“Still, the problem’s been sorted out now,” continued the colonel. “The French police have been most cooperative and have agreed to let you accompany me to our embassy.”
Adam looked at the colonel’s tie. “Duke of York’s?”
“What? Certainly not,” said Pollard, his hand fingering his shirt front. “Green Jackets.”
“Yes, of course,” said Adam, pleased to have his mistake picked up.
“Now I think we ought to be cutting along, old fellow. I know you’ll be relieved to hear that they won’t be laying any charges.”
The colonel didn’t know just how relieved Adam did feel.
The inspector led them both back out into the hall where Adam had only to identify and sign for his personal belongings. He put them all in his pocket, except for the watch, which he slipped over his wrist, and his shoelaces, which he quickly inserted and tied. He wasn’t surprised they didn’t return Dudley Hulme’s passport.
“Don’t let’s hang around too long, old fellow,” said the colonel, beginning to sound a little anxious.
“I won’t be a moment,” said Adam. “I’m just as keen to get out of this place as you are.” He checked his laces before following Colonel Pollard and the inspector out to the waiting Jaguar. He noticed for the first time that the colonel had a slight limp. A chauffeur held the door open for him; Adam laughed.
“Something funny, old fellow?” asked the colonel.
“No. It’s just that the last chauffeur who offered to do that for me didn’t look quite as friendly.”
Adam climbed into the back of the Jaguar, and the colonel slipped in beside him.
“Back to the embassy,” said Pollard, and the car moved off briskly.
Adam stared in horror at the flapping Union Jack.
CHAPTER TWENTY
WHEN ADAM AWOKE he was naked.
He tried to look around the room, but he was unable to see what was behind him; his arms, legs, and body were bound tightly by a nylon cord to a chair that had been placed in the middle of the room and that made him all but immobile.
When he looked up from the chair all he could see was Colonel Pollard standing over him. The moment the colonel was satisfied that Adam had regained consciousness he quickly left the room.
Adam turned his head to see all his clothes laid out neatly on a bed at the far side of the cell. He tried to maneuver the chair, but he could barely manage to make it wobble from side to side and after several minutes had advanced only a few inches toward the door. He switched his energies to loosening the cords around his wrists, rubbing them up and down against the wood of the slats, but his arms were bound so tightly that he could only manage the slightest friction.
After struggling ineffectively for several minutes he was interrupted by the sound of the door swinging open. Adam looked up as Romanov strode through. He decided he was no less terrifying at close quarters. He was followed by another man, whom Adam didn’t recognize. The second man was clutching what looked like a cigar box as he took his place somewhere behind Adam. Pollard followed him, carrying a large plastic sheet.
Romanov looked at Adam’s naked body and smiled; enjoying his humiliation, he came to a halt directly in front of the chair.
“My name is Alexander Petrovich Romanov,” he announced with only a slight accent.
“Or Emmanuel Rosenbaum,” said Adam, staring at his adversary closely.
“I am only sorry that we are unable to shake hands,” he added, as he began circling the chair. “But I felt in the circumstances certain precautions were necessary. First I should like to congratulate you on having eluded me for so long, but as you will now realize my source in London can place a call every bit as quickly as yours.”
“Your source?” said Adam.
“Don’t be naive, Captain. You must be painfully aware by now that you’re in no position to be asking questions, only answering them.”
Adam fixed his gaze on a brick in the wall in front of him, making no attempt to follow Romanov’s circumnavigations.
“Pollard,” said Romanov sharply, “put Captain Scott back in the center of the room. He seems to have managed to move at least a foot in his getaway attempt.”
Pollard did as he was bid, first spreading the plastic sheet on the floor, then maneuvering Adam till the chair was on the center of the sheet.
“Thank you,” said Romanov. “I think you have already met our Colonel Pollard,” he continued. “That’s not his real name, of c