The Talion Code

by Catriona King

  “Have you learned to behave yet?”

  The glare he got in return said ‘not so much’, but at least he hadn’t been mouthy. Liam waved him on with “have at it then.”

  Ash produced his smart-pad from nowhere, making Liam wonder if analysts took them to bed with them at night. A flash of Davy and Maggie in the throes of ecstasy illuminated by the blue light of a screen made him stifle a smile. Candlelight for the cyber generation. He’d stick to the real thing.

  Ash tapped up a map of the world then turned the screen around so that everyone could see. “OK, so I found the ALG-”

  Annette raised a hand to stop him. “ALG?”

  “It’s short for algorithm.” A nod from Davy said he wasn’t making it up so she shrugged. “Anyway, I found it in all of the recent incidents, worldwide and in Northern Ireland. Where I’ve marked in blue.”

  He tapped again and the map was scattered with blue dots.

  “This is it.” He tapped the screen again and the algorithm appeared. It meant very little to two of the people in the room but they nodded as if it did. “I went back and checked some other unaffected machinery and found that it’s a common operating ALG.” He saw Annette’s blank look. “In other words it’s an algorithm that tells a machine how to operate normally. Then I found this five digit strand in the malfunctioning ones, so the chief and I decided it must be the corruption that told them to misbehave. The one the hacker planted.”

  Liam risked a question. “OK, so why didn’t that give you the hacker’s name? Couldn’t you trace back the five digit thingy and find out who planted it?”

  Ash shook his head vigorously, warming to his theme. “No. That’s the problem. The hacker’s really good. They covered themselves so well that all I got was a false IP address in the Ukraine. That’s when the chief said to alert GCHQ; after the plane crash at Antrim.”

  Davy leapt in. “Cyber terrorism’s big news.”

  Liam was getting confused but he was damned if he was going to show it. Annette stepped in to save his face.

  “OK, so you thought that if you could find out where the ALG had originated from it might give you some clues.”

  Ash sat forward enthusiastically. “YES! So I spoke to the copyright people and they gave us temporary access to their database.” His lip jutted out at ‘temporary’ making everyone smile. “Anyway, I traced it to this company called Ramsays, and I’ve more information on them now.” Another tap and a page from Friday’s Financial Times appeared. “Ramsays is a big systems company that provides computer software to lots of manufacturing and engineering firms. Since the accidents started happening their share price has dropped.”

  Davy nodded. “It’ll drop even faster once they realise that their software’s been hacked.”

  Liam’s jaw dropped. “So this is about money?”

  Davy was less surprised. “It would make s…sense after Jamison’s and Guthrie’s financial scam-”

  The debate was interrupted by Annette’s logical voice. “Hang on everyone. We have two completely separate cases here, remember; Dominic Guthrie’s murder and an entirely separate series of software incidents. We haven’t even proved a link between the suicides and Jamison being framed for Guthrie’s murder yet, never mind linking this algorithm case to our murder! As I understood it, the chief only allowed you to look at the whole algorithm thing because Ash discovered an interesting pattern, so let’s not start getting confused!”

  Before anyone could object she tapped Ash’s screen back to the algorithm. “Sorry, Ash, but let’s get back to basics. OK, so someone has been corrupting Ramsays’ algorithm to cause accidents and that’s resulted in their share price dropping.”

  Ash retrieved the FT page. “Yes, so next I looked into Ramsays and surprise, surprise the firm originated here. The headquarters are in Newtownards.”

  Davy gawped at him. “W…We were right. The focus is here; the rest of the world incidents were just a trial run.”

  Liam broke up the bromance. “Lovely as it is for you two to be right, where does that leave us? I think you should just hand all this algorithm stuff over to GCHQ and we’ll refocus our energies on the Guthrie case. I want that done and dusted when the boss gets back.”

  Ash’s face said he had no intention of agreeing, but he was learning better than to disagree with Liam openly so he finessed his next words. “I’ll definitely pass everything onto GCHQ, but I wonder if maybe someone shouldn’t look into Ramsays as well, just in case Agent Somerville wonders why not?”

  Annette met his eyes and smiled. Good boy. Machiavelli would have been proud.

  Liam frowned for a moment, certain he was being played but not quite sure how. After examining Ash’s suggestion for back doors and not finding any he grudgingly agreed.

  “OK, Ash. Tell GCHQ and then you and Jake check out the firm.”

  Davy was puzzled. “But s…surely Jake can’t leave the office.”

  Annette smiled. “He can. He’s had his car adapted so that he can drive. Ash can check out Ramsays’ computers on site while Jake interviews the staff.”

  Liam nodded. “OK, but I want you two and Jake to finish researching the suicides first. Then Ash can take his day trip.” He stood up and opened the door, to find Nicky’s chair resting suspiciously close to the glass. “I need that CCTV from Stockmans Lane before you do anything else, Davy. And a copy of that tape.”

  As they emerged from the room Liam loitered behind, calling Nicky in and shutting the door. He brought her up to date on Katy and waited for the tears. They didn’t come; she was too shocked.

  When she found her voice it was weak. “How is he?”

  Liam’s expression was grim. “Won’t leave her side. The Doc’s at the hospital now.”

  She shook her head. “Her poor mum, she must be devastated.”

  He nodded. “Blaming herself, of course. You know the logic; ‘if she hadn’t been visiting me, if we hadn’t ordered a takeaway etc.’ It’s not true but-”

  Nicky nodded. “It’s exactly what I would think. She-”

  Something in Liam’s face stopped her dead.

  “You don’t think it was an accident, do you?”

  “No.”

  Alarm crossed her face. “For God’s sake don’t tell him!”

  “No intention of it. I’m just checking the facts. So is Des.”

  She wasn’t appeased. “And then what? You’ll tell him, won’t you? Then he’ll go on a witch hunt and make things worse.”

  Liam rose, signalling that the discussion was at an end. “I’ll keep whatever I find to myself until I can’t, Nicky. That’s all I can promise.” He was rescued by a shadow behind the glass. “Now, if I’m right that’s Davy with some pictures for me, so why don’t you go and make Jake feel at home.”

  It was Davy, and they watched the images together, but nothing in them showed someone tampering with Katy’s car. As they watched the crash for the third time Liam pressed pause and jabbed at the screen.

  “There!”

  Davy squinted at the grainy images; it was coming to something when Liam’s eyesight was better than his. “W…Where?”

  Liam jabbed harder, obscuring the target with his finger for a moment. He realised what he was doing and backed off. “There. See, when Katy turns to her left at the lights.”

  Davy leaned in close, not sure what he was looking for. “So what? She just glanced round.”

  “She didn’t glance. She turned her head left and kept it turned for a moment, just before the lights changed. Why? There was nothing there but another parked car.”

  “Why?” The analyst shrugged. “Because something in the other car caught her eye, I s…suppose.”

  “Well, don’t suppose. Get me a better image and find me what she was looking at.”

  Davy hesitated for a moment then loped out to Ash’s desk.

  “Do you still have that password Inspector Ronson gave you? To access the traffic CCTV?”

  Ash pointed absentmindedly a
t his drawer. “It probably won’t work now. He said they changed it every few days.”

  Davy crossed his fingers and hurried back into Craig’s office with the password, and after a few taps and clicks he pulled up a second screen. It was from a camera on Balmoral railway bridge that pointed straight down at the traffic lights. He adjusted the time to when Katy had pulled up and they watched the head turning incident from above and in front. Liam almost leapt off Craig’s chair.

  “She turned to look at that man! The one in the blue Toyota.”

  He squinted at the image again. Only the man’s mouth and chin were visible. “He isn’t s…saying anything and neither is she, so why are they looking at each other? Maybe she knew him from somewhere?”

  Liam grinned triumphantly. “No way. They’re staring each other out, and you can bet your ass Katy didn’t start it.”

  He hit the key on Craig’s laptop and played the DVD again, following the cars from their approach to the lights.

  “Look. He definitely turned to look at her first. Then the lights changed and he stayed on her left hand side till halfway down the hill, then he pulled right in front of her.”

  Davy slumped back in his chair, shaking his head. “That didn’t make her crash. S…She looked like she was already speeding when he pulled in front.”

  Liam nodded slowly. “But not speeding as she approached the lights.”

  Davy’s jaw dropped. “You’re saying he somehow interfered with her speed!”

  “And her brakes.” He stared hard at the analyst. “Look, I know I’ve given you a lot to-”

  Davy waved a hand dismissively. “If you think it’ll help I’ll look into the car’s control s…system and see if anything could have interfered with it remotely.”

  Liam smiled gratefully. “Thanks, son. I’ll tell Des what I think might have happened and link you two up.” His smile widened. “Meanwhile I have a number plate to check out.”

  ****

  He’d slowed Craig down for a while but that wouldn’t stop his team. The man glanced at his watch; eleven-thirty. Only nine hours to go till the grand finale and it was a toss-up between GCHQ and Craig’s squad who might prevent it first. There was only one thing for it; he would have to use Plan B. It wouldn’t alter the who and the when, but it would change the how. If high tech was about to be interfered with, then low tech and old fashioned was the way to go. It might mean a few hours in the cells, but so what. They could laugh about it when they were lying in the sun and the police were still wondering how they had been tricked.

  ****

  12 p.m.

  Checking the Toyota’s registration had proved a dead end; false plates and a nicked car brought over the border God only knew when. But it hadn’t been a total loss; Liam had thought of something else and it would be waiting for him at the ranch when he got back. Meanwhile he had to see a man about a motor and as he pulled into the forensic garage said man was waving at him from the wreckage of Katy’s car. Des didn’t wait for Liam to reach him before he started reporting.

  “Brakes, accelerator and steering were all fine. Not a thing wrong. But she hit that wall at eighty miles per hour, so thank God for airbags or there’d be nothing left of her face.”

  Liam made a rewind motion with his hand. “Tell me that again, slower.”

  Des obliged, only to be thanked by a shake of Liam’s head.

  “There’s no way that car was working properly. Davy and I checked the tapes and it gained speed from the moment she left the lights. Nought to eighty in five seconds.”

  Des frowned. “I didn’t think that was possible in a car this size.” He paused and dropped his eyes solemnly. Liam knew what was coming next.

  “Suic-”

  The detective cut him off mid word.

  “Don’t even think it, and definitely don’t let the boss hear you saying it. There’s no way Katy tried to kill herself. Why the hell would she? She loved the boss, her mum and her job. I should be so happy.”

  Des looked puzzled. “You are.”

  Liam rolled his eyes. “It’s an expression!” He considered for a moment then decided to confide further in the scientist, prefixing it with a threat. “If you tell anyone what I’m about to say, you’re a dead man.”

  “God! How not to get someone to cooperate with you.”

  Liam gave him his best threatening glare, honed to perfection over thirty years of interviewing. “I mean it, Des, and that includes the Doc. If you tell him he’ll tell the boss, and I want everything solid before he knows or he’ll go off half cocked.”

  Des sighed and then crossed his heart like a kid. “Do you want to exchange blood as well?”

  “Don’t be a smart ass.” Liam glanced around for eavesdroppers before he spoke. “OK, you know Ash and Davy have been working on this algorithm thing.”

  “I didn’t, but go on.”

  “Well, it controls operating systems and some git’s been messing with it. It’s caused car accidents, a lift crash-”

  Des’ eyes widened. “The one in town?”

  “Aye, and other things as well. So Davy and I think the same person might have messed with Katy’s car computer.”

  Des caught up quickly. “Remotely?”

  “Close quarters, but yes. If they did you wouldn’t be able to find anything wrong mechanically, but Davy might find the computer hack in her car’s systems control. He’ll be in touch with you to check.”

  Des stroked his beard in thought before coming back with a question. “Why Katy’s car instead of Marc’s?”

  Liam snorted rudely. “That heap of shit? It’s so old you really think it has a computer to hack?”

  Des nodded. “Fair enough. So they aimed at Katy trying to get at Marc. But again, why?”

  “It’s obvious. It’s someone who doesn’t like the fact we discovered their hack. Ash reported it to GCHQ and now the NCA are on the job. If those two can’t stop this nutter then no-one can.”

  The scientist still wasn’t convinced. “So it’s straight revenge against Marc?” He shook his head firmly. “No way. No-one hangs around for revenge if they’re just about to get caught. This is something else.”

  The sick feeling in Liam’s gut said that he was right. But if it wasn’t revenge for them discovering the hack, then what? Des answered before the question hit the air.

  “Your man’s got something else planned and he’s trying to divert your attention.”

  Liam wasn’t sure. “But GCHQ’s got hold of things now. If anyone can shut him down it’s them.”

  “Not as quickly as someone on the ground. You know the government; they need everything signed in triplicate before anything gets done. I think that’s what your man’s banking on. The government’s slow and now you’re distracted. It will give him the time he needs.”

  Liam’s response was to punch him chummily on the arm. “You’re not as dumb as you look, mate.”

  It was a compliment between men. Des carried on, bolstered by the praise.

  “And here’s something else for free. If he’s this desperate to distract you then he knows he’s running out of time. Whatever he’s planning it’s going to happen soon.”

  ****

  St Mary’s Hospital ICU.

  Craig felt a hand touch his hair and even in his doze he knew that it wasn’t a threat. He half-opened his eyes to a sea of white cotton and then wider, to see the bruised, slim fingers he’d been holding all night curled inside his own. For one second he had the bliss of amnesia, but only one. Reality was all around him, in the beeps and whirrs and sterility, and in the plastic tubing keeping the woman he loved alive.

  He sat up straight and turned to find the owner of the touch. Katy’s mother smiled at him fondly and then beckoned him outside to the relatives’ room. Her voice was soft but her words were clear.

  “You need to rest, Marc.”

  He shook his head automatically but she carried on.

  “Please. Only two people can be with her at a time and
her brother really…”

  She glanced away, tears filling her eyes and he realised how selfish he was being. Katy had been a daughter and sister far longer than he’d known her and she and Rick needed to hold her hand.

  He nodded and gave a weak smile. “You’ll call me if-”

  “The second that anything changes.”

  She reached up and hugged him, smelling so like her daughter that his eyes filled with tears. He glanced away quickly, turning towards the door before she could see. He would do his crying in private; Katy needed him to be strong. Maureen Steven’s warm voice halted his exit.

  “Please rest, Marc. Don’t go back to work. They can cope without you for a while.”

  He knew that he should take her advice, but knowledge and intention were two very different things.

  ****

  The C.C.U. 1 p.m.

  Liam loped through the double-doors and dragged a chair front and centre, casting an eye around to see who was there. Davy, Annette, Rhonda, Andy and Reggie; in fact everyone except Jake and Ash. It would do, so he gave a piercing whistle for attention and waved them all to gather round.

  “OK, update time. Here’s where we are. On the Guthrie murder; we’ve narrowed the reason someone might want to frame Richard Jamison for it to revenge for something he did to someone in the past. Long story short we’ve found two suicides and one death, dismissed the death as too messy and you lot are going to tell me what you’ve found on the two DIYs.”

  Annette made a disgusted sound. “DIY! That’s horrible, Liam, even for you.”

  Liam shrugged. “Suicide means you do it yourself, correct?”

  “Yes, but-”

  “But nothing. That makes them DIYs. OK, who wants to start?” After a gap of five seconds he pointed the fickle finger of fate at Reggie. “OK, you and Andy were looking at…?”

  Reggie glanced at Andy to see if he wanted to speak first, but as his mouth was full of KitKat he waved the sergeant on.