be aware of is a slight shake, if that, a tremor that wouldn’t raise any
eyebrows at the nearest seismographic station, wherever that may be. As
for the sound factor, it would be negligible.’
‘Are you sure?’ Agnelli’s tone was unaccustomedly sharp.
‘if my assumptions are correct, and I see no reason why they shouldn’t
be, then I’m sure.’
‘No loud bang?’
‘They wouldn’t hear it in the palace drawing-rooms, far less out in the
Dam Square.’
‘How could one ensure that it is heard?’
‘Bring along enough spare amatol, let me have a look at the walls and
I’ll tell you.’Tell me, is it your intent-ion just to leave the explosive
there, lock the doors, throw away the keys – it will have occurred to
you, of course, that there will be duplicates?’
‘These we hpve.’
‘And arrange for the bang after you’re clear of the palace?’ Agnelli
nodded. ‘Then why on earth do you want me for a simple job like this?
I’ve little enough in the way of conscience but I’d feel downright guilty
taking money for a job like this. A young teenager in his first year in
a physics or chemistry lab could do this. All you require is a battery,
any old alarm clock, some household flex, a fulniffiate of mercury
detonator, a primer and you’re off. Even simpler, all you require is a
length of slow-burning RDX fuse. What you don’t want is an explosives
expert – me. It’s a matter, Mr Ag.ielli, of professional pride.’
‘This is a job for a professional. It’s to be set off by remote radio
control.’
‘A teenager in his second year in a physics or chemistry lab. Can’t you
do 1, yourselves?’
108
‘For good reasons we want an expert. The reasons are not for you.’
‘You have the technical data for this radio-con trolled device.’
‘A professional needs an instruction book?’
‘Only an amateur would ask a professional such a stupid question. Of
course I need an instruction book, as you call it, but it’s not
instructions I require. These systems are not difficult if you know how
they work. Problem is, there are quite a number of different systems:
it’s not instructions I require but data. As far as the device and the
control are concerned, I need to know such things as voltage, wattage,
wave-length, radio range, type of detonator, the nature of the triggering
mechanism, the type of shielding and a few other odds and ends. You have
this? The data, I mean?’
‘We have. I shall bring it along tonight.’
‘You will not. I have no wish to give offence, Nir Agnelli, but only a
rank amateur would suggest that I start to learn about this device on the
spot. I want to be so thoroughly familiarized with the data that I can
leave them all behind before I go near the place. 1 shall want those data
at least an hour in advance.’
‘Or no deal?’
‘I wouldn’t insu It you by threats or blackmail. I assume that a
reasonable mar, recognizes a reasonable request?’
‘He does. We’ll send it around at, say, six-thirty this evening?’
‘Fine.’ Van Effen paused briefly. ‘Well, well. We have been making
diligent enquiries, haven’t we?’
‘It really wasn’t very difficult. We come now to the delicate question
of remuneration – although I did promise it would be on a generous
scale.’
‘You did mention the possibility of permanent employment?’
‘I did.’
‘Then let’s regard this as a test demonstration. You know, efficiency,
reliability, professionalism. If I measure up, let’s then discuss payment
for future jobs. ,
‘Fair and generous. So fair, in fact, that I feel almost diffident about
raising the next delicate point.’
log
‘I would hare for you to embarrass yourself Let me raise it for you.’
‘This is more than generous.’
‘My nature. You have given me highly secret and very valuable information
for which the police would doubtless reward me handsomely.’ Van Effen knew
from Agnelli’s brief frown then renewed smile that he had indeed guessed
correctly. ‘I shall not be giving this information to the police. Reasons?
One, I am not a double-crosser. Two, I don’t like the police and they don’t
like me – I don’t want to be within a long distance of any policemen.
Three. Purely selfish and financial – I am certain I can make a great deal
more money from working for you on several occasions than I can from
betraying you once. Four, I do not wish to spend the rest of my life with
a hit man or hit men only one step behind.’Agnelli was sn-ffling very
broadly now. ‘The fifth is the most compelling reason. From what you have
just told me you obviously have informers, contacts inside the palace who
would immediately alert you to the presence of the volice. As there could
and would he only one person who could have betrayed you I could, possibly,
be summarily disposed of, although I think you would find it much more
elegant to turn me over to the police and suggest that they have a look at
extradition requests from Poland and the United States. I think I would
prefer the States – I might at least get a semblance ofafair trial there.
I am not wanted, of course, under the name of Danilov: but the description
of villains is usually pretty thorough and there can’t be many wanted men
going round with a facial scar and a ruined left hand like mine. You can
understand, Mf Agnelli, why I shall be giving the police a very wide berth
indeed.’
‘I must say that you and the law don’t appear to have a great deal in
common. Thank you, Mr Danilov, for having done my delicate task for me.
That was exactly what I did have in mind. I am quite sure that you are
going to be a very valuable member of our team.’
‘I can be trusted, you think?’
‘Unquesuionably.’
‘Then I am doubly honoured.’ Agnelli raised a questioning
I10
eyebrow. ‘I didn’t have to remove the magazines from my guns today.’
Agnelli smiled, stood, shook hands and left with his two companion;s. Van
Effen went to the office, listened to the playback of the recording,
expressed his satisfaction and thanks to Henri, pocketed the tape and
left.
As had now become his custorn, van Effen parked his car at the rear of the
Trianon but entered by the front door. A nondescript little man, seemingly
engrossed in a newspaper, was seated close by the desk. Van Effen spoke
to the man behind it.
‘I’d like a m,-:nu, please.’ He paid no atter-tion to the seated man.
‘Thank you.’ He ticked off some items on the menu. ‘I’ll have that, that
and that. And a bottle of burgundy. in my room at twelve-thirty please.
After that I don’t want to be disturbed -so no phone calls, please. I’d
be glad if you would give me a wake-up call at four o’clock.’
Van Effen took the lift to the first floor, walked down the stairs and
peered cautiously round the comer. The little man had gone. He went
across to the desk.
‘I see you’ve lost a valued customer, Charles.’
‘Hardly valued, Lieutenant. He drinks one tiny jonge jenever once every
hour or so. That’s his third time here since last night. He is rather
obvious, isn’t he?’
‘He doesn’t seem to think so. Will you cancel my lunch, Charles?’
Charles smiled. ‘Already cancelled.’
Van Effen left the Trianon a few minutes later, his appearance returned
to normal.
‘Well,’ van Effen said, ‘were you worried stiff about me?’
!Of course not,’ Julie said. ‘You told us there was nothing to worry
about.’
‘Liar. You, too.’
‘Me?’ Annemarie said. ‘I haven’t said a word yet.’
‘You were about to. Your concern is perfectly understandable. A jonge
jenever, large. The very jaws of death, I tell you.’
‘Tell us about brave Daniel,’ Julie said.
‘In a moment. First of all, I must phone the Colonel. He will be consumed
with anxiety about his trusty lieutenant.’
‘It’s twelve-thirty,’ Julie said. ‘If I know the Colonel his only concern
now is what aperitif he’s going to have before lunch.’
‘You do him an injustice. And, incidentally, me.’ He took the drink from
his sister. ‘May I use your bedroom?’
‘Of course.’
Annemarie said: ‘I thought
‘There’s a phone there.’
‘Ab. State secrets.’
‘Not at all. Come along. Both of you. It’ll save me from having to repeat
myself.’
He sat down on Julie’s bed, opened a bedside cupboard and extracted a
phone. Annemarie said: ‘That’s a curious-looking instrument.’
‘Scrambler phone. Any eavesdropper who is locked into your telephone
hears only garbled nonsense. A device at the recipient’s end works in
reverse and makes the jumble intelligible again. Much uscd by secret
services and the Letter class of spy. Very popular with criminals, too.
The original connection was to my apartment but I can also call de Graaf