Free The Shadow of Treason by Edward Taylor

stretching hospitality a bit too far.’
    ‘You were right. I’ll buy some stuff for you this morning.’
    ‘Thanks. Any chance of a new shirt and underwear?’
    ‘Sorry, not today, I’ve got no clothing coupons with me. I might borrow some clean things from one of the boys at the ’Mill tomorrow. More tea?’
    ‘Thanks. You know, I think I’d like to go on sharing breakfasts with you.’
    ‘That might be fun. If you could learn to stop talking with your mouth full.’
    ‘I’ll try. But I mean it, Jane, I think we could have a future together.’
    ‘We might. If things were different. But I can’t spend my life with someone on the run.’
    Adam’s smile faded. ‘No, I suppose I couldn’t ask that. You’ve done enough for me already.’
    ‘And I’ll do a lot more. I shan’t desert you. But I’m not running away to Canada, hiding in the hold of a banana boat.’
    ‘Banana boats come the other way.’
    ‘Yes, but they have to go back, don’t they? Probably carrying exports and people fleeing the country. Is that still what you’re planning to do?’
    ‘Well, the police are after me, some people seem to want me dead, my cover’s blown – what else can I do?’
    ‘Give yourself up to the authorities.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘I can tell them you didn’t murder Maurice Cooper. I don’t care if people know we spent the night together. And now we know there are witnesses to say you didn’t kill those men on the pier. We didn’t know that last night.’
    The morning paper Jane had fetched was full of war news, of course. But the Tilfleet death, and the drama on Southend Pier, were sensational enough to rate two columns on the front page. As expected, there was a picture of Adam, who linked the twostories, and whom the police wanted to interview. But there were reports from the train driver and another passenger that the man who wielded the fire extinguisher had run away. And they’d seen another man do the killing on the walkway.
    ‘As far as I can see,’ continued Jane, ‘all you’re guilty of is turning up at the research centre pretending to be someone else. That can’t be too serious, especially if you’ve been doing a good job there.’
    ‘Well, I’ve certainly put in the hours.’
    ‘If they jail you, I’ll be waiting when you come out. Go to the police and get your life straight.’
    Adam sighed. ‘It’s not as simple as that. Once the police know we’re lovers, they may not take your word on the Cooper alibi. Also, the two thugs who collared me yesterday talked about their boss wanting me dead or alive. There’s still someone out there who wants to get me.’
    ‘But you’d be safe with the police.’
    ‘Would I? How did those two get on the pier? There’s tight security; they must have had passes. If they could reach me in a naval base, they could reach me in a police station.’
    ‘That’s a nasty thought.’
    ‘But it’s true, isn’t it? I don’t want to show my face until I know who’s trying to kill me, and why.’
    ‘I’ve just remembered. After you hit Cooper, he threatened you, didn’t he? He said he’d got some friends who’d sort you out.’
    ‘That’s right, he did. So if they thought I’d bumped him off, they might well come after me. But the thugs were talking about their boss. Would that fit in?’
    ‘Yes. Cooper could have been part of a gang. Probably black marketeers.’
    ‘Right. Jane, you may be on to something. How can I find out more?’
    ‘You can’t; you’ve got to stay out of sight. I have to go down to Tilfleet this afternoon. I’ll have a word with George Fowler. He knows a bit about the local underworld. He might tell me who’s big in the Tilfleet black market.’
    ‘Thanks.’ Adam downed his third cup of tea. ‘You’re going to Tilfleet?’
    ‘I have to. I rang Mum last night, to tell her I was staying in town for a morning rehearsal. I said I’d be with a friend. I didn’t say who or where. Mum said the police want to talk to