25 The Enemy Within by Creasey John
Author:Creasey, John [Creasey, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: blt, _Marked, _rt_converted probably
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00
Chapter Thirteen
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IRIS came hurrying down the stairs. She wore an apple green house-coat, high at the neck, with wide shoulders and flared sleeves. Her hair was untidy and fell to her shoulders; it was the colour of ripe corn. Her eyes were wide with distress, and as he hurried towards her, she gripped his hands tightly.
âHave you heard?â
âThatâs why Iâm here.â
âItâs unbelievable!â
âItâs happened,â said Corliss gently, âand you arenât going to improve the situation by worrying about it. Where can we talk?â
âIn here.â Iris led the way into a homely room, with books in open shelves on two walls, a corner fireplace, a bowl of daffodils and, by an easy chair without arms, a work-basket, open as she had left it when she had last been working. On a table was a sewing-machine, with a polished wooden cover. It was hard to associate that with Iris Grahame, yet this was obviously her room. There were several water colours on the walls and, on an upright piano, three photographs; one was of André Milanov.
âThe newspapers are upstairs,â she said, and sounded breathless. âShall I fetch them? Annie didnât know. She just brought the papers in with the tea, as usual. I telephoned you, but there was no answer.â
âIâve moved.â
âMoved! Do you meanâââ
âI donât mean anything, except that youâll have to call me at a different number,â said Corliss. âYouâre worrying too much, my sweet, and itâs been a hell of a shock. It would have been for anyone, and after the strain you had yesterday, it hit so much harder.â
âYes,â she said. She looked at the photograph; it had been taken when Milanovâs bubbling personality was evident, and had caught him in his most attractive mood. âI just canât believe it, Charles. Yesterday he was so gay, even last nightâââ
âDid you see him after the show?â
âNo. It didnât worry me, he said he might not be able to make it last night. It was this damned work of his!â
âNow take it easy.â He put an arm gently round her shoulders, but she wasnât crying or anywhere near crying. âPeople have all kinds of queer jobs to do. Some of them get hurt while doing them.â
She turned her head and faced him, with those great eyes so grave and her expression so intent.
âCharlesâwas he a spy?â
âMy dearâââ
âI suppose youâll never tell me the truth,â said Iris. âYouâre not allowed to. You were watching him because he was suspected of spying, wasnât he? He was a Russian. He told me that he was a white Russian, that he hated the Politburo and everything to do with it, but probably he was working for them. Tell me, Charles.â
Corliss said slowly: âYes, Iris, thatâs right.â
âAnd youâââ
âYou can look at it two ways,â Corliss said. âEither that I chased him to his death, and he preferred suicide to being caught. Or else that I drove him to kill himself, which was better for him than the disgrace of a trial and perhaps execution.â He took his
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