The Haunted Lady

by Bill Kitson

  ‘I suggest we leave them in the safe for the time being and not mention their existence until we know exactly what we have. We can’t do anything with them at present anyway, not without a key to the cipher.’

  We had been so preoccupied with what the first of the diptych frames contained that we had all but forgotten the other half. Once again I was charged with the time-consuming work of removing the back cover. When I lifted it clear much of what remained of the mystery surrounding Chloe’s parents was solved.

  First we had to remove a layer of cardboard and brown paper, beneath which were the two missing Vermeer masterpieces.

  We laid them on the garage floor. ‘These are magnificent,’ I gasped. There was no doubt that Andrew’s comment as to their value was correct. ‘They must be worth a small fortune.’

  ‘Hang on, what’s that?’ Eve was pointing to an envelope tucked into the rim of the diptych. She opened it and took out a wedding certificate plus a birth certificate which were all the documentation Chloe Kershaw needed to establish her identity beyond question.

  ‘These paintings belong to you and Chloe,’ I told Jäger through Eve.

  He shook his head vehemently. ‘I want no part of them. Let Chloe have them as a wedding present, something to secure her future now that it is possible for her and Michael to proceed with their marriage. Of course, now that she knows some of the family’s tragic history, Chloe might not want them either. If that is so the paintings should be sold and the money donated to a good cause.’

  Eve looked at the paperwork she held. ‘Isaac, think you should be the one to give these papers to Chloe,’ she suggested.

  It was a nice thought, but there was a sting in the tail as she continued, ‘And I think we should leave Adam to try and decipher the journals.’

  Apparently Eve had confidence in my ability as a code-breaker. It gave me the inspiration to attempt the feat. However, that was all it gave me and I was soon aware that inspiration alone wouldn’t do the trick.

  For long enough I thought there was no chance of achieving the feat barring a miracle, and miracles were in extremely short supply. I worked on the cipher non-stop that evening and all the following morning. Eve supplied me with tea and coffee at regular intervals. I broke off at one point to welcome Chloe and Michael who had been invited to lunch. Their expressions when Jäger presented Chloe with the documents were heart-warming. Chloe cried with joy, hugged everyone in turn as she expressed her thanks. Michael stood awestruck when we escorted them into the garage and showed them their wedding presents.

  ‘Not only do you have these wonderful paintings, but you also have a family heirloom, a bespoke dining table.’

  Chapter Twenty-four

  When the young couple departed, Eve told me of Herr Jäger’s intention to go for a walk. ‘He loves the countryside round here and it’s such a nice day.’

  ‘I’d rather be going with him but I’m determined not to be beaten,’ I replied. ‘But, so far, all I’ve got from it is a headache.’

  I returned to the study but gave up the attempt midway through the afternoon. Later, as Eve was preparing dinner, I joined Jäger in the lounge, where the early evening news bulletin was beginning on the TV. He watched this impassively, and similarly showed no reaction when it was followed by the local news. The headline item was a dramatic story of a rescue carried out by the Scarborough lifeboat.

  As the reporter recounted the tale of the fishing boat that had been towed into port following engine failure, the skipper praised the lifeboat crew for their speedy response to his distress signal.

  I leapt to my feet, alarming Jäger in the process, before declaiming, ‘You blithering stupid idiot, Bailey.’

  My loud announcement of my stupidity brought Eve in from the kitchen to ask what was wrong.

  ‘Only that you’re married to a moron.’

  ‘OK, but why is that newsworthy enough to cause your outburst?’

  ‘Because I’ve just had an idea as to how Kershaw coded his messages and it’s something I should have worked out ages ago.’

  ‘How can you prove whether you’re right or wrong? Will you have to spend hours longer in the study?’

  ‘No, if my theory is correct, a few minutes will suffice. First, though, I need you to ask Herr Jäger a question. Earlier he told us that his mother brought Kershaw home for dinner and that was how he met Devorah, remember?’

  Eve nodded and waited for me to continue. ‘OK, can he recall what day that was? I seem to remember it was a significant day.’

  The reply came immediately. ‘Yes, his mother took pity on Kershaw because he would be spending the day alone. It was Tag der Arbeit. That means ...’

  ‘I know what it means. It’s International Workers’ Day. That’s all I need to know.’

  I vanished into the study and returned five minutes later. ‘I was right. The code Kershaw used was a columnar transposition cipher. All you need to decode it is the keyword, which should contain at least one recurring letter and I’ve just established what that keyword is.’

  ‘Go on, tell me. And please, keep it in layman’s terms.’

  ‘OK, the keyword has to be something personal to Kershaw and Devorah so that either of them can use it at any time, even if the other one isn’t about. By that I’m not suggesting Kershaw guessed what was going to happen to Devorah. I think he’d be more concerned that she should have some form of insurance should anything happen to him. That was why he chose a keyword they could neither of them forget.’

  ‘What was it?’

  ‘The day they met; which they would always remember. It happened on first of May, or as it’s better known, May Day. That’s the keyword with the recurrent letter – mayday. Neither he nor Devorah would forget it. And anyone outside the family circle could never guess or come by it through chance.’

  After dinner, I went back into the study to take my theory one step further. Within a few minutes I was engrossed in what my deduction revealed. The first part of what I decoded was fairly basic and I should have stopped at that point, but I went one word beyond. It was an hour later before I emerged.

  Eve looked at me as I entered the lounge. That glance was sufficient to tell her that something had disturbed me. Wisely, she refrained from asking while we had company within earshot. As she explained later that evening in the privacy of our bedroom, ‘I wanted to know what you found in that journal. It was obvious to me that something had upset you.’

  I smiled at her. ‘Surely we could say whatever we want if he doesn’t understand English?’

  ‘I think he knows far more than he lets on,’ she commented.

  ‘Yes, I came to pretty much the same conclusion. As for what’s in those books, I think it would be better for you not to know. Suffice it to say that I wish I hadn’t decoded parts of the first message, I’m going to think carefully before deciding what to do with them. I’ve a mind to hand them over to our friend Cooper, but first I think I ought to take one or two precautions for our own safety.’

  ‘It must be really bad then.’

  ‘You can say that again without fear of exaggeration, and I’ve only scratched the surface. What I don’t know is how bad the rest of it might be, and whether I really want to know.’

  ‘That’s saying a lot from someone whose background is in journalism.’

  ‘Put it this way, we could make a fortune should we decide to publish it, providing the content didn’t get censored. Alternatively, we could make an even bigger fortune should we use what I know to blackmail the people mentioned in that first book. By the same token we could make ourselves into targets for every hit man in Europe. And that’s only from the part I’ve decoded. That’s why I’m anxious to be rid of those books as soon as possible.’

  ‘Does it provide any clue as to why Kershaw was so desperate to hide the books? Or a motive for the murders, perhaps?’

  ‘Unfortunately it gives a lot of clues as to why he secreted them, but nothing whatsoever that the police woul
d find useful. To be honest, there’s motive enough and suspects enough on virtually every page, but many of them are either dead, retired or living too far away to be involved. One thing for certain, Kershaw’s activities make the likes of James Bond seem like rank amateurs. The downside is that so far there’s no indication of the person Tom Fox referred to, and that means I shall have to read the rest of it so that I can discover if the name gets mentioned later.’

  Even as we’d been talking I came up with a plan to safeguard our future. ‘I think I’ve an idea as to how to forestall possible danger. It will mean delaying passing those books to Cooper, but I think it will be worthwhile.’

  I described my plan to Eve. Her response was immediate. ‘If things are as serious as you make out, then I definitely don’t want to know what’s in those books. If what you’ve read so far is causing you to take such drastic measures it must be really bad.’

  Next morning, Eve came up with a question that at the time seemed insignificant but which later assumed far greater importance. ‘Is there any mention of Kershaw’s attempt to get Devorah’s family out of East Germany?’

  ‘No there isn’t, and that’s another reason for me to decode the whole thing before handing it over. Not that I want to, but it would be sensible to find out what caused that attempt to fail, and to discover what happened to the money he and Devorah raised from the sale of those miniatures.’

  Later we discussed my plans in more depth. Eve was in agreement, but asked what we should do about Jäger. ‘If we take him with us he’ll probably guess what you’re up to, which wouldn’t be a good idea.’

  ‘You still don’t trust him, do you?’

  ‘Not entirely, although I don’t think he would harm us. He seems to have Chloe’s interests at heart, but aside from that I believe he has his own agenda. I’ve no idea what that might entail, but it makes me a bit apprehensive about taking him into our confidence, or letting him discover too much about what we’re doing.’

  In the end, our dilemma was solved when Chloe phoned us. The purpose of the call, she explained, was to invite Jäger to Elmfield Grange the following day. ‘One of Aunt Valerie’s sisters and her husband are coming to visit us. They work and live in Hamburg and are in England on holiday. Both of them are fluent German speakers, so the language barrier won’t be a problem. They’re staying at the Grange for a week before motoring to Scotland where his father lives. While they’re here it would be nice to use them as translators so that I can find out more of my mother’s background. I’d also like to hear about my grandparents and the other members of the family.’

  We put the idea to Jäger who seemed very pleased by the invitation. ‘I should also leave here soon anyway. I feel I have imposed on your hospitality for too long already. You have been very kind to a stranger such as me, but there has to be a limit.’

  Naturally we protested that he had been no trouble and that we were pleased to have his company. I went so far as to suggest he should return after his stay at the Grange. Later, I explained my reasoning to Eve. ‘It’s a case of “keep your friends close but your enemies even closer”. As things stand I’m not certain which of those categories Jäger falls into.’

  ‘It would be no good finding out he’s an enemy just as he’s about to cut our throats,’ Eve pointed out.

  ‘I don’t think that’s a likely scenario. If that was his intention he’s already had ample opportunity.’

  We set off for Dinsdale, dropping Herr Jäger at Elmfield Grange en route. Having visited a couple of shops in the town we drove to Thorsby where Eve had made an appointment for us with our bank manager. It was a further two hours before we started the return journey to Laithbrigg. On entering the house, my first job was to call the number on the card Cooper had left us.

  The voice answering my call could have been Cooper’s, but with only the single word, ‘Hello,’ it could have been anyone. I asked for Cooper, only to be told that they had several people called Cooper working for them, and asked which one I wanted to speak to.

  ‘I have no idea.’ My exasperation spilled over as I continued, ‘Ask around the office and see which of your Coopers has recently visited Laithbrigg.’

  ‘How do you spell that?’ The voice asked, possibly playing for time.

  ‘You don’t have to spell it,’ I replied, trying with only limited success to keep from snarling, ‘all you have to do is pronounce it. Good day.’

  ‘Hang on; you haven’t given me your phone number.’

  ‘As you’ve probably tapped this phone you shouldn’t need it. If you get stuck, ask Cooper.’

  Eve winced, possibly at my tone, or at the way I slammed the receiver down. She spent the fifteen minutes before Cooper rang back trying to pacify me. It worked.

  He apologised for his colleague, who he said was paid to keep unwanted callers at bay, before asking how he could help.

  ‘I think it’s more a question of how we can help each other. I have something I think will interest you greatly, and I’m prepared to offer you it – at a price.’

  One good thing about Cooper was that he didn’t shilly-shally. ‘Oh yes? And what might that be?’

  ‘It’s a part-exchange deal, really. I have some information you might want and I need some from you in return.’

  ‘Tell me more about what you think will interest me and then I’ll judge if the price is right.’

  I took a deep breath before continuing. Eve and I had discussed this approach to Cooper in the light of information we had culled from Chloe’s birth certificate and the marriage licence granted to her parents. They gave us the location of the wedding and the place where Devorah had given birth to her daughter. Once we had confirmation of what we already suspected we were able to take our reasoning one stage further.

  As Eve had remarked, ‘If Andrew and Devorah were married in West Germany and Chloe was born there, doesn’t it stand to reason that the attempt to ransom Devorah’s family would be channelled through there, probably via West Berlin?’

  ‘I agree, and that leads me to wonder who handled that ransom. It might be worth trying to discover that, because it might provide us with a clue as to why the attempt failed.’ From there I went on to explain what relevance knowing that might have and waited for Eve’s reaction.

  ‘You might be right, Adam. It’s not the wildest theory you’ve ever come up with. Close to it, perhaps, but not the most outrageous one.’

  With that in mind, I told Cooper, ‘I want the names of everyone working out of the British Embassy in West Germany from 1959 to 1962.’

  ‘Why do you want to know that?’

  ‘That’s my business, and it’s only the first half of what I want from you. I haven’t told you the tricky bit yet.’

  ‘Tell me what that is, and then perhaps you’ll let me know what I get in return.’

  ‘I want the names of all the covert operatives working out of Germany during the same period. By that I mean those stationed on either side of the Iron Curtain. I want their code names and their real identities.’

  ‘I couldn’t possibly. It’s highly classified.’

  ‘In that case you don’t get what I have. Others might be far more cooperative. I’m thinking of the national papers for example, both in this country and in America, Italy and West Germany where they aren’t bound by the Official Secrets Act. One whiff of what the dossier contains and I reckon they’d be fighting each other tooth and nail and throwing large wads of banknotes at me to get the documents.’

  ‘What exactly is this information? Can you at least tell me that?’

  There was nothing to be lost by letting Cooper know what we had, with certain provisos. ‘Before I tell you, let me explain the precautions I’ve taken. When I said the dossier was in my possession, that doesn’t mean I have it here in the house. It is in a safe and secret location. That way I can ensure that any attempt to steal it from us would fail.’

  ‘Very sensible,’ Cooper replied, ‘but you surely don’t think we go
in for that sort of activity.’

  My silence told him that I didn’t believe a word he’d said.

  ‘OK,’ he said after a while, ‘what is in this dossier?’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  Eve told me later that I was being sadistic. Perhaps so, but I wanted Cooper on the defensive, and thought the best way to gain the upper hand was to tell him as little as possible.

  After a short pause I continued, ‘But I do know who wrote it.’

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘It was written by Andrew Kershaw.’

  There was a long sigh. Was that satisfaction or disappointment, I wondered.

  ‘I thought you said you didn’t know what was in it. Does that mean it was in a foreign language?’

  ‘I can’t be sure, it could be I suppose. It’s in some form of code. That, together with the extreme measures Kershaw took to protect the dossier from discovery tells me that whatever it contains is top secret and highly valuable. Even though it was written more than twenty years ago, I believe the contents must still be highly sensitive.’

  ‘What makes you think that?’

  ‘The fact that I suspect that one of the people named on those lists you are going to provide me with has committed three murders and attempted one more to ensure that information doesn’t see the light of day.’

  ‘Is there nothing you can tell me about the contents?’

  I assured Cooper that there was nothing. That was a white lie. There was plenty I could have told him, but I wasn’t prepared to let him know that I had deciphered Kershaw’s reports. That might sound paranoid but, given that two people connected to Kershaw had been murdered in the past few weeks, I wasn’t going to take any chances.