Samuel Edwards - Neptune

Richards was unworried. ‘Not much. Technical bugs often crop up in a major project. We’ll find the fault and correct it. I doubt if this will delay us more than a week in putting out to sea.’

‘Suppose I were to tell you,’ Porter said, ‘that I’m virtually certain either the Russians or the Chinese are on our trail. Every day of delay doubles the odds against us.’

The entrepreneur became grim. ‘In that case,’ he said, ‘I’ll take charge and find the malfunction myself. I ‘promise you we’ll sail on schedule.’

Porter stepped up the pace of his own investigation, and late that morning he received his first telephone call at the house. Blackman was calling, and by prearrangement they indulged in sheer gibberish, their cryptic conversation filled with non sequi-turs that could keep a decoding office busy for days.

Afterwards he accompanied Nancy to the beach, where they went for a short swim, and when she stretched out on a towel to sunbathe, Porter strolled up to the house to fetch them drinks.

The ‘cook’ awaited him in the kitchen.

‘Well, Mrs Stevens?’

The woman’s face was grim. ‘I watched her on closed-circuit television, Mr Porter. She attached a miniaturized tape recorder to the telephone extension while you were on the line. It’s one of those new gadgets that records a conversation without the need to take the instrument off the hook.’

His theory that Nancy Wing was in the employ of some foreign agency was correct, and he was elated.

‘She stashed it in that big leather shoulderbag she carries. I went through it when you two went down to the beach, and she also has a camera built into a ballpoint pen.’

Porter smiled.

‘You won’t be all that pleased,’ the woman said with asperity, ‘when you hear she also carries a two-millimetre Kolibri automatic.’

‘I’m not surprised.’

Mrs Stevens’ technical interest overcame her annoyance. ‘It’s the first one I’ve seen. It looks too small to be effective.’

‘Oh, it’s an effective weapon, but I prefer the Lilliput.’ Porter finished preparing the drinks and started towards the door.

‘Hold on, sir,’ the woman said. ‘What are you going to do about all this?’

He laughed. ‘Feed her enough material so she’ll choke on it. That reminds me. Call the command post and tell them I want some special blueprints made up for me by this afternoon. The electrical system of a supertanker. The plumbing system of a de luxe washing machine. And anything else Blackman can dream up that’s useless but looks complicated.’

There was no need for him to explain that he wanted to feed Nancy so much data that she would feel compelled to pass it along to her superiors in the immediate future. Now that he had confirmed her status as an agent it was imperative that he trace her employment to its source as soon as possible. She was a vital link in an otherwise invisible chain, so she had to be encouraged and nurtured.

Nancy’s smile was lazy as she took her drink from him. ‘You’re spoiling me,’ she said.

‘You deserve it,’ Porter said. ‘Look at all the credit I get in Washington for your Hong Kong tip. And that reminds me, we haven’t yet celebrated. How’d you like to go somewhere for dinner tonight, if I can find a restaurant worthy of the name in these backwoods?’

‘I’d love it,’ she said. ‘I suppose I ought to wear my wig?’

‘A wise precaution. After I get back from my errand this afternoon I’ll scout around the neighbourhood and see if I can find a place to eat.’ The time he spent away from the house, he thought, would give her the opportunity to photograph the worthless blueprints he would bring back with him from the command post.

They strolled up to the house for a light lunch after they finished their drinks, and Nancy returned to the beach when Porter went off on his supposed regular afternoon errand. Black-man had a stack of blueprints waiting for him, and he packed them away in his attache case.

‘Tomorrow morning,’ Porter said, ‘the combination of her telephone tape and the photos she’ll take of these prints will have become unbearable. I’ll make it plain to her that I’ll be away longer than usual, and that should prod her into passing along her tape and film to her contact. I want the surveillance team breathing down her neck if she leaves the house. As I’m certain she will.’

Til take charge of the surveillance myself,’ Blackman said.

‘Be careful,’ Porter told him. ‘Mrs Stevens has discovered she carries a baby Kolibri.’

‘A nasty little gun,’ Blackman said. ‘We’ll watch our step.’

‘Make certain you don’t lose her contact,’ Porter said. ‘He’s the key to this situation, and we’ll have to work quickly. It won’t take long for her bosses to find out that we’ve fooled them with the blueprints and it’ll be easy enough for them to guess that we were talking on the phone in a mock code. That will be the tip to them that we’re feeding Nancy rubbish, so they’ll switch from her to someone else, and we’ll have to start all over again.’

‘I know what’s at stake,’ Blackman said.

As Porter anticipated, Nancy Wing photographed the documents he brought back to the house, and the following morning she told him at breakfast that she thought she might spend the morning at a shopping centre about ten miles from the house. She would pick up some cosmetics and other items she needed, and if there were any dress shops there she hoped to find a few simple outfits that would lend greater variety to her wardrobe.

When Porter left the house he stopped the jeep at the edge of the woods beyond the end of the property, and alerted the waiting Blackman. ‘She’s going off to the shopping centre,’ he said. ‘She’s taken the bait.’

Two members of the surveillance team went off to mark time at the shopping centre parking lot, and when the girl left the house she was followed by Blackman and another agent using separate cars.

It was obvious that Nancy was unfamiliar with the area. Twice she hesitated at crossroads to read the signs erected there, and later she had to double back after turning in the wrong direction. But she reached the shopping centre in a quarter of an hour, with the two vehicles trailing her taking turns in the lead so she wouldn’t know she was being followed.

Blackman’s report, written later in the day, was succinct:

Subject parked in lot at Northern Shores Shopping Centre at 10.20 a.m. Checked her wristwatch as she left car, which she did not lock. Was in no hurry, and walked slowly to principal shopping area. Spent short time looking in windows of Today’s Bestsellers Bookstore. Wandered on to Elite Dress Shop, where she examined everything in windows. Did not enter shop or exchange greetings of any nature with anyone.

Contrary to expectations, subject made no attempt to use a telephone. This makes it likely that her contact, by pre-arrangement, would await her each day at specified time and place in shopping centre.

Before leaving Elite Dress Shop windows, subject again checked the time on her watch. Still in no hurry, went to Save Rite Drug Store, where she purchased one container Luxury Lash Lengthener mascara, one Dragon Red lipstick and one bottle Pearl Nail Lacquer. Paid for purchases with the bill, received $3.67 in change. Agent Wilson, who stood beside her throughout the transaction is certain she did not pass recording tape, film or other material of any kind to clerk during or following the exchange.

When Nancy left the drugstore she looked at her watch for the third time, then increased her pace and walked more rapidly until she reached the Northern Shore Snack Bar. She entered and sat on a stool at the counter.