Cell by Colin Forbes Read Free Book Online

of jeans, a creased shirt which had seen better days. More heavily built than Nield, he was a dangerous opponent in a street brawl, his happy hunting ground the East End. He merged into that type of area well. Muggers took one look at his wide shoulders, his ham-like fists, his dark glaring eyes, and kept well away.
    'Why is everyone so early?' Tweed enquired, removing his camel-hair coat and sitting behind the antique desk bought for him by his staff. He was becoming fond of it.
    'I phoned everyone when I got home,' Marler explained. 'To tell them about Eddie. They take a grim view.'
    'If I ever meet that Afghan killer,' Harry said forcefully, 'I'll kick him between the legs, then stamp on his face so his wretched mother wouldn't recognize him. That for starters. We're going to have to play this one very rough.'
    Unlike Nield, perched on an arm of Newman's chair, Harry was sitting on the floor, stocky legs crossed. Tweed noticed he was wearing boots with metal rims. The phone rang, Monica answered, looked at Tweed.
    'There's a Peregrine Palfry on the line. Says the Minister, Victor Warner, wants to see you in his office.'
    'Tell Palfry I'm very busy - and that if the Minister wants to see me will he do me the courtesy of calling himself.'
    Monica kept repeating the same message, then broke the connection. She sighed.
    'I think he's one of those,' she remarked. 'He's up in the clouds and tried to treat me like a serf. I think I got under his skin when I kept repeating exactly the same words.'
    Paula was smiling at Tweed. 'The Minister of Security is going to love you.'
    'It's a tactic,' Tweed told her. 'If he really does have a rea son for seeing me he'll swallow his pride, call me back.'
    'You really are a devil,' she said.
    Within five minutes the phone was ringing again. Monica listened, clamped a hand over the speaker. She was grinning.
    'It's him, his lordship. He sounded very upper-crust but he was polite to me . . .'
    'Tweed here. Is there a problem?'
    'My dear Tweed, I really would appreciate it if you could pop over here. Can't explain why over the phone. I also appreciate a man in your position must be overwhelmed at times, but this is rather urgent. What time would suit you?'
    'Now? I can be there in thirty minutes.'
    'Splendid! I really would be most grateful for your co operation. I look forward very much to seeing you . . .'
    'Smooth as silk,' Tweed told them as he put on his coat. 'Paula, I'd like you to come with me. Don't expect to like him. Very upper-crust, I've heard. A cog from the old boys' network.'
    'Can't wait,' she told him.

    'Wearing that coat you look like a member of Special Branch,' Paula teased Tweed as they arrived at the tall doors closed at the entrance to the Ministry of Security. 'Nowadays a camel-hair coat is their uniform.'
    'I like the coat,' Tweed replied as he pressed the bell.
    One massive door was opened almost at once and Pere grine Palfry stood there to greet them with a smile. He shook hands with both of them as he ushered them into a vast hall.
    'It's very good of you to traipse all this way to see the Minister. Strictly between us I think he might have asked to visit you.'
    Tweed was surprised at the firmness of his hand clasp. Paula was surprised by his warm welcome. His face was pale, his hair jet black. Clean-shaven, he would be in his thirties and he struck her as athletic. Not at all what she had expected.
    Walking swiftly, he led them up a wide flight of stairs, along a hallway, and paused before a door. He pulled a face, as much as to say, 'Here we go!' He had knocked once when a voice beyond the door called out loudly.
    'Enter!'
    The office beyond was spacious and the Minister stood up from behind a long imposing antique desk. He strode round to greet them. Very tall and thin, he carried himself very erect and the thinness extended to his long face. On the bridge of a strong nose were perched a pair of gold-rimmed pince-nez, and his cold blue eyes scanned his visitors