The Agency

46 - Identities

Richard came back to the room and clapped his hands together.

"Done. We have an account established in Bermuda under our new covers. I made it a joint account, René."

"By joint you mean a couple . . . like married?"

"It is a good way to hide identities, particularly when we have a maiden name in reserve. I also placed Monique's share in a sub account that she can access."

"Reserve. You mean in case we have to hide again." Her features stretched with disquiet.

He blew out a breath and went to her, taking her in his arms. "

It's a force of habit. My entire adult life has been one of deception." He backed away and withdrew some papers from his jacket pocket. "These are important. I've made a complete set for you to keep. It contains a complete package of our new cover, the bank account number and your password needed for access." She accepted the papers and glanced over them.

"Helen Barber? Is that my new name?"

"It is. Mainly for banking and travel purposes. I'm Donald Barber. Glebeholme had to be burned; the Agency would be on to that one by now."

"What do you mean mainly?"

"We'll need another set of names when we get where we're going. Barber will then be used for banking only."

The frown returned. "I hope I can get my head around all this."

"Don't worry about it; I'll be here with you." He told her to put the papers away somewhere safe and then went to the phone. "I have to contact Monique about her share."

"You really meant that. Didn't you?"

"Yes. In spite of her actions, we did the deal together and she should get her share. Simple." He picked up the phone and dialed their agreed upon contact number.

***********

Monique didn't know what to do. Whoever this Tweed was, he knew who and where she was and it left her rattled. On impulse, she checked again with the desk to see if there were any other messages and learned that it had been the only one.

She looked in the mirror and winced. All that effort in disguising herself and the cover was— "Wait a minute!" She said aloud. "The name might be blown but my appearance is still solid." She hadn't left the room since the change. Her plan had been to leave money for the room in the room and just leave unannounced and that could still work.

Hastily, she threw her clothes into a small suitcase, packed all her personal items and got rid of anything that might give her away. She had to leave today but it couldn't be overt. Somehow, her departure had to look perfectly normal.

She thought for a moment and then, on her cell phone, she called the contact number she and Richard had established.

The message surprised and thrilled her; Richard was good to his word. All she had to do was contact the bank and have her share transferred to her own account. Had she not been so suspicious and cynical she and Richard could have remained together and maybe avoided all the mess− the thought broke off and she made an annoyed grimace; first thing she had to do was get out of this hotel.

Three taxis later Monique went into the underground and took it to the end of the line then hopped a bus back to a tired looking, four-room pension run by an equally tired looking woman. She sat on the ancient bed and chuckled how far down she had come in just a couple of hours, and yet once she established a new account in a new bank under another new name, she would be the owner of a huge sum of money in a secure account. She thought about her next move and the promise she made to herself.