‘Then came the operation. Our Head of Operations is quite a character. I’d say she’s killed more people than anyone in the world – or arranged for them to be killed. Yes, it’s a woman. Name of Klebb – Rosa Klebb. Real swine of a woman. But she certainly knows all the tricks.’
Rosa Klebb. So at the top of SMERSH there was a woman! If he could somehow survive this and get after her! The fingers of Bond’s right hand curled softly.
The flat voice in the corner went on: ‘Well, she found this Romanova girl. Trained her for the job. By the way, how was she in bed? Pretty good?’
No! Bond didn’t believe it. That first night must have been staged. But afterwards? No. Afterwards had been real. He took the opportunity to shrug his shoulders. It was an exaggerated shrug. To get the man accustomed to movement.
‘Oh, well. Not interested in that sort of thing myself. But they got some nice pictures of you two.’ Nash tapped his coat pocket. ‘Whole reel of 16 millimetre. That’s going into her handbag. It’ll look fine in the papers.’ Nash laughed – a harsh, metallic laugh. ‘They’ll have to cut some of the juiciest bits, of course.’
The change of rooms at the hotel. The honeymoon suite. The big mirror behind the bed. How well it all fitted! Bond felt his hands wet with perspiration. He wiped them down his trousers.
‘Steady, old man. You nearly got it then. I told you not to move, remember?’
Bond put his hands back on the book in his lap. How much could he develop these small movements? How far could he go? ‘Get on with the story,’ he said. ‘Did the girl know these pictures were being taken? Did she know SMERSH was involved in all this?’
Nash snorted. ‘Of course she didn’t know about the pictures. Rosa didn’t trust her a yard. Too emotional. But I don’t know much about that side. We all worked in compartments. I’d never seen her until today. I only know what I picked up. Yes, of course the girl knew she was working for SMERSH. She was told she had to get to London and do a bit of spying there.’
The silly idiot, thought Bond. Why the hell hadn’t she told him that SMERSH was involved? She must have been frightened even to speak the name. Thought he would have her locked up or something. She had always said she would tell him everything when she got to England. That he must have faith and not be afraid. Faith! When she hadn’t the foggiest idea herself what was going on. Oh, well. Poor child. She had been as fooled as he had been. But any hint would have been enough – would have saved the life of Kerim, for instance. And what about hers and his own?
‘Then this Turk of yours had to be got rid of. I gather that took a bit of doing. Tough nut. I suppose it was his gang that blew up our Centre in Istanbul yesterday afternoon. That’s going to create a bit of a panic.’
‘Too bad.’
