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said you would give me that amount if I helped him.”
    “What do you mean … he knows too much?”
    “He had access to certain files. He has them with him. He says they are important to the security of America,” the woman said.
    Girland got the idea that she was repeating a lesson carefully learned. Again he was puzzled by her French. She had an accent he hadn’t heard before.
    “My people aren’t likely to part with any money on a claim like that,” Girland said, alert and intrigued. “What else has he got?”
    “During the years he was in Russia, he reorganised much of the Soviet spy system. He has all that information.”
    “That’s a little better.” Girland thought for a moment. “Well, I’ll talk to Dorey. He might not be interested. Double Agents can be unreliable.”
    “I’m in a hurry,” the woman said. There was an edge of panic in her voice. “I’ll call Mr. Dorey tomorrow night. He must say either yes or no. There are other people who would be interested.”
    “Don’t do that,” Girland said hurriedly. “We now have competitors. If you haven’t talked, then someone else has, so there could be a leak in Dorey’s office. You telephone me. That’ll be safer. I’ll be waiting on Jasmin 00051 at seven o’clock tomorrow evening. Will you do that?”
    “Will you have the money with you?”
    “If Dorey wants to play, I’ll have it.”
    “Then I will telephone you.”
    “Just a minute,” Girland said. “Is Carey in Paris?”
    “Good night,” the woman said and he heard the sound of a door gently closing beyond the mirror.
    Girland lit a cigarette. He wondered if he could persuade Dorey to let him handle this. He was pretty sure Dorey wouldn’t. He was also pretty sure Dorey would be willing to pay much higher than ten thousand dollars to have Robert Henry Carey in his office and talking.
    This wanted thinking about, Girland said to himself. There could be some nice money in it for him if he played it carefully. It was time he made some nice money out of the American Government.
    He was still thinking, trying to find an angle when a faint sound behind him made him look up and into the big mirror.
    Reflected in the mirror was Thomas, gun in hand, and behind him, mask-like, dark and tall was Schwartz.

CHAPTER THREE
    The two men moved like shadows into the room and closed the door.
    Girland’s right hand itched to fly to his gun, but his position was hopeless. He had his back to these two and he saw the silencer screwed to Thomas’s gun. He remained motionless, feeling a chill crawl up his spine as he realised these must be the two who had tortured and murdered Rossland.
    “Where is she?” Thomas asked. His voice was husky, and looking at him in the mirror, Girland saw his sallow face was shining with sweat.
    Thomas was so frightened he could scarcely keep his voice steady. He had failed! Radnitz had said that Girland must not talk to this woman. Through his own stupidity, somehow Girland had got into the club and had talked to her! This was the first time he had failed to carry out an order from Radnitz.
    Girland thought quickly. He had a feeling he was within seconds of death.
    “She’s gone,” he said, not moving. “She’s been gone a good ten minutes.”
    Thomas turned his head for a brief moment to look at Schwartz.
    “I’ll kill him. See if you can stop her.”
    Girland said quickly, “Do you know what she looks like? I don’t. We talked through that trick mirror. And why kill me? We could do a deal.”
    He was relieved to see Schwartz was still leaning against the door, showing no intention of moving.
    “Find her!” Thomas snarled and raised the gun so the sight was aiming at Girland’s head.
    So this is it, Girland thought and suddenly he was afraid to die. Instinctively he lifted his shoulders and crouched forward in a hopeless attempt to evade the bullet. He stared into the mirror at the gun, then he saw Schwartz move forward with the speed of a striking snake