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.'Well, Newman, why choose to come to me?'He had returned to his couch.He raised his glass and sipped at the contents.His observant eyes watched his guest over the rim of his glass.'I told you,' Newman persisted.'You are the well-known figure round here.Seemed the obvious person to come to as I'm trying to get to know this unusual community.''Makes me sound like a father figure.' Grenville chuckled again.'But I do know that there are people who dislike me."That old fool of a colonel living in the big house which is falling round his ears."''Others seem to like you,' Newman went on, using his imagination.'Otherwise they wouldn't come to your parties at the Yacht Club.''Really?' Grenville smiled again.'Supply free nosh and booze and you can get plenty of feet under the table.' He sipped more of his drink.'Living alone here is - well, a lonely business.So now and again I mix with some of the locals.You.' he pointed the cigar at Newman, 'are invited to my next party.May I ask where you're staying?''At Nansidwell Country Hotel, Mawnan,' Newman replied promptly.'I know the proprietor.Nice chap.I also knew Adrian Penkastle,' he said suddenly.'I was shocked to hear of his murder.''Knew him well?' Newman enquired quietly.'Only casually.I know he drank a little too much.That he was short of money - what the Americans call a loser.Don't agree.He could be very amusing, was a clever mimic.Had us all rolling in the aisles.''Sounds likeable.''He is - was.''Did you ever meet Moloch?' Newman asked without warning.'Heavens, no.I gather no one ever does.Keeps very much to himself - or so I was told in Falmouth.Got a great barn of a place somewhere out in the wilds.'Newman checked his watch, stood up.His host immediately stood with him.'You're not off yet? Stay a little longer.I'm enjoying our conversation.''So am I, but I must leave now.We can always meet again sometime.''Make that a promise.'Grenville escorted him not only to the front door but out to his car.In the distance the gates were beginning to open.Grenville must have touched a concealed button.'Safe journey,' he called out, waving him off.* * * *On his way back Newman's mind was in a whirl.He couldn't make out Colonel Grenville.On the one hand there had been the moment when he saw the aerial telescoping.Then his host had made several references to America.On the other hand he seemed a very British character with a personality which was attractive.And he'd made no secret of the fact that he'd known Adrian Penkastle.Arriving in Mawnan Smith, Newman parked the car.He used the phone box to call Tweed.'Suggest you check someone living near Constantine.Spelt as it sounds.Lives at The Grange.A Colonel Arbuthnot Grenville.Did you get the name?''Yes.Thank you.'In his office at Park Crescent Tweed looked across at Monica.He paused and she waited.She knew he was taking a decision.'Monica, don't feel left out of this.No one else in the team knows it.I have an agent operating none of you know about.If I get struck by lightning the name and details are in my safe, to which you have a key, inside an envelope marked Personal and Quite Confidential.''I wish you wouldn't talk like that.''We're in a dangerous business.I'm taking the precaution to protect totally the person concerned.They are very important in this battle with VB.'12The first person Newman met on returning to Nansidwell was Vanity Richmond.He had already met the rest of his team in the side road, had told them what he had found.'Maybe we could talk about it later.' Paula suggested.'We are going to do that.'Paula had driven back first to the hotel in case anyone associated her with Newman.Newman followed her fifteen minutes later, parked, saw Vanity wandering round the courtyard, wearing a black, sheathlike and form-fitting dress for dinner.'Welcome back, Bob.' she said, greeting him with a smile.'Had a successful trip?''More than I'd hoped for.Care for an aperitif in the lounge when I've had a bath and changed?''Let's leave that for dinner.You know I don't drink a lot.'Which was true, he thought as he strolled through the empty hotel.She was very careful how much she drank.Unseen, he slipped upstairs to Paula's room.He walked in, closed the door, saw her sitting on the edge of the bed, staring out to sea.'In one pub,' she began, 'I found your favourite brand of cigarettes.Catch.' She threw the pack and he caught it, thanking her.'Now give,' she went on.He sat down in a chair, noting she had turned on her radio and the taps in the bathroom to scramble their conversation.She listened intently, her eyes never leaving his face.'So, that's it,' he concluded.'I thought I'd found my target but now I'm not so sure.''If he is the controller of VB's spy network down here it's strange he told you he knew Adrian Penkastle.'"That occurred to me.Unless he's very clever and thought I'd found out already - in which case it would be smart to admit it.''I suppose you could be right,' she said, dubiously.'But from your description of him I'd guess he'd take a chance if that were the case - and not mention it.''I'm in a muddle about Grenville,' Newman confessed.'On the other hand that cricket chap in the pub told me that Grenville spends his winters in Monterey.''Yes, that is odd [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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