Angel in Red Read online

  ‘Luigi,’ Anna repeated without enthusiasm. ‘So I am to place my life in your hands.’

  ‘Is not mine in yours, Anna? Now come along. We cannot be here for too long. Undress.’

  Anna gave him an old-fashioned look. If this was becoming the initial advance of every man with whom she came professionally into contact, it was also becoming rather tiresome.

  Bartoli understood her expression. ‘It is necessary, my dear girl, for me to be fitting you and measuring you should anyone walk in. It would be quite inappropriate for me to lock the door.’

  Anna sighed, but she knew he was right. She removed her hat, got up and took off her dress.

  ‘I think the petticoat as well, if you don’t mind.’

  Anna removed this garment also and instinctively stepped out of her shoes.

  ‘No no. Keep the shoes. The dress must hang absolutely correctly.’

  Anna replaced the shoes.

  ‘You are exquisite, Fraulein. Has anyone ever told you that?’

  ‘Everyone I meet,’ Anna said.

  ‘And it is Fraulein?’

  ‘Here in Germany. It is Frau in England. You said we should not waste time.’

  ‘Then will you stand here.’ He indicated the position immediately in front of him, and took the tape measure from round his neck. ‘Now, I am going to take your measurements again, just to be certain, you understand.’ He stepped closer to her and began arranging the tape round the bodice of her cami-knickers, taking great care to place it exactly over the nipples. ‘What is on your mind that makes you so impatient?’

  ‘I have been here for eight weeks and have not been contacted. Have you instructions for me?’

  He released the tape reluctantly and made a note on the pad on his desk. ‘London has been waiting for you to settle down and to be given a position commensurate with your talents.’ He chuckled. ‘And your measurements.’ He draped the tape round her waist. ‘Are you so anxious to get back to work? As far as I have been able to ascertain, you have been enjoying yourself.’

  ‘You mean you have been keeping me under surveillance?’

  ‘We are in business together, Anna . . . Your hips are perfection.’ He released her to write the figures on his pad. ‘And your legs. Are they perfection too?’

  ‘It is for you to tell me.’

  ‘But I am just getting to know you.’

  ‘Before you do that, I need a confirming name,’ Anna said.

  ‘Ah, yes. Should you not have asked for that immediately?’

  ‘I take my time, Luigi. So?’

  ‘I was told Belinda would register.’

  ‘Thank you. It does.’

  ‘Tell me, Anna, if I had not had a name for you, or the name had not registered, what would you have done?’

  ‘I would have broken your neck, Luigi.’ Anna continued to speak as softly as ever. ‘Then I would have opened the door and screamed that you were trying to rape me.’

  ‘And you think the police would believe you?’

  ‘I have nothing to do with the police. My German employers accept that I am inclined to react violently when insulted, and they would never let anything happen to me.’

  ‘But I could betray you.’

  ‘My dear Luigi, you would be dead.’

  ‘Ah.’ Luigi put down the tape measure.

  ‘Now listen. I am about to take up a position as Personal Assistant to the First Secretary at the German Embassy in Moscow. I have been told this posting may be for a year. I have also been told I am to see what I can learn about current Russian attitudes towards the Reich, in view of the recent dramatic changes in the political situation. You should inform London of this immediately. If they have any instructions for me to follow in Russia, I have to receive them within the next three weeks. As they also have an Embassy in Moscow, it should be possible for them to contact me once I get there but it will have to be handled with the utmost discretion.’

  Bartoli had been staring at her while she spoke. ‘You speak so calmly. You act so calmly. Does nothing ever frighten or upset you?’

  If you only knew, Anna thought. ‘No, Signor Bartoli. I am made of ice. Were you not told?’ She put on her slip and then her dress. ‘I do not think I will have a fitting now. Complete the dress as it is, and then call me back. Remember, it must be within three weeks. Ciao.’

  *

  Having decided against being outrageous, Anna wore her favourite pale blue sheath evening gown, and was very glad to have done so: Meissenbach turned out to be far better than she had dared hope. He was taller than her, which was a pleasant change. His features, if rounded, were by no means soft, and his eyes were incisive. His hair was black with grey wings and he had a strong body. To top it all, his manner was an intriguing mixture of charm and hesitancy. She supposed this was a result of his diplomatic training. But she sensed, from his occasional directness, that there could be a layer of steel beneath.

  ‘Countess!’ He bent over her hand. ‘I am enchanted. They told me you were an attractive woman, but that was clearly an understatement.’

  ‘Thank you, Herr Meissenbach.’

  ‘My car is waiting.’

  He made no effort to touch her, even when assisting her into her cape, and although they sat beside each other in the back of the chauffeur-driven car, he scrupulously left a space between them. She felt herself warming to him, which had not been her intention.

  The restaurant was up-market. She had been here before with Heydrich, and Meissenbach was clearly impressed when the maitre d’ greeted her obsequiously.

  ‘So,’ he said as they sipped their aperitifs after ordering, ‘the Countess von Widerstand. Would you care to explain that to me, Fraulein?’

  ‘You would have to ask General Himmler about that,’ Anna said. Heydrich had told her to admit nothing of her background that was not already public knowledge.

  ‘But you do have a real name?’

  ‘Anna.’

  ‘That is delightful. If I had been asked to choose a name for you I would have selected Anna. And I gather you have been living an exciting life?’

  ‘It has been interesting. What should I call you, Herr Meissenbach?’

  ‘When we are in public, it should be sir or Herr Meissenbach. When we are in private I should like you to call me Heinz.’

  Anna nibbled her lobster salad. ‘Are we going to be in private, sir?’

  ‘We are in private now.’

  Anna looked around the crowded dining room.

  Meissenbach smiled. ‘I should have said when we are off duty. Now, tell me why they are sending you to Moscow.’

  ‘To be your PA, Heinz.’

  He regarded her for several moments while they finished their first course and the meat was served. Then he raised his glass. ‘I will drink to that. Do you have, shall I say, a man? A protector? Any young woman in this day and age needs a protector. Especially if she is as handsome as you.’

  ‘You are absolutely right,’ Anna agreed.

  ‘Ah! I think we are going to have a very good relationship.’

  ‘I sincerely hope so,’ Anna said. ‘I should tell you now that I do have a protector. His name is Reinhard Heydrich. Perhaps you know him?’

  Meissenbach spilt some wine.

  *

  Anna sat up in bed to drink her coffee. ‘This is not very strong.’ She had not really noticed the previous morning, having had a slight head; Meissenbach had plied her with wine, but after her snub, he had not attempted to follow it up.

  ‘We are nearly out, Countess,’ Birgit protested.

  ‘And you have not ordered more?’

  ‘We are only allowed one kilogram a month, Countess. It has been rationed.’

  ‘Good Lord! Well, no doubt they will have ample supplies of coffee in Moscow.’

  ‘I am so excited, Countess.’

  ‘So am I. Oh, what can that be?’

  Birgit hurried from the bedroom to open the front door in response to the bell. Anna could not dis
tinctly hear what was being said, but a few minutes later the maid returned carrying a bouquet of twelve red roses. ‘Ooh, Countess! Aren’t these lovely?’

  Anna took the card. I must see you again. Expect me at noon. Heinz.

  Anna looked at Birgit, who flushed; she had clearly read the note before bringing in the flowers. ‘Put these in water and make sure the vase is conspicuous in the drawing room. You may have to entertain the gentleman for a little while before I get home.’ Her morning session with the Russian tutor did not end until twelve.

  She soaked in her bath and considered the situation. She was surprised. If he had been going to follow up the evening she would have supposed he would have done it the day after. Now Meissenbach seemed to have recovered his nerve, but he had given no indication that this might happen when he had brought her home. He had, in fact, been in a great hurry to get away. He had not even kissed her hand.

  But now he was coming on very strong. She actually thought he might be very congenial company. Obviously he wanted to get her into bed. It was a question of whether it was better to antagonize him now, or to go along with him and risk a much greater antagonism when she ‘fell in love’ with the Russian. But if she went along with him now, he might have exhausted his passion before the Russian business came to a head. But she still needed to be careful, at least until she discovered how Heydrich might view the situation.

  Yet she hurried home from her lesson with pleasant anticipation, and there he was, sitting in an armchair drinking schnapps. He stood up, and this time kissed her hand. ‘You have a most attentive maid.’

  ‘I am sorry I am late.’

  ‘You are taking Russian lessons. I know this.’

  ‘It is rather boring.’

  ‘But necessary. I understand. May I give you lunch?’

  ‘I thought perhaps we would lunch here. Birgit is also a very good cook.’

  ‘And afterwards?’

  ‘We could talk, if you wished.’

  ‘Talk?’

  Anna gave a wry smile. ‘There is not much else we can do at this moment. I am in a woman’s situation.’

  ‘Oh. Ah. But you would still like me to stay for lunch?’

  ‘It does not affect my appetite, Heinz, or my appetite for entertaining attractive men.’

  ‘You are delightful. Anna, I would like you to visit me in Prague. Will you do that? When this unfortunate situation has ended.’ He gazed at her.

  ‘Are you sure this is wise?’ Anna asked.

  Meissenbach flushed. ‘I will confess something to you. I was so taken with you when we dined that I took the liberty of discussing the matter with General Heydrich yesterday. He assured me that while he is very fond of you, and regards himself as your protector, he lays no claim to your private life, except in so far as it might need that protection. He is sure I will take good care of you.’

  The bastard, Anna thought, he doesn’t just regard me as a thing, he regards me as a whore. But she was not going to be a total pushover. ‘I am sure that greatly relieves you.’

  ‘And you?’

  Anna got up and refilled their glasses. ‘If I come to Prague, will I have the pleasure of meeting Frau Meissenbach?’

  ‘The weekend after next – which, incidentally, will be my last in Prague – she will be visiting her mother in Hanover.’

  ‘Does she spend any time at all at home with you?’

  Meissenbach smiled. ‘We have an understanding.’

  ‘But she is coming to Moscow with us?’

  ‘Oh, indeed. And she will enjoy meeting you, I know, at the appropriate moment. There is nothing for you to be concerned about. So . . .’

  ‘I think lunch is ready,’ Anna said.

  *

  ‘I have a message from Anna,’ Clive Bartley announced, standing in the office doorway.

  Billy Baxter raised his head somewhat suspiciously, but then he was inclined to do everything suspiciously. The two men could not have offered a stronger contrast. Clive Bartley, if by no means handsome, was over six feet tall and built to match; his rather lank black hair tended to droop across features which were of the hatchet variety but could be relieved by his ready smile. He looked as if he was close to smiling now. Baxter, with his somewhat diminutive body, usually hunched over the papers he was reading, his thinning pale brown hair, his tobacco-stained tweed jacket and loosely knotted tie, suggested a down at heel retired academic. He could look gloomy even on a bright July morning, but this, Clive suspected, might be because of the news, which was not getting any better, even if, this far, the War had had very little effect on London’s way of life.

  Despite their character differences, each man knew the other’s worth. For all his appearance, Billy Baxter had possibly the most acute brain in MI6. This, and his willingness to accept the most difficult tasks, led to his having those tasks dumped on his desk with great regularity. Clive knew that he was not actually as cold-blooded as he sometimes appeared. He genuinely worried about the agents he had scattered all over Nazi-occupied Europe, genuinely grieved when one of them was picked up by the Gestapo to suffer a horrendous death. But that did not stop him immediately seeking a replacement.

  Baxter, for his part, knew that Clive, for all his slightly raffish appearance and debonair attitude, was one of the most dedicated and, when necessary, deadly agents he possessed. But he also knew that Clive had gone overboard about the glamorous German spy he had managed to turn. Baxter was still not entirely convinced that Anna Fehrbach was to be trusted. Now he snorted. ‘Are you saying she is bending the rules again?’

  ‘She has sent it through the channel we gave her.’

  ‘That channel was only to be used in response to a communication from us. I am not aware that we have sent any such communication.’

  ‘Yes,’ Clive said. ‘And in my opinion that was a mistake. We have left this important agent in limbo for eight weeks. I don’t blame her in the least for wondering what is going on.’

  ‘Do we know what she has been doing in that time? What job she has been given which could be of value to us? The name of this game, as you well know, Clive, is patience. When she is posted somewhere important we will call on her for information. Until then—’

  ‘She has been posted, Billy. That is why she needed to be in touch. She is going to Moscow as Personal Assistant to the Chief Secretary at the German Embassy.’

  ‘Shit! Then we have lost her.’

  ‘I don’t think she would have hurried to give us that information if she wanted to be lost. Think of this, Billy. She is just about the most highly trained and dangerous operative the SD possess. I know we took a risk in sending her back, but she insisted on taking that risk for the sake of her family. And it would appear that her story has been totally accepted. That being so, would the SD send such a woman to Moscow just to be a PA?’

  Baxter began to fill his pipe, a sure sign that he was thinking. ‘She did not say why she was going?’

  ‘Yes. She is to learn all she can about Russia’s feelings towards Germany in view of the hegemony the Reich appears to have established over Europe.’

  ‘That seems straightforward enough.’

  ‘Billy, if we had Anna here in London under our sole jurisdiction, would we send her to Russia to tell us the Soviets feelings towards us? There has to be another reason. Perhaps she has not yet received specific instructions. But there has to be a reason, and it certainly isn’t her proficiency as a typist.’

  Baxter was busily dropping tobacco on his jacket and his desk. ‘Who do we have in Moscow?’

  ‘Commander Sprague. He is officially a naval attaché.’

  ‘A good man?’

  ‘Very. But Anna will not know him, or recognize him.’

  Baxter struck a match and puffed. ‘Can’t he use the Belinda code?’

  ‘I still think it would be risky. We should never forget Anna’s little ways.’

  Baxter leaned back in his chair. ‘Are you saying . . .?’

  ‘I am sayi
ng that if Anna got the impression she was at risk of exposure or betrayal, we would have to find a new naval attaché.’

  ‘And you have actually slept with this creature.’

  ‘As I have told you before, Billy, don’t knock it if you have never known it.’

  ‘What about Operation Tomorrow?’

  ‘Done and dusted.’

  ‘It’s your baby.’

  ‘Not any more. You know what the Czechs are like. They want our backing, they want our expertise, they want our weaponry. Then they want to be on their own. No interference. I don’t even know their plans, save that it is scheduled for next weekend.’

  ‘But you do know they’re going after this character Meissenbach instead of the Governor-General. Have they told you why?’

  ‘Yes. It seems that Tropa is an amiable old goat. Meissenbach has been virtually running the country for the past year. He’s the man who actually signed the death warrant for those two lads who pulled down the Swastika flag. Now it seems they have learned that he is about to complete his term of office and be transferred to other duties. They both want to make an example of him, and let the Nazis know they’re still fighting.’

  ‘And they realize there are liable to be some pretty fearsome repercussions?’

  ‘They do, and they seem prepared to accept that. The point is that my part is done, and our prime agent needs looking after. Billy, think. Anna is going to Moscow. She could be going to commit murder; she could be going as a spy. You tell me why Germany, publicly holding hands with the Reds, would send their most lethal weapon into their midst. We have to find out what she is doing and whether or not it can be turned to our advantage. You can have me seconded to the Embassy as an attaché or something. Or I could go as a businessman. Just a visit, to make contact and arrange future liaisons.’

  ‘And you would eagerly get between the sheets with the young lady.’

  Clive flushed. ‘Only if it could be done safely.’

  ‘I don’t think the word safely comes into it where Anna Fehrbach is concerned. But I agree it is necessary to contact her, and if you’re hell-bent on committing suicide, so be it. What about Belinda? I am speaking of the lady, not the password.’

  ‘She won’t like it. She never likes it when I am sent away for any lengthy period. But she’s got used to it.’