variation that’s how they did it. There is no other way.’ Van Effen
looked at de Grad. ‘We’re up against a team of experts and the person
directing them is no clown. They know how to steal boats, they know how
to handle them, they know where to steal drilling equipment, they know
how to use that equipment and they’re obviously at home with explosives.
No wild-eyed, slogan-chanting cranks among this lot: they’re
professionals. I’ve asked head office to notify us immediately if they
receive any complaints from factories, wholesalers or retailers of the
theft of any equipment from the manufacturers or distributors of drilling
equipment. Also to notify us of the theft of any vessels from that area.’
‘And beyond that?’ de Graaf said.
‘Nothing. We have no leads.’
De Graaf nodded and looked down at the paper he held in his hands. ‘That
message from the mysterious FFF. No indication whatsoever as to the
reason behind this threatened – now actual – sabotage. just a warning
that nobody should be at ground level at i x a.m. this morning and that
all planes should be flown out yesterday afternoon or evening to adjacent
airfields as the needless destruction of property formed no part of their
plans. Very considerate of them, I must say. And even more considerate,
Jon, was the phone call you got at nine o’clock this morning urging you
to evacuate all those planes immediately. But, of course, we all knew it
was a hoax, so we paid no attention. Would you recognize that voice
again, Jon?’
‘Not a chance-. It was a woman’s voice, a young woman and speaking in
English. All young women speaking English sound the same to me.’ Fist
clenched, de Jong gently thumped the table before him. ‘They don’t even
hint at the reason for carrying out this – this monstrous action. What
have they
0
achieved by this action? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I repeat that any
person or persons who behave in this fashion have to be mentally
unbalanced.’
Van Effen said: ‘I’m sorry, sir, I disagree. I do agree with what the
Colonel said on the roof – they’re almost certainly as sane as any one.
No one who is mentally unbalanced could have carried out this operation.
And they’re not, as I said, wild-eyed terrorists throwing bombs in
crowded market-places. In two separate warnings they did their best to
ensure that neither human lives nor property would be put at risk. That
was not the behaviour of irresponsible peop!e.’
‘And who, then, was responsible for the deaths of the three people who
lost their lives when that Fokker Friendship cartwheeled and crashed on
take-off?’
‘The saboteurs, indirectly. One could equally well say that you were,
also indirectly. It might be argued you might at least have considered
the possibility that the th. reat was not a hoax, taken even the most
remote possibility into account and refused permission for the Fokker to
take off at exactly i i a.m. But that permission was given, personally
I understand, by you. It is as certain as certain can be that the
saboteurs had carefully checked landing and take-off schedules and made
sure that there were no planes either taking off or landing at or near
that time. That Fokker was the private plane of a German industrialist
and was therefore not listed on the scheduled departures. I suggest, Mr
de Jong, that it’s futile to ascribe the blame for those three deaths to
anyone. Sheer bad luck, an unfortunate coincidence in timing, an act of
God, call it what you like. There was nothing planned, nothing
calculated, no motive behind those deaths. It was nobody’s fault.’
De Jong had substituted finger-drumming for table thumping. ‘If those
evil men were as considerate as you say, why didn’t they postpone the
explosion when they saw people boarding the plane?’
‘Because we don’t know that they were in a position to see anything and,
even if they were, they were almost certainly unoble to do anything about
it. Had the explosives been activated by a radio-controlled device, sure,
they could have
17
stopped it. But, as I told you, I’m pretty certain it was an electrical
timer and to de-activate that they would have had to assemble a boat,
scuba gear and diver – and all in broad daylight – in a matter of minutes.
In the time available, that would have been impossible.’
There was a faint but unmistakable sheen of sweat on de Jong’s forehead.
‘They could have phoned a warning.’
Van Effen looked at de Jong for a long moment, then said: ‘How much
attention did you pay to the previous warning this morning?’
De Jong made no reply.
‘And you’ve just said that the saboteurs have achieved nothmg, absolutely
nothing, by their action. I know you’re upset, sir, and it seems unfair
to press the point, but can you really be so naive as to believe that?
Tliey’ve already made a considerable achievement. They have achieved the
beginnings of a climate of fear and uncertainty, a climate that can only
worsen with the passing of the hours. If they’ve struck once, apparently
without a blind bit of motivation, are the chances not high that they win
strike again? If they do, when? If they do, where? And, above 0, there’s
the why. What overpowering reason do they have to behave as they do?’He
looked at de Graaf. ‘Soften up the victim but keep him in suspense as to
your purpose in behaving in this fashion. It’s a novel form of blackmail
and I see no reason why it shouldn’t work. I have the strong feeling that
we are going to hear from the FFF in the very near future. Not to state
the reasons for acting as they do, certainly not to make any specific
demands. Dear me, no. Not that. That’s not the way you conduct
psychological warfare. One turns the wheel that stretches the rack very,
very slowly over a calculated period of time. Gives the victim time to
ponder more deeply about the hopelessness of his situation while his
morale sinks lower and lower. At least that’s how I believe they operated
in the Middle Ages – when using the actual instrument, of course.’
De Jong said sourly: ‘You seem to know a lot about the workings of the
criminal mind.’
‘A little.’Van Effen smiled agreeably. ‘I wouldn’t presume to tell you
how to run an airport.’
18
‘And what am I to understand from that?’
‘Mr van Effen just means that a cobbler should stick to his last.’ De
Graaf made a placatory gesture with his hand. ‘He’s the author of the now
established text-book on the psychology of the criminal mind. Never read
it myself. So, Peter. You seem sure the FFF will contact us very soon,
but not to tell us about themselves or their objectives. Tell us what?
The where and the when ~ Their next – ah – demonstration?’
‘What else?’
A profound -and rather gloomy silence was ended by the entrance of a
waiter who approached. de Jong. ‘Telephone, sir. Is there a Lieutenant
van Effen here?’
‘Me.’ Van Effen followed the waiter from the canteen and returned within
a minute and addressed himself to de Graaf.
‘Duty sergeant. Apparently two men reported their boats missing some
hours ago. Pleasure boat owners. The sergeant who took their complaint
didn’t think it necessary to notify our department. Quite right, of
course. The boats have now been recovered. One, it would seem, was taken
by force. The boats are in our hands. I told them to take a couple of
finger-print men aboard, return the boats to the owners but not to allow
the owners aboard. If you can spare the time, sir, we can interview the
two owners after we leave here: they live less than a kilometre from
here.’
‘A promising lead, yes?’
‘No.’
‘I don’t think so either. However, no stone unturned. We may as well go
now and -‘
He broke off as the same waiter reappeared and approached him. ‘Phone
again. For you this time, Colonel.’
De Graaf returned in a matter of seconds. ‘Jon, have you such a thing as
a shorthand typist?’
‘Of course. Jan?’
‘Sir?’ A blond youngster was on his feet.
‘You heard the Colonel?’
‘Yes, sir.’ He looked at de Graaf. ‘What shall I say?’
‘Ask her to take that phone call and type it out for me. Peter, you have
clairvoyance, the second sight.’
19
‘The FFF?’
‘Indeed. The press, I need hardly say. The FFF have their publicity
priorities right. Usual anonymous phone call. The sub-editor who took the
call was smart enough to tape-record it but I’d be surprised if that is
of the slightest help. A fairly lengthy statement, I understand.
Shorthand is not my forte. Let us possess our souls in patience.’
They had possessed their souls for not more than four minutes when a girl
entered and handed a type-written sheet to de Graaf. He thanked her,