By Stealth (40 page)

Not normally given to making theatrical gestures, Butler grinned. Tweed waited patiently.

`Belgium. Mrs Goshawk had a postcard perched on her mantelpiece. Oostende. I walked over, read the brief message on the back. "I miss your simply splendid cooking. I may be back for more soon. Hyde." Postmarked two months ago.'

`So Hyde was in Belgium at the time when Lucie Delvaux's hand was amputated. I suspect that second sentence is intended to mislead.'

Tweed felt a tingle of excitement, although his manner remained calm outwardly. This had happened so often before: the long period of gathering data which seemed to lead nowhere. Then the breakthrough! And so often from an unremarkable incident. In this case, Rabin revealing April Lodge as Hyde's address.

`Hyde had stayed with her before,' Butler added.

About three years ago the Goshawk woman said.'

And that, Tweed thought, adds fuel to the flames of this fire. It was three years ago when Hyde had been struck off, losing his lucrative livelihood. Why had he buried himself near the New Forest? Had he been contacted after a news item in the papers, however brief? If so, who had contacted him? Fanshawe? Burgoyne? Tweed became very active.

`Monica, get me Benoit on the line. While I'm talking to him phone London Airport, book me a seat through to Brussels for late tomorrow. Get a ticket which will then take me on to Hamburg. When you've done that pack up a batch of thirty of these Dr Hyde prints. Then arrange for a courier to rush them urgently to Benoit. He's to hand them to Benoit personally.'

`And should I also stand on my head while I'm doing these things?' Monica enquired wryly.

Tweed nodded. Her deep regret at the death of Philip Cardon would return. But for the moment the activity had put it out of her mind. Monica nodded back, indicating the Belgian police chief was on the line.

`I'm on scrambler, are you?' were Tweed's opening words.

`As it happens, I am. Can you tell me why I always make the mistake of being in the office when you call? And no more developments on the Delvaux front. Our friend is spending nearly all hours at his plant. So? What can I do for you?'

`I may have traced the fiend of a doctor who cut off Lucie Delvaux's hand. A Dr Carberry-Hyde. I'll spell that... May simply be going under the name of Hyde. But I think he's in Belgium. Thirty good prints of this character are coming to you by courier. Can you try and locate him?'

`Your timing is good, my friend. Crime seems to be taking a holiday. That won't last long. But I can put a large team of men checking the hotels...'

`Concentrate on the smaller places. This fox will be trying to stay under cover. The courier should reach you this evening.'

`My pleasure. We'll turn Brussels over...'

Tweed put the phone down. Butler was drinking his large cup of coffee. Monica had placed thirty Hyde prints inside a plastic wallet, the wallet inside a shabby briefcase which didn't look worth stealing. She handed it to George, the doorman and guard, who had just entered, gave him instructions. Waiting until he'd left, she turned to Tweed.

`You're booked on a flight to Brussels late tomorrow afternoon. Here are the details. Apparently the only way you can fly from Brussels to Hamburg is via an outfit called Hamburg Airlines. I think it's a private set-up. Why Hamburg, if I may be so bold as to ask?'

`I want to interview Hugo Westendorf, Germany's onetime Iron Man. And I'm not looking forward to it. I expect to find another broken man — with a close relative who has been kidnapped.'

Dr Wand looked up from a map of Denmark in his study at the Waterloo villa. He folded it up as Jules, the butler, approached his desk.

`Please excuse my interrupting you, sir. Vulcan is on the phone. He says he hasn't much time. You always told me that when he called...'

`Thank you, Jules. That will be all.'

As soon as the door closed Wand picked up his phone. `Yes. I am here. Now, what is the difficulty?'

`I am calling from the Post Office but there is a queue for the phones. Tweed has disappeared.'

`Are you really quite sure? And, if so, where has our acquaintance gone?'

`I am sure,' the man's voice continued in a hurried tone. 'And I have no idea where he has gone.'

`To London, perhaps?'

`It seems unlikely since he has left Miss Grey behind. My impression is they usually travel together.'

`Could it be Hamburg?'

There was a menacing note in Wand's voice which had been absent up to this point.

`I suppose it is just possible. Yes, it might be. It has just occurred to me that Delvaux might have mentioned Westendorf to Tweed at the Château Orange.'

`Which had already occurred to me. Kindly continue to proceed with the system which has proved so successful...'

Ending the call, Wand pressed the button under his desk to summon Jules. He began talking before the butler closed the door after entering the study.

`I would be obliged if you would treat this as a matter of top priority. The Lear jet must be ready to take off from Zaventem Airport at any moment tomorrow. The pilot will prepare a flight plan for Hamburg.'

will phone immediately...'

`I think possibly I did not express myself with sufficient clarity. I thought I had used the phrase top priority. Jules, may I suggest that instead of using the phone you would be so good as to use one of the cars to drive now to Zaventem. In other words,' Wand emphasized softly, `you are to pass on my instructions to the pilot personally.'

Inside her executive bedroom at the Hilton Paula was reading a book while Newman stared out of the window at the heavy evening mist moving in on Brussels from all directions. Marler sat smoking a king-size, watching Newman. He stubbed his cigarette.

`So it is decided that we shall be having dinner at the Baron de Boeuf here on the first floor?'

`Not much point in going out,' Paula replied, closing her book. 'I think a fog is closing in.'

`In that case,' Marler decided, standing up, 'I think I'll drive out for a quick spin to the airport.'

`What for?' Newman asked.

`Just to see whether Dr Wand's Lear jet is still here.'

30

As Tweed walked into the Albemarle Street entrance of Brown's Hotel Commander Noble jumped up from a chair in the lobby. To Tweed's surprise Noble had phoned him earlier, inviting him to dinner.

`I won't say any more — even on scrambler — would six thirty p.m. suit you?' he had suggested.

Tweed, intrigued, had agreed. They walked straight into the luxurious panelled dining-room to a quiet table in a corner. Tweed said he would just have mineral water, ordered for himself a steak and boiled potatoes. When the waiter had gone he turned to his host.

`Why here?'

`Because the tables are set well apart. No one can hear us. That is important.'

`You've taken some decision?' Tweed suggested.

`I have had a private conference with the First Sea Lord. Just the two of us.'

With the Admiral himself. You are treating this seriously.'

We are. Do you think that light Stealth aircraft which Delvaux had constructed inside his plant at Herstal still exists?'

I'm sure it does. Why?'

Tweed waited while the waiter opened Noble's half- bottle of red wine. He glanced round the comfortable restaurant. Very few other guests so far: Noble had timed the dinner well.

`Because,' Noble continued, 'our boffins need that plane. They think the device could work — could detect Stealth vessels. The Admiral's opposite number on the Air Staff is of the same opinion — it may well locate Stealth aircraft.'

`In that case, as it's a plane, won't the Air Staff people want to grab it?'

`They would have done.' The ruddy-faced Noble grinned and raised his glass to Tweed. 'But fortunately you came to me. I get first bite of the cherry.'

`You can't phone Delvaux,' Tweed warned. 'As I told you his château is bugged.'

`So we go straight to the plant. I'm taking experts with me. They'll dismantle the light aircraft and bring it back here.'

`You'll need a fleet of trucks. That was the arrangement with Delvaux.'

`Which is another reason why I wanted to see you. Trucks will take too long. Loading them aboard a ferry at this end, disembarking at Zeebrugge, then the whole process repeated in reverse.'

`You have a better idea?'

`Yes. And much quicker. A small fleet of large helicopters is being assembled at this moment. Liège has an airport, Delvaux's company will have its own transport. We use his trucks to carry the dismantled aircraft and the consignment of his new radar devices he offered to Liège airport, then the choppers fly them here.'

`It is a better idea,' Tweed agreed. 'Much faster. But there is one problem — Liège airport. How are you going to explain to the airport traffic controllers why a fleet of choppers is descending on them?'

`I hoped you could help there.' Noble grinned again. `Which is why I asked you to dinner.'

`Benoit,' Tweed said suddenly. 'Of course. Chief Inspector Benoit, a man I would trust with my life. And he doesn't ask a lot of questions. I'll call him, arrange for a team of plain-clothes men to close down Liège Airport while your choppers are there. And it's a good idea to use Delvaux trucks. The airport people will think it is some confidential export order. The Belgians take the view they can sell armaments to anyone with the money to pay for them. Unofficially. Even more so now — when the armaments industry is depressed. Apart from Delvaux, the once huge armaments complexes in Liège are closed down.'

The paperwork at Liège worries me,' Noble remarked. `There won't be any. Benoit will see to that. When do the choppers fly there?'

`Tomorrow evening.'

Tweed was stunned. Admiralty was taking Stealth very seriously indeed. They were moving like lightning.

`I am relying on a woman with a lot of brains plus her exceptional eyesight,' Tweed insisted.

`Paula Grey?'

`Yes.'

`Years ago it was a girl who detected the flying bomb on its launch pad in the Baltic,' Noble reminded him. I'm willing to put my money on Paula Grey. Come to think of it, I may be staking my whole career on her.'

Later that night Tweed went home alone to his new pad in Walpole Street, Chelsea. He was renting it from Howard, his chief, who had once used it as a rendezvous for his secret liaisons with a variety of feminine friends.

Nowadays Howard dutifully went home each night to his estate in Berkshire to spend his evenings with his wife. Monica's theory was he 'had run out of steam'. Tweed doubted that, had a different explanation.

Cynthia, Howard's wife, he knew, had had a long fling with an eminent banker. It was when that affair had broken up he had overheard a snatch of conversation. The door to Howard's office had been half open as he walked past, his mind miles away. Then he had heard Cynthia's shrill voice.

`Ten women I don't mind. Most of you men can't resist a fresh pair of legs. But if there's a number eleven that will be one too many. So, I want to see you at home in the evenings from now on. Or not at all..

Before taking the long walk to Walpole Street, Tweed had taken a taxi from Brown's back to Park Crescent. Monica had phoned Brussels for him.

`Again,' Benoit had mocked Tweed, 'I find myself in the office at the wrong moment. Well, you had better get on with it. What is it at this hour?'

Tweed had outlined tersely Noble's plan. Benoit had listened without comment as Tweed avoided all reference to Stealth.

`... it's the paperwork at Liège we are worried about,' Tweed had concluded.

`What paperwork?' Benoit had replied. 'I will be at the Liège Airport myself. Closing it down to other flights will be no problem. The old chestnut — a bomb alert. I will be there until this consignment is airborne...'

Did you remember the plant manager at Herstal will want proof of identity?' Monica asked as Tweed finished the call.

`Yes. I gave Noble my card with the "T" in my name underlined. The plant manager will co-operate.' He walked over to the largest of the three wall maps — the map he had marked with pins showing where ships had disappeared without trace all over the world. He stuck in a fresh pin.