Youre not going to the hotel, said McCready. That was for the benefit of the copper. Im taking you to the Embassy. Carey flew in from London this morning and he wants to see you. He laughed shortly. How he wants to see you.
Denison felt the water deepening. Carey, he said in a neutral tone, hoping to stimulate conversation along those lines. McCready had dropped Careys name casually as though Meyrick was supposed to know him. Who the devil was Carey?
McCready did not bite. That explanation of yours wasnt quite candid, was it? He waited for a reaction but Denison kept his mouth shut. Theres a witness a waitress from the Spiraltoppen who said something about a fight up there. It seems there was a man with a gun. The police are properly suspicious.
When Denison would not be drawn McCready glanced sideways at him, and laughed. Never mind, you did the right thing under the circumstances. Never talk about guns to a copper it makes them nervous. Mind you, the circumstances should never have arisen. Careys bloody wild about that. He sighed. I cant say that I blame him.
It was gibberish to Denison and he judged that the less he said the better. He leaned back, favouring his injured side, and said, Im tired.
Yes, said McCready. I suppose you must be.
Five
Denison was kept kicking his heels in an ante-room in the Embassy while McCready went off, presumably to report. After fifteen minutes he came back. This way, Dr Meyrick.
Denison followed him along a corridor until McCready stopped and politely held open a door for him. Youve already met Mr Carey, of course.
The man sitting behind the desk could only be described as square. He was a big, chunky man with a square, head topped with close-cut grizzled grey hair. He was broadchested and squared off at the shoulders, and his hands were big with blunt fingers. Come in, Dr Meyrick. He nodded at McCready. All right, George; be about your business.
McCready closed the door. Sit down, Doctor, said Carey. It was an invitation, not a command. Denison sat in the chair on the other side of the desk and waited for a long time while Carey inspected him with an inscrutable face.
The man sitting behind the desk could only be described as square. He was a big, chunky man with a square, head topped with close-cut grizzled grey hair. He was broadchested and squared off at the shoulders, and his hands were big with blunt fingers. Come in, Dr Meyrick. He nodded at McCready. All right, George; be about your business.
McCready closed the door. Sit down, Doctor, said Carey. It was an invitation, not a command. Denison sat in the chair on the other side of the desk and waited for a long time while Carey inspected him with an inscrutable face.
After a long time Carey sighed. Dr Meyrick, you were asked not to stray too far from your hotel and to keep strictly to central Oslo. If you wanted to go farther afield you were asked to let us know so that we could make the necessary arrangements. You see, our manpower isnt infinite.
His voice rose. Maybe you shouldnt have been asked; maybe you should have been told. He seemed to hold himself in with an effort, and lowered his voice again. So I fly in this morning to hear that youre missing, and then Im told that you isolated yourself on a mountain top for what reason only you know.
He raised his hand to intercept interruption. Denison did not mind; he was not going to say anything, anyway.
All right, said Carey. I know the story you told the local coppers. It was a good improvisation and maybe theyll buy it and maybe they wont. He put his hands flat on the desk. Now what really happened?
I was up there walking through the woods, said Denison, when suddenly a man attacked me.
Description?
Tall. Broad. Not unlike you in build, but younger. He had black hair. His nose was broken. He had something in his hand he was going to hit me with it. Some sort of cosh, I suppose.
So what did you do?
I laid him out, said Denison.
You laid him out, said Carey in a flat voice. There was disbelief in his eye.
I laid him out, said Denison evenly. He paused. I was a useful boxer at one time.
Carey frowned and drummed his fingers. Then what happened?
Another man was coming at me from behind, so I ran for it.
Wise man some of the time, anyway. And...?
Another man intercepted me from the front.
Describe him.
Shortish about five foot seven with a rat-face and a long nose. Dressed in jeans and a blue jersey. He had a knife.
He had a knife, did he? said Carey. So what did you do about that?
Well, the other chap was coming up behind fast I didnt have much time to think so I charged the joker with the knife and sold him the dummy at the last moment
You what?
I sold him the dummy. Its a rugby expression meaning...
I know what it means, snapped Carey. I suppose you were a useful rugby player at one time, too.
Thats right, said Denison.
Carey bent his head and put his hand to his brow so that his face was hidden. He seemed to be suppressing some strong emotion. What happened next? he asked in a muffled voice.
By that time Id got back to the car park and there was another man.
Another man, said Carey tiredly. Description.
Not much. I think he wore a grey suit He had a gun.
Escalating on you, werent they? said Carey. His voice was savage. So what did you do then?
I was in the car by the time I saw the gun and I got out of there fast and...
And did a Steve McQueen through the Spiralen, roared through Drammen like an express train and butted a copper in the arse.
Yes, said Denison simply. That about wraps it up.
I should think it does, said Carey. He was silent for a while, then he said, Regardless of the improbability of all this, Id still like to know why you went to Drammen in the first place, and why you took the trouble to shake off any followers before leaving Oslo.
Shake off followers, said Denison blankly. I didnt know I was being followed.
You know now. It was for your own protection. But my man says hes never seen such an expert job of shaking a tail in his life. You were up to all the tricks. You nearly succeeded twice, and you did succeed the third time.
I dont know what youre talking about, said Denison. I lost my way a couple of times, thats all.
Carey took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling. You lost your way, he breathed. His voice became deep and solemn. Dr Meyrick: can you tell me why you lost your way when you know this area better than your own county of Buckinghamshire? You showed no signs of losing your way when you went to Drammen last week.
Denison took the plunge. Perhaps its because Im not Dr Meyrick.
Carey whispered, What did you say?
Six
Denison told all of it.
When he had finished Careys expression was a mixture of perturbation and harassment. He heard everything Denison had to say but made no comment; instead, he lifted the telephone, dialled a number, and said, George? Ask Ian to come in here for a minute.
He came from behind the desk and patted Denison on the shoulder. I hope you dont mind waiting for a few minutes. He strode away to intercept the man who had just come in and they held a whispered colloquy before Carey left the room.
He closed the door on the other side and stood for a moment in thought, then he shook his head irritably and went into McCreadys office. McCready looked up, saw Careys expression, and said, Whats the matter?
Our boy has rolled clean off his tiny little rocker, snapped Carey. Thats whats the matter. He started off by telling cock-and-bull stories, but then it got worse much worse.
What did he say?
Carey told him in gruesome detail.
Ten minutes later he said, Discounting a lot of balls about mysterious attackers, something happened up there on top of the Spiralen which knocked Meyrick off his perch. He rubbed his forehead. When they wish these eggheads on us youd think theyd test them for mental stability. What we need now is an alienist.
McCready suppressed a smile. Isnt that rather an old-fashioned term?
Carey glared at him. Old-fashioned and accurate. He stabbed his finger at the office wall. That... that thing in there isnt human any more. I tell you, my flesh crawled when I heard what he was saying.
There isnt a chance that hes right, is there? asked McCready diffidently.
No chance at all. I was facing Meyrick at the original briefing in London for two bloody days until I got to hate the sight of his fat face. Its Meyrick, all right.
There is one point that puzzles me, said McCready. When I was with him at the police station in Drammen he didnt speak a word of Norwegian, and yet I understand he knows the language.
He speaks it fluently, said Carey.
And yet Im told that his first words were to the effect that he spoke no Norwegian.
For Gods sake! said Carey. You know the mans history. He was born in Finland and lived there until he was seventeen, when he came to live here in Oslo. When he was twenty-four he moved to England where hes been ever since. Thats twenty-two years. He didnt see a rugby ball until he arrived in England, and Ive studied his dossier and know for a fact that he never boxed in his life.
For Gods sake! said Carey. You know the mans history. He was born in Finland and lived there until he was seventeen, when he came to live here in Oslo. When he was twenty-four he moved to England where hes been ever since. Thats twenty-two years. He didnt see a rugby ball until he arrived in England, and Ive studied his dossier and know for a fact that he never boxed in his life.
Then it all fits in with his story that hes not Meyrick. McCready paused for thought. There was a witness at Spiraltoppen who said she saw a gun.
A hysterical waitress, sneered Carey. Wait a minute did you tell Meyrick about that?
I did mention it.
It fits, said Carey. You know, I wouldnt be surprised if the story Meyrick gave to the police wasnt the absolute truth. He was razzled by a few kids out for a joyride in a stolen car and the experience knocked him off his spindle.
And the gun?
You told him about the gun. He seized that and wove it into his fairy tale, and added a few other trimmings such as the knife and the cosh. I think that in the Spiralen he felt so bloody helpless that hes invented this story to retain what he thinks is his superiority. At the briefing I assessed him as an arrogant bastard, utterly convinced of his superiority to us lesser mortals. But he wasnt very superior in the Spiralen, was he?