Dutch Courage Read Online Free Page A

you brainless individual.’
    The girl paled and got to her feet. ‘Sorry, sir, I didn’t know . . . I just thought . . .’
    â€˜That’s exactly what you didn’t do! Blabbing to press or media is strictly not on. When it concerns a person of higher rank it’s insubordination. The tabloids would have made a meal of your inane gossip. I’ll report you to the Squadron Commander and ask that you work in future in a small back room. Now, where will I find Lieutenant Collier?’
    Shaken by the ferocity of this attack and by the truth of his accusation, she pointed at the window. ‘That’s his Lynx coming down now, sir.’
    A helicopter was approaching and losing height, so Tom went out to his car and drove across to park near the Control Tower. That stupid girl’s comment gave him food for thought. He could not wait to meet the pilot who had been marched up the aisle by the gorgeous, cultured woman who had been in the office this morning. Tom could not imagine any man having to be dragooned into marriage with her.
    The two pilots eventually climbed from the cockpit and walked to the Ops Centre deep in conversation. Tom watched them enter, gave them a good ten minutes, then crossed to seek his quarry, who should have cleared the debrief by then. It must have been swift. There was no sign of the pair. Introducing himself, Tom stated his business to the corporal on duty and was told Lieutenant Collier had gone to the crew room for a coffee.
    â€˜First right along the corridor, sir,’ the man added helpfully. ‘He’s just got in from a patrol.’
    The small airless room was full of noisy aircrew holding mugs of coffee and putting the world to rights in the way of men when they assemble. A sergeant pilot glanced across at the intruder and asked if he could be of help.
    â€˜Yes. I’d like a word with Lieutenant Collier.’
    â€˜Sure thing. That’s him by the window.’ He turned back to his voluble group. Next minute, one of them, wearing the single pip of a second-lieutenant, called out, ‘Sam! Another guy here to chat up the conquering hero.’
    Tom was a six-footer and sturdily built, but the unsmiling man who approached was six-four, at least, and impressively muscular. He was also deeply tanned, with crisp hair bleached almost white by the Afghan sun, which made his dark-brown eyes seem all the more arresting. He looked like a man who could fight any battle totally unaided. So why was his wife so afraid he could not?

Two
    S am Collier jammed his foot on the brake and came to a halt at the roadside where he sat staring ahead and breathing heavily, his hands gripping the wheel so tightly his knuckles were white.
    â€˜Calm it! Calm it!’ he muttered through clenched teeth.
    It was impossible. Rage surged through his body and senses. He had just been utterly humiliated. Not only by the scar-faced Redcap, but because the bastard had turned the screw of Margot’s betrayal.
    Sam could still picture the disdain almost amounting to contempt in the man’s eyes as he had listed what she had suffered in silence over the past few weeks. How could she have kept him in ignorance? Worse still, how could she have run to some other man for help? Sam heard again the caustic tone of Black’s comment that she had not wanted to stress her husband. As if he was a total wimp!
    Fresh anger and humiliation washed over him. How could she have allowed herself to be subjected to that catalogue of persecution, and the suggested threat it carried, without giving him the opportunity to defend her? He had a shrewd idea who might be behind it; the writer of those bloody letters. While he could ride out that situation perfectly well, attacks on his wife had to be countered with action.
    Resting his forehead on his hands still gripping the wheel, pain formed a lump in his chest. Not only the supercilious detective, but Margot’s