in first. He wouldn’t get Bernie, he wouldn’t.

Sandy pulled out a large stone. He looked at it, then smiled at her and shrugged. ‘There wasn’t time to get a gun. I was going to brain Piper with this.’ He dropped the stone on to the bridge. It bounced and went over the side, disappearing into the void. There was no sound of it hitting the water, it was too far.