That had been enough。 And that night Tallon had died。 Bond pulled himself up。 He was going too fast； building up a case on the flimsiest evidence。 Bartsch had killed Tallon and Bartsch was not the man who had heard the noise； the man who had left fingerprints on the chart； the man whose dossier Bond had put away in his leather case。
That man had been the oily ADC； Krebs； the man with the neck like a white slug。 They were his prints on the chart。 For a quarter of an hour Bond had pared the impressions on the chart with the prints on Krebs's dossier。 But who said Krebs had heard a noise or done anything about it if he had？ Well； to begin with； he looked like a natural snooper。 He had the eyes of a petty thief。 And those prints of his had definitely been made on the chart after Tallon had studied it。 Krebs's fingers overlaid Tallon's at several points。
But how could Krebs possibly be involved； with Drax's eye constantly on him？ The confidential assistant。 But what about Cicero； the trusted valet of the British Ambassador in Ankara during the war？ The hand in the pocket of the striped trousers hanging over the back of the chair。 The Ambassador's keys。 The safe。 The secrets。 This picture looked very much the same。
Bond shivered。 He suddenly realized that he had been standing for a long time in front of the open windows and that it was time to get some sleep。
Before he got into bed he took his shoulder…holster from the chair where it hung beside his discarded clothes and removed the Beretta with the skeleton grip and slipped it under his pillow。 As a defence against whom？ Bond didn't know； but his intuition told him quite definitely that there was danger about。 The smell of it was insistent although it was still imprecise and lingered only on the threshold of his subconscious； s； In fact he knew his feelings were based on a number of tiny question…marks which had materialized during the past twenty…four hous…the riddle of Drax； Bartsch's 'Heil Hitler〃； the bizarre moustaches； the fifty worthy Germans； the chart； the night glasses； Krebs。
First he must pass on his suspicions to Vallance。 Then explore the possibilities of Krebs。 Then look to the defences of the Moonraker…the seaward side for instance。 And then get together with this Brand girl and agree on a plan for the next two days。 There wasn't much time to lose。
While he forced sleep to e into his teeming mind； Bond visualized the figure seven on the dial of a clock and left it to the hidden cells of his memory to wake him。 He wanted to be out of the house and on the telephone to Vallance as early as possible。 If his actions aroused suspicion he would not be dismayed。 One of his objects was to attract into his orbit the same forces that had concerned themselves with Tallon； for of one thing he felt reasonably certain； Major Tallon had not died because he loved Gala Brand。
The extra…sensory alarm clock did not fail him。 Punctually at seven； his mouth dry with too many cigarettes the night before； he forced himself out of bed and into a cold bath。 He had shaved； gargled with a sharp mouth…wash； and now； in a battered black and white dogtooth suit； dark blue Sea Island cotton shirt and black silk knitted tie； he was walking softly； but not surreptitiously； along the corridor to the head of the stairs； the； square leather case in his left hand。
He found the garage at the back of the house and the big engine of the Bentley answered with the first pressure on the starter。 He motored slowly across the concrete apron beneath the indifferent gaze of the curtained windows of the house and pulled up； the engine idling in neutral； at the edge of the trees。 His eyes travelled back to the house and confirmed his calculation that a man standing on its roof would be able to see over the top of the blast…wall and get a view of the edge of the cliff and of the sea beyond。
There was no sign of life round the domed emplacement of the Moonraker； and the concrete； already beginning to shimmer in the early morning sun； stretched emptily away towards Deal。 It looked like a newly laid aerodrome or rather； he thought； with its three disparate concrete 'things'； the beehive dome； the flat…iron blast…wall； and the distant cube of the firing point； each casting black pools of shadow towards him in the early sun； like a Dali desert landscape in which three objets trouvés reposed at carefully calculated random。 Out at sea； in the early mist that promised a hot day； the South Goodwin Lightship could just be seen； a dim red barque married for ever to the same pass point and condemned； like a property ship on the stage of Drury Lane； to watch the diorama of the waves and clouds sail busily into the wings while； without papers or passengers or cargo； it lay anchored for ever to the departure point which was also its destination。
At thirty seconds' interval it blared its sad plaint into the mist； a long double trumpet note on a falling cadence。 A siren song； Bond reflected； to repel instead of to seduce。 He wondered how the seven men of its crew were now supporting the noise as they munched their pork and beans。 Did they flinch as it punctuated the Housewife's Choice ing at full strength from the radio in the narrow mess？ But a secure life；* （* Bond was wrong： Friday； November 26th 1954。 R。I。P。 ）
Bond decided； although anchored to the gates of a graveyard。
He made a mental note to find out if those seven men had seen or heard the thing that Tallon had marked on the chart； then he drove quickly on through the guard posts。
In Dover； Bond pulled up at the Cafe Royal； a modest little restaurant with a modest kitchen but capable； as he knew of old； of turning out excellent fish and egg dishes。 The Italian…Swiss mother and son who ran it weled him as an old friend and he asked for a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon and plenty of coffee to be ready in half an hour。 Then he drove on to the police station and put a call in to Vallance through the Scotland Yard switchboard。 Vallance was at home having breakfast。 He listened without ment to Bond's guarded talk； but he expressed surprise that Bond had not had an opportunity to have a talk with Gala Brand。 〃She's a bright girl； that；〃 he said。 〃If Mr K。 is up to something she's sure to have an idea what it is。 And if T。 heard a noise on Sunday night； she may have heard it too。 Though I'll admit she's said nothing about it。〃
Bond said nothing about the reception he had had from Vallance's agent。 〃Going to talk to her this morning；〃 he said； 〃and I'll send up the chart and the Leica film for you to have a look at。 I'll give them to the Inspector。 Perhaps one of the road patrols could bring them up。 By the way； where did T。 telephone from when he rang up his employer on Monday？〃
〃I'll have the call traced and let you know；〃 said Vallance。 〃And I'll have Trinity House ask the South Goodwins and the Coastguards if they can helpr。 Anything else？〃
〃No；〃 said Bond。 The line went through too many switchboards。 Perhaps if it had been M。 he would have hinted more。 It seemed ridiculous to talk to Vallance about moustaches and the creep of danger he had felt the night before and which the daylight had dissipated。 These policemen wanted hard facts。 They were better； he decided； at solving crimes than at anticipating them。 〃No。 That's all。〃 He hung up。
He felt more cheerful after an excellent breakfast。 He read the Express and The Times and found a bare report of the inquest on Tallon。 The Express had made a big play with the girl's photograph and he was amused to see what a neutral likeness Vallance had managed to produce。 He decided that he must try and work with her。 He would take her pletely into his confidence whether she was receptive or not。 Perhaps she also had her suspicions and intuitions which were so vague that she was keeping them to herself。
Bond drove back fast to the house。 It was just nine o'clock and as he came through the trees on to the concrete there was the wail of a siren and from the woods behind the house a double file of twelve men appeared running； in purposeful unison； towards the launching dome。 They marked time while one of their number rang the bell； then the door opened and they filed through and out of sight。
Scratch a German and you find precision； thought Bond。
CHAPTER XIV
ITCHING FINGERS
HALF AN hour before； Gala Brand had stubbed out her breakfast cigarette； swallowed the remains of her coffee； left her bedroom and walked across to the site； looking very much the private secretary in a spotless white shirt and dark blue pleated skirt。
Punctually at eight…thirty she was in her office。 There was a sheaf of Air Ministry teleprints on her desk and her first action was to transfer a digest of their contents on to a weather map and walk through the municating door into Drax's office and pin the map to the board that hung in the angle of the wall beside the blank glass wall。 Then she pressed the switch that illuminated the wall map； made some Calculations based on the columns of figures revealed by the light； and entered the results on the diagram she had pinned to the board。
She had done this； with Air Ministry figures that became more and more precise as the practice shoot drew nearer；