Free The Khamsin Curse by Anna Lord Page A

always a handy distraction on foreign missions. He would stake
his life on the fact the two Germans would soon make their way to
Aswan. “That’s interesting information but we’ve had our eye on
Colonel Moran for some time. He hasn’t made contact with any known
foreign agents. It could be that he’s hard-up for work and took the
gun for hire job out of desperation. He could be keeping Mrs Baxter
sweet because he knows she is the one likely to recommend further
work with rich clients.”
    Dr Watson trusted Major Nash’s
judgment and instincts when it came to matters espionage so he
wasn’t going to quibble but Colonel Moran was in a class of his own
when it came to skulduggery. He resolved to keep an eye on him
nevertheless, and if that meant keeping the other eye on Mrs Baxter
then he would do that too. Not that he suspected her of anything
underhand, but he didn’t want her to get taken in by an unsavoury
character likely to use her for his own evil ends. “I will remain
vigilant where the colonel is concerned.”
    “I would expect nothing less,
Dr Watson. But be careful,” he warned. “The colonel has the honed
instinct of a true predator. You might share what you witnessed
with the Countess. By the way, do you know where she is at
present?”
    “She’s with Herr Graf and his
niece. They are touring some mosques together.”
    The major’s smooth brow formed
a series of deep furrows. “How did that outing come about? I mean
to say, connections can seem casual, almost accidental in the
espionage game, but in reality they have been carefully
orchestrated. Where did the association with Herr Graf start?”
    “He was on the Queen of Cairo
with us when we left Alexandria. And he is staying at the same
hotel. But today we bumped into him in Ali Pasha’s shop and then we
met up with him by chance again at the Citadel. Oh, I see what you
mean. Coincidence upon coincidence. His niece wasn’t on the steamer
ship. She wasn’t in the shop either. But she was already inside the
Citadel when we arrived. I think the Countess was impressed by Miss
Graf’s grasp of languages. She translated the Koranic verses for
us. She also speaks Hebrew and Greek and she can read hieroglyphs
as well.”
    Major Nash’s blond brows shot
north. “Plus German and English - a handy repertoire of languages
to have under one’s belt in the spying game. What do you know about
her?”
    “Not much. You will have to ask
the Countess. I dare say she will have Miss Graf’s life story
memorized by the time she gets back to the hotel.”
    “Provided it is not
fabricated.”
    “Mmm, it’s hard to know who to
trust in situations like this.”
    “Trust no one.”
    “Mmm, yes.” Dr Watson bit his
lip, tossing up whether to betray a friend.
    “What is it?” prompted the
major, noting some inner anguish; a sure sign morality was
wrestling with itself.
    “Well,” he lowered his tone
even more and looked about guardedly. “Let’s walk to the aft rail.
He looked around warily a second time. “At the Citadel this
afternoon I spotted Herr Graf and Colonel Hayter talking together.
The meeting appeared pre-arranged. The German gave an envelope to
the colonel and the way the colonel checked the contents it gave me
the impression it was full of money. The colonel then handed the
German a piece of paper. The German checked it and seemed pleased.
There was no exchange of words. They parted quickly. The whole
thing looked furtive. I don’t want to suggest my old army chum
could be up to anything, but, well…”
    “I understand,” assured the
major before Dr Watson said another word. “You and Colonel Hayter
go back to the Anglo-Afghan conflict. You are loath to think badly
of him. He is a war hero. But the incident you witnessed could be
vital in cracking the mystery of who is passing secrets to the
enemy. You must keep an open mind. What you just imparted sounds
grave indeed. You could be onto something. I would follow it up but
I have my own