Thats why its being demolished.
Just so. Carey surveyed the street. Well start on the outside just for the sake of appearances right here in the street. He took a pair of earphones from his pocket and plugged the lead wire into a socket on the metal detector. Do I look technical enough?
Quite sweet, said Armstrong.
Carey snorted and switched on the detector, then adjusted a control. Holding the detector close to the ground like a vacuum cleaner he walked along the pavement. Armstrong leaned on his spade and looked on with an expression of boredom. Carey went for about fifty yards and then came back slowly. There was a worried look on his face. Im getting quite a few readings. This street must be littered with metal.
Maybe youve struck gold, suggested Armstrong.
Carey glared at him. Im not being funny, he snarled. I hope to hell the garden of that house isnt the same.
Youre arousing interest, said Armstrong. The curtain just twitched.
Ill give it another run, said Carey. He went through his act again and paused in front of the house, then took a notebook from his pocket and scribbled in it.
Armstrong lounged after him just as a small boy came out of the house. Whats he doing?
Looking for a water pipe, said Armstrong.
Whats that thing?
The thing that tells him when hes found a water pipe, said Armstrong patiently. A new invention. He looked down at the boy. Is your father at home?
No, hes at work. The boy looked at Carey who was peering over the garden fence. Whats he doing now?
I dont know, said Armstrong. Hes the expert, not me. Is your mother at home?
Shes doing the wash. Do you want to see her?
Carey straightened up. I think it runs through here, he called.
Yes, said Armstrong. I think we do want to see her. Run inside and tell her, will you? The boy dashed into the house and Armstrong went up to Carey. Kunayev is at work; Mrs K. is doing the wash.
Right; lets get to it. Carey walked up to the front door of the house just as it opened. A rather thin and tired-looking woman stepped out. This is the... er Carey took out his notebook and checked the pages the Kunayev household?
Yes, but my husbands not here.
Then youll be Grazhdanke Kunayova?
The woman was faintly alarmed. Yes?
Carey beamed. Nothing to worry about, Grazhdanke Kunayova. This is merely a technicality concerning the forthcoming demolition of this area. You know about that?
Yes, she said. I do. The faint alarm turned to faint aggression. Were having to move just when Ive redecorated the house.
Im sorry about that, said Carey. Well, under the ground there are a lot of pipes gas, water, electricity and so on. My own concern is with the water pipes. When the demolition men come in therell be bulldozers coming through here, and we dont want them breaking the water pipes or the whole area will turn into a quagmire.
Why dont you turn off the water before you start? she asked practically.
Carey was embarrassed. Thats not as easy as it sounds, Grazhdanke Kunayova, he said, hunting for a plausible answer. As you know, this is one of the older areas of Svetogorsk, built by the Finns just after the First World War. A lot of the records were destroyed twenty-five years ago and we dont even know where some of the pipes are, or even if they connect into our present water system. He leaned forward and said confidentially, Its even possible that some of our water still comes from over the border from Imatra.
You mean we get it free from the Finns?
Im not concerned with the economics of it, said Carey stiffly. I just have to find the pipes.
She looked over Careys shoulder at Armstrong who was leaning on his spade. And you want to come into the garden, she said. Is he going to dig holes all over our garden?
Not at all, said Carey reassuringly. He lifted the detector. I have this a new invention that can trace pipes without digging. It might be necessary to dig a small hole if we find a junction, but I dont think it will happen.
Very well, she said unwillingly. But try not to step on the flower beds. I know were being pushed out of the house this year but the flowers are at their best just now, and my husband does try to make a nice display.
Well try not to disturb the flowers, said Carey. Well just go around to the back.
He jerked his head at Armstrong and they walked around the house followed by the small boy. Armstrong said in a low voice, Weve got to get rid of the audience.
No trouble; just be boring. Carey stopped as he rounded the corner of the house and saw the garden shed at the bottom of the garden; it was large and stoutly constructed of birch logs. Thats not on the plan, he said. I hope what were looking for isnt under there.
Armstrong stuck his spade upright in the soil at the edge of a flower bed, and Carey unfolded a plan of the garden. Thats the remaining tree there, he said. One of the four Meyrick picked out. Ill have a go at that first. He donned the earphones, switched on the detector, and made a slow run up to the tree. He spent some time exploring the area about the tree, much hampered by the small boy, then called, Nothing here.
Perhaps the pipe runs down the middle, said Armstrong.
Its possible. I really think Ill have to search the whole area.
Which he proceeded to do. For the benefit of the small boy every so often he would call out a number and Armstrong would dutifully record it on the plan. After half an hour of this the boy became bored and went away. Carey winked at Armstrong and carried on, and it took him well over an hour to search the garden thoroughly.
He glanced at his watch and went back to Armstrong. We have two possibilities. A strong reading very strong on the edge of the lawn there, and a weaker reading in the middle of that flower bed. I suggest we have a go at the lawn first.
Armstrong looked past him. Mrs K. is coming.
The woman was just coming out of the house. As she approached she said, Have you found anything?
We may have found a junction, said Carey, and pointed. Just there. Well have to dig just a small hole, Grazhdanke Kunayova, you understand. And well be tidy and replace the turf.
She looked down at the straggly lawn. I dont suppose it matters, she said dispiritedly. My husband says the grass doesnt grow as well here as down south where we come from. Would you like something to eat?
We brought our own sandwiches, said Carey gravely.
Ill make you tea, she said decisively, and went back to the house.
Nice woman, commented Carey. Its midday, when all good workers down tools for half an hour.
They ate their sandwiches sitting on the lawn, and drank the glasses of lemon tea which the woman brought to them. She did not stay to make small talk, for which Carey was thankful. He bit into a sandwich and said meditatively, I suppose this is where Merikken and his family were killed with the exception of young Harri. He pointed to the house. That end looks newer than the rest.
Was there much bombing here? asked Armstrong.
My God; this place was in the front line for a time the sky must have been full of bombers.
Armstrong sipped the hot tea. How do we know the trunk is still here? Any keen gardener might have dug it up. What about Kunayev himself?
Lets not be depressing, said Carey. Its time you started to dig. Ill give you a reading and then let you do the work, as befits my station in life. He walked across the lawn, searched the area briefly with the detector, and stuck a pencil upright in the ground. Thats it. Take out the turves neatly.
So Armstrong began to dig. He laid the turves on one side and tried to put each spadeful of soil into as neat a heap as he could. Carey sat under the tree and watched him, drinking the last of his tea. Presently Armstrong called him over. How deep is this thing supposed to be?
About two feet.
Im down two and a half and theres still nothing.
Carry on, said Carey. Meyrick could have been in error.
Armstrong carried on. After a while he said, Im down another foot and still nothing.
Lets see what the gadget says. Carey put on the earphones and lowered the detector into the hole. He switched on and hastily adjusted the gain. Its there, he said. Must be a matter of inches. Ive just had my ears pierced.
Ill go down a bit more, said Armstrong. But itll be difficult without enlarging the hole. Again he drove the spade into the earth and hit something solid with a clunk. Got it! He cleared as much as he could with the spade and then began to scrabble with his hands. After five minutes he looked up at Carey.
You know what weve found?
What?
Armstrong began to laugh. A water pipe.
Oh, for Gods sake! said Carey. Come out of that hole and let me see. He replaced Armstrong in the hole and felt the rounded shape of the metal and the flange. He dug away more earth and exposed more metal, then he got out of the hole.
Armstrong was still chuckling, and Carey said, Fill in that hole and go gently. Its an unexploded bomb.
Armstrongs laughter died away thinly.
250 kilograms, Id say, said Carey. The equivalent of our wartime 500-pounder.
Twenty-Nine
They were grouped around Denison who lay prone on the ground. Dont move him, warned Harding. I dont know what hell have apart from concussion. Very carefully he explored Denisons skull. Hes certainly been hit hard.
Diana looked at McCready. Who by? McCready merely shrugged.
Hardings long fingers were going over Denisons torso. Lets turn him over very gently. They turned Denison over on to his back and Harding lifted one eyelid. The eye was rolled right back in the head, and Lyn gave an involuntary cry.
Excuse me, Doctor, said Diana, and her hand went to Denisons shirt pocket. She got up off her knees and jerked her head at McCready. They walked back to the middle of the camp. The plan and the notebook are gone, she said. He carried them in the button-down pocket of his shirt. The button has been torn off and the pocket ripped. The question is by whom?
It wasnt the Yanks, said McCready. I saw them well off down-river. And it wasnt the other mob, either; Ill stake everything on that.
Then who?
McCready shook his head irritably. By God! he said. Theres someone around here cleverer than I am.
Id better not comment on that, said Diana tartly, You might get annoyed.