With a degree of self-interest, Matthew Canfield asked, “Can you get along with your daughter-in-law?”
“I assume you mean Ulster’s wife. No one could stand Chancellor’s.”
“Yes.”
“I like her. However, if you’re thinking about her as a third party, I must tell you that she’ despises me. There are many reasons, most of them quite valid. In order to get what I want I’ve had to treat her quite badly. My only defense, if I felt I needed one—which I don’t—is that what I wanted was for her benefit.”
“I’m deeply moved, but do you think we could get her coopperation? I’ve met her on several occasions.”
“She’s not very responsible. But I suppose you know that.”
“Yes. I also know that she suspects you of going to Europe on your son’s account.”
“I realize that. It would help to enlist her, I imagine. But I don’t think I could manage it by cable, and I certainly wouldn’t want to spell it out in a letter.”
“I’ve a better way. I’ll go back for her and I’ll take a written … explanation from you. Not too involved, not too specific. I’ll handle the rest.”
“You must know her very well.”
“Not so. I just think that if I can convince her that you—and I—are on her side … if someone’s on her side, she’ll help.”
“She might be able to. She could show us places.…”
“She might recognize people.…”
“But what will I do while you’re in America? I’ll no doubt be dead when you come back.”
Canfield had thought of that. “When we reach England, you should go into retreat.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“For your immortal soul. And your son’s as well, of course.”
“I don’t understand you.”
“A convent. The whole world knows of your bereavement. It’s a logical thing to do. We’ll issue a statement to the press to the effect that you’ve gone to an undisclosed retreat in the north of England. Then send you somewhere down south. My office will help.”
“It sounds positively ridiculous!”
“You’ll be fetching in your black robes!”
The veiled, grieving Mrs. Boothroyd was led off with the first contingent of passengers. She was met by a man at customs who hurried her through the procedures and took her to a Rolls-Royce waiting on the street. Canfield followed the couple to the car.
Forty-five minutes later Canfield checked into the hotel. He had called his London contact from a public phone and they had agreed to meet as soon as the Londoner could drive down. The field accountant then spent a half hour enjoying the stability of a dry-land bed. He was depressed at the thought of going right back on board ship but he knew there was no other solution. Janet would supply the most reasonable explanation for his accompanying the old lady and it was logical that the wife and mother of the missing Ulster Scarlett should travel together. And certainly Canfield was not unhappy at the prospect of a continued association with Janet Scarlett. She was a tramp, no question; but he had begun to doubt his opinion that she was a bitch.
He was about to doze off when he looked at his watch and realized that he was late for his meeting. He picked up the phone and was delighted by the crisp British accent answering him.
“Madame Scarlatti is in suite five. Our instructions are to ring through prior to callers, sir.”
“If you’ll do that, please, I’ll just go right up. Thank you.”
Canfield said his name quite loudly before Elizabeth Scarlatti would open the door. The old woman motioned the young man inside to a chair while she sat on a huge Victorian sofa by the window.
“Well, what do we do now?”
“I phoned our London man nearly an hour ago. He should be here shortly.”
“Who is he?”
“He said his name is James Derek.”
“Don’t you know him?”
“No. We’re given an exchange to call and a man is assigned to us. It’s a reciprocal arrangement.”
“Isn’t that convenient.” A statement.
“We’re billed for it.”
“What will he want to know?”
“Only what we want to tell him. He won’t ask any questions unless we request something either inimical to the British government or so expensive he’d have to justify it; that’s the point he’ll be most concerned with.”
“That strikes me as very amusing.”
“Taxpayers’ money.” Canfield looked at his watch. “I asked him to bring along a list of religious retreats.”
“You’re really serious about that, aren’t you?”