▁you ' ve ▁enough ▁dec ency ▁left ▁to ▁understand ▁why ." ▁Prom pt ed ▁by ▁Elli ott ' s ▁accus ations , ▁Phil by ▁confirmed ▁the ▁charges ▁of ▁esp ion age ▁and ▁described ▁his ▁intelligence ▁activities ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁the ▁S ovi ets . ▁However , ▁when ▁Elli ott ▁asked ▁him ▁to ▁sign ▁a ▁written ▁statement , ▁he ▁hes itated ▁and ▁requested ▁a ▁delay ▁in ▁the ▁inter rog ation . ▁Another ▁meeting ▁was ▁scheduled ▁to ▁take ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁week ▁of ▁January . ▁It ▁has ▁since ▁been ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁whole ▁confront ation ▁with ▁Elli ott ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁char ade ▁to ▁conv ince ▁the ▁K GB ▁that ▁Phil by ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁brought ▁back ▁to ▁Moscow , ▁where ▁he ▁could ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁British ▁pen etr ation ▁agent ▁of ▁Moscow ▁Centre . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁evening ▁of ▁ 2 3 ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁Phil by ▁van ished ▁from ▁Be ir ut , ▁failing ▁to ▁meet ▁his ▁wife ▁for ▁a ▁dinner ▁party ▁at ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁Glen ca ir n ▁B alf our ▁Paul , ▁First ▁Secretary ▁at ▁the ▁British ▁Emb ass y . ▁The ▁Dol mat ova , ▁a ▁Soviet ▁fre ighter ▁bound ▁for ▁Od essa , ▁had ▁left ▁Be ir ut ▁that ▁morning ▁so ▁ab rupt ly ▁that ▁cargo ▁was ▁left ▁scattered ▁over ▁the ▁do cks ; ▁Phil by ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁left ▁Be ir ut ▁on ▁board ▁this ▁ship . ▁However , ▁others ▁maintain ▁that ▁he ▁escaped ▁through ▁Sy ria , ▁over land ▁to