The City in Flames (Stefan Gillespie Book 5) by Michael Russell

Author:Michael Russell [Russell, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472130334
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Published: 2019-07-03T16:00:00+00:00

16

The Trout

It was a Saturday when Stefan Gillespie and Vera Kennedy left the Bedford Arms for Paddington Station and Oxford. It had been his idea to spend two days walking along the River Thames, out into the country, but he had done little more than propose it. Vera had bought the Ordnance Survey maps and traced the network of footpaths that would let them follow the river as closely as they could, in places where towns would be far enough away to be out of sight and out of sound. They had fixed no particular finishing point, but they had two days, and the train from Paddington deposited them at Oxford in the late morning. It was not a busy train. The passengers were mostly pilots and aircrew heading back to their airfields and parents and grandparents travelling into Berkshire to visit evacuated children. Beyond Reading the train stopped at every station and there were small groups of eager children waiting at each one.

In Oxford Stefan and Vera turned away from the town immediately, following the map and the route they had pored over the previous night. Stefan was conscious that what felt like the beginning of something was really the end. He had telephoned his London contact from G2 the previous day to report that the mostly meaningless events at the Bedford Arms had taken an uneasy turn. He was now involved in Willie Mullins’ black market activities, not to mention a Metropolitan Police Special Branch sergeant who knew all about that and was blackmailing Mullins for a cut of the profits. The Irishman he had been told to address simply as Kelly seemed only to be amused by these developments.

‘That’s a bit of a turn up. Dear old Willie. I suppose it explains why he hasn’t been looking for money from us for a while. Interesting stuff, though.’

‘I don’t know about interesting. I’ve done enough to be put inside.’

‘Doesn’t sound like this Special Branch feller’s going to tell anyone.’

‘I wouldn’t want to rely on it.’

The Irish Intelligence officer laughed.

‘No, but then that’s Special Branch for you, wherever they are.’

‘Save the jokes for Gerry de Paor,’ said Stefan. ‘If it’s not dangerous it’s still going to be some cock-up if you end up with a Guard in the dock here?’

‘It would.’ Stefan could almost see the man’s grin. ‘I’ll talk to Dublin.’

There was no more. The phone was dead.

Stefan and Vera reached a footpath below Osney Bridge and walked between the slow, dark river and a long line of poplars. There were still leaves on the trees; every shade of yellow and brown. Although there was no wind, the leaves were falling gently as they walked. There was hardly anyone to see: some children playing by the river; people walking dogs; a lock keeper. It was a clear October day, crisp but not at all cold. The sky was blue. Above all it was quiet.

The walk was undemanding, and to be out of London and in such a different place was all the conversation they needed.

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