Cast No Shadow, Peter Sharp [books to get back into reading txt] 📗

The younger of the two students stood up as Diez made his way back to the bar. “Here,” he said, indicating his seat; “You can have my seat. I’m just leaving.” Kelly ignored the invitation and instead sat down opposite the woman. A look of intense irritation passed across her face, but it was quickly replaced by a smile. The younger student was now shuffling towards the door. The elder of the two jumped to his feet.

“Wait Eduardo!” he called “I need a word.” To the others at the table, he said, “A moment. I will be back soon,” and followed his friend out of the room.

The woman opposite Dan Kelly looked extremely uncomfortable as she half smiled and said, “Look! I don’t mean to seem unsociable, but this is a private conversation. Francisco is my boyfriend, I’m sure you understand.” She looked coy and slightly embarrassed. Kelly smiled back.

“I do understand, but I also understand you were due to have another private conversation nearly two weeks ago with McFarlane. He sent me to find out why you didn’t?” For a moment, her eyes were wide and her face a picture of shock, but she was quick to recover.

“I don’t know what you are taking about,” she said defiantly, looking him in the eyes, but her cheeks had coloured slightly, easily betraying the pretence.

“Look, Peregrine, Jenny, Miss Kingstone or whatever the hell your name is. Neither of us has time to play games. Lose the boyfriend. We need to talk.”

“No!” she said defiantly. “I don’t know who you are and I’m not about to dance to your tune!”

“Kelly,” he said, “Dan Kelly, ‘G’ Branch ...”

Before he could explain she interrupted him with a hiss. “And I’m CS Branch. You have no jurisdiction here and no authority over me, I outra—” She didn’t finish, embarrassed by what she had been about to say.

Kelly finished for her. “You outrank me? Is that it? Listen lady,” said Kelly, his voice calm, but the timbre low, “it doesn’t work like that. We may be in different branches, but that’s all. I am here acting directly for McFarlane. Perhaps if you took the trouble to contact someone, they would confirm that!” It was only a half-truth, but he needed to grab her attention.

She thought for a moment before answering. “I’m sorry,” she said. “It was the shock of your approach, I suppose. I can’t lose the boyfriend. I am so close to being included in their communist cell. It’s vital. That way, I can perhaps get close to the Soviets and find out what they are up to.” She looked into his eyes. “That’s why I need to stay in deep!”

Kelly heard the plea. It was his turn to reconsider.

“Right!” he said. “I’ll leave when he returns. ‘Bump’ into me tomorrow on the promenade, about 9 am?” Francisco was approaching, beaming broadly. Peregrine nodded to Kelly then arose with a smile to greet the approaching student. Francisco clasped her shoulders and kissed her gently on the cheek. Kelly yawned and stood up.

“Well, it’s been lovely to meet you, Miss Kingstone,” he said. “I have a heavy day tomorrow, so I’m going to get my head down.”

“Before you go,” she said, “please let me introduce my dear friend, Francisco.” She smiled into the Cuban’s eyes.

She’s either a damn good actress or this is for real, thought Kelly as he clasped the outstretched hand of the Cuban who introduced himself as Francisco Negrin. He was tall with streaky dark blond hair and an aquiline nose. Definite traces of Patagonia, thought Kelly as he shook hands.

Once outside the club, Kelly sprinted to his car, started it up and drove back down to San Carlos Street. He parked under some trees and switched off his lights. To say he didn’t trust Peregrine would be an understatement. He didn’t have long to wait. Within a few minutes, the two emerged from the Bar and started hurriedly up the road towards where he was parked. Quickly Kelly slumped under the line of sight and waited until he heard them pass. They were talking quickly and excitedly, but Kelly was unable to make out the detail.

Once they had turned the corner, he started the engine, did a quick three-point turn and crept round the corner, his lights still off, just in time to see them turn into Santa Rita Street. Kelly eased the car around the corner into the same street, parked up and switched off the engine. He watched them as they made their way, hand in hand, up the narrow street, walking in the middle of the road.

When they were about three quarters of the way up the street, Kelly reached for the starter button ready to follow the pair on the next phase, but he froze as a pair of car lights suddenly illuminated the whole of the street. A car pulled out from the kerb near the top of the street and moved down the road towards them. He saw the couple stop, walk backwards for a few paces as the car approached them, then turn and run back down the road towards Kelly.

Kelly started the engine of his Austin, turned on his lights and waited until the couple had run past. He saw the girl look at him and recognition register on her face. As soon as they had passed, he pulled across the road, blocking it completely, switched off the engine, pulled out the choke and pumped the accelerator vigorously to ensure that he had thoroughly flooded the engine.

Then he sat and waited.

To the Mountains

The car screeched to a halt, millimetres from the passenger side door of Kelly’s Austin 10. Two men jumped out of the old Buick and ran round to the open driver’s window, gesticulating and shouting in anger. Kelly was hunched over the steering wheel, assiduously pressing the starter button and pumping the accelerator pedal. The now thoroughly flooded engine didn’t even cough.

Kelly looked up as a man poked his head through