Read Destination Unknown for Free Online Page B

vague term. Who is or are 'they'? Is there such a thing, are there such persons as 'they'? We don't know. But I can tell you this. If the most popular explanation of 'they' is accepted, then these people work in very close, self-contained cells. They do that for their own security. If Mrs. Betterton's journey had a purpose and is planned, then the people who were in charge of it here will know nothing about the English side of it. At the appointed moment they will contact a certain woman at a certain place, and carry on from there. Mrs. Betterton's passport description is five-feet-seven, red hair, blue eyes, mouth medium, no distinguishing marks. Good enough.”
    “But the authorities here. Surely they -”
    Jessop smiled. “That part of it will be quite all right. The French have lost a few valuable young scientists and chemists of their own. They'll co-operate. The facts will be as follows. Mrs. Betterton, suffering from concussion, is taken to hospital. Mrs. Craven, another passenger in the crashed plane will also be admitted to hospital. Within a day or two Mrs. Craven will die in hospital, and Mrs. Betterton will be discharged, suffering slightly from concussion, but able to proceed on her tour. The crash was genuine, the concussion is genuine, and concussion makes a very good cover for you. It excuses a lot of things like lapses of memory and various unpredictable behaviour.”
    Hilary said:
    “It would be madness!”
    “Oh, yes,” said Jessop, “it's madness, all right. It's a very tough assignment and if our suspicions are realised, you'll probably cop it. You see, I'm being quite frank, but according to you, you're prepared and anxious to cop it. As an alternative to throwing yourself in front of a train or something like that. I should think you'd find it far more amusing.”
    Suddenly and unexpectedly Hilary laughed.
    “I do believe,” she said, “that you're quite right.”
    “You'll do it?”
    “Yes. Why not.”
    “In that case,” said Jessop, rising in his seat with sudden energy, “there's absolutely no time to be lost”

Destination Unknown

Chapter 4
    It was not really cold in the hospital but it felt cold. There was a smell of antiseptics in the air. Occasionally in the corridor outside could be heard the rattle of glasses and instruments as a trolley was pushed by. Hilary Craven sat in a hard iron chair by a bedside.
    In the bed, lying flat under a shaded light with her head bandaged, Olive Betterton lay unconscious. There was a nurse standing on one side of the bed and the doctor on the other. Jessop sat in a chair in the far corner of the room. The doctor turned to him and spoke in French.
    “It will not be very long now,” he said. “The pulse is very much weaker.”
    “And she will not recover consciousness?”
    The Frenchman shrugged his shoulders.
    “That I cannot say. It may be, yes, at the very end.”
    “There is nothing you can do - no stimulant?”
    The doctor shook his head. He went out. The nurse followed him. She was replaced by a nun who moved to the head of the bed, and stood there, fingering her rosary. Hilary looked at Jessop and in obedience to a glance from him came to join him.
    “You heard what the doctor said?” he asked in a low voice.
    “Yes. What is it you want to say to her?”
    “If she regains consciousness I want any information you can possibly get, any password, any sign, any message, anything. Do you understand? She is more likely to speak to you than to me.”
    Hilary said with sudden emotion:
    “You want me to betray someone who is dying?”
    Jessop put his head on one side in the birdlike manner which he sometimes adopted.
    “So it seems like that to you, does it?” he said, considering.
    “Yes, it does.”
    He looked at her thoughtfully.
    “Very well then, you shall say and do what you please. For myself I can have no scruples! You understand that?”
    “Of course. It's your duty. You'll do whatever questioning you please, but don't ask me