Page 78

Despite everything, the corner of her mouth moved before she could prevent it.

Baines folded his arms with a smug smile, and leaned one shoulder against the gun cabinet. “What do you propose?”

Judith had expected resistance and the absence of it surprised her. “You are asking me?”

“I generally reserve questions for people whose answers interest me.”

“That sounded almost like respect.”

“Do not look so astonished.”

She ignored the warmth that produced. “We know the person hears conversations at Blackthorn and transmits them quickly enough to appear in print within a day.”

“Just so, or passes them to someone capable of arranging rapid publication.”

“Yes… which means waiting for another genuine leak is foolish. We should give them something to transmit.”

Baines became very still.

Judith knew that stillness now. His humour had not disappeared, but the soldier beneath it had moved forward.

“Go on,” he encouraged.

“We tell them something false.”

“Something attractive enough that the traitor cannot resist transmitting it.”

“Indeed, and sufficiently specific that if it appears elsewhere, there can be no doubt where it originated.”

Baines’ mouth curved slowly. “That is wicked.”

Judith felt an answering thrill of satisfaction. “Thank you.”

He pushed away from the cabinet and began to pace across the small room.

“We need more than one false detail,” he said after a moment.

“Why?”

“Because if everyone hears the same lie, we will discover only what we already know—that someone at Blackthorn is responsible.”

Judith followed his reasoning at once. “We need different versions.”

He turned to face her with a look of satisfaction. “Precisely.”

“We give one person one detail and another person something slightly different.”

“Now you are becoming alarming.”

“It must be your influence.” Judith moved towards the small table beneath the window. “We cannot invent troop movements carelessly, though. If the lie escapes, someone may act upon it.”

“Agreed. The false information must be plausible enough to tempt our traitor but harmless if repeated.”

“Could we use Colonel Renforth?” Judith looked at him. “You said he has men in place.”

Baines stopped. “I did not say that.”

“You did not need to. You said he would already know about the strike if his people were in Glasgow.”