The Avenue of the Dead (13 page)

Davina nodded. ‘Never mind,' she said. ‘You got a bit high, that's all. Nobody blamed you.'

‘I was terrified,' Liz Fleming muttered. ‘I believed he'd tried to kill me. They didn't believe me, of course. Being pissed didn't help. I wanted to stay in the embassy, not to go back to the house. Have you any idea how it felt, talking to him? It was hopeless! There he was, telling me not to worry, all I needed was a rest – there, there, Mary will look after you, we'll talk about it later. Dreams can be very convincing, you know – it was just a nightmare – oh, God, talking to Arthur was the nightmare. I didn't try with Mary, I hadn't the strength to go through it all again. I just went up to a room and fell asleep.

‘They brought in a young embassy attaché, Neil Browning. Arthur said he would keep in touch with me while they made enquiries, but that I must go home. Neil took me back. I liked him, you know. He was very comforting. “You don't have to worry,” he said. “I'm on call day or night if anything bothers you. But it was just a nightmare, you know.” He damned nearly convinced me. So I went back, and when I felt lonely or my nerves got out of hand, I used to call him and we'd meet. It became a sort of routine. I relied on him and he kept telling me the embassy were looking into Eddie's past.'

‘But you didn't tell anybody about the diary?' Davina asked. ‘Why not, Liz, why didn't you prove it to them?'

‘I tried once,' Liz mumbled. ‘I actually brought it with me when I was meeting Neil. I was scared that time; we'd had a bad row and I was jumpy. I was going to show it to Neil …' She hesitated. ‘It sounds crazy, but it was one of those days when he wasn't paying much attention. Do you know what I mean? He was making all the right noises, but his mind was miles away. He treated me like a record, playing the same old tune over and over. And I remember thinking, it's no good. It's no good showing him. He's not taking anything you say seriously – you can't trust him. He'd want to take it away, show it to other people. Without the proof, I'm helpless. Edward can do what he likes … It wasn't very logical, I can see you thinking that – but that's how I felt. I didn't tell him about it and I put it away again. Until you came. I knew I could trust you. I knew you were the person to give it to.'

‘I understand perfectly.' God, Davina said to herself. The one day it matters that idiot Neil switches off … ‘You were quite right to wait. I think I'll have a cup of coffee. Would you like one, Liz?'

‘Thanks.' Liz Fleming sighed. She leaned her head back. ‘Oh God, why did this have to happen to me? Why do I always pick losers? I was so happy with Eddie at first. We had everything. Then it got a bit boring. I thought he was neglecting me for his work – I actually thought he was becoming dull! Dull – my God, if I'd only known what he was really like …'

Davina had gone into the kitchen. She hardly heard the monologue of self-pity coming from the sitting-room. She went through the routine of making coffee. She closed the kitchen door, then lifted the extension in the kitchen and dialled through to the front hall. The phone was answered instantly by Colin Lomax. ‘Come up, will you? What – no, of course I'm all right, there's nothing like that – calm down! But come up to the flat. Yes, she's here and it's worked.' The kettle shrieked and turned itself off. She hung up and made three cups of coffee. She took them into the sitting room. Liz Fleming had helped herself to another glass of whisky. Davina held out the coffee to her.

‘No more Scotch for the moment,' she said. ‘Colin is on his way up.'

‘Your boy friend?' Liz said. ‘I don't want to see him, not in this state.'

‘He's not my boy friend,' Davina said. ‘We work together. He's here to help you just as I am. You asked me what I was back at your house. I think you can guess, Liz, can't you? It wasn't a coincidence that I came out to Washington. I was sent out. Especially to look after you. Neil Browning told you the embassy was making enquiries. Well, they were. Colin and I are the result of those enquiries. Put the drink down and have some coffee. You found Neil a great help, Colin is even better. You can trust him. You can tell him everything you've told me.'

‘There's one thing I haven't even told you.' Liz drained her glass of whisky. ‘My husband is working for the KGB.' The telephone rang at eight o'clock. Davina answered it. She recognized the voice at once. ‘This is Edward Fleming – hallo, Davina, how are you? Sorry to bother you but is Liz with you?' She covered the mouthpiece and said rapidly, ‘It's Fleming.' Then she spoke into the phone again, ‘Yes, she is. I'm afraid I've kept her far too late. She says she's on her way home now.'

‘I'll take a cab,' Liz called out.

‘She'll pick up a taxi,' Davina repeated.

‘No hurry,' his voice said. ‘So long as I know where she is – I know she's all right if she's with you. Thanks, Davina; see you soon, I hope.'

Davina turned to Elizabeth Fleming. ‘I'm getting through to London. I think the time' has come for you to get out of this. I'll call you first thing in the morning. Why not let Colin drive you home?'

‘I'll take a cab,' Liz said. ‘If he sees me in a car with a man he'll think I'm up to something. Or he'll pretend to think so.'

Davina came up to her, took her arm and held it for a moment.

‘Don't drink any more tonight,' she said. ‘You've had a long day and you don't want to provoke any trouble. Go home, make an excuse and go to bed. Promise me?'

‘All right,' she said. She looked wretchedly tired, with deep dark rings under her eyes. ‘You'll ring me tomorrow? I know it's silly but I have the feeling that he'll know I've given the diary to you. He can read people's minds. I don't want to stay in America now.'

‘You won't have to,' Davina assured her. ‘I hope to put you on a flight to London tomorrow. Goodnight, Liz. Do as I said. Don't discuss anything with him. Go to bed and lock the door if you feel safer. Just till tomorrow.'

Colin Lomax had opened the door to the street for her. He watched the two women silhouetted against the hall light. Elizabeth Fleming was taller than Davina; he saw the light reflected in Davina's red hair, and then the other woman leaned down and kissed her.

‘You've been such a friend, Mousey – how can I ever thank you?' And Lomax said, ‘You can stop calling her that bloody silly name, for a start. Here's a cab coming down the street now.' He hailed it, and slammed the door when she was inside. He went back into the flat.

‘Well done,' he said to Davina. ‘You broke her wide open.'

‘I see London's reasoning,' Davina said slowly. ‘I can see the chief and Humphrey sitting together nodding like a couple of mandarin dolls, saying, we'll leave her where she is, because he's bound to try and kill her if there's any truth in what she says.'

‘That's a pretty picture,' he said. ‘I don't think I like it.'

‘Neither do I,' she said, ‘but that's the way the Service works. They use you and they lose you. Results are all that count.'

She sat down, stretched her legs out on the sofa, and kicked off both shoes.

‘Sometimes,' she said, ‘I think there's nothing to choose between our lot and the opposition. I can't see why the Russians haven't stopped her already.'

‘Because of her lie about the diary being sent to the attorney.'

She shrugged that aside. ‘That's nonsense,' she said. ‘If they wanted to find out where she's hidden it, they could have done it easily. It doesn't make sense to me. What time is it?'

‘Nearly nine.'

‘Between four and four-thirty London time. I'll have to go to Hickling's house to use the scrambler phone. God, I'm tired!'

‘I could make the call for you,' he suggested. ‘Why don't I do that?'

‘Because it's not your job,' she said gently.

It was after ten o'clock when they came back to the apartment. They were both silent, both depressed. London's reaction had been enthusiastic, congratulatory and absolutely firm. Elizabeth Fleming was to remain in Washington with her husband. It was no concern of Davina's whether she was in actual danger or not. Davina, accompanied by Lomax, was to concentrate on checking the facts in the diary, while London investigated Edward Fleming's early life before his emigration to the States. On the surface, everything must remain the same. The final sting came at the end. London had known for some time that Neil Browning was a Russian agent, and were making full use of that knowledge. Nothing must be done to alert him. That was all. Davina put the telephone down while Sir James was repeating his congratulations to her. They drove home in silence, and came to the apartment door. Lomax went in first, switched on the lights. The phone rang. He strode across and picked it up. Davina stood watching him, listening to the brief exchange, and then moved forward as she saw the look on his face. He turned to her.

‘It's Fleming,' he said. ‘He says he's been calling us – he says she didn't come home.'

‘Oh, my God,' Davina said slowly.

Lomax didn't waste time. ‘We'd better get over there,' he said. ‘She's been gone two hours. I don't like the sound of this. I don't like it at all.'

4

‘I've searched everywhere,' Edward Fleming said. ‘I've called up anyone she might have stopped off to visit, I've been round the places she might go in for a drink. I haven't tried the downtown bars because Elizabeth wouldn't be seen dead in places like that.' He turned to Davina, his arms outspread.

‘I don't know where the hell she's got to,' he said. ‘And I'm dead worried. She's been gone nearly three hours since she left your apartment.'

‘Has she ever gone missing before?' Lomax asked the question.

‘No,' Fleming said, and then he hesitated. ‘Well – she's been pretty late home, but I always knew where she was.'

He went to the trolley and poured himself a drink; watching him, Davina saw that his hand shook. ‘She spent the day with you,' he said, turning round to face her. ‘How was she? What kind of mood was she in when she left you?'

‘Perfectly normal,' she answered. ‘Rather tired. We'd had a long day, shopping and gossiping, and the time just slipped by till you telephoned. She said she was going straight home.'

‘She'll probably turn up,' Lomax remarked. ‘With a perfectly good explanation. You'll not be offended, Mr Fleming, if I say she drinks a lot?'

Fleming shook his head. Davina kept her eyes on his hands – they were a better indicator than his face if the man was a good actor. But he didn't possess a very cool nerve. He had to put his glass down because the ice was rattling.

‘She's an alcoholic,' he said flatly. ‘I've done my damnedest to get her to give it up. But she won't. She won't see a doctor; I tried contacting AA but she laughed in my face when I offered to take her to a meeting. It's become a major problem in our lives.'

‘She could have gone off suddenly on a number one drunk,' Lomax said. ‘But my guess, having seen her when she left, is that she meant to come back here. If you've no other ideas, we'd better contact the police.' He crossed one leg over the other and gave Fleming a hard stare. ‘You've already left it pretty late.'

‘It's a last resort,' Fleming answered. ‘The moment I call the police here, it'll make the morning papers. I have a responsibility to the administration. I can't have a scandal. I've got to be certain she's really missing before I have the media camping out here.'

‘Colin,' Davina said, ‘did you notice anything about the cab she took?'

He frowned. ‘Standard type, yellow cab, coloured driver – why don't we call the Yellow Cab Co and ask about the cab? They're all radio contacted. We can solve this in a few minutes.'

Davina got up and went to the trolley. ‘Do you mind?' she asked Fleming.

‘No, no, go ahead, help yourself.'

She didn't want a drink. She wanted to see whether the neck of the whisky decanter was wet. Fleming was drinking vodka. She ran her finger over the rim of it. It was dry. She poured a small finger of Scotch for herself. Liz Fleming hadn't had time for a drink if she'd come back to the house.

Fleming was speaking to the cab company. He gave his address and Davina's. There was a long pause. Tension held her and Lomax in taut silence as they watched Fleming. ‘Oh, I see. Thanks.' He turned back to Lomax. ‘You got the wrong cab company;' he said. ‘They haven't any cab that might have picked her up around eight.'

‘It was a yellow cab,' Colin said, speaking to Davina. ‘I don't make mistakes like that.'

They saw Fleming shrug the remark aside. ‘What do we do now?' he asked.

‘You haven't searched the house, I suppose?' Davina said suddenly. ‘She could have slipped in and gone upstairs without you knowing it.'

He shook his head. ‘I can't think how. I can see the hall from here. I didn't leave the room. But I'll look.'

‘I'll come with you,' Lomax said. Davina was alone. The house was very quiet; she couldn't sit still, so she got up and moved restlessly about. She paused by the wedding photograph of the Flemings. Elizabeth was beautiful then; they were smiling into the camera, holding hands and looking happy. He must have loved her once.

Fleming, grim-faced, came into the room. Lomax followed and the coloured maid was with them.

‘Mrs Fleming hasn't been in the house since she left with you this morning, ma'am,' Ellen said. She was sorry for Mr Fleming. His wife was a no-good. Better for him if she
had
disappeared. She said goodnight to them, and closed the door after her.

Fleming sat down and held his head in his hands. ‘I'll call the police,' he said. ‘There's nothing else to do.'