Hide and Seek...
Fortunately for Actor the weather was fine, and moonlight added to the faint light from the shielded headlights. He was making good time, enjoying the way the powerful car responded. Suddenly a niggling thought wormed his way into his brain. Something about the telephone call. What was it? Subconsciously, the car slowed until it was barely crawling forward.
Then he had it. How had Garrison known where he was? In view of everything Siobhan had said on returning to his apartment, it was highly unlikely Allied intelligence would have known his whereabouts. Plus, the Lieutenant had called him Actor, even though he'd answered the phone as Ashcroft. It wasn't something the Warden would have done. There was a message behind the words, there had to be. Actor increased the pressure on the accelerator. There was a town not too far ahead. A town with a pay phone.
At this time of night there was no queue outside the red box as he delved into his pockets for change. They were empty. Muttering curses, he dialled the operator and asked to place a reverse charge call to his London apartment, praying that Siobhan would accept the call.
In the capital, the Irish woman was sleeping fitfully when the sound of the telephone bell brought her to full consciousness. She briefly considered not answering. It was too soon for Actor to have reached the Mansion. There was no reason for Garrison to be phoning again so soon.
Slipping her feet into the fluffy slippers and draping the dressing gown over her shoulders, Siobhan made her way to the phone.
The 'posh' tones of an operator asking if she would accept a reverse charge call from a Mr Ashcroft had the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Something was wrong. It was unlikely that the car had broken down or been crashed – not if he was calling from a public call box. It would have been too much of a coincidence for either event to have happened so adjacent to a red box.
"Yes, I'll take the call." There was a moment's pause then she heard the operator say, "You're through Mr Ashcroft." The woman would be listening in to the call, but that couldn't be helped.
"Sprite here. Are you in trouble?"
"In a manner of speaking or, I think, our mutual friend is. Do you know how to get hold of the Major?"
