Martineau told him briefly about Kelso, although omitting, for the moment, any mention of the Operation Overlord connection. When he was finished, Baum said, “I wish you luck. From the sound of it, it’s going to be tricky trying to get him out by boat. At least I fly out tomorrow night. A nice fast exit.”
Martineau saw it then, the perfect answer to the whole situation. Sheer genius. “Tell me,” he said. “Once back, you’ll be returned to your regiment?”
“I should imagine so.”
“Which means you’ll have every chance of having your head blown off during the next few months because the invasion’s coming and your paratroopers will be in the thick of it.”
“I expect so.”
“How would you like to go to England instead?”
“YouVe got to be joking,” Baum said in astonishment. “How could such a thing be?”
“Just think about it.” Martineau got up and paced around the room. “What’s the most useful thing about being Field Marshal Erwin Rommel?”
“You tell me.”
“The fact that everyone does what you tell them to do. For example, tomorrow evening you go to the airport to return to France in the little Storch you came in.”
“So what.”
“There’s a JU52 transport up there, the mail plane, due to leave for France around the same time. What do you think would happen if Field Marshal Rommel turned up just before takeoff with an SS Standartenfuhrer, a wounded man on a stretcher, a young Frenchwoman, and commandeered the plane? What do you think they’d say?”
Baum smiled. “Not very much, I imagine.”
“Once in the air,” Martineau said, “and the nearest point on the English coast would be no more than half an hour’s flying time in that mail plane.”
“My God!” Baum said in awe. “You really mean it.”
“Do you want to go to England or don’t you?” Martineau asked. “Make up your mind. Of course, if you hadn’t met me you’d have gone back to France to rejoin the field marshal, and who knows what would happen. Another mad plot to kill the Fiihrer fails, which would mean an unpleasant end for Erwin Rommel. 1 suspect that might also apply to anyone connected with him and, let’s face it-the Gestapo and Himmler would find you very suspect indeed.”
“You really do have a way with the words,” Baum told him.
Martineau lit a cigarette. “Even if you survive, my friend, Berlin will resemble a brickyard before long. The Russians want blood, and I think you’ll find that the Allies will stand back and let them get on with it.” He peered out through the curtains. “No, I really do think my alternative is the only option that would make sense to an intelligent man.”
“You could make an excellent living selling insurance,” Baum told him. “As it happens, I used to have a cousin in Leeds which is in the north of England. Yorkshire, to be precise. My only relative, if he’s still alive. I need someone to say kaddish for me. That’s prayers for the dead, by the way.”
“I know what it is,” Martineau said patiently. “Do we have a deal?”
“Berlin a brickyard.” Baum shook his head and smiled. “I like that.”
“That’s settled then.” Martineau unscrewed the silencer and put the PPK back in its holster.
“So what about Hofer?”
“What about him?”
“He’s not so bad. No different from the rest of us. I wouldn’t like to have to hurt him.”
“I’ll think of something. I’ll discuss it with my friends. I’ll join your tour of the east of the island tomorrow morning. Be more friendly toward me. At a suitable point when Necker is there, ask me where I’m staying. I’ll tell you de Ville Place-all about it. Its magical location, wonderful grounds, and so on. You tell Necker you like the sound of it. That you’d like to have lunch there. Insist on it. I’ll finalize things with you then.”
“The third act, rewritten at so late a date we don’t get any chance to rehearse,” Baum said wryly.
“You know what they say,” Martineau told him. “That’s show business,” and he slipped out through the curtain.
It was just after midnight when Sean Gallagher and Guido took Hugh Kelso down the narrow stairway to Helen’s bedroom. Sarah waited by the partially open door for Helen’s signal from the other end of the corridor. It came and she opened the door quickly.