Mary Jane Mashkin is the mistress of Dr. Anton Murik. The character appears in John Gardner's 1981 James Bond continuation novel Licence Renewed.
Biography[]
Licence Renewed[]
Upon being briefed about Anton Murik's connections with Franco, James Bond is informed that Mary Jane Mashkin is a Cambridge-educated physicist who has served as Murik's secretary for ten years, as well as his personal advisor and mistress. When Bond arrives to the Scottish village of Murcaldy, Bond becomes acquainted with Murik, Mashkin, and Lavender Peacock. He accompanies them on a horse race, and gradually gains Murik's trust by stealing a priceless necklace from Lavender, and claiming he found it dropped. As a result and Bond's disguised profession as a mercenary, Murik invites Bond to his castle to participate in the Highland Games. That same night, Mashkin notices Bond's encounter with Caber outside of the castle, and tells Bond of a massive new drainage system down the trail from Murik's castle. Under the claim that Bond was lost and looking for the castle, Mashkin invites Bond into the castle.
While eavesdropping on Murik's conversation with Franco in his study room that same night, Mashkin opens the door checking up on Bond. One night later, with help from Lavender Peacock, Bond tries to escape Murik Castle, but is captured after a violent car chase resulting in the two deaths of Murik's men. Suspicious of Bond's actions, Mashkin administers several hypodermic drug doses in hopes Bond will reveal his true identity. When this fails, Murik transports Bond via Blackhawk aircraft to Perpignan, France, where he escapes him at the airport. At a fashion show in the Palais des rois de Majorque, Bond kills Franco, who accidentally shoots a gelatin capsule at Mary Jane originally aimed for Lavender, the true heir of the Laird title. Captured again, Bond learns from Murik that the gelatin capsule resulted in a fatal heart attack for Mary Jane.
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