herself free. “I have no time. I am sorry, I have no time,” she said in a mixture of anger and alarm.
“I am sorry too,” the man said politely, but with equal conviction. “I’m afraid you must come.” He gave a nod to the girl who hurried promptly, eagerly, over to the window. She waved. Sheila remembered the waiting car.
“What is this, anyway?” Sheila said angrily in English. She struck herself sharply free. She was hot with temper. She ran to the door. It was already opened. Two men, as neatly dressed as the man who had gripped her arm, stood there quite placid and immovable. They were broad enough to fill the doorway. Sheila halted, let her anger cool. She had to: she needed to think very clearly.
“You must come with us,” the young man was saying. He was angry. He was rubbing his arm where she had hit him, andhis eyes had narrowed and didn’t look at all so pleasant now.
“Why?” Sheila’s voice was cold and hard She returned his angry stare with equal vehemence.
“Security police. You may as well resign yourself. There is no choice for you but to come with us. And please don’t make any scenes. There is no need...a matter of routine.” He looked sharply at Sheila. “Do you understand what I say?”
“I don’t understand anything.” But the word “police” had reassured her. She walked outside, shrugging off the young man’s arm. The girl at the table stared after her as if Sheila were a leper. Sheila found herself firmly wedged between two large men in the car which had been standing at the entrance to Mr. Hofmeyer’s place of business. She was quite convinced by this time that she wasn’t going to see Mr. Hofmeyer’s house either.
5
INTERROGATION
The journey was as unpleasant as she expected. It was a hot afternoon. The men on either side of her filled most of the car’s seat. And whenever she tried to see a landmark to help her guess where she was being taken, the young man who sat opposite her would watch her keenly. When she relaxed, he watched her speculatively. He had relieved her of her handbag unexpectedly and very neatly, as she had left Mr. Hofmeyer’s office. He now held it determinedly if incongruously under his arm. It was a relief when the car’s speed slackened, and it stopped before a large square building of modern structure. She couldn’t recognise the street when they ushered her firmly across the pavement into the large doorway, and her heart sank still further. She tried to believe that foreigners straying about the city had to be counted like so many sheep. Probably the Security Police wanted to send her home to England. Probably. But her heart kept on sinking.
The two bodyguards, their mission accomplished, had gone. She was left alone on a stone bench with the first young man. She found it difficult to restrain herself from fidgeting as she felt his eyes watching her closely. As they waited, their backs against an impressively panelled wall, their feet on the highly polished floor of intricate design, neither spoke.
Hurrying men, worried men, men carrying papers which they still studied, men walking urgently from one doorway in the long hall to another, men and only men passed by. Most looked at her with a quick impersonal glance. Some nodded to the silent man beside her, and gave her a second look. There were other benches in the hall. Four other people sat there, as silently as she did, each with a neatly dressed, watchful man beside him. One of these people was a woman: a middle-aged, defiant-looking creature with a face carefully camouflaged to conceal the wrinkles, with expensive clothes cut to flatter the contours. Of the others, one seemed a prosperous business-man, one was a hotel porter, one was a workman with an excessively honest face. The three men shared the woman’s defiance. Sheila wondered if they were here for the same mysterious reason which had brought her to this place. She watched their faces, and she felt still more worried.
“I am sorry too,” the man said politely, but with equal conviction. “I’m afraid you must come.” He gave a nod to the girl who hurried promptly, eagerly, over to the window. She waved. Sheila remembered the waiting car.
“What is this, anyway?” Sheila said angrily in English. She struck herself sharply free. She was hot with temper. She ran to the door. It was already opened. Two men, as neatly dressed as the man who had gripped her arm, stood there quite placid and immovable. They were broad enough to fill the doorway. Sheila halted, let her anger cool. She had to: she needed to think very clearly.
“You must come with us,” the young man was saying. He was angry. He was rubbing his arm where she had hit him, andhis eyes had narrowed and didn’t look at all so pleasant now.
“Why?” Sheila’s voice was cold and hard She returned his angry stare with equal vehemence.
“Security police. You may as well resign yourself. There is no choice for you but to come with us. And please don’t make any scenes. There is no need...a matter of routine.” He looked sharply at Sheila. “Do you understand what I say?”
“I don’t understand anything.” But the word “police” had reassured her. She walked outside, shrugging off the young man’s arm. The girl at the table stared after her as if Sheila were a leper. Sheila found herself firmly wedged between two large men in the car which had been standing at the entrance to Mr. Hofmeyer’s place of business. She was quite convinced by this time that she wasn’t going to see Mr. Hofmeyer’s house either.
5
INTERROGATION
The journey was as unpleasant as she expected. It was a hot afternoon. The men on either side of her filled most of the car’s seat. And whenever she tried to see a landmark to help her guess where she was being taken, the young man who sat opposite her would watch her keenly. When she relaxed, he watched her speculatively. He had relieved her of her handbag unexpectedly and very neatly, as she had left Mr. Hofmeyer’s office. He now held it determinedly if incongruously under his arm. It was a relief when the car’s speed slackened, and it stopped before a large square building of modern structure. She couldn’t recognise the street when they ushered her firmly across the pavement into the large doorway, and her heart sank still further. She tried to believe that foreigners straying about the city had to be counted like so many sheep. Probably the Security Police wanted to send her home to England. Probably. But her heart kept on sinking.
The two bodyguards, their mission accomplished, had gone. She was left alone on a stone bench with the first young man. She found it difficult to restrain herself from fidgeting as she felt his eyes watching her closely. As they waited, their backs against an impressively panelled wall, their feet on the highly polished floor of intricate design, neither spoke.
Hurrying men, worried men, men carrying papers which they still studied, men walking urgently from one doorway in the long hall to another, men and only men passed by. Most looked at her with a quick impersonal glance. Some nodded to the silent man beside her, and gave her a second look. There were other benches in the hall. Four other people sat there, as silently as she did, each with a neatly dressed, watchful man beside him. One of these people was a woman: a middle-aged, defiant-looking creature with a face carefully camouflaged to conceal the wrinkles, with expensive clothes cut to flatter the contours. Of the others, one seemed a prosperous business-man, one was a hotel porter, one was a workman with an excessively honest face. The three men shared the woman’s defiance. Sheila wondered if they were here for the same mysterious reason which had brought her to this place. She watched their faces, and she felt still more worried.
Similar Books
