yards away. Once it got dark I moved again. I saw someone walking his dog and asked to borrow threepence from him. I don’t even remember what I told him.’ Her eyes were gazing into a distance he couldn’t see. ‘Something, I suppose. I saw Elland Road. I couldn’t think of anyone to ring. You were in the telephone book.’ She paused. ‘Thank you for coming.’
She drained the glass and he poured another. Amanda had regained a little of her poise but he still saw her hands shaking as she took the cigarette he offered. There were plenty of questions to ask, but they could wait a little while. She needed to feel she was safe.
‘Do you want to spend the night here? You can have the bed, I’ll sleep out here.’
‘Are you sure?’ The eagerness in her voice gave her away.
‘Yes.’
Relief spread across her face.
‘I’m scared to go home in case they’re waiting for me.’
‘You’ll be safe enough,’ Markham said and hoped it was true. ‘We can take care of everything tomorrow.’
‘Thank you.’ She leaned forwards and took hold of his wrist. A tight grip, as if she was clinging on for life.
***
He found her an old, soft shirt at the back of a drawer. The faint hint of her perfume lingered in the bathroom when he washed and brushed his teeth.
Markham settled in the chair and closed his eyes, although he knew sleep wouldn’t rush in.
What could they do about Amanda Fox? They couldn’t just leave her to Special Branch; that was obvious. He was willing to believe she hadn’t known that her husband was working for the Russians – she wouldn’t have had them check on the Germans otherwise. But there was something about this affair that smelt wrong. Twisted. For the life of him he couldn’t make out what it was, though.
***
Morning arrived too soon. He woke in the chair, stiff and aching, still in his clothes.
Amanda came through while he was making tea, wearing his shirt, long legs bare, bruises like budding flowers on her skin, dark shadows under her eyes. ‘I couldn’t really sleep.’
He wasn’t surprised; it would have been stranger if she’d managed a full night’s rest.
‘I still can’t believe it about Mark.’
‘People can be very good at keeping secrets,’ Markham told her.
‘But we’ve been married for ten years,’ she objected. ‘How could he hide it from me? I’ve been going over it all, trying to see if there were any clues.’
‘Were there?’ he asked.
She shook her head.
‘Was he working for them the whole time?’ Her voice drifted away for a moment. ‘I was twenty-one when he proposed. I’d just finished at Girton. Mark showed me this whole new world that I didn’t know existed. It’s a shock. It’s like he’s ripped my life apart. Right now I don’t even know if he ever loved me or if I was some …’ She waved her hands helplessly.
‘Everything upside down,’ he said kindly.
‘Yes,’ she agreed quickly. ‘Inside out. I couldn’t believe it. And then those men. I thought they were going to kill me.’
‘You survived.’
‘Yes,’ she replied dully. ‘But what if they come back?’
‘We’ll make sure they don’t.’
‘How?’
‘My partner used to be on the force. Leave that to him.’ Markham hoped he was right.
‘And Mark? What am I going to do about that?’ She seemed lost. He didn’t have an answer for tht question.
‘I’ll switch the immersion on. Take a bath, maybe it’ll help.’ Not much of a solution, he thought, but all he had for now.
***
With the worst of the wear brushed from her clothes she looked presentable. Markham kept his eyes on the mirrors as he drove, but no one seemed to be following. No large men waiting outside the office on Albion Place or on the stairs.
Baker was already there, eyes widening in astonishment when he saw her.
‘We’re looking after Mrs Fox for the moment,’ Markham told him. ‘Special Branch grabbed her yesterday. Took her to a place in Beeston and gave her a going
She drained the glass and he poured another. Amanda had regained a little of her poise but he still saw her hands shaking as she took the cigarette he offered. There were plenty of questions to ask, but they could wait a little while. She needed to feel she was safe.
‘Do you want to spend the night here? You can have the bed, I’ll sleep out here.’
‘Are you sure?’ The eagerness in her voice gave her away.
‘Yes.’
Relief spread across her face.
‘I’m scared to go home in case they’re waiting for me.’
‘You’ll be safe enough,’ Markham said and hoped it was true. ‘We can take care of everything tomorrow.’
‘Thank you.’ She leaned forwards and took hold of his wrist. A tight grip, as if she was clinging on for life.
***
He found her an old, soft shirt at the back of a drawer. The faint hint of her perfume lingered in the bathroom when he washed and brushed his teeth.
Markham settled in the chair and closed his eyes, although he knew sleep wouldn’t rush in.
What could they do about Amanda Fox? They couldn’t just leave her to Special Branch; that was obvious. He was willing to believe she hadn’t known that her husband was working for the Russians – she wouldn’t have had them check on the Germans otherwise. But there was something about this affair that smelt wrong. Twisted. For the life of him he couldn’t make out what it was, though.
***
Morning arrived too soon. He woke in the chair, stiff and aching, still in his clothes.
Amanda came through while he was making tea, wearing his shirt, long legs bare, bruises like budding flowers on her skin, dark shadows under her eyes. ‘I couldn’t really sleep.’
He wasn’t surprised; it would have been stranger if she’d managed a full night’s rest.
‘I still can’t believe it about Mark.’
‘People can be very good at keeping secrets,’ Markham told her.
‘But we’ve been married for ten years,’ she objected. ‘How could he hide it from me? I’ve been going over it all, trying to see if there were any clues.’
‘Were there?’ he asked.
She shook her head.
‘Was he working for them the whole time?’ Her voice drifted away for a moment. ‘I was twenty-one when he proposed. I’d just finished at Girton. Mark showed me this whole new world that I didn’t know existed. It’s a shock. It’s like he’s ripped my life apart. Right now I don’t even know if he ever loved me or if I was some …’ She waved her hands helplessly.
‘Everything upside down,’ he said kindly.
‘Yes,’ she agreed quickly. ‘Inside out. I couldn’t believe it. And then those men. I thought they were going to kill me.’
‘You survived.’
‘Yes,’ she replied dully. ‘But what if they come back?’
‘We’ll make sure they don’t.’
‘How?’
‘My partner used to be on the force. Leave that to him.’ Markham hoped he was right.
‘And Mark? What am I going to do about that?’ She seemed lost. He didn’t have an answer for tht question.
‘I’ll switch the immersion on. Take a bath, maybe it’ll help.’ Not much of a solution, he thought, but all he had for now.
***
With the worst of the wear brushed from her clothes she looked presentable. Markham kept his eyes on the mirrors as he drove, but no one seemed to be following. No large men waiting outside the office on Albion Place or on the stairs.
Baker was already there, eyes widening in astonishment when he saw her.
‘We’re looking after Mrs Fox for the moment,’ Markham told him. ‘Special Branch grabbed her yesterday. Took her to a place in Beeston and gave her a going
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