'Oh, for Christ's sake shut up.'

I hated panic, and a police escort meant someone in London was panicking.

It was ten minutes before we got the kite up the steps in the cliff. The two cops helped us stow it on the rack of Norton's MG, asking a lot of silly questions, what did it feel like, wasn't it dangerous, so forth. They followed us to the hotel and I used the telephone and talked to three people, one of them Tilson; then I put the phone down and came back to the lobby and told Norton:

'You weren't joking.'

He puffed out his cheeks. 'Are you taking your car?'

'Yes. I'll need it to come back in, tomorrow.'

He didn't make any comment. The two cops were looking at us from the entrance doors and one of them called out:

'We were told to get a move on. It's up to you.'

I went over to the desk to pay my bill.

'Give me a lift?' Norton asked me.

'Where to?' I was thinking of Helena.

'London.'

I turned and looked at him. 'Do they want you too?'

'They might.'

I suppose he could have gone over to the telephone booth by the doors while I was calling London: the first line I'd tried had been engaged. Maybe they'd told him to make sure I got there.

'Look,' I told the cashier, 'there's a Helena Swinburn meeting me here in an hour from now. Give her this message and get the florist to bring round some gardenias, if not, orchids, if not, carnations, all right? Add twenty-five to the card to cover it. And I'm leaving my bags in the room.'

He was making notes. 'You'll be keeping the room, then, sir?'

'Yes. I'll be back tomorrow some time.'

I could hear Norton whistling under his breath. He'd caught some of the panic from London when he'd phoned, typical admin reaction. I went over to the cops. 'What's the form?'

'You follow us. If you can't keep up, just give a toot.'