She Died Young by Elizabeth Wilson Read Free Book Online

realise that his sour expression was habitual. ‘Well,’ said the Superintendent, ‘we’ll talk of this again later, but in the meantime, as it happens, we’ve been rather overtaken by events. Now you are off to Oxford. We need to talk about that. Hundreds of refugees are about to descend on us, McGovern, indeed have already arrived. I daresay some riff-raff is managing to get across the border as we speak. Petty criminals, some of them, all sorts of undesirables. But we can cope with that. In any case, most of the students are perfectly genuine and they’ve been more or less vetted. They were assessed by British academics in Austria, where they’d first sought asylum, as you know. Most have been found places at British or Canadian universities.’
    The Hungarian uprising, crushed by the Soviet army, had gripped the headlines for weeks, but McGovern had already discovered that Moules had a habit of rehearsing in detail information everyone already knew.
    ‘There will also be others. Subversive elements.’
    ‘Because they come from a communist country? Do we not trust any of them?’
    ‘It’s not the disillusioned ones, McGovern. But the genuine refugees make the perfect cover for the others – who aren’t disillusioned.’
    ‘Spying on their own dissidents and on us as well.’
    ‘Exactly. This is, as you must have realised, a considerable emergency. An unknown mass of arrivals from a Soviet Bloc country – we have to take it very seriously. They ’ (and by they Moules meant MI5) ‘worry that an agent could quite easily be brought in under the cover of the general refugee crisis. There are rumours – but it’s rather vague. Or perhaps they’re just keeping more definite intelligence to themselves.’
    It made sense. There was bound to be someone stirring up trouble. On the other hand his years in the Branch had convinced McGovern that the spies exaggerated everything, talking up the slightest bit of information in order to increase their importance and, perhaps more importantly, be given enhanced powers to spy on their own fellow countrymen. McGovern might have rejected his father’s radicalism, but some remnant of indignation persisted at the anti-democratic nature of the secret services.
    ‘I have been briefed, sir.’ But as Moules conceded, the information hadn’t been at all specific, little better than gossip. Then again, gossip could often be important.
    ‘There’s a detective up there will help you. I’ve got his name here.’ He lifted a piece of paper from his in-tray. ‘Venables. But they’re a bit out of their depth, I suspect.’
    McGovern had known from the moment it all started that he’d be involved. The poor bloody Hungarians. Their fate interested him far more than Moules’ doomed plan to clean up the CID. He was looking forward to his trip to Oxford.
    ‘ Have you been fully briefed?’ Now Moules spoke sharply. ‘Because there’s something else. I’m told you should contact a Professor Quinault. There are some questions about his activities.’
    McGovern’s heart sank. He hadn’t been briefed about that .
    ‘In fact it’s a rather delicate matter. He was with them during the war, you know, involved in operations in that part of the world. Hungary, that is. And they say he still has his ear to the ground. You know how it is – some of those scholars and intellectuals – they returned to academic life, their adventures in spying officially over, but still wanting to be involved – anyway, it seems as if Quinault has retained links of one kind or another.’ Moules fidgeted with the paper knife. ‘This rumour about a spy may even have emanated from him. And in fact it seems there have also been doubts … suspicions as to what he might be up to.’ He leaned forward slightly. ‘This is not my area, McGovern. You’re aware of that. But ever since the Burgess and Maclean affair … the possibility of a third man—’
    ‘They think this Professor might be the third