The doctor looked at Bond for a moment and then turned brusquely to Mathis.
‘You may have ten minutes and then you will be forcibly elected. If you put the patient’s temperature up, you will answer for it.’
He gave them both a broad smile and left the room.
Mathis came over and took the doctor’s chair.
‘That’s a good man,’ said Bond. ‘I like him.’
‘He’s attached to the Bureau,’ said Mathis. ‘He is a very good man and I will tell you about him one of these days. He thinks you are a prodigy – and so do I.
‘However, that can wait. As you can imagine, there is much to clear up and I am being pestered by Paris and, of course, London, and even by Washington via our good friend Leiter. Incidentally,’ he broke off, ‘I have a personal message from M. He spoke to me himself on the telephone. He simply said to tell you that he is much impressed. I asked if that was all and he said: “Well, tell him that the Treasury is greatly relieved.” Then he rang off.’
Bond grinned with pleasure. What most warmed him was that M himself should have rung up Mathis. This was quite unheard of. The very existence of M, let alone his identity, was never admitted. He could imagine the flutter this must have caused in the ultra-security-minded organization in London.
‘A tall thin man with one arm came over from London the same day we found you,’ continued Mathis, knowing from his own experience that these shop details would interest Bond more than anything else and give him most pleasure, ‘and he fixed up the nurses and looked after everything. Even your car’s being repaired for you. He seemed to be Vesper’s boss. He spent a lot of time with her and gave her strict instructions to look after you.’
Head of S, thought Bond. They’re certainly giving me the red carpet treatment.
‘Now,’ said Mathis, ‘to business. Who killed Le Chiffre?’
‘SMERSH,’ said Bond.
Mathis gave a low whistle.
‘My God,’ he said respectfully. ‘So they were on to him. What did he look like?’
Bond explained briefly what had happened up to the moment of Le Chiffre’s death, omitting all but the most essential details. It cost him an effort and he was glad when it was done. Casting his mind back to the scene awoke the whole nightmare and the sweat began to pour off his forehead and a deep throb of pain started up in his body.
Mathis realized that he was going too far. Bond’s voice was getting feebler and his eyes were clouding. Mathis snapped shut his shorthand book and laid a hand on Bond’s shoulder.
‘Forgive me, my friend,’ he said. ‘It is all over now and you are in safe hands. All is well and the whole plan has gone splendidly. We have announced that Le Chiffre shot his two accomplices and then committed suicide because he could not face an inquiry into the union funds. Strasbourg and the north are in an uproar. He was considered a great hero there and a pillar of the Communist Party in France. This story of brothels and casinos has absolutely knocked the bottom out of his organization and they’re all running around like scalded cats. At the moment the Communist Party is giving out that he was off his head. But that hasn’t helped much after Thorez’s breakdown not long ago. They’re just making it look as if all their big shots were gaga. God knows how they’re going to unscramble the whole business.’
Mathis saw that his enthusiasm had had the desired effect. Bond’s eyes were brighter.
‘One last mystery,’ Mathis said, ‘and then I promise I will go.’ He looked at his watch. ‘The doctor will be after my skin in a moment. Now, what about the money? Where is it? Where did you hide it? We too have been over your room with a toothcomb. It isn’t there.’
Bond grinned.
‘It is,’ he said, ‘more or less. On the door of each room there is a small square of black plastic with the number of the room on it. On the corridor side, of course. When Leiter left me that night, I simply opened the door and unscrewed my number plate and put the folded cheque underneath it and screwed the plate back. It’ll still be there.’ He smiled. ‘I’m glad there’s something the stupid English can teach the clever French.’