But she barely had time to move before the man stepped forward and grabbed her arm. “You can come with me quietly now, or I can call over my threecolleagues, who are surrounding us, and we can make more of a public procession as we officially arrest you.” His eyes were merciless, grey and hard.
“Arrest me? For what? I have done nothing wrong.” Looking around, she saw three other men in civilian dress standing at each corner of the street. If she ran, they would catch her, no doubt.
“Then there is nothing to be worried about, is there? Come with me and have a chat with Baron von Hager. There is no need to fear if you have nothing to hide.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Very well. I shall come along. But do not touch me.” She pulled her arm from his grasp.
He marched her to the same building where she had hoped never to set foot again. “Arresting innocent people in the middle of the street in plain daylight,” she muttered. “Like criminals.”
Once more she was led down a dim corridor into a plain room with a desk and a chair.
There was Agent August again, unsmiling, and by the window stood another gentleman. He had narrow lips, bushy eyebrows, and a pointed nose.
Pippa disliked him instantly.
“Fräulein Cranwell.” Agent August bade her sit in the chair.
The man by the window, whom Pippa took to be Baron von Hager, studied her with a slight sneer about his lips.
Pippa sat.
“It appears we have run into somedifficulty regarding your cooperation and the agreement we made.” August tapped his fingers on the table. Before him was a pile of notes that Pippa recognised as hers. These were the missives she had composed, the results of her espionage.
“I do not understand what you mean. I have faithfully submitted my reports as requested.”
Hager snorted. “A useless compilation of disinformation, unnecessary detail, and fabricated stories. Your intelligence has been worthless to misleading, Fräulein.”
Pippa swallowed.
“But this is secondary. What concerns me more is this missive here.” Hager walked over to the table and tapped his finger on a folded missive that Pippa instantly recognised.
She squirmed.
“Explain.”
“It is not mine.”
Hager sighed. He nodded at August, who got up, opened the door, and in came Greta.
Pippa gasped.
Her face was entirely expressionless, and she refused to look at Pippa.
“Tell us where you found it.”
“I followed her to the Augustinerkirche this morning, and she hid the missive in the third pew in a secret panel. I retrieved it and had it sent to you.”
“Excellent work.” August looked satisfied.
“Greta is a spy, too?” Why was she so surprised? Had they not said that almost every servantin the Hofburg was spying? She simply had not known they would set a spy on her.
Greta did not look at her as she left the room, and the sense of betrayal coursing through Pippa was deep.
“Explain yourself.” Hager’s voice shot like a bullet through the room, making her jump.
Pippa looked at the missive and licked her dry lips. What was there to say? Of course, she had invented the content of the missive. But if she admitted to that, not only would it bring her a great deal of trouble, but it would also cause trouble for Klemens. And that, she decided, she must avoid at all costs.
“It is what it is,” she eventually said slowly.
