‘What do you think?’ she said. ‘I mean, not even Cussane could expect to get in there tomorrow. You’ve seen the security.’
Devlin took out his wallet and produced the security card Ferguson had given him. ‘Have you seen one of these before?’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Very special. Guaranteed to unlock all doors.’
‘So?’
‘Nobody has asked to see it. We were totally accepted when we walked in. Why? Because you are wearing police uniform. And don’t tell me that’s what you are. It isn’t the point.’
‘I see what you mean.’ She was troubled and it showed.
‘The best place to hide a tree is in a forest,’ he said. ‘Tomorrow, there’ll be policemen all over the place and church dignitaries so what’s another policeman or priest.’
At that moment someone called his name, and they turned to see Ferguson walking towards them with a man in a dark overcoat. Ferguson wore a greatcoat of the kind favoured by Guards officers, and carried a smartly rolled umbrella.
‘Brigadier Ferguson,’ Devlin told the girl hastily.
‘There you are,’ the Brigadier said. This your driver?’
‘WPC Calder, sir,’ she saluted smartly.
‘This is Superintendent Foster, attached to Scotland Yard’s anti-terrorist squad,’ Ferguson said. ‘I’ve been going over things with him. Seems pretty watertight to me.’
‘Even if your man gets as far as Canterbury, there’s no way he’ll get in the cathedral tomorrow,’ Foster said simply. ‘I’d stake my reputation on it.’
‘Let’s hope you don’t have to,’ Devlin told him.
Ferguson tugged at Foster’s sleeve impatiently. ‘Right, let’s get inside before the light fails. I’m staying here tonight myself, Devlin. I’ll phone you at your hotel later.’
The two men walked up to the great door, a policeman opened it for them and they went inside. ‘Do you think he knows them?’ Devlin asked her gently.
‘God, I don’t know. You’ve gotme wondering now, sir.’ She opened the door of the car for him. He got in and she slid behind the wheel and started the engine. ‘One thing.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Even if he did get in and did something, he’d never get out again.’
‘But that’s the whole point,’ Devlin said. ‘He doesn’t care what happens to him afterwards.’
‘God help us then.’
‘I wouldn’t bank on it. Nothing we can do now, girl dear. We don’t control the game any more, it controls us, so get us to that hotel in your own good time and I’ll buy you the best dinner the place can offer. Did I tell you, by the way, that I have this terrible thing for women in uniform?’
As she turned out into the traffic she started to laugh.
The caravan was large and roomy and extremely well-furnished. The bedroom section was separate in its own small compartment, twin bunks. When Cussane opened the door and peered in, Morag appeared J¯ be sleeping.
He started to close the door and she called, ‘Harry?’
‘Yes?’ He moved back in. ‘What is it?’
‘Is Grandma still working?’
‘Yes.’
He sat on the edge of the’bunk. He was in considerable pain now. It even hurt to breathe. Something was badly wrong, he knew that. She reached up to touch his face and he drew back a little.
She said, ‘Remember in Granda’s caravan that first day? I asked if you were frightened I might corrupt you.’
‘To be precise,’ he told her, ‘your actual words were: “Are you frightened I might corrupt you,Father?” ‘
She went very still. ‘You are a priest then? A real priest? I think I always knew it.’
‘Go to sleep,’ he said.
She reached for his hand. ‘You wouldn’t leave without telling me?’
There was genuine fear in her voice. He said gently, ‘Now would I do a thing like that to you?’ He got up and opened the door. ‘Like I said, get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.’
He lit a cigarette, opened the door and went out. The Maidstone fairground was a comparatively small affair, a number of sideshows, various stalls, bingo stands, several carousels. There were still a number of people around, noisy and good-humoured in spite of the late hour, music loud on the night air. At one end of the caravan was the Land Rover which towed it, at the other the red tent with the illuminated sign that saidGypsy Rose. As he watched, a young couple emerged, laughing. Cussane hesitated, then went in.