He stopped close to the police station and sheltered briefly in a doorway, head down but watchful. He was pretty sure Cashbone would not have been able to follow him through the college grounds and that he wouldn’t know about the rear exit, but you couldn’t be too careful. When he felt as certain as he could be that all was well, he entered the phone box and called Philip Eaton’s office. He was put through at once.

‘Wilde, is that you?’

‘I take it you’ve heard what’s going on up here.’

‘Fragmented reports. Two women dead – our own dear Mrs Kemp and Frau Somerfeld?’

‘That’s the headline, but there’s a lot more. We’re still very vulnerable to the killer – and bloody Cashbone won’t let up on his insane quest. He wants Klara – and he’s still insisting on using her for his own ends. You’ve got to call him off, Eaton.’

‘I can’t.’

‘Then how do I protect her?’

‘I think you’ll just have to admit defeat, Wilde. This all goes much higher than you and me. This is international politics – way above our rank.’

‘You need to get up here, Eaton.’

‘I’m just arranging it. I’ll be at the Bull.’

‘No, I’ll find you rooms in college. I’ll get Scobie to help you out.’

‘Good man. What are you doing now?’

‘Hiding.’

‘You’ve got a bloody gun, haven’t you? A souvenir from Germany.’

‘What makes you think that?’

‘Sunny told me after you disappeared with Klara. Just be careful what you do with it. Do for Charles Young by all means – but if you shoot Cashbone, you’ll be hanged.’

*

He went back to Trinity Villa by a circuitous route. The lane was empty. No sign of Edie’s car, so she must have gone home. The door was locked but Lydia quickly let him in. She was bleary-eyed and he realised that, like himself, she must have gone the whole night without sleep.

‘Johnny? Klara?’

‘Asleep.’

‘The fever?’

‘I’m trying to give her sips of water, as instructed. God, I feel such a bloody fool, Tom. What must that doctor have thought of me? Probably telling all his colleagues about the hysterical little woman bringing a child in because she’s got a little temperature. Meanwhile, there’s a murderer on the loose – and I expose Klara to the world’s prying eyes!’

‘You did what you thought was right. Come on, we need to get a few hours’ sleep. You sleep in the room with Klara, I’ll go with Johnny. When we’re refreshed hopefully we’ll be able to think straight and plan our next move. But we can’t keep moving Klara, not until she’s better.’