Page 106 of Fire Must Burn

‘Spending a full Monday with you is a delightful prospect, no matter what the objective,’ he said. ‘What exactly is the objective? I know we’re heading towards Kimbolton, but why?’

‘I’m going to interview Bruce Cater’s parents.’

‘Cater? Good Lord, why?’

She looked over at him, thinking carefully about how to phrase what she was about to say.

‘Sally, I know that you’re bound by the Official Secrets Act from going into much detail about what you did in the war,’ she said. ‘Just as Iris is for what she did.’

‘Yes,’ he said, glancing at her cautiously. ‘Although I think we’ve both dropped our guards around you on more than one occasion.’

‘You have,’ she said. ‘So I signed it myself recently.’

‘You what?’ he exclaimed. ‘Why did you become a signatory?’

‘Because of Iris. It seems that I have learned more than I should.’

‘That woman,’ he said hotly. ‘She had no right—’

‘She had every right, Sally,’ said Gwen. ‘She had to bring me into the loop so we could save your skin a few months ago, or had you forgotten how close to arrest you were? She put herself at risk to save you, then I signed it to keep her from going to prison.’

‘Who made you sign?’

‘The Brigadier.’

‘Him,’ he said, groaning in exasperation. ‘Of course, it would be him. He’s been trying to get her back in his clutches ever since she called him out on one of his most disastrous ideas. He’s bound to want the two of you to do something grotesquely distasteful for him sooner or later.’

‘Actually—’

‘We’re doing it now, aren’t we?’

‘More or less.’

‘And you didn’t tell me.’

‘It wasn’t meant for anyone to know,’ she said. ‘Our part was supposed to be brief and minor. But then came a Molotov cocktail to throw everyone’s plans in disarray.’

‘So you’re interviewing the Caters because of what happened to Tony Danforth?’

‘Tony Danforth was the target of the Brigadier’s investigation, but he didn’t order the attack. Now Iris and I are trying to find out why Tony was firebombed.’

‘Why? To clear him?’

‘Maybe. At least to protect him from further attack.’

‘How do the Caters figure into this?’

‘Because of what happened to Nancy Spurlock.’

‘Which you wouldn’t have known about if I hadn’t brought it to your attention,’ said Sally with a grimace. ‘This is all my fault.’

‘No, I’m glad you told me,’ said Gwen.

‘You said when you called last night that you specifically needed me on this trip. Why?’

‘Because I am now a researcher for the BBC, and you aremy associate producer. And you have BBC identification, which I don’t yet, as I’ve only just started my employment.’

‘They’ll raise hell at the office if they find out you’re doing this.’