the end of his tether. This could not go on.
“I’m not supposed to tell you this, Anna, but David’s career is in the balance. His superiors are very angry with him.” He was speaking quickly now, and his voice had risen in pitch. “They blame him for forgetting the combination. We both know that they are wrong, and that David is right. So you can save him. But between us we must somehow find a way to open that safe.”
“Yes.”
Her voice was low, although this time it sounded firmer. Gerhard, hearing a note of acquiescence there, wiped his forehead. He needed a few moments to adjust. Barzel would let him keep this house. His sister, Ilsa, still had a future. He no longer would become that pitiful shark.
While he waited for the memories to surface from Anna’s subconscious, he opened a notepad and drew squares representing a keyboard, ready to record the safe’s combination.
CHAPTER
6
As Anna opened the front door the phone began to ring and she rushed to answer it. “Yes?”
“Darling? Is that you?”
“David! Oh, I—”
“Where’ve you been?”
“Out. Why, what’s the—”
“I’ve been ringing you all day. The marina people told me you didn’t phone them, you forgot to put the answering machine on, I’ve been worried sick. Darling, what is it?”
Anna leaned against the wall, trying to clear her aching head.
“… Only you told me you’d be working at home this weekend.”
“Okay,” she said. “Keep calm.”
“I am calm.”
“I’ve got a headache.”
“I’m sorry. A bad one?”
“Dreadful.”
“Poor darling. Try not to drink too much this evening, then.”
“Why not?” she flared. “It is Saturday, you know. Are you going to tell me you don’t drink, you and the rest of them down at bloody Midhurst?”
“Anna! Please don’t
ever
say things like that. This isn’t a secure line.”
“Sorry, love. Wasn’t thinking. No, I forgot the marina.”
Damn, damn, damn!
“Sorry. Is there anything else I’ve done wrong?”
“Hey, listen, it’s me? Remember me—David, your husband, the one who loves you most? What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. I think I need a break.” She paused. “I might go to Paris on Monday.” When David did not respond at once she hurried on, “What’s going on with you, come to that?”
“I don’t—”
“You sound as if forgetting one phone call’s the end of the world. Well, I’ve got problems here, too. I lost a case on Friday. Juliet’s being a total little bitch.” The tears were flowing freely now. “You’re drifting away from me, you pick on my failings….”
“Sweetheart, that’s just not true.”
“Well, why did you phone me just now, then? It was because I forgot to phone the marina, wasn’t it? You wanted to carp—”
“Listen, Anna, I’ve had a lousy day. I—”
“I, I,
I!
David, I’m telling you, there are two Is in this house! I’m miserable. And I can’t, make you care.” Was that her talking? What was going wrong? She didn’t mean to come down on him like this, she
loved
him … but before she could think of the right words toretrieve the disaster opening up in front of her, David had rushed into the breach:
“You’re
miserable! Successful banister, good-looking, rich, a husband who loves you … what else do you want?”
“Time!
Time to be with you now and then, like in the old days.” Anna’s warmth for him had somehow become a flood of resentment.
“Next weekend. I promise. Assuming you’re back from … Paris, or wherever it was you—”
“You promised this weekend.”
“Anna … Anna, please, just try and pull yourself together, will you? And when I ask you to do something, would—”
Anna found herself slamming down the phone. It fell to the floor. She stepped over it on her way to the kitchen, where she made herself an almost fatally anemic Bloody Mary. Part of her knew that it would make her feel worse, but another part craved the kick. She’d have just one
“I’m not supposed to tell you this, Anna, but David’s career is in the balance. His superiors are very angry with him.” He was speaking quickly now, and his voice had risen in pitch. “They blame him for forgetting the combination. We both know that they are wrong, and that David is right. So you can save him. But between us we must somehow find a way to open that safe.”
“Yes.”
Her voice was low, although this time it sounded firmer. Gerhard, hearing a note of acquiescence there, wiped his forehead. He needed a few moments to adjust. Barzel would let him keep this house. His sister, Ilsa, still had a future. He no longer would become that pitiful shark.
While he waited for the memories to surface from Anna’s subconscious, he opened a notepad and drew squares representing a keyboard, ready to record the safe’s combination.
CHAPTER
6
As Anna opened the front door the phone began to ring and she rushed to answer it. “Yes?”
“Darling? Is that you?”
“David! Oh, I—”
“Where’ve you been?”
“Out. Why, what’s the—”
“I’ve been ringing you all day. The marina people told me you didn’t phone them, you forgot to put the answering machine on, I’ve been worried sick. Darling, what is it?”
Anna leaned against the wall, trying to clear her aching head.
“… Only you told me you’d be working at home this weekend.”
“Okay,” she said. “Keep calm.”
“I am calm.”
“I’ve got a headache.”
“I’m sorry. A bad one?”
“Dreadful.”
“Poor darling. Try not to drink too much this evening, then.”
“Why not?” she flared. “It is Saturday, you know. Are you going to tell me you don’t drink, you and the rest of them down at bloody Midhurst?”
“Anna! Please don’t
ever
say things like that. This isn’t a secure line.”
“Sorry, love. Wasn’t thinking. No, I forgot the marina.”
Damn, damn, damn!
“Sorry. Is there anything else I’ve done wrong?”
“Hey, listen, it’s me? Remember me—David, your husband, the one who loves you most? What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. I think I need a break.” She paused. “I might go to Paris on Monday.” When David did not respond at once she hurried on, “What’s going on with you, come to that?”
“I don’t—”
“You sound as if forgetting one phone call’s the end of the world. Well, I’ve got problems here, too. I lost a case on Friday. Juliet’s being a total little bitch.” The tears were flowing freely now. “You’re drifting away from me, you pick on my failings….”
“Sweetheart, that’s just not true.”
“Well, why did you phone me just now, then? It was because I forgot to phone the marina, wasn’t it? You wanted to carp—”
“Listen, Anna, I’ve had a lousy day. I—”
“I, I,
I!
David, I’m telling you, there are two Is in this house! I’m miserable. And I can’t, make you care.” Was that her talking? What was going wrong? She didn’t mean to come down on him like this, she
loved
him … but before she could think of the right words toretrieve the disaster opening up in front of her, David had rushed into the breach:
“You’re
miserable! Successful banister, good-looking, rich, a husband who loves you … what else do you want?”
“Time!
Time to be with you now and then, like in the old days.” Anna’s warmth for him had somehow become a flood of resentment.
“Next weekend. I promise. Assuming you’re back from … Paris, or wherever it was you—”
“You promised this weekend.”
“Anna … Anna, please, just try and pull yourself together, will you? And when I ask you to do something, would—”
Anna found herself slamming down the phone. It fell to the floor. She stepped over it on her way to the kitchen, where she made herself an almost fatally anemic Bloody Mary. Part of her knew that it would make her feel worse, but another part craved the kick. She’d have just one
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