I happened to be at the Embassy in Stockholm, said Thornton easily. About another matter, of course. Theyre a bit short-handed so when this thing blew up I volunteered to come here and look after the British interest.
Carey turned up his collar. How did you know there was a British interest? he asked blandly.
Thornton was equally bland. The handcuffs, of course. He nodded back towards the room they had come from. Who was he?
Well know that when hes been identified.
Thornton smiled. Your department has a vested interest in mysteries, I know but you shouldnt let it become an obsession. He pointed. Hoglund is waiting for you at the car.
Arent you coming?
I came by helicopter, said Thornton. Sorry I cant offer you a lift back, but I dont know where you came from, do I? His smile was malicious.
Carey grunted and walked towards the car. Again there was silence in the car because Hoglund was there but, as they drew up to the quay side, Carey said abruptly, Was the British Embassy informed of the country of origin of those handcuffs?
Hoglund furrowed his brow. I dont think so. Not by me.
I see. Thank you.
The wind had moderated and the passage back to the mainland of Sweden was easier. Carey and McCready stayed on deck where it was possible to talk with some privacy. I didnt expect to see Thornton, said McCready. Whats he up to?
I dont know, said Carey broodingly. He tried to spin me a yarn. Can you imagine a Whitehall mandarin like Thornton volunteering for an errand boys job which any Embassy whippersnapper could do? The mind boggles. He thumped the rail with his fist. Damn these interdepartmental rivalries! Were all supposed to be on the same side, but I spend more time guarding my back against people like Thornton than I do on my job.
Do you suppose he knows about the switch on Meyrick?
I dont know. According to what he said back there he doesnt even know Meyrick. Carey looked down at the grey sea. Somebodys luck ran out.
Meyricks certainly did.
I was thinking of the people who snatched him. They got him to Copenhagen and put him on a boat to take him... where? And the boat was run down by a tanker travelling westwards.
So it was probably going east, said McCready. Suggestive to say the least.
Lets not jump to any fast conclusions, said Carey irritably.
I agree, said McCready. Especially lets not jump to the conclusion that this oil-poisoned stiff is Meyrick. Weve been had before.
Carey gave him a withering look, and said abruptly, I want Iredale present at the autopsy to check for any signs of plastic surgery. I want the fingerprints of the corpse taken and a check made at Meyricks home for matching prints. For legal identification I suggest one of Meyricks ex-wives.
Whats wrong with his daughter?
Im trying to work that one out, said Carey with a sigh. If I can do it before we get to the plane then maybe I can get some sleep on the flight back to Helsinki. He did not sound too sanguine.
Twenty
Carey sat in the Café Hildén on Aleksanterinkatu and sank a beer while waiting for Harding. After twelve hours sleep he felt refreshed and no longer as depressed as he had been. He knew his depression had been caused by tiredness. All the same, rested and clear-headed though he was, the coming decision was not going to be easy to make.
He saw Harding come around the corner so he held up his hand. When Harding came over, he asked, Youve seen Denison? On Hardings nod, he said, Have a beer.
Harding sat down. Thatll be welcome. I didnt think it got as hot as this in the frozen north.
Carey went to the counter and returned with two more beers. Whats the verdict?
Harding had his head on one side, apparently watching the foam rise in his glass. Oddly enough, hes improved since I last saw him. Hes better integrated. What are his drinking habits like now?
Carey tapped the side of his glass. He just has the odd beer.
In an odd sort of way this experience might have been therapeutic for him. Harding smiled wryly. Although I wouldnt recommend it as a well-judged treatment. Now that we know more of his past history Im better equipped to assess his present state. He took a notebook from his pocket. Denison was something of a car enthusiast and ran a Lotus Elan. Three years ago he was driving with his wife, there was an accident for which he was partly and only partly to blame, and his wife was killed. They had been married eighteen months. She was pregnant at the time.
Thats bad, said Carey.
He took all the blame on himself, said Harding. And one thing led to another. He began to drink heavily and was on the verge of alcoholism when he lost his job for incompetence.
That baffles me, said Carey. Because hes bloody competent at what hes doing now. He grinned. Im thinking of offering him a permanent job.
Harding sampled his beer. He cant remember his wife in any meaningful way because of whats been done to him. He remembers her and he remembers her death but its as though it happened to someone else. Of course, thats just as it should be after three years. In a normal person the sharpness of grief is blunted by the passage of time and, in that respect, Denison is now normal.
Im glad to hear it, said Carey.
Harding gave him a sharp look. He mistrusted Careys reasons for being glad. He said, Consequently he has lost his irrational guilt feelings and has no need to anaesthetize himself with booze. Hence the return to competency. I rather think that, with a little expert treatment, he can be made into a much better man than he was immediately prior to his kidnapping.
How long would that take?
Three to six months thats just a guess.
Carey shook his head. Too long; I want him now. Is he fit to carry on?
Harding pondered for a moment. You know, I think hes actually enjoying himself right now. He likes the cut and thrust of this business the opportunity to exercise his wits seems to be good for him.
So hes fit, said Carey in satisfaction.
I didnt say that, said Harding testily. Im not thinking of your damned operation Im thinking of Denison. He thought for a while. The present pressures dont seem to worry him. Id say the only danger is if his past is revealed to him in a traumatic manner.
That wont happen, said Carey definitely. Not where Im sending him.
All right, said Harding. Then hes as fit as a man in his position can be which isnt saying a hell of a lot.
Which brings me to another problem, said Carey. Meyrick is dead. He inspected that statement, found it wanting, and amended it. Probably dead. We have a body but once bitten, twice shy.
I see your difficulty, said Harding with a half smile.
I cant tell the girl her fathers dead not with Denison around. Shed blow up like a volcano and bang goes his cover as Meyrick and I need him as Meyrick. The point is do I tell Denison?
I wouldnt, said Harding. Handling Lyn Meyrick is tricky enough for him as it is. If he knows her father is dead it might put him into a moral dilemma, assuming hes a moral man which I think he is. He sighed. God knows were not.
We represent the higher morality, said Carey sardonically. The greatest good for the greatest number. Ive always been a Benthamite at heart; its the only way to keep my job bearable. He drained his glass. Thats it, then. Where is Denison now.
Sightseeing, said Harding. He took his daughter to see the Sibelius Memorial.
Twenty-One
It looks like an organ, said Lyn judiciously. If it had a keyboard you could play it. A bit funny, that, come to think of it. Sibelius was an orchestra man, wasnt he?
I think so, said Denison. He consulted his guide book. It weighs twenty-eight tons and was made by a woman. I suppose you could call it an early example of Womens Lib the hand that rocks the cradle can also wield the welding torch. Lets sit and watch the passing parade.
They sat on a bench and watched a tour group debark from a bus; transatlantic accents twanged the air. Denison saw Armstrong stroll along the path below the monument, then he lifted his eyes to look at the sea. The white sails of yachts dotted the deep blue which echoed the lighter blue of the cloudless sky. He wondered when Carey was going to make his move.
Lyn sighed comfortably. Isnt this beautiful? I didnt think Finland would be like this its more like the Mediterranean, like Ibiza. Remember when we went there?
Mmm, said Denison neutrally.
Lyn laughed. That funny little hotel where there was no hot water and you couldnt have a hot bath. Ive never heard you complain so angrily. What was the name of the owner that little fat man?
I dont remember, said Denison. That was safe enough; a man was not expected to remember every casual encounter. And then the seafood was bad and they took you off to hospital and pumped out your stomach.
I always had a delicate stomach, said Denison. He pointed out to sea. I think theyre racing out there. He wanted to divert her mind to the present.
Yes, they are, she said. That reminds me I suppose Hesperia is still laid up if youve not been sailing her this summer. The reason I ask is that if youre not going to sail her Id like to. I sort of half promised Janice and Kitty friends of mine that wed sail together.
Denison was silent, not knowing what to say.
Lyn said, Dont be a spoilsport. Billy Brooks will put her in the water and I can rig her myself.
All right, he said. But dont get into trouble. English waters arent as calm as the Baltic. When are you intending going back?
I havent made up my mind yet. I have to write to the girls and make plans, then Ill drop a line to Billy at the yard. You were going to get a new suit of sails two years ago did you?
Yes. He stood up quickly. Lets press on its quite late and I have to see someone at the hotel
All very mysterious, she said. Whats the sudden appointment? She grinned at him. It sounds rather like Wildes excuse I must decline your invitation owing to a subsequent engagement.
Had he been as transparent as that? He forced a smile and said, Its just that I promised to have a drink before dinner with the Kidders, thats all.
Oh, she said lightly. Then lets go. We mustnt keep the Kidders waiting.
As they walked away Denison saw Armstrong rise from his bench and follow them. Whats the use of a bodyguard? he thought. The enemy is by my side and stabs with a sharp tongue. More and more he was conscious of the injustice of the fraud he was perpetrating on Lyn Meyrick and he determined to see Carey and ask him to find a way of separation.