girl rested against the wall, her arms folded.
‘Figured you’d tell me.’ He turned to face her and she saw a weariness around his eyes that had nothing to do with physical fatigue.
‘Have you come up with anything yet?’
He shook his head. ‘You give me some information first.’
‘Okay, here it is. For some time now, my department has been working closely with the Military Police at the NATO base at Bentwaters. You probably realize by now that it’s one of the
biggest combined defence installations we have in this country.’
‘Yeah, I’ve seen enough A-l0s flying over to start World War Three.’
‘Not quite, but it has a high strike potential.’
‘You said it was for defence.’
‘Same thing.’
‘Of course.’
‘There’s always a slight drugs problem on any American base, no matter where it is. It goes on, and those caught get discreet but rapid court-martials; of course, there’s no
way it can be controlled completely. Soft drugs have been a source of irritation to the US military since Vietnam. An irritation, but never a threat. Until now, that is.’
Kelso poured boiling water into the mugs, his interest aroused. ‘You’re telling me there’s junkies flying those planes up there?’
She smiled, and this time the smile softened her face. It was an improvement.
‘No, it could never get that serious. But the airmen are becoming . . . well, over-supplied, if you like. We think most of it is coming in through Harwich and passed on to the local towns
where the airmen spend much of their spare time.’
‘Shouldn’t the local Drugs Squad be involved in this?’
‘We keep them informed, but you know yourself how stretched they are. The trouble is, they very often don’t bother to inform us of their own operations. We only found out about you
by chance.’
Kelso placed the two coffees on the small dining-table and nodded towards the bench seat behind it. The girl slid into the seat and rested her elbows on the table’s surface while he tossed
his coat through the doorway onto the bed she had just left. He sat on a stool opposite her.
‘You’re not saying there’s a connection between your investigations and mine?’
‘There may be.’
‘But you said the problem with the airmen was soft drugs.’
‘Mostly Class B drugs, yes. Amphetamines and various combinations with barbiturates are included in that category.’
‘My case is acid poisoning. A normal family, father, mother and child, all hallucinating from the effects of LSD.’
‘Yes, I’ve been told. I’ll be working with you from now on.’
‘You’re kidding.’
She shook her head. ‘There’s also a letter in my bag signed by Detective Chief Superintendent Stone of the CDIU instructing you to co-operate fully with me. Do you want to check
it?’
He left her at the table and walked back into the bedroom area. She sipped her coffee and grimaced at the taste. Kelso returned, a frown of concentration on his face as he studied the letter in
his hand.
‘Your coffee’s terrible,’ she commented.
‘My budget doesn’t allow for the real thing,’ he said distractedly, spreading the letter before him on the table. ‘I’ll have to verify this by phone.’
‘Of course. I’ll get some better coffee tomorrow – our expense allowance is a hell of a lot better than yours.’
He looked up at her in surprise. What are you talking about?’
‘I’m staying.’
‘Here?’
‘Here.’
‘You’re crazy.’
‘My God, I never thought you’d be a prude.’
‘That’s got nothing to do with it! I work best alone, that’s all.’
She saw something more than just anger in his eyes. Was it apprehension? No, more. There was fear in them.
‘Look, it’s the perfect cover, don’t you see? I’m your girlfriend. I’ve come down to be with you while you’re working on your conservation project.’
‘It’s impossible.’
She leaned across the table, glaring at him. ‘Why? Because I’m a woman? You
‘Figured you’d tell me.’ He turned to face her and she saw a weariness around his eyes that had nothing to do with physical fatigue.
‘Have you come up with anything yet?’
He shook his head. ‘You give me some information first.’
‘Okay, here it is. For some time now, my department has been working closely with the Military Police at the NATO base at Bentwaters. You probably realize by now that it’s one of the
biggest combined defence installations we have in this country.’
‘Yeah, I’ve seen enough A-l0s flying over to start World War Three.’
‘Not quite, but it has a high strike potential.’
‘You said it was for defence.’
‘Same thing.’
‘Of course.’
‘There’s always a slight drugs problem on any American base, no matter where it is. It goes on, and those caught get discreet but rapid court-martials; of course, there’s no
way it can be controlled completely. Soft drugs have been a source of irritation to the US military since Vietnam. An irritation, but never a threat. Until now, that is.’
Kelso poured boiling water into the mugs, his interest aroused. ‘You’re telling me there’s junkies flying those planes up there?’
She smiled, and this time the smile softened her face. It was an improvement.
‘No, it could never get that serious. But the airmen are becoming . . . well, over-supplied, if you like. We think most of it is coming in through Harwich and passed on to the local towns
where the airmen spend much of their spare time.’
‘Shouldn’t the local Drugs Squad be involved in this?’
‘We keep them informed, but you know yourself how stretched they are. The trouble is, they very often don’t bother to inform us of their own operations. We only found out about you
by chance.’
Kelso placed the two coffees on the small dining-table and nodded towards the bench seat behind it. The girl slid into the seat and rested her elbows on the table’s surface while he tossed
his coat through the doorway onto the bed she had just left. He sat on a stool opposite her.
‘You’re not saying there’s a connection between your investigations and mine?’
‘There may be.’
‘But you said the problem with the airmen was soft drugs.’
‘Mostly Class B drugs, yes. Amphetamines and various combinations with barbiturates are included in that category.’
‘My case is acid poisoning. A normal family, father, mother and child, all hallucinating from the effects of LSD.’
‘Yes, I’ve been told. I’ll be working with you from now on.’
‘You’re kidding.’
She shook her head. ‘There’s also a letter in my bag signed by Detective Chief Superintendent Stone of the CDIU instructing you to co-operate fully with me. Do you want to check
it?’
He left her at the table and walked back into the bedroom area. She sipped her coffee and grimaced at the taste. Kelso returned, a frown of concentration on his face as he studied the letter in
his hand.
‘Your coffee’s terrible,’ she commented.
‘My budget doesn’t allow for the real thing,’ he said distractedly, spreading the letter before him on the table. ‘I’ll have to verify this by phone.’
‘Of course. I’ll get some better coffee tomorrow – our expense allowance is a hell of a lot better than yours.’
He looked up at her in surprise. What are you talking about?’
‘I’m staying.’
‘Here?’
‘Here.’
‘You’re crazy.’
‘My God, I never thought you’d be a prude.’
‘That’s got nothing to do with it! I work best alone, that’s all.’
She saw something more than just anger in his eyes. Was it apprehension? No, more. There was fear in them.
‘Look, it’s the perfect cover, don’t you see? I’m your girlfriend. I’ve come down to be with you while you’re working on your conservation project.’
‘It’s impossible.’
She leaned across the table, glaring at him. ‘Why? Because I’m a woman? You
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