‘You’re convinced they will move him?’
‘Certain of it. They won’t continue to keep him in the Tower. It’s too absurd.’
‘So you think Vargas will come up with the right information?’ Devlin shook his head. ‘He must be good.’
‘He always has been in the past, so the Abwehr have found. This is a Spanish diplomat, Mr Devlin, a man in a privileged position. No ordinary agent. I have had his cousin, this Rivera fellow, thoroughly vetted.’
‘All right, I accept that. Let’s say Rivera’s as clean as a whistle, but who checks out Vargas? There is no one. Rivera is just a conduit through which the messages come and go, but what if Vargas is something else?’
‘You mean a neat British Intelligence plot to entice us in?’
‘Well, let’s look at the way they would see it. Whoever drops in needs friends in London, some sort of organization. If I was in charge on the Brit side, I’d give a little rope, let things get started, then arrest everybody in sight. From their point of view, quite a coup.’
‘Are you telling me you’re having second thoughts? That you don’t want to go?’
‘Not at all. What I’m saying is that if I do, I have to go on the supposition that I’m expected. That Vargas has sold us out. Now that’s a very different thing.’
‘Are you serious?’ Schellenberg demanded.
‘I’d look a right idiot if we organize things on the basis that Vargas is on our side and I get there and he isn’t. Tactics, General, that’s what’s needed here. Just like chess. You’ve got to think three moves ahead.’
‘Mr Devlin, you are a remarkable man,’ Schellenberg told him.
‘A genius on my good days,’ Devlin told him solemnly.
Schellenberg settled the account and they went outside. It was still snowing lightly as they walked to the Mercedes.
‘I’ll take you to Use’s now and we’ll meet up in the morning.’ At that moment the sirens started. Schellenberg called to his driver. ‘Hans, this way.’ He turned to Devlin. ‘On second thought, I think we’ll go back to the restaurant and sit in their cellar with the other sensible people. It’s quite comfortable. I’ve been there before.’
‘Why not?’ Devlin said and turned with him. ‘Who knows? They might find us a bottle of something in there.’
Behind them, gunfire was already rumbling like thunder on the edge of the city.
Chapter FIVE
As they approached Schellenberg’s office at Prinz Albrechtstrasse, the morning air was tainted with smoke. ‘They certainly hit the target last night,’ he said.
‘You can say that again,’ Devlin replied.
The door opened and Use Huber nodded good morning. ‘There you are, General. I was a little worried.’
‘Mr Devlin and I spent the night in the cellar of that restaurant in Marienstrasse.’
‘Rivera’s on his way,’ she told him.
‘Oh, good, send him in when he arrives.’
She went out and ten minutes later ushered Rivera in. The Spaniard stood there clutching his hat, nervously glancing at Devlin.
‘You may speak freely,’ Schellenberg said.
‘I’ve had another message from my cousin, General. He says they are moving Steiner from the Tower of London to a place called St Mary’s Priory.’
‘Did he give an address for that?’
‘He just said it was in Wapping, by the river.’
Devlin said, ‘A remarkable fella, your cousin, to come up with such a prime piece of information so easily.’
Rivera smiled eagerly. ‘Jose is certain his information is correct, senor. He got it from a friend of his, a soldier in the Scots Guards. They have a company serving in the Tower at the moment. They use the public houses nearby and my cousin…’ Rivera shrugged. ‘A matter of some delicacy.’
‘Yes, we understand, Rivera.’ Schellenberg nodded. ‘All right, you can go for now. I’ll be in touch when I need you.’
Use showed him out and came back. ‘Is there anything you’d like me to do, General?’
‘Yes, find me one of those gazetteers from the files. You know the sort of thing. London street-by-street. See if this place is mentioned.’
She went out. ‘I used to know Wapping well at one stage of my career,’ Devlin said.