said. He looked at Elene with a mixture of anger and amusement. Kemel said: “Where’s Sonja?” “In bed,” Wolff said, jerking his head toward the curtains. “She sleeps through earthquakes, especially after a night of lust.” Kernel was uncomfortable with such talk, Elene observed, and perhaps also impatient with Wolff’s levity. “You’re in trouble,” he said again. “I know,” Wolff said. “I suppose she’s working for Vandam.” “I don’t know about that. I got a call in the middle of the night from my man on the towpath. Vandam had come along and sent my man to fetch help.” Wolff was shocked. “We came closel” he said. He looked worried. “Where’s Vandam now?” “Out there still. I knocked him on the head and tied him up.,, Elene’s heart sank. Vandam was out there in the bushes, hurt and incapacitated-and nobody else knew where she was. It bad all been for nothing, after all. Wolff nodded. “Vandarn followed her here. That’s two people whc know about this place. If I stay here I’ll have to kill them both.” Elene shuddered: he talked of killing people so lightly. Masters and slaves, she remembered. “Not good enough,” Kernel said. “If you kill Vandam the murder will eventually be blamed on me. You can go away, but I have to live in this town.” He paused, watching Wolff with narrowed eyes. “And if you were to kill me, that would still leave the man who called me last night.” “So . . .” Wolff frowned and made an angry noise. ‘Ibere’s no choice. I have to go. Damn.” Kernel nodded. “If you disappear, I think I can cover up. But I want something from you. Remember the reason we’ve been helping you.” “You want to talk to Rommel.” “Yes.” “I’ll be sending a message tomorrow night-tonight, I mean, damn, I’ve hardly slept. Tell me what you want to say, and I’ll-” THE KEY TO REBECCA 275
“Not good enough,” Kemel interrupted. “We want to do it ourselves. We want your radio.” Wolff frowned. Elene realized that Kemel was a nationalist rebel, cooperating or trying to cooperate with the Germans. Kernel added: “We could send your message for you. . .” “Not necessary,” Wolff said. He seemed to have reached a decision. “I have another radio.” “It’s agreed, then.” “There’s the radio.” Wolff pointed to the open case, still on the floor where Elene had left it. “It’s already tuned to the correct wavelength. All you have to do is broadcast at midnight, any night.” Kemel went over to the radio and examined it. Elene wondered why Wolff had said nothing about the Rebecca code. Wolff did not care whether Kernel got through to Rommel or not, shp decided; and to give him the code would be to risk that he might give it to someone else. Wolff was playing safe again. Wolff said: “Where does Vandain liver, Kernel told him the address. Elene thought: Now what is he after? Wolff said: “He’s married, I suppose.” “No. “A bachelor. Damn.” “Not a bachelor,” Kemel said, still looking at the wireless transmitter. “A widower. I-Es wife was killed in Crete last year.,, “Any children?” “Yes,” Kemel said. “A small boy called Billy, so I’m told. Why?” Wolff shrugged. “I’m interested, a little obsessed, with the man who~s come so close to catching me.” Elene was sure he was lying. Kernel closed the suitcase, apparently satisfied. Wolff said to him: “Keep an eye on her for a minute, would you?” “Of course.” Wolff turned away, then turned back. He had noticed that Elene still had Rebecca in her hand. He reached down and took it from her. He disappeared through the curtains. Elene thought: If I tell Kemel about the code, then maybe 276 Ken Follett
Kernel will make Wolff give it to him, and maybe then Vandam will get it from Wolff-but what will happen to me? Kernel said to her: ‘Tlbat-” He stopped abruptly as Wolff came back, carrying his clothes, and began to dress. Kernel said to him: “Do you have a call sign?” “Sphinx,” Wolff said shortly. “A code?” “No code.” “What was in that book?” Wolff looked angry. “A code,” he said. “But you can’t have it.” “We need it.” “I can’t give it to you,” Wolff said. “You’ll have to take your chance, and broadcast in clear.” Kernel nodded. Suddenly Wolff’s knife was in his hand. “Don’t argue,” he said. “I know you’ve got a gun in your pocket. Remember, if you shoot, you’ll have to explain the bullet to the British. You’d better go now.” Kemel turned, without speaking, and went up the ladder and through the hatch. Elene heard his footsteps above. Wolff went to the porthole and watched him walk away along the towpath. Wolff put his knife away and buttoned his shirt over the sheath. He put on his shoes and laced them tightly. He got the book from the next room, extracted from it the sheet of paper bearing the key to the code, crumpled the paper, dropped it into a large glass ashtray, took a box of matches from a kitchen drawer and set fire to the paper. He must have another key with the other radio, Elene thought. Wolff watched the flames to make sure the paper was entirely burned, He looked at the book, as if contemplating burning that too, then he opened a porthole and dropped it into the river. He took a small suitcase~ from a cupboard and began to pack a few things into it. “Where are you going?” Elene said. “You’ll find out-you’re coming.” “Oh, no.” What would he do with her? He had caught her deceiving him-had be dreamed up some appropriate punish- TBE KEY TO REBECCA 277