Читать книгу The Spy Quartet: An Expensive Place to Die, Spy Story, Yesterday’s Spy, Twinkle Twinkle Little Spy - Len Deighton - Страница 22

We walked and talked and forgot the time. ‘Your place,’ I said finally to Maria. ‘You have central heating, the sink is firmly fixed to the wall, you don’t share the w.c. with eight other people and there are gramophone records I haven’t even read the labels on yet. Let’s go to your place.’

‘Very well,’ she said, ‘since you are so flattering about its advantages.’ I kissed her ear gently. She said, ‘But suppose the landlord throws you out?’

‘Are you having an affair with your landlord?’

She smiled and gave me a forceful blow that many French women conveniently believe is a sign of affection.

‘I’m not washing any more shirts,’ she said. ‘We’ll take a cab to your place and pick up some linen.’

We bargained with three taxi-drivers, exchanging their directional preferences with ours; finally one of them weakened and agreed to take us to the Petit Légionnaire.

I let myself into my room with Maria just behind me. Joey chirped politely when I switched on the light.

‘My God,’ said Maria, ‘someone’s turned you over.’

I picked up a heap of shirts that had landed in the fireplace.

‘Yes,’ I said. Everything from the drawers and cupboards had been tipped on to the floor. Letters and cheque stubs were scattered across the sofa and quite a few things were broken. I let the armful of shirts fall to the floor again, I didn’t know where to begin on it. Maria was more methodical, she began to sort through the clothes, folding them and putting trousers and jackets on the hangers. I picked up the phone and dialled the number Loiseau had given me.

‘Un sourire est différent d’un rire,’ I said. France is one place where the romance of espionage will never be lost, I thought. Loiseau said ‘Hello.’

‘Have you turned my place over, Loiseau?’ I said.

‘Are you finding the natives hostile?’ Loiseau asked.

‘Just answer the question,’ I said.

‘Why don’t you answer mine?’ said Loiseau.

‘It’s my jeton,’ I said. ‘If you want answers you buy your own call.’

‘If my boys had done it you wouldn’t have noticed.’

‘Don’t get blasé. Loiseau. The last time your boys did it – five weeks back – I did notice. Tell ’em if they must smoke, to open the windows; that cheap pipe tobacco makes the canary’s eyes water.’

‘But they are very tidy,’ said Loiseau. ‘They wouldn’t make a mess. If it’s a mess you are complaining of.’

‘I’m not complaining about anything,’ I said. ‘I’m just trying to get a straight answer to a simple question.’

‘It’s too much to ask of a policeman,’ said Loiseau. ‘But if there is anything damaged I’d send the bill to Datt.’

‘If anything gets damaged it’s likely to be Datt,’ I said.

‘You shouldn’t have said that to me,’ said Loiseau. ‘It was indiscreet, but bonne chance anyway.’

‘Thanks,’ I said and hung up.

‘So it wasn’t Loiseau?’ said Maria, who had been listening.

‘What makes you think that?’ I asked.

She shrugged. ‘The mess here. The police would have been careful. Besides, if Loiseau admitted that the police have searched your home other times why should he deny that they did it this time?’

‘Your guess is as good as mine,’ I said. ‘Perhaps Loiseau did it to set me at Datt’s throat.’

‘So you were deliberately indiscreet to let him think he’d succeeded?’

‘Perhaps.’ I looked into the torn seat of the armchair. The horse-hair stuffing had been ripped out and the case of documents that the courier had given me had disappeared. ‘Gone,’ said Maria.

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Perhaps you did translate my confession correctly after all.’

‘It was an obvious place to look. In any case I was not the only person to know your “secret”: this evening you told Byrd that you kept your money there.’

‘That’s true, but was there time for anyone to act on that?’

‘It was two hours ago,’ said Maria. ‘He could have phoned. There was plenty of time.’

We began to sort out the mess. Fifteen minutes passed, then the phone rang. It was Jean-Paul.

‘I’m glad to catch you at home,’ he said. ‘Are you alone?’

I held a finger up to my lips to caution Maria. ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I’m alone. What is it?’

‘There’s something I wanted to tell you without Byrd hearing.’

‘Go ahead.’

‘Firstly. I have good connections in the underworld and the police. I am certain that you can expect a burglary within a day or so. Anything you treasure should be put into a bank vault for the time being.’

‘You’re too late,’ I said. ‘They were here.’

‘What a fool I am. I should have told you earlier this evening. It might have been in time.’

‘No matter,’ I said. ‘There was nothing here of value except the typewriter.’ I decided to solidify the freelance-writer image a little. ‘That’s the only essential thing. What else did you want to tell me?’

‘Well that policeman, Loiseau, is a friend of Byrd.’

‘I know,’ I said. ‘Byrd was in the war with Loiseau’s brother.’

‘Right,’ said Jean-Paul. ‘Now Inspector Loiseau was asking Byrd about you earlier today. Byrd told Inspector Loiseau that …’

‘Well, come on.’

‘He told him you are a spy. A spy for the West Germans.’

‘Well that’s good family entertainment. Can I get invisible ink and cameras at a trade discount?’

‘You don’t know how serious such a remark can be in France today. Loiseau is forced to take notice of such a remark no matter how ridiculous it may seem. And it’s impossible for you to prove that it’s not true.’

‘Well thanks for telling me,’ I said. ‘What do you suggest I do about it?’

‘There is nothing you can do for the moment,’ said Jean-Paul. ‘But I shall try to find out anything else Byrd says of you, and remember that I have very influential friends among the police. Don’t trust Maria whatever you do.’

Maria’s ear went even closer to the receiver. ‘Why’s that?’ I asked. Jean-Paul chuckled maliciously. ‘She’s Loiseau’s ex-wife, that’s why. She too is on the payroll of the Sûreté.’

‘Thanks,’ I said. ‘See you in court.’

Jean-Paul laughed at that remark – or perhaps he was still laughing at the one before.