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Chapters (45)
  1. The Man With No Face
  2. Also by
  3. Title
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. Contents
  8. INTRODUCTION
  9. CHAPTER ONE
  10. CHAPTER TWO
  11. CHAPTER THREE
  12. CHAPTER FOUR
  13. CHAPTER FIVE
  14. CHAPTER SIX
  15. CHAPTER SEVEN
  16. CHAPTER EIGHT
  17. CHAPTER NINE
  18. CHAPTER TEN
  19. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  20. CHAPTER TWELVE
  21. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  22. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  23. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  24. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  25. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  26. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  27. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

In the taxi that swept east through the city along the Boulevard Leopold III to the airport at Zaventem, Bannerman and the child sat in silence. He had barely been able to speak to her and saw the hurt in her eyes. She had been expecting him yesterday, and now he had come to put her on a plane that would take her away from him. He had not even tried to explain it, except to say that a lady and gentleman from America would be with her on the plane, and that he would come and see her when his business in Brussels was finished.

She was wondering what it was she had done to offend him, and she felt that ache inside her that was the seed of frustration. A bubble that was growing. She was afraid of it, afraid that it would take control and that when finally it burst he would not understand. She slipped her hand into his. It felt warm and big and it responded with a little squeeze. Please let me control it, she was saying inside. Please let me control it.

Bannerman gazed out at the same buildings he had passed on his arrival ten days before, and thought how ten days can change your life.

*

At the Hotel Regent the Schumachers had risen early and Mrs Schumacher had fussed and gushed with excitement. ‘Which dress should I wear, Henry?’ She had held up two dresses, one cotton print with a colourful pattern, the other plain blue wool.

‘I don’t know, dear. You look good in both.’

‘Oh, Henry, don’t be so infuriating.’

‘Perhaps the print dress, then.’

She looked at it and then the other. ‘I think I’ll wear the blue. More sombre for the occasion. Poor child. Oh, but isn’t this exciting, Henry?’

‘Yes, dear.’

‘No, no, don’t wear that tie, Henry, it clashes with your suit. Yes, that one. Now that looks so much better.’ She struggled breathlessly into the blue dress. ‘Zip me up, please, Henry. Do you think maybe we could stay on in Edinburgh an extra day?’

‘Well, I do have to be back in Washington . . .’

‘Yes, yes. Of course, you’re right.’ Pause. ‘I wonder what she’s like. I certainly hope she won’t throw one of her tantrums on the plane. That, I could do without.’ Then she added, ‘Poor thing. We must do what we can, Henry.’

‘Yes, dear.’

‘Hurry now, or we’ll miss breakfast.’

But as the car sped them towards Zaventem she was curiously quiet. Henry Schumacher stared morosely from the rear passenger window, and his wife wondered why she felt so nervous. A touch of indigestion, perhaps. She had eaten breakfast much too quickly. Or it might be the change in the weather. The weather could do that to you. Tomorrow the damp would bring that rheumatic stiffness back to her joints.

*