as sandpaper as she tried to find saliva and swallow. âWho else?â she said, her voice a croaky whisper.
âThe Austrian secret service.â
â
Austrian
?â Elspeth shook her head in confusion. âWhat?â¦Whyâ¦?â
âAnya hasnât said why. But I think itâs something to do with a relative who fell into trouble with the police over thereââ
âBut Anyaâs not Austrianâ¦is she?â Elspeth interrupted. âI thought she was originally from Poland or somewhere else in Eastern Europe. Is that not the case?â
Vera stepped forward and placed her hands on Elspethâs shoulders again. âLook, Ellie,â she said reassuringly. âIt really doesnât matter where Anyaâs from. All that matters is that Iâm certain weâre not being followed.â She looked across at Sylvia for support.
âVeraâs absolutely right,â Sylvia said. âI havenât seen a thing.â
âSo youâre both certain weâre not being followed,â Elspeth said. âBy Special Branch, or Austrian secret police, or anybody else for that matter.â
Both nodded their heads.
âBut you say that Anya thinks we are. So what exactly are you implying, Vera? That sheâs imagining it? That sheâs delusional?â
Vera sighed. âI think so. The trouble is, Anyaâs always been a little paranoid, Ellie. Which I think comes from her being an émigré, you know, seeking asylumââ
âAnd from which country,â Elspeth interrupted, âis Anya seeking asylum from?â
Vera shrugged. âI donât know. Sheâs always been vague about that. One of the Slavic states within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, I think.â
âBut you donât know which one?â
Vera shook her head. âIâve asked her, of course, but she says sheâd rather not say; that the less people know about her, the better.â
âSo what
do
you know about her?â Elspeth said, unable to hide the irritation in her voice.
Vera stiffened. âWell I only met her last year, when she joined the WSPU. Where she came from didnât seem to matter then. What was important was her commitment to the suffrage cause and of that thereâs no doubt. She knows lots of useful things, Ellie, like how to make a pipe bombââ
âAnd where is she now?â
Vera looked awkward. âWhen we arrived at Paddington half an hour ago, she told me sheâd stay behind to watch if anybody might be following us. I imagine sheâs down on the street, watching the door as we speak.â
Elspeth strode to the window and strained to see as far up and down the street as she could and then pulled her head back into the room. âWell, I canât see her,â she said irritably. Is there anything else about Anya you havenât told me?â
âIâve not been keeping anything back, Ellie,â Vera protested. âI just didnât think it was important to tell you every last detail about herââ
âNow look here, Vera,â Elspeth interrupted. âSylvie and I planted a bomb. Innocent people could have been injured or worse. This is important. I need to know exactly who the members of our squad really are.â
Vera sighed. âLook, I know that Anya entered Britain two years ago on asylum and for a while lived in a flat with a group of WSPU supporters, one of whom was called Grace. Anya and Grace developed a close friendship and become involved with the arson campaign â breaking shop windows, pouring petrol through letter boxes â that sort of thing. Then a year ago they were caught smashing the windows of a jewellers in Mayfair and were being held by the owner and his staff until the police arrived. Grace knew that if Anya was arrested she would be deported. So she threw herself at the owner to create a distraction that allowed Anya to escape