Джеймс Блатч - The Final Flight

“No.”

They finished their tea quietly.

Just after 5PM Belkin saw them to the door. “I’m sorry I could not provide you with the firm evidence you require. But I think you must ask yourself this. If this is, as your superior must think, a price worth paying to win the Cold War or whatever, why has he felt the need to cover it up? Is that not something you can use to change the minds of those who need persuading? Surely there is enough you have uncovered to at least raise a question mark over the project?”

“Maybe,” Rob said, without conviction.

As they stepped out, Susie turned back to the professor.

“How did you know the number and code name, to contact us?”

“I’ve been at Oxford since 1945. I have my fair share of geniuses passing through my study. It’s always been in the interests of certain organisations to remain in touch.”

Susie smiled. “The Oxford recruiter. You’re a legend at Leconfield House.”

“I doubt that.”

MARY THOUGHT HERSELF A CONFIDENT DRIVER, but encouraging the Laverstocks’ Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire to stay in one place in the road was a challenge. The old car leant around corners and seemed to sway even on the straight.

On the passenger seat was an address near Southampton. Mary was glad of Janet’s officious nature, and she had done well in prising Georgina’s whereabouts out of the vicar.

The sun was still high in the afternoon sky as she reached the outskirts of the city. She turned toward the village of Totton.

It took her a frustrating ten minutes before she found the small close containing the Milfords’ rented bungalow. The old car overheated, and Mary left the vehicle to cool as she approached Charlie and Georgina’s temporary home.

She tapped on the door and waited, looking around at Millie’s car and the small, unkempt front garden.

There was movement inside; she heard a familiar voice call out.

“Charlie! Can you get that?”

He opened the door.

“Hello, Mrs May.”

“Hello, Charlie.” For a moment they just stared at each other. He looked uncertain.

“May I come in?”

Charlie appeared to relax. “Of course. Sorry.”

Georgina appeared behind Charlie. Composed, made up, wearing a red chiffon dress. Positively glowing.

“Mar! Darling!” She raced to the door, brushing past her son. The two women embraced and Mary clung tightly to her friend.

IN THE GARDEN, Georgina poured two glasses of sweet German white wine. Mary wasn’t a connoisseur, but it tasted cheap.

“How are you?” Mary asked.

“I can’t pretend it’s easy, Mar. I try to stay strong for Charlie, but once the bedroom door shuts, I’m a mess. I miss you all so desperately.”

“What did they say to you, Georgina? Why did they ask you to leave?”

“Oh, they considered our house a crime scene, or some such nonsense. I think Rob’s doing his best for us, but Millie obviously got himself in a muddle about something… I just can’t believe they’re taking it so seriously.”

“When you say Rob’s doing his best, you mean that box of papers?”

“I suppose so. He got them away, so the police never actually found anything, but they know something’s missing. What I don’t understand is why Mark can’t put a stop to it all.”

“Kilton?”

“Yes! He’s in charge, isn’t he?”

“Georgina, do you have any idea what’s actually going on?”

“I don’t have the foggiest, Mar. People keep asking me, but as always, the wives are the last to know anything.”

“What ‘people’, Georgina? Who keeps asking you?”

“Rob, of course. Yesterday—”

“You spoke to Rob?”

“Well, yes. He was here yesterday. Didn’t he tell you?”

“No. He didn’t. I’m sorry I had no idea he’d already spoken to you.”

“Well, I couldn’t tell him much, but he asked a lot about what Millie was up to, running up to the crash. I’m afraid I wasn’t much help.” She shrugged. “I said the same thing to Red.”

“Red was here, too?”

“Not here, but he telephoned a couple of hours ago, asking all the same questions.” She took another drink of wine. “I’m surprised Rob didn’t mention it to you, Mary!”

“Georgina, did Rob say anything about us?”

“You and me?”

“No, I mean about me and Rob?”

Georgina looked at her, puzzled. “No. What are you talking about?”

Mary shook her head and looked away. “I can’t believe he didn’t say anything.” She looked back at Georgina. “I left him on Monday.”

“What? Why?”

Mary hesitated for a moment, before deciding on her answer. “I was told he was having an affair…”

Georgina stared at her, open-mouthed for a moment. “Are you being serious?”

“I just don’t know, Georgina. Yes, I was told categorically. He was with a young woman. The Laverstocks saw them at a pub, kissing.”

“Janet Laverstock? That busybody… She must have been mistaken. What did he say?”

“He said it wasn’t what it looked like.”

“Well, there you go, then.”

Mary toyed with her wine glass and tried to recall precisely what Rob had said as she left, but the memory was clouded with rage.

“To be honest, I think it fitted my mood to believe it. He’s drifted off in the last few months, and I’ve been feeling cut out. So it made sense to me, I think, that he had someone else he was sharing his life with.”

“Yes, darling. It’s called the RAF. We have to share our men with the flying club. Now what exactly did he say about this supposed other woman? What was his explanation?”

Mary looked around the garden, noting the poor state of everything.

“I was so angry. I didn’t really let him get that far. Her name’s Susie, and she’s helping him. That’s all I can remember. Of course I dismissed it all. But now… I’m not so sure. Something’s going on, Georgina, and I think Rob’s rather desperate about it all, trying to fix whatever went wrong for Millie. Maybe he’s trying to fix it for you and Charlie?”

“That’s exactly what he said to us. Mar, you need to talk to Rob.”

“But there’s so much bloody secrecy all the time. No-one talks to anyone.”

Mary took a long drink of the wine.

“What did you say to Red Brunson? And why’s he involved?”

“I told him about the box.” Georgina spoke quietly. “I wasn’t going to. Rob asked us to never mention it. But there was something about his manner. He was whispering on the phone. I got the feeling he’s looking out for Rob.”

Mary bit her bottom lip.

“I think I need to go home.”

“Good. Mary, darling. You have no idea what it would do to me to see you two fall apart.”

JR WAS APPARENTLY asleep in the shade of the wing.

Rob and Susie climbed the bank onto the plateau. With the aircraft still a hundred yards away, Rob stopped.

“I’m frightened. How do we do this? They’ll be waiting for me.”

“You’ll have to face that music, I’m afraid. But remember, it will help you if it involves the police. Even this strange branch of the RAF police Kilton seems to have occupying West Porton will have a degree of independence from TFU. They are the people you need to convince. You know everything you need to know. Just hedge your bets about the evidence. It’s our weak point. Tell them the evidence is out there somewhere.”

It sounded easy, coming from Susie. He would reveal Guiding Light was fatally flawed and that Kilton was ignoring the evidence.

“Will you help me?”

“My job is to get my lot to intervene at a much higher level. We report to the Ministry or even Number Ten and tell them we believe the project has been compromised by Kilton, and that will tip the balance for us. As soon as they ask questions, Kilton will be in trouble. As long as I can persuade them to ask questions.”