Floodgate (11 page)

'It may not have escaped your attention that he was built for comfort.' 'He's very kind, isn't he? Kind and courteous and considerate.' 'It's no hardship to be all those things when the object of them is as beautiful as you.'
'You do have a nice turn of speech, Lieutenant.'
'Yes, I do, rather.'
She was quiet for a moment, then said: 'But he is rather a snob, isn't he? A fearful snob.'
'In the interests of discipline, I must speak severely. You can't expect me to condone, far less agree with, denigrating remarks about our Chief of Police.'
'That wasn't meant to be denigrating. It was just an observation. I refuse to get to the stage where I must watch every word I say. This is still an open society. Or is it?'
'Well, well.'
'Go on. Say it. "Spoken with spirit" or something like that.' 'I don't think I will. But you're about as wrong with your snobbism as you were about your warm-hearted Arthur bit.'
'Arthur?'
'Our chief's first name. Never uses it. I've never figured out why. Regal connotations. Sure he's kind and thoughtful. He's also tough, shrewd and ruthless, which is why he is what he is. And he's no snob. Snobs pretend to be what they are not. His is a very ancient, very aristocratic and very wealthy lineage which is why you'll never find me contesting a restaurant bill with him. He was born with the knowledge that he was different, the one per cent of the one per cent. Never occurs to him to question it. He's convinced that he radiates the spirit of democracy.' 'Tough or not, snob or not, I like him.' She spoke as if that settled the matter, without specifying what the matter was.
'Arthur, as you may have observed, has a way with the ladies. Especially when he's off-duty, which is what he considered himself to be tonight.' 'Are you never off-duty? Am I always a policewoman?' 'Never thought about it that way. But I will. Think about it, I mean.' 'You're too kind.' She lapsed into silence and remained that way for the rest of the drive, Only van Effen spoke. He called up his office and requested an armed guard for his sister's house.
It was not difficult to understand why de Graaf had said that Julie van Effen was his favourite lady in all Amsterdam. With hair dark and shining as a raven's wing, a delicately moulded face and high, rather Slavonic cheek-bones, she was far more than just merely good-looking but her attraction for de Graaf, as for a great many others, almost certainly lay in her laughing dark eyes and laughing mouth. She was almost permanently good-humoured - except when she encountered injustice, cruelty, meanness, selfishness and quite a few other things of which she disapproved, when she could become very stormy indeed - and seemed to love the whole world with the exception of those who encountered her formidable disapproval. She was one of those rare people who radiated happiness, a quality that more than tended to conceal the fact that below it all lay a fine intelligence. Cabinet Ministers do not habitually employ dim-witted secretaries and Julie was a Cabinet Minister's secretary, private, personal, confidential and discreet.
She was also very hospitable and wanted to cook them a meal as soon as they had entered. It was easy to believe that this multi-talented young lady was also a cordon bleu chef, which, in fact, she was. She then offered sandwiches and desisted only when she learned that they had already eaten. 'The Dikker en Thijs, was it? Well, the police always did know how to look after themselves. For a working girl, it's new herring, red cabbage and sausage.'
'For this particular working girl,' van Effen said, 'it's the ministerial canteen. A gourmet's paradise, so I'm told -we cops aren't allowed near the place, of course. Julie, alas, has no will-power - well, you've only to look.' Julie, had in fact, as nearly perfect a figure as it was possible to imagine. She treated this badinage with a lofty contempt, ruffled his hair in the passing and went to the kitchen to prepare some coffee and a cafe schnapps.
Annemarie looked after her departing form, turned to van Effen and smiled. 'She can wrap you round her little finger any time, can't she?' 'Any time and any day,'van Effen said cheerfully. 'And, alas, she knows it. "Minx" is the word for her. Something I have to show you, in case you're in the house alone.' He led her to a picture on the wall and pushed it to one side to reveal a red button set flush with the wallpaper. 'What's known to the trade as a personal attack button. If' you think you're in danger, suspect it or even sense it, you press this button. A patrol car will be here within five minutes.' She tried to make light of it. 'Every housewife in Amsterdam should have one of those.'
'As there are a hundred thousand housewives in Amsterdam - maybe two for all I know - it would come a mite expensive.'
'Of course.' She looked at him and didn't or couldn't smile any more. 'I've been with the two of you a few times now and one would have to be blind and deaf not to realize that you're just potty about your kid sister.'
'Tut, tut. I can but sigh. Is it so obvious?'
'I hadn't finished. You didn't have that installed just because you love her. She's in danger, isn't she?'
'Danger?'He caught her by the shoulders, so tightly that she winced. 'Sorry.' He eased hi s grip but left his hands where they were. 'Now do you know?'
'Well, she is, isn't she? In danger, I mean.'
'Who told you? Julie?'
'No.'
'The Colonel?'
'Yes. This evening.' She looked at him, her gaze moving from one eye to the other. 'You're not angry, are you?'
'No. No, my dear, I'm not angry. just worried. I'm not a healthy person to know.'
'Julie knows about the danger?'
'Of course.'
'Does she know about the postcards?' He looked at her thoughtfully and didn't change his expression as she put her hands on his shoulders and made as if to shake him in exasperation; which was a silly thing to do as van Effen was built along very solid lines. 'Well, does she?' 'Yes. It would be difficult for her not to. The postcards come to this address. One of the Annecy brothers' ways of getting to me.'
'Dear God. This - this is dreadful. How - how can she be so -so happy?' She put her head against his shoulder as if she was suddenly tired. 'How can she?'
'The old saying, I suppose. Better to laugh than to cry. You're not about to cry, are you?'
'No.
'The old saying doesn't quite apply here. She always was a happy child. Only, now she has to work at it.'
Julie came in with coffee, stopped abruptly and cleared her throat. 'Isn't it a little early in the evening -' She laid the tray down. 'I hope the deafness is a temporary affliction. I said -'She stopped again, the expression on her face showing her concern, moved swiftly to where they stood, put an arm round Annemarie and gently turned her head until she could see her face. 'Tears. Full of tears.' She pulled a lace handkerchief from her sleeve cuff. 'What's this ruffian been up to?' 'This ruffian hasn't been up to anything,' van Effen said mildly. 'Annemarie knows everything, Julie. Marianne, the kids, you, me, the Annecys.'
'The Colonel, I'll be bound.'
'You'll be bound right.'
Julie said: 'I know, Annemarie. It's a shock. To come all at once, it's a shock. At least it came to me bit by bit. Come. I have the sovereign remedy. A double schnapps in your coffee.'
'You're very kind. If I could be excused -' She turned and walked quickly from the room.
'Well.' There was a demanding note in Julie's voice. 'Don't you see what you've done?'
'Me?' Van Effen was genuinely perplexed. 'What am I supposed to have done now? It was the Colonel -2
'It's not what you have done. It's what you haven't done.' She put her hands on his shoulders and her voice went soft. 'It's what you haven't seen.'
'I see. I mean, I don't see.' Van Effen was cautious. 'What haven't I seen?'
'You clown.' Julie shook her head. 'Annemarie. Her heart is in her face, in her eyes. That girl's in love with you.'
'What! You're not well, that's what it is.'
'My beloved, brilliant dolt of a brother. But don't believe me. Ask her to marry you now. A special licence - which you can obtain at the drop of a hat - and you'd be married by midnight.'
Van Effen looked slightly dazed. 'Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?' 'No, I'm not. I'm absolutely certain.'
'But she hardly knows me.'
'I'm aware of that. After all, you've only met her, what -twenty, thirty, forty times?' She shook her head. 'The feared interrogator, the writer of books on psychology, the man who can lay bare the innermost secrets of any mind with one piercing glance - well, a hundred per cent for theory, zero for practice.'
'You're a fine one to talk. Specialist in marriage counselling -or should I say match-making? Ha! Six marriage proposals for certain - could have been twenty for all I know - and you turned them all down. There indeed speaks the voice of experience.'
'Don't try to change the subject.' She smiled sweetly. 'Yes, indeed, there speaks the voice of experience. I didn't love any of them. She is deeply in love with you. I don't quite understand why.'
'I need a schnapps. 'van Effen opened a nearby cupboard. 'I've just brought you a cafe schnapps.'
'First of al I, I need a schnapps. Then I need a aft schnapps.' - 'Not a psychiatrist? Why do you think she's so upset?' 'She's soft-hearted, that's why.'
'You should make a splendid match. Soft heart. Soft head.' She took his head -between her hands and studied his eyes carefully. 'The hawk-eyed detective lieutenant. What you need is a pair of glasses. And you've missed your cue, haven't you? Half a dozen times, at least.' 'What cue?'
'Oh dear. That wary hunted look makes you more criminal than cop. What cue? "I wouldn't marry her if she were the last girl in the world" should have been your answer to the cue. Standard reaction, I believe.' She smiled again. 'But of course, you're not standard.'
'Oh, shut up.'
'A well reasoned answer.' She sat and took up her coffee. 'Mental myopia. I believe it's incurable.'
'Oh, I don't know. I'm sure you'll find the answer.' Van Effen was his old self, calm, assured, relaxed and very much back on balance. 'I don't particularly care for cool, clinical, slightly superior, slightly amused doctors, but I have to admit you've effectively worked a cure in my case. You've cured me of any interest I might ever have had in that young lady. Or maybe that was what you wanted. I don't know.' She was looking at him with parted lips and uncomprehending eyes. 'I don't need -I don't want, I should say - help, advice or sympathy from you, and not just because they're uncalled-for, unhelpful, unwanted or unsolicited but because I'm perfectly capable of managing my own life without the assistance of a meddlesome young sister. I'll go check if the guard is here.' He went out leaving Julie to stare numbly at the door he'd closed behind him, disconsolate and disbelieving, and she was still in the sam e position, still gazing sightlessly at the door, the same expression of hurt and bafflement on her face when Annemarie came into the room. Annemarie stopped, looked in puzzlement at the unhappy face, hurried across the room to Julie's chair, dropped to her knees and said: 'What's wrong, Julie? What's wrong?'
Julie looked away from the door and slowly turned her head. 'Nothing. Nothing's wrong.'
'Nothing's wrong? Oh. God! Nothing. First me, then you. Tears. And you look - you look so woebegone.' Annemarie hugged her. 'Nothing wrong! Julie! Don't treat me like an idiot.'
'I'm the idiot. I've just made a mistake.'
'You? I don't believe it. Mistake. What mistake;o'
'The mistake of forgetting that Peter is not only my brother, he's a policeman and heir apparent to the Colonel. You didn't know that, did you?' Julie sniffled. 'Common knowledge. De Graaf is due to retire this year but he's in no hurry to retire as long as Peter is already doing most of his job for him.'
'Never mind the Colonel. Where's that ruffian?'
Julie tried to smile. 'Second time tonight he's been called a ruffian by two different girls. I'll bet it's never happened before. He's left.' 'Gone? Gone for the night?'
'No. Just to check on the guard.' Julie smiled again, a more successful effort this time. 'He may be gifted at reducing people to team but I'm sure he cares for us.'
'He's got a funny way of showing it. What did he do to you, Julie? What did he say?'
'Do? Nothing, of course. Say? I stepped out of line, I guess, and he brought me back into line. That's all.'
'You expect me to be satisfied with that?'
'No, I don't, my dear. But can we leave it just for the moment? Please?' They had finished their coffee by the time van Effen had returned. He appeared to find nothing amiss or, if he did, chose not to comment on it. 'Guard's here,'he said. 'Armed to the teeth. And I have to go now.' 'But your coffee
'Another time. I am, as they say, summoned forth. Julie, there's something you must do for me. Could you
'Must?' She smiled. 'An order or request.'
'What does that matter.' Rarely for him, van Effen was irritated. 'Do what I ask - please, note the please - or I'll take Annemarie away with me.'
'My word! Such threats. And if she chooses to remain here or I ask her to stay?'
'Rotterdam. Tomorrow morning. Ex-policewoman. You don't disobey orders in the police and remain on the force. Sorry, Annemarie, that was not directed at you. Julie's not being very bright tonight. Don't look shocked, little sister, if you can't see I'm serious then you've become uncommonly stupid. Develop diplomatic flu for the next day or two. Anne- marie is in as much danger as you are and I want the two of you here together. Annemarie, nine-fifteen.'
He went to the door and opened it, looked at the two solemn faces and shook his head.
'Exit the gallant Lieutenant into the dark and dreadful night.'
He closed the door quietly behind him.
Four
The tall, thin young man in the dark and dripping raincoat would rarely have called for more than a passing glance or a comment on the fact that he did look rather unprepossessing, an impression increased by the black hair plastered to his head by the heavy rain and that he sported an ill-trimmed black moustache. The moustache, in fact, had not been trimmed at all: he had been in an unusual hurry that morning and had pasted it on ever so slightly askew.
He was standing almost in the middle of the square when he saw her, angling across and coining almost directly towards him. Annemarie, her war paint back in position again, looked as miserable and bedraggled as the young man, who now stepped out into her path.
'Annemarie, is it?'
Her eyes widened and she looked quickly around. Despite the near torrential rain there were a fair number of people around and a flower and vegetable open-air market only metres away. She looked again at the young man, who was smiling, a rather pleasant smile despite his overall appearance. 'Please don't worry, miss. Hardly the place where anyone would think to carry out a kidnapping. You must be Annemarie - there couldn't be two people answering the description I was given. I'm Detective Rudolph Engel.'He brought a badge from his pocket and showed it to her. 'I could, of course, have stolen this. Lieutenant van Effen wants to see you. He's in his car.'