‘Marvellous. Anything else?’
‘Sometime after seven they’ll contact you from the French base to confirm departure time so stand by. Afterwards, you place the cycle lamps in the meadow as I described to you.’
‘I will. You may depend on it.’ She turned to Shaw. ‘Isn’t it marvellous, darling?’
‘Terrific, old girl,’ he said, eyes already glazed and poured another drink.
But by then Devlin had had enough and he got up. Til be on my way. See you tomorrow night.’
Shaw mumbled something and Lavinia took Devlin back to the kitchen where he got his coat and hat.
‘Will he be all right?’ Devlin asked as she took him to the front door.
‘Who, Max? Oh, yes. No need to worry there, Major.’
Til see you then.’
It started to rain as he went down the drive and there was no sign of the van. He stood there, hands in pockets and it was thirty minutes before it turned up.
‘Did it go well?’ Ryan asked.
Mary cut in, ‘We’ve had a lovely time. Rye was a fine place.’
‘Well, I’m happy for you,’ Devlin said sourly. Those two didn’t even offer me a bite to eat.’
Asa was just finishing a late lunch in the canteen when Schellenberg hurried in. ‘A slight change in plan. I’ve had a message saying the ReichsFuhrer wants to see me. The interesting thing is I’m to bring you.’
‘What in the hell for?’
‘It seems you’ve been awarded the Iron Cross First Class and the ReichsFuhrer likes to pin them on SS officers himself.’
Asa said, ‘I wonder what my old man would say. I went to West Point, for Christ’s sakes.’
‘The other complication is that he’s at Wewelsburg. You’ve heard of the place^of course?’
‘Every good SS man’s idea of heaven. What does this do to our schedule?’
‘No problem. Wewelsburg has a Luftwaffe feeder base only ten miles away. We’ll fly there in the Stork and carry on to Chernay afterwards.’ Schellenberg glanced at his watch. ‘The appointment’s for seven and he takes punctuality for granted.’
At six thirty it was totally dark on the Thames as Ryan nudged the motor boat in towards the shingle strand. He said to Mary, ‘Just sit tight. It shouldn’t take long.’
Devlin picked up the bag of tools and the torch. ‘Right, let’s get moving,’ and he went over the side.
The water in the tunnel was deeper than it had been before, at one point chest high, but they pressed on and reached the grill in a few minutes.
‘Are you sure about this?’ Ryan asked.
‘Michael, you said you thought it would come away easy. Now wouldn’t I look the original fool if I turned up to grab Steiner tomorrow night and found the damn grill wouldn’t budge?’
‘All right, let’s get on with it,’ Ryan said.
‘And no banging. I don’t want someone on their knees up there in the chapel wondering what’s happening down here.’
Which is what made the whole thing rather more difficult than it had first appeared. The slow, careful probing between the brickwork took time. On occasion, several bricks fell out of place at once, but others proved more difficult. It took half an hour to clear one side.
Fifteen minutes into working on the other, Ryan said, ‘You were right, dammit, the thing’s a sod.’
He pulled at the grill angrily and it fell forward. Devlin grabbed at his arm, pulling him out of the way and got a hand to the side of the grill at the same time, easing it down.
He took the lamp and peered inside, then handed it to Ryan. ‘You hold the light while I go and take a look.’
‘Watch your step, now.’
Devlin went through the hole and waded inside. In there, the water was now up to his armpits, covering the tops of the tombs. He made it to the steps and started up. A rat scurried past him and dived into the water. He paused on the top step, then very gently tried the handle.
There was the faintest of creaks and the door eased open. He could see the altar, the Virgin on the other side floating in candlelight. He peered round the door cautiously. The chapel was quite deserted and then the outer door opened and a nun came in. Very quietly, Devlin closed the door and retreated down the steps.