Floodgate Part 12

'The old saying doesn't quite apply here. She always was a happy child. Only, now she has to work at it.'

Julie came in with coffee, stopped abruptly and cleared her throat. 'Isn't it a little early in the evening -' She laid the tray down. 'I hope the deafness is a temporary affliction. I said -'She stopped again, the expression on her face showing her concern, moved swiftly to where they stood, put an arm round Annemarie and gently turned her head until she could see her face. 'Tears. Full of tears.' She pulled a lace handkerchief from her sleeve cuff. 'What's this ruffian been up to?' 'This ruffian hasn't been up to anything,' van Effen said mildly. 'Annemarie knows everything, Julie. Marianne, the kids, you, me, the Annecys.'

'The Colonel, I'll be bound.'

'You'll be bound right.'

Julie said: 'I know, Annemarie. It's a shock. To come all at once, it's a shock. At least it came to me bit by bit. Come. I have the sovereign remedy. A double schnapps in your coffee.'

'You're very kind. If I could be excused -' She turned and walked quickly from the room.

'Well.' There was a demanding note in Julie's voice. 'Don't you see what you've done?'

'Me?' Van Effen was genuinely perplexed. 'What am I supposed to have done now? It was the Colonel -2

'It's not what you have done. It's what you haven't done.' She put her hands on his shoulders and her voice went soft. 'It's what you haven't seen.'

'I see. I mean, I don't see.' Van Effen was cautious. 'What haven't I seen?'

'You clown.' Julie shook her head. 'Annemarie. Her heart is in her face, in her eyes. That girl's in love with you.'

'What! You're not well, that's what it is.'

'My beloved, brilliant dolt of a brother. But don't believe me. Ask her to marry you now. A special licence - which you can obtain at the drop of a hat - and you'd be married by midnight.'

Van Effen looked slightly dazed. 'Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?' 'No, I'm not. I'm absolutely certain.'

'But she hardly knows me.'

'I'm aware of that. After all, you've only met her, what -twenty, thirty, forty times?' She shook her head. 'The feared interrogator, the writer of books on psychology, the man who can lay bare the innermost secrets of any mind with one piercing glance - well, a hundred per cent for theory, zero for practice.'

'You're a fine one to talk. Specialist in marriage counselling -or should I say match-making? Ha! Six marriage proposals for certain - could have been twenty for all I know - and you turned them all down. There indeed speaks the voice of experience.'

'Don't try to change the subject.' She smiled sweetly. 'Yes, indeed, there speaks the voice of experience. I didn't love any of them. She is deeply in love with you. I don't quite understand why.'

'I need a schnapps. 'van Effen opened a nearby cupboard. 'I've just brought you a cafe schnapps.'

'First of al I, I need a schnapps. Then I need a aft schnapps.' - 'Not a psychiatrist? Why do you think she's so upset?' 'She's soft-hearted, that's why.'

'You should make a splendid match. Soft heart. Soft head.' She took his head -between her hands and studied his eyes carefully. 'The hawk-eyed detective lieutenant. What you need is a pair of gla.s.ses. And you've missed your cue, haven't you? Half a dozen times, at least.' 'What cue?'

'Oh dear. That wary hunted look makes you more criminal than cop. What cue? "I wouldn't marry her if she were the last girl in the world" should have been your answer to the cue. Standard reaction, I believe.' She smiled again. 'But of course, you're not standard.'

'Oh, shut up.'

'A well reasoned answer.' She sat and took up her coffee. 'Mental myopia. I believe it's incurable.'

'Oh, I don't know. I'm sure you'll find the answer.' Van Effen was his old self, calm, a.s.sured, relaxed and very much back on balance. 'I don't particularly care for cool, clinical, slightly superior, slightly amused doctors, but I have to admit you've effectively worked a cure in my case. You've cured me of any interest I might ever have had in that young lady. Or maybe that was what you wanted. I don't know.' She was looking at him with parted lips and uncomprehending eyes. 'I don't need -I don't want, I should say - help, advice or sympathy from you, and not just because they're uncalled-for, unhelpful, unwanted or unsolicited but because I'm perfectly capable of managing my own life without the a.s.sistance of a meddlesome young sister. I'll go check if the guard is here.' He went out leaving Julie to stare numbly at the door he'd closed behind him, disconsolate and disbelieving, and she was still in the sam e position, still gazing sightlessly at the door, the same expression of hurt and bafflement on her face when Annemarie came into the room. Annemarie stopped, looked in puzzlement at the unhappy face, hurried across the room to Julie's chair, dropped to her knees and said: 'What's wrong, Julie? What's wrong?'

Julie looked away from the door and slowly turned her head. 'Nothing. Nothing's wrong.'

'Nothing's wrong? Oh. G.o.d! Nothing. First me, then you. Tears. And you look - you look so woebegone.' Annemarie hugged her. 'Nothing wrong! Julie! Don't treat me like an idiot.'

'I'm the idiot. I've just made a mistake.'

'You? I don't believe it. Mistake. What mistake;o'

'The mistake of forgetting that Peter is not only my brother, he's a policeman and heir apparent to the Colonel. You didn't know that, did you?' Julie sniffled. 'Common knowledge. De Graaf is due to retire this year but he's in no hurry to retire as long as Peter is already doing most of his job for him.'

'Never mind the Colonel. Where's that ruffian?'

Julie tried to smile. 'Second time tonight he's been called a ruffian by two different girls. I'll bet it's never happened before. He's left.' 'Gone? Gone for the night?'

'No. Just to check on the guard.' Julie smiled again, a more successful effort this time. 'He may be gifted at reducing people to team but I'm sure he cares for us.'

'He's got a funny way of showing it. What did he do to you, Julie? What did he say?'

'Do? Nothing, of course. Say? I stepped out of line, I guess, and he brought me back into line. That's all.'

'You expect me to be satisfied with that?'

'No, I don't, my dear. But can we leave it just for the moment? Please?' They had finished their coffee by the time van Effen had returned. He appeared to find nothing amiss or, if he did, chose not to comment on it. 'Guard's here,'he said. 'Armed to the teeth. And I have to go now.' 'But your coffee

'Another time. I am, as they say, summoned forth. Julie, there's something you must do for me. Could you

'Must?' She smiled. 'An order or request.'

'What does that matter.' Rarely for him, van Effen was irritated. 'Do what I ask - please, note the please - or I'll take Annemarie away with me.'

'My word! Such threats. And if she chooses to remain here or I ask her to stay?'

'Rotterdam. Tomorrow morning. Ex-policewoman. You don't disobey orders in the police and remain on the force. Sorry, Annemarie, that was not directed at you. Julie's not being very bright tonight. Don't look shocked, little sister, if you can't see I'm serious then you've become uncommonly stupid. Develop diplomatic flu for the next day or two. Anne- marie is in as much danger as you are and I want the two of you here together. Annemarie, nine-fifteen.'

He went to the door and opened it, looked at the two solemn faces and shook his head.

'Exit the gallant Lieutenant into the dark and dreadful night.'

He closed the door quietly behind him.

Four.

The tall, thin young man in the dark and dripping raincoat would rarely have called for more than a pa.s.sing glance or a comment on the fact that he did look rather unprepossessing, an impression increased by the black hair plastered to his head by the heavy rain and that he sported an ill-trimmed black moustache. The moustache, in fact, had not been trimmed at all: he had been in an unusual hurry that morning and had pasted it on ever so slightly askew.

He was standing almost in the middle of the square when he saw her, angling across and coining almost directly towards him. Annemarie, her war paint back in position again, looked as miserable and bedraggled as the young man, who now stepped out into her path.

'Annemarie, is it?'