He could hear her feet shuffling across the carpet to the music; the tireless jingle of her charm bracelet.
“Dance, for Christ’s sake.”
She had a slurred way of talking, slackly dragging the last syllable of a sentence beyond its natural length; it was the same calculated disenchantment with which she gave herself, sullenly, as if she were giving money, as if men had all the pleasure and women the pain.
She stopped the record, careless as she pulled the arm. The needle scratched in the loudspeaker.
“Look, what the hell goes on?”
“Nothing I tell you. I’ve just had a hard day, that’s all. Then this man called, somebody I used to know.”
“I keep asking you: who? Some woman, wasn’t it? Some tart.”
“No, Betty, it was a man.”
She came to the window, nudging him indifferently. “What’s so bloody marvelous about the view anyway? Just a lot of rotten little houses. You always said you hated them. Well, who was it?”
“He’s from one of the big companies.”
“And they want you?”
“Yes . . . they want to make me an offer.”
“Christ, who’d want a bloody Pole?”
He hardly stirred. “They do.”
“Someone came to the bank, you know, asking about you. They all sat together in Mr. Dawnay’s office. You’re in trouble, aren’t you?”
He took her coat and helped her into it, very correct, elbows wide.
She said: “Not that new place with waiters, for Christ’s sake.”
“It’s nice there, isn’t it? I thought you fancied it there. You can dance too; you like that. Where do you want to go then?”
“With you? For Christ’s sake! Somewhere where there’s a bit of life, that’s all.”
He stared at her. He was holding the door open. Suddenly he smiled.
“O.K. Bett. It’s your night. Slip down and start the car, I’ll book a table.” He gave her the key. “I know a place, a real place.”
“What the hell’s come over you now?”
“You can drive. We’ll have a night out.” He went to the telephone.
It was shortly before eleven when Haldane returned to the Department. Leclerc and Avery were waiting for him. Carol was typing in the private office.
“I thought you’d be here earlier,” Leclerc said.
“It’s no good. He said he wouldn’t play. I think you’d better try the next one yourself. It’s not my style anymore.” He seemed undisturbed. He sat down. They stared at him incredulously.
“Did you offer money?” Leclerc asked finally. “We have clearance for five thousand pounds.”
“Of course I offered money. I tell you he’s just not interested. He was a singularly unpleasant person.”
“I’m sorry.” He didn’t say why.
They could hear the tapping of Carol’s typewriter. Leclerc said, “Where do we go from here?”
“I have no idea.” He glanced restlessly at his watch.
“There must be others, there must be.”
“Not on our cards. Not with his qualifications. There are Belgians, Swedes, Frenchmen. But Leiser was the only German speaker with technical experience. On paper, he’s the only one.”
“Still young enough. Is that what you mean?”
“I suppose so. It would have to be an old hand. We haven’t the time to train a new man, nor the facilities. We’d better ask the Circus. They’ll have someone.”
“We can’t do that,” Avery said.
“What kind of man was he?” Leclerc persisted, reluctant to abandon hope.
“Common, in a Slav way. Small. He plays the Rittmeister. It’s most unattractive.” He was looking in his pockets for the bill. “He dresses like a bookie, but I suppose they all do that. Do I give this to you or Accounts?”
“Secure?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“And you spoke about the urgency? New loyalties and that kind of thing?”
“He found the old loyalties more attractive.” He put the bill on the table.
“And politics . . . some of these exiles are very . . .”
“We spoke about politics. He’s not that sort of exile. He considers himself integrated, naturalized British. What do you expect him to do? Swear allegiance to the Polish royal house?” Again he looked at his watch.
“You never wanted to recruit him!” Leclerc cried, angered by Haldane’s indifference. “You’re pleased, Adrian, I can see it in your face! Good God, what about the Department! Didn’t that mean anything to him? You don’t believe in it any more, you don’t care! You’re sneering at me!”