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.Adam remained alert, continually looking out of the back window, waiting for the moment when Romanov would appear.When he turned back, he was relieved to find that the lorry in front of them was being told to pull over into the side and wait.Jim drove quickly up to the customs post."Get necking, you two," he said.Up until that point Adam had kept his hands hidden in his trenchcoat pocket because they were so scratched and bruised.But he obeyed Jim and took Linda in his arms and kissed her perfunctorily, one eye still open watching for Romanov.To his surprise she parted his lips and began exploring inside his mouth with her tongue.Adam thought about protesting but realised there was no way he could make it sound gallant or credible."The wife, the daughter and the future son-in-law," said Jim, handing over the four passports.The customs man started to check."What was all the trouble about, officer?""Nothing for you to worry about," said the official, flicking through the passports."I hope it hasn't inconvenienced you.""No, no," said Jim."They didn't even notice," he said, pointing over his shoulder and laughing.The policeman shrugged and, handing the passports back, he said, "Allen" waving them on."Sharp as mustard Jim, that's what they call me back in Hull." He looked over his shoulder towards ,Adam."You can stop that now, Dudley, thank you." Adam felt Linda release him with some reluctance.She glanced at him shyly, then turned towards her father."But we still have to go over the French border, don't we?""We have already been alerted to look out for him and I can assure you he hasn't been through this post," said the senior customs officer."Otherwise one of my men would have spotted him.But if you want to double-check, be my guest."Romanov went quickly from officer to officer showing them the blown-up photograph of Adam, but none of them could recall anyone resembling him.Valchek joined him a few minutes later and confirmed that Scott was not in any of the cars still waiting to be allowed over the border and that the Mercedes was being pushed into the border garage."Is it back to the hills, Comrade Major?" asked Valchek."Not yet.I want to be absolutely certain he hasn't managed to cross the border."The senior official emerged from his post in the centre of the road."Any luck?" he asked."No," said Romanov glumly."You seem to be right.""I thought as much.If any of my men had let the Englishman through they would have been looking for a new job by now."Romanov nodded in acknowledgment."Could I have missed any of your staff?""Doubt it - unless there's a couple of them taking a break.If so you'll find them in the bar about a hundred metres up towards the French border point."Four customs officers and a French waitress were the only people to be found in the bar.Two of the officers were playing pool while the other two sat at a corner table, drinking coffee.Romanov took the photo out once more and showed it to the two men at the pool table.They both shook their heads in an uninterested fashion and returned to potting the multi-coloured balls.The two Russians made their way to the bar.Val-chek passed Romanov a cup of coffee and a sandwich, which he took over to the table where the other two border guards sat.One of them was telling his colleague the trouble he had had with a French lorry driver who was trying to smuggle Swiss watches over the border.Romanov pushed the photograph of Scott across the table."Have you seen this man today?"Neither showed any sign of recognition and the younger one quickly returned to his story.Romanov sipped his coffee, and began to consider whether he should make a run for Basle or call for reinforcements to sweep the hills.Then he noticed that the young man's eyes kept returning to the photo.He asked once again if he had seen Scott."No, no," said the young officer, a little too quickly.In Moscow Romanov would have had a 'yes' out of him within minutes, but he would have to follow a more gentle approach here."How long ago?" Romanov asked quietly."What do you mean?" asked the policeman."How long ago?" repeated Romanov in a firmer voice."It wasn't him," said the officer, sweat now appearing on his forehead."If it wasn't him, how long ago wasn't it him?"The officer hesitated."Twenty minutes, maybe thirty.""What make of vehicle?"The young officer hesitated."A Citroen, I think.""Colour?""Yellow.""Other passengers?""Three.Looked like a family.Mother, father, daughter.He was in the back with the daughter.The father said they were engaged."Romanov had no more questions.Jim Hardcastle managed to keep a one-sided conversation going for over an hour."Naturally," he said, "the IMF holds its annual conference in a different city every year.Last year it was in Denver in Colorado, and next year it'll be at Perth in Australia, so I manage to get around a bit.But as the export man you have to get used to a lot of travel.""I'm sure you do," said Adam, trying to concentrate on his benefactor's words while his shoulder throbbed on."I'm only President for a year, of course," continued Jim."But I have plans to ensure that my fellow delegates won't forget 1966 in a hurry.""I'm sure they won't," said Adam."I shall point out to them that Colman's has had another record year on the export side.""How impressive.""Yes, but I must admit that most of our profits are left on the side of the plate," he said, laughing.Adam laughed as well but sensed that Mrs Hard-castle and Linda might have heard the line before."I've been thinking, Dudley, and I'm sure the wife would agree with me, that it would be most acceptable to us if you felt able to join the presidential table for dinner tonight — as my guest, of course." Mrs Hardcastle nodded, as did Linda with enthusiasm."I can think of nothing that would give me greater pleasure," said Adam."But I fear my commanding officer might not be quite as delighted to hear I had stopped on the way back to England to take in a party.I do hope you'll understand.""If he is anything like my old CO I certainly do," said Jim."Still, if you should ever be Hull way, look us up." He took a card out of his top pocket and passed it over his shoulder.Adam studied the embossed letters and wondered what 'MIFT stood for.He didn't ask
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