She came over and gave Rafi a hug. ‘So how’s the party boy?’
‘Very contented, it’s been a wonderful evening. Thank you for everything.’
They were joined by Kate and made their way across to her parents, who looked extremely happy.
Her mother started the conversation. ‘Kate, dear, this has been such fun, what an evening to remember! But now that we’ve had a chance to talk with you and have seen your friends perhaps we should be getting off; it’s well past our bedtime.’
‘Pardon?’ interjected Kate’s father. ‘But we’re having fun! Our hotel is not far, so why don’t we stay for another drink or two and then head off?’
Kate’s mother smiled. ‘As you say, dear.’
‘Rafi, might there be any Scotch on the premises?’ asked Kate’s father.
‘I’ll see what I can find,’ replied Rafi. ‘And then there is someone I’d like you to meet.’
Kate’s father raised his eyebrows as if to say, ‘Who could be more important than the PM?’
Rafi found Mr Cheung and asked for a bottle of his very best Scotch.
‘Blended or single malt?’
‘Would you bring both, please?’
Then Rafi went over and extracted his grandfather from the conversation he was having.
‘Grandfather, do you like Scotch?’
He beamed. ‘Is the Pope Catholic?’
‘There are a couple of people I’d like you to meet.’
As they walked across to the table where Kate’s parents were sitting, Rafi added Marcus, Susannah, Saara and Steve to his entourage.
Rafi approached the table. Kate’s father was trying to decide which Scotch he preferred. He looked up and smiled.
‘Major Sir Percy and Lady Yvonne,’ Rafi said. ‘It is my pleasure to introduce to you my long lost grandfather, Major Charlie Staveley, my little sister, Saara, and her partner Dr Steve Morris.’
Introductions complete, their conversation started slowly, then the two majors found that they had several interests in common.
Rafi noticed Kate standing hand in hand with her brother, Marcus, who caught his eye and beckoned him over. ‘Rafi, you’re so elusive. I’ve been meaning to thank you all evening; I’ve never seen Kate look this happy. You’re a real tonic for her.’
Rafi smiled. ‘I think it is I who should be thanking her. Without her I’d be languishing in some grubby cell, whilst the country had next to no electricity!’
Marcus looked carefully at Rafi. ‘I’m glad you’re looking after each other. Make the most of the time when happiness is in abundance. It’s such a precious gift, which few people ever get to fully appreciate. Please, for me, don’t lose it.’ The conversation changed as Saara, Steve and Susannah, came across to join them.
In a short time it was agreed that they would all meet for a Sunday lunch at Leverthorne Hall and inspect Kate’s new studio flat in the attic.
To Rafi, the next forty-five minutes flew past as lots of people came over to say their hellos.
Roger from the Immigration team made Rafi smile. ‘I did as you said, plucked up courage, and went over and talked to the Home Secretary. I apologised before I started telling him the system was run by data junkies. You know what? He’s asked me to explain my concerns to one of his ministers next week!’
After saying goodbye to Roger, Rafi at last had a moment to himself. He took a step back to look around the room and see if he had missed someone he really should have talked to, and, in that moment, literally bumped into a stunning blonde. Rafi smiled weakly. His senses picked up her evocative perfume. Then it hit him: he knew this woman. What a transformation!
‘Great party! It was so kind of your sister to invite me.’
It was the first time that Rafi had seen SJ outside her office environment.
She looked up at him from under her lashes and then casually said to Kristina, who was standing next to her, ‘I’m sorry, have you been introduced to Rafi?’
‘Yes, thank you,’ replied Kristina. Then, smiling at Rafi, she added, ‘My father tells me that you and your friends are very remarkable.’
At that moment the little group was joined by Kate.
‘Hi, SJ,’ said Kate. ‘Hello again, Kristina. I’ve been talking to David and he tells me you’re at university. Is that right?’
‘Almost finished – I have my finals next month.’
‘What are you reading?’
‘Environmental sciences with biology.’
‘Excellent – have you meet Rafi’s sister, Saara?’ enquired Kate. ‘Her contacts are fantastic.’
Kristina shook her head.
‘Let’s find her, and I’ll introduce you. We’ll be back in a moment. Rafi you’ll be OK with SJ, won’t you?’
Kate and Kristina moved off. There was an embarrassed silence. ‘You look very different…’ stuttered Rafi, realising he’d been staring at her shapely body. He was starting to blush. ‘What with your hair down and in that amazing dress.’
‘You approve?’ SJ asked with her head tipped slightly to one side.
‘I’m surprised that all the red-blooded men in the room aren’t queuing up to get your phone number. I still can’t get over the transformation.’ Rafi cast his approving eyes from head to toe. ‘You look stunning.’
SJ felt the hairs on her bare arms stand up. The visit to her friend, who was a professional hairdresser and make-up artist, had been worth the hassle.
She hesitated. ‘Forgive me if it’s private, but is it true that you turned down a six or seven figure sum from the newspapers and gave it to charity?’
‘Sort of – yes,’ Rafi replied. He sensed she was hoping for more. ‘It seemed that the money would be better used helping those suffering from radiation exposure. Hospices survive thanks to donations and at the moment they desperately need money.’
‘Have you ever visited a hospice?’
Rafi shook his head.
‘If you and Kate have a spare moment sometime, perhaps you should visit one? I’m sure we could get you good press coverage, which would help boost their donations. I could even see if the PM had a spare slot in his diary so he could be there with you.’
‘Sounds like a good idea,’ agreed Rafi. ‘Unfortunately though,’ he quickly added, ‘Kate and I aren’t in the UK very much these days.’
‘No problem, I’m not going anywhere,’ said SJ casually, hoping that this wasn’t going to be the end of the conversation.
There was a pause. ‘I’m sure I should know, but is Sandy Jane your Christian name or your full name?’ enquired Rafi.
‘Jane is my surname. I know, it sounds silly.’
‘It’s a nice name, better than Smith or Khan; there are hundreds of thousands of us,’ said Rafi with a grin.
Kate returned to Rafi’s side. ‘Sorry, we had to wait a bit before I could introduce Kristina to Saara,’ she said with a smile. ‘What have you two been chatting about?’
‘I was suggesting to Rafi that the PM might be able to help you in your efforts to raise money for the hospices.’
‘That sounds like a great idea,’ replied Kate enthusiastically. ‘Rafi’s sister works next door to you; she tends to know when we’re over in London. If you come up with a plan perhaps you could liaise with Saara, so we can find a convenient time to meet up.’
SJ couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. Surely Kate must sense that she was attracted to her boyfriend? It wasn’t fair that the man she thought was gorgeous just happened to have a charming, self-assured girlfriend – who she even liked.
‘I’ll speak with Saara and line something up. Nice chatting to you both,’ said SJ. She turned and made eye contact with Kate. ‘I’ve been meaning to ask… Wherever did you find your dress? You look absolutely gorgeous. Rafi is very lucky.’ Before Kate could reply, SJ had left and was on her way to the bar.
‘SJ seemed particularly pleased to see you this evening,’ commented Kate. Then she added, while smiling to herself, ‘She’s taken a fa
ncy to you! She’s stunning, isn’t she?’
‘Yes, but she isn’t you!’
Kate lent forward and kissed him.
Over in a corner, Emma and Aidan were deep in conversation.
Kate squeezed Rafi’s hand. He followed her look. ‘They enjoy each other’s company, don’t they? From all Emma tells me, she’s having a great time being wooed by Aidan.’
‘I can’t say I’m surprised. Emma would be a great catch for any man with a half-decent IQ,’ Rafi replied.
Kate was about to comment, when the last of the politicians came by to say thank you and goodnight. It was almost 1.30 a.m. Only a few guests remained.
A beaming Pete Lockyer came over to thank Kate and Rafi for the great party. ‘It’s been an exceptional evening. The boys at the office will never believe who I’ve met tonight!’
Kate grimaced.
‘Don’t worry! I know this was a social; the evening is all off the record. Thanks again. You know where to find me if there’s anything I can do to help.’ And with that Pete left with a broad grin.
Kate left Rafi’s side to chat to Emma, who was preparing to leave.
It had been the best party Rafi could remember. Standing thinking to himself, he felt the presence of someone behind him. A deep, quiet voice started talking to him from behind, so that no one else could hear. It was the unmistakable voice of Colonel Matlik. ‘Rafi, my friend, thank you for this evening; Kristina and I very much enjoyed ourselves. By the way, I’m keeping track of all the work you, Kate and Jorg’s unit are doing in Luxembourg. You have an impressive team around you. I know your colleague Bernhard Michalak – he is a good Pole.’
The colonel’s whisper became quieter. ‘Some shadowy figures are coming out of the woodwork. My sources inform me that a number of racketeers and other undesirables from Russia and Central Europe were caught up in Maryam Vynckt’s investments and suffered massive losses. Rafi, dear boy, a hornets’ nest has been stirred up. Several of the large criminal organisations are seriously short of cash. They are furious, and intent not only on replenishing their coffers but also on revenge. To complicate matters, their competitors have noticed this weakness. A new playing field is being created. Former allegiances have been shattered and a war of attrition has started.’
He paused. ‘Desperate people do desperate things. The stakes have been raised and they may have to think big to survive. Be careful not to cross their paths – they are in a dangerous mood.’
Rafi felt the colonel place his large hand on his shoulder. ‘I have more bad news. Just before I left I was informed that the FSB have reopened their investigation into the death of Pinja Koit. They now think that the charred body in the plane crash was not his after all. Perhaps you could tell your people at MI5?’
The colonel’s voice reverted to his normal deep growl. ‘Great party, thank you, Rafi. Kristina has had a ball. She’s very excited; it seems your sister has invited her over to shadow her for a couple of days’ work experience; even offered to put her up. Say a big thank you to Saara for me. And, Rafi, remember, let me know if I can be of any help. You know where to find me.’
Rafi hesitated before replying; he was still taking in what the colonel had just said. Jorg Emcke’s team were only in the preliminary stages of researching the financial grey areas and piecing together the web of cross-border crime syndicates. Colonel Matlik had given him another whole angle to consider.
Rafi turned around to ask him a question, but he had vanished into thin air.
Kate was standing nearby.
‘Have you seen Matlik?’ he enquired.
‘Yes, he left a moment ago, just after chatting to you,’ replied Kate. ‘You look as if you’ve seen another ghost.’
Rafi took a deep breath. A sense of foreboding came over him. If Matlik was right and the criminal classes were about to flex their muscles, Jorg’s team had two groups to worry about. On the one hand there were those whose finances had been crippled by their losses in the derivatives markets – they needed to make money fast. On the other hand, there were those champing at the bit to grab market share, intent on eliminating their weakened competitors. And on top of this, Kate and he possibly had two rogue bulls to contend with: Pinja Koit with his Chechen contacts, and Miti Lakhani about whom they still knew practically nothing. They would have to watch their backs. Unwanted memories of the Headland Hotel crept back into his mind. A cold shiver ran down his back.
Kate squeezed his hand. ‘Are you alright?’
Rafi pulled his overactive imagination back to the present. ‘Sorry, I was just mulling over something Colonel Matlik said. Oh, by the way, Saara has offered Kristina a couple of days’ work experience and invited her to stay after she has finished her finals. Your introduction seemed to do the trick!’
‘I’m pleased for her.’
‘Have you seen Jeremy?’
Kate pointed to the back of the restaurant.
‘I won’t be long – there is something I need to ask him.’
Jeremy was sitting at a corner table talking quietly with Ewan.
‘Am I interrupting you?’ Rafi asked them. ‘As it’s work-related, would you prefer we chat when we’re back in Luxembourg?’
‘Not at all,’ replied Jeremy. ‘We were just catching up on a few matters relating to Maryam and her bank.’
Rafi sat down with his back to the room.
‘We have managed to get into the bank accounts Maryam was using to fund the terrorist activities,’ added Ewan. ‘In some cases the payments go back over three years. She was using numbered accounts so at this stage we have not been able to put precise names to them. However, what has caught our attention is the series of large payments which first went to an Estonian bank account, but stopped and then started again a week or so later, but this time they went into bank accounts in Pakistan and Iran. We were speculating as to whether these accounts were linked to Pinja Koit.’
‘Could I add something?’ asked Rafi butting in. ‘I have just been chatting to Colonel Matlik and he was telling me that the Russians – the FSB – have been looking into Pinja Koit’s death. There seems to be considerable doubt as to whether he was on the plane that crashed.’
‘When was that?’ enquired Ewan.
‘About fourteen months ago,’ answered Jeremy. ‘He makes a good addition to our team, doesn’t he, sir?’ added a beaming Jeremy. ‘It seems Colonel Matlik trusts him more than you or me!’
Ewan nodded, deep in thought. ‘Fourteen months ago… That ties in with the switch in the bank payments. So we can assume Mr Koit is still out there.’
‘That makes sense,’ added Jeremy. ‘And when Radu Dranoff arrived to help Aslan Popovskaya, I bet it was Pinja Koit who arranged it. He must have been involved behind the scenes coordinating all the dirty work. As I see it, he was so incensed by you, Rafi, that he sent Dranoff to take you out. Unfortunately, I don’t see why he shouldn’t still be pissed off.’
Rafi looked shocked. He thought for a moment. ‘How do you think Jameel Furud and Basel Talal’s charity, the suicide bombers and Kaleem Shah fitted in?’
‘I am not sure,’ said Ewan. ‘The attack on the atomic weapons establishment at Aldermaston and the style of Kaleem Shah’s operation have had me thinking. I am wondering whether it was the terrorists’ insurance policy to get the Iranians on their side.’
‘Pardon?’ said Rafi.
‘Well, let us assume for one moment that the terrorists’ plans had been successful; Maryam, the sheikh, Jameel and Talal would have become pariahs in the Western world and would have needed somewhere to go to escape the reach of our laws.’
‘Hence Iran?’ asked Jeremy.
‘That is my thinking,’ said Ewan. ‘Especially as they are prevented from having any nuclear capabilities. Iran doesn’t like being excluded from the nuclear club and they can’t have been happy with the UK’s decision to upgrade Trident. One set of rules for us and another for them.’
‘So do you reckon Pinja Koit is in Pakis
tan or Iran regrouping?’ asked Rafi.
‘Yes; probably Pakistan,’ replied Ewan.
‘But they have one serious problem,’ interjected Rafi. ‘They will have lost their source of funding!’
‘Good point,’ said Ewan, ‘but we shouldn’t underestimate Koit’s capabilities. I will bring MI6 up to speed and make tracking him down a priority.’
‘In the meantime,’ added Jeremy, ‘if I was you, Rafi, I’d try and avoid dark alleyways – and that applies to Kate as well.’
‘On the bright side, after Newquay, we at MI5 and the SAS owe you one, so we will do our best to keep an eye on you,’ promised Ewan.
Rafi was about to reply, when Saara ambled over. ‘So this is where you have got to!’ She was beaming. ‘Steve is making a real night of it. I doubt whether I’ll get him home for hours. I’ve given Kate my set of keys, in case you want to leave before us. Last I saw of her she was looking for you.’.
Jeremy smiled at Rafi. ‘Let’s chat some more back in the office.’
Rafi spotted Kate in the distance. He got up and shook hands with Ewan. ‘Thank you for bringing me up to speed. If you will excuse me, I should go and see why Kate wanted me.’
‘It has been a pleasure talking to you… And Rafi, please, remember to keep Jeremy in the loop with all your thinking. I sense that these are still treacherous times,’ added Ewan.
Rafi, with Saara beside him, went off to find Kate.
Kate greeted him with a hug and a lingering kiss, and then jangled Saara’s keys in front of his nose. ‘How’s about we say our remaining few goodbyes and then try out the new bed in your flat?’ she asked.
‘Great idea,’ Rafi replied.
He looked at her smiling face and realised that she made him feel alive. He had traded the comfy and highly paid world of the City for the adrenaline-filled world of counterterrorism, and to his surprise he wondered what he had ever seen in his previous existence.
Then he saw in Kate’s eyes the same fire that had burned that first night they were in Luxembourg and with a flutter of her eyelashes, any worries he had about the jeopardy that lay ahead vanished.
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