attached to each leg. ‘Put on the overhead light.’
The light came on. The man with the gun said: ‘Good God. Lieutenant van
Effen. Sorry about that, sir.’
‘Just as long as you didn’t shoot me full of holes, Sergeant. Nothing to
be sorry for. Semi-dark, and, with my back to you, my trademarks, scar
and black glove, weren’t visible. And, of course, you weren’t expecting
me to enter this way. I’m just glad to see that you and your men are so
on the alert.’
‘I didn’t even recognize your voice.’
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‘Cheek padding. I must admit it does alter the voice somewhat. How many
men do you have here, Sergeant?’
‘Five, sir. Two with machine pistols.’
‘And in the street outside?’
‘Another five. Behind first-floor windows. Another two machine pisto!s.’
‘Very gratifyirg. To see that the Colonel places so high a value on his
Lieutenant.’ He turned to the young policeman who field the gun in his
hand. ‘Do you think I could have my property back?’
‘Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. Of course.’ The policeman was highly embarrassed.
‘I won’t make that mistake again.’
‘I know you won’t. Go and ask Henri if he’ll come here -Henri’s the
sad-looking man behind the bar.’
When Henri appeared, lugubrious as ever, he said: ‘I hear you’ve been
held at gunpoint, Peter. Must have been a rather unusual experience for
you. My fault. I forgot to tell the Sergeant that you had your own key.
Never expected you to come that way.’
‘No harm. Customers. How many?’
‘Three only. And, yes, they’re regulars. Any more come in when you and
your visitors are talking and I’ll keep them well away. No one will be
able to hear a word you say.’
, Except you, of course.’
Henri almost smiled. ‘Except me. The gentleman who was here said they
wouldn’t find the microphone evenif they looked for it. He asked me if
I could find it and I couldn’t. Not in my own bar. He said he thought it
was highly unlikely that they would look anyway.’
‘I think so too. Switch on the recorder in the office as soon as they
come through the door. I shall be off now and make a respectable entrance
through the front door. They’ve probably got someone watching.’
Van Effen was sitting in the booth nearest the door when the three men
entered, Agnelli in the lead. Van Effen stood and shook hands with
Agnelli, who seemed no less genial and friendly than he had on the
previous occasion.
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‘Very pleased to meet you again, Mr Danilov,’ Agnelli said. ‘Helmut, of
course, you know.’Paderiwski didn’t offer to shake hands. ‘And this is
my brother, Leonardo.’
Leonardo Agnelli did offer to shake hands. Hc bore no resemblance to his
brother. He was short, squat and had black beetling brows. The brows in
themselves meant nothing, he’d just been born that way: in his own ugly
way he seemed just as harmless as his brother, which again, of course,
meant nothing. Introductions over, van Effen sat down. Agne!li and the
other two men remained standing.
Agnelli said: ‘This is your favourite booth, Mr Danilov?
Van Effen looked slightly puzzled. ‘I don’t have a favourite booth. This
is – well, it’s just the one furthest away from the rest of the
customers. I thought you might appreciate the privacy.’
‘We do, we do. But would you mind if we went to another?’
Van Effen gave them some more of the same puzzled frown. ‘Not at ail. But
I think I’m entitled to know why. Stop! I have it. The concealed
microphone. A splendid basis for mutual trust.’ He appeared to think
briefly. ‘Might have done the same myself.’
‘You’re an explosives expert.’ Agnelli sounded apologetic. ‘Such people
usually – always, I believe – have a considerable knowledge of
electronics.’
Van Effen smiled, stood, moved out into the aisle and waved a hand toward
the empty booth. ‘A thousand guilders to the first man to find the
concealed microphone which I’ve just spent hours installing under the
fascinated gaze of the proprietor and his customers. A thousand guilders
for a few seconds’ work. I have a generous nature.’
Agnelli laughed. ‘In that case, I don’t think we need bother to move.’
He sat and gestured that the other two should do the same. ‘Not joining
us, Mr Danilov?
‘When I’m talking I -‘
‘Of course. I think we’ll all have beer.’
Van Effien ordered, sat and said: ‘Well, gentlemen, to the point.’
‘Certainly.’ Agnelli smiled. ‘That’s the way I prefer it. We
105
have reported to our leader and he seems to approve our choice.’
‘I had hoped to see him here this morning.,
‘You’ll see him tonight. At the Dam Square. The royal palace, to be
precise, part of which, with your expert assistance, we intend to blow
up tonight.’
‘What!’ Van Effen spilled some of the beer which he had just picked up.
‘The royal palace! You did say the royal palace?’
‘I did.’
‘You’re mad. You’re quite mad.’ Van Effen spoke with
simple convictio ‘ n.
‘We don’t think so. Nor are we joking. Will you do it?’
‘I’ll be damned if I will.’
Agnelli smiled his easy smile. ‘You have been overcome by a bout of
righteousness? A law-abiding upholder of justice and the straight and
narrow path?’
‘None of those things, I must admit. But you must understand that
although I operate mainly outside the law and have a past that wouldn’t
bear rigorous examination, in fact, any kind of examination, I’m a pretty
normal citizen in most ways. I’ve come to like the Dutch, and, although
I don’t know them from Adam, I’ve come to respect, even admire, their
royal family.’
‘Your sentiments do you credit, Mr Danilov. Believe me, I share them. But
I hardly think those are your real reasons for refusing. You said
yesterday afternoon that you would not become involved in any operation
where there might arise even the danger of risk to limb, far less to
life. Is that not so?’ Van Effen nodded. ‘I assure you no such risk will
arise tonight.’
‘Then you just want to cause a harmless explosion inside the palace-‘
‘Precisely.’
‘And why in heaven’s name should you want to cause a harmless explosion
inside the palace?’
‘You are not to concern yourself with that. It is, as you may well guess,
a purely psychological gesture.’
‘How am I to know it will be harmless?’
‘You’ll be able to satisfy yourself on this score when you get
xo6
there. The explosion will take place inside an empty cellar. There are
empty cellars on either side of it. All four doors are lockable and we
will remove the keys after they have been locked. There are also empty
cellars above. There is absolutely no danger to anyone involved.’
‘There’s danger to us. The palace is heavily guarded. Word has it that
the guards are likely to ask questions of an intruder after they’ve shot
him dead. My aversion to people getting killed includes myself.’
‘Please, Mr Danilov. We are not simple-minded. Do I look like a person
who would embark upon an operation like this without every detail being
meticulously planned in detail beforehandF
‘I’ll grant that. You don’t.’
‘Then you may rest assured that we will encounter no trouble. As an
additional assurance, both our leader and I will be there with you. We
have no more ambition to end up in durance vile than you have.’
‘Maybe your records are not so unblemished either.’
‘Unblemished or not, it would go hard with anyone caught with explosives
within the precincts of the palace.’
‘Very neat.’ Van Efffen sounded sour. ‘So now you know I have a record
whereas I don’t know whether you have or not.’
‘It hardly matters, does it?’
‘If it does, it escapes me at the moment. It’ll probably cometo me when
it’s too late. What’s this bomb like?’
‘I’m not sure.’ Agnelli smiled. Van Effen had practically committed
himself. ‘I’m not an explosives expert. Such talents as I have lie
elsewhere, more in the organizing field, shall we say. I understand that
it weighs three or four kilos and is made of some material called
amatol.’
‘What are the cellars made of?’
‘Made of? You mean the walls?’
‘What else could I mean?’
‘I really couldn’t tell you.’
‘I don’t suppose it matters. I was just trying to figure the blast
effect. If the cellars are deep and have
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‘Those cellars are very deep.’
‘So. And with the palace on top they’ll have to support a very
considerable weight. I don’t know how old this particular part of the
palace may be, I know nothing about the palace, but the walls would have
to be pretty stoutly built. Reinforced concrete is unlikely. Dressed
stone, I should guess, and of a considerable thickness. Your little
firework is hardly likely to dent them. AU the people in the palace will