by Tomson Cobb
‘I said cut the crap, Jago. We’re on the same side for God’s sake. Sure, I’ve been cut some slack on this, for now at least. It’ll still be the end of my career if I get this wrong, so you have the advantage on me now. If you want to let GCHQ know about my visit here it’s your choice, but it won’t do either of our employers any good, I tell you that. No doubt you can back it up with images of me here from your recently upgraded CCTV system.’
‘You have done your homework Tony. I’m impressed. So what did you find out that doesn’t fit the present scenario?’
‘That your wife wasn’t killed by accident. She was murdered. What I also worked out was she and her father ran an intelligence outfit funded by the UK government. Whether the two are linked I’m not sure.’
The American folded his arms as he sat back into the soft leather of the armchair, his dramatic statement complete as he watched for the reaction. Jago felt his heart sink. What he’d started to believe himself had now been confirmed by someone else who had access to a wider range of information sources. It also blew the cover right off Chiltern University Press like an IED.
‘So nobody else knows about this? You haven’t mentioned it to your people, Toye or anyone else in his team?’
‘Absolutely not. When Tom Bryan got taken out, then Thompson Senior got hit, I knew I was onto something so I dug some more. I accessed some servers out west with data that even the President doesn’t know about. Found some unusual correlations between your wife’s travels and MI6 operations in a few far pavilions.’
‘You’re a fan of Margaret Kaye, I see. She wrote some other excellent adventure novels apart from that one, you know. Real page-turners they were,’ said Jago. He was concerned, yet also felt a strange sense of relief that someone else apart from himself knew that his wife’s death wasn’t accidental.
‘The one about The Great Game we all know about in our business, Jago.’
Shapiro flashed a trial smile, which Jago returned. The tension was now eased between them. Was it accidental or by design, Jago wondered. Suspicion was always part of his nature unfortunately.
Shapiro continued. ‘When you met the Yamada family, it reactivated my memory cells. We had an operation in Seoul a few years ago that Hiro Yamada was involved in indirectly. Connecting the dots after that was easy.’
‘So you know all this yet you haven’t reported it to your boss? Why?’
‘I’ll get to that. I now know that Chetwynd are building the same organisation in the States. Problem is, I don’t know who to trust with the information. You, I believe I can. Can we work together on this?’
‘I think it’s an offer I can’t refuse. Maybe two cynical heads are better than one, as you say. Where do we go from here? Who’s in the frame as far as you’re concerned?’
‘I want you to come over to Washington. There’s someone over there I want you to interview. I’ll tell Toye we need you to follow up on a few potential persons of interest there in the same investigation you’ve all been involved in so far. Now that it involves our part of the world as well, I’ll tell him that I’ll brief you and be responsible for what you do when you get there. You’ll keep him up-to-date as well of course. Here’s some background.’ Shapiro pulled a sheaf of folded papers from inside his jacket and put them down on the table. Jago decided they could wait while he pressed Shapiro on the more important part of the statement he’d been presented with.
‘Sounds good. So you believe Chetwynd killed my wife?’
‘Yeah. Not because they knew about Chiltern University Press. She just got involved in another scam in Africa that they’d put together with their pals in China.’
‘That’s the conclusion I’ve come to as well, but what I want to know is who murdered her then?’
‘I think someone put a contract out on her and whoever that was, they may have enlisted the same killer that’s been active here this last week.’
‘So it wasn’t me they wanted to kill after all, you think. Why do you say that?’
‘Same MO. Well, that’s not exactly true as she doesn’t use the same method for any of her jobs,’ said Shapiro.
‘That’s what Toye said as well. You mean that’s the pattern? No pattern?’
‘Right on buddy. She likes to make each hit different. Almost like a chef—’
‘Or an artist?’ interrupted Jago.
‘Sure. She takes pride in her work. A perfectionist in a peculiar way.’
‘What do you have on her that Toye hasn’t told me?’
‘Not much. White, could be southern European. Multilingual, in her thirties, able to change her appearance like a chameleon. Very attractive. Certainly to men, maybe also to women.’
‘You mean she’s bi?’ asked Jago, intrigued.
‘Could be. She likes to have sex with some of her victims before she kills them. That’s why she’s called La Polpo.’
Jago frowned. ‘Toye mentioned. Why that?’
‘The Octopus,’ explained Shapiro. ‘Some of the species have a tendency to kill their partners after sex. She got the nickname from our people after she made a hit on a woman delegate at a conference in New Orleans. Should be La Poulpe in Creole. Our boys preferred the simpler Italian version. We believe she sometimes turns down assignments if she’s not attracted to the target.’
‘I wish I could have that choice. Okay. When do we leave?’ Jago stood to end the discussion. Shapiro heaved himself out of the chair and pointed to the documents on the table.
‘They should give you the background you need. I’m going back tonight on a company jet. I’d have to answer too many questions so I can’t take you with me on that, which means you’ll have to make your own way to DC by Friday on a scheduled flight. I’ll have one of my team pick you up there when you arrive. I can’t pay for your flight either… I can organise a safe house though.’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll charge it to Toye on expenses. What’s the plan of action?’
‘I’ll call you with details. Toye tells me you have a fully encrypted cell?’
‘I do.’
‘Okay, Jago. Welcome aboard. I’m glad to have someone else to unload on.’
‘Me too, Tony. What do you think Chobi? Can we work with this guy?’ Jago looked down at the dog. She looked back at him, then up at the large American who offered the back of his hand. She accepted his tentative approach without a problem, so he followed it up with a pat on the back of her head.
‘Looks like you’ve now passed the most important test, Tony.’ They shook as Jago showed Shapiro out of the door into the mews.
Once he was back inside the house he returned Steve’s call. The conversation lasted almost twenty minutes, ending with the promise by his friend to send over some articles the BBC had produced that related to the mercenary group.
Jago decided to eat out. With the thought of the killer’s nickname in his head, he wondered if he would even be able to look at seafood in the same way again.
Chapter 14
Jago had never spent much time in the offices of Chiltern University Press, either before Frankie was killed or since, despite Thompson’s repeated pleas. It was located in a converted farm near Bourne End, an attractive small town on the Thames, conveniently situated near the M40 motorway. The old building looked very authentic with lots of wooden beams, original metalwork and surrounded by fields, which wasn’t to Jago’s taste though. He was more of a city person.
He opened the rear door to let the dog jump down and waited while she ran to the nearest piece of grass to relieve herself, with a haste that must have come from relief, as they’d been delayed in traffic caused by an accident.
They were greeted in the plush reception area by Hugh Colvin.
‘Hello Chob. I haven’t seen you for a while. Jago. Glad you could both make it. How is she, Jago? I hear she was in a bad way when you found her at Sammy’s place?’
‘She’s fine now, Hugh, thanks. The wound’s healed pretty well.’
‘That’s a rel
ief. Charles is already here. Since we met at the hospital I haven’t heard any more about Frank, in case you were about to ask,’ Colvin offered as he led Jago and his canine partner to the antique oak staircase.
‘I was about to. They told me he should have been dead by now except for the fact that he’s a tough old bugger. I suppose you know that, you’ve worked for him for so long after all. Were you under his command in the Paras as well?’ Jago said.
‘No. I was in another regiment. We came across each other on a number of occasions in various hot spots around the world. He could certainly look after himself, you’re right about that. Got a medal for one particular action in the Falklands that didn’t get any publicity.’
Colvin didn’t elaborate, so Jago didn’t pursue the question as his host pushed open the door to a small conference room.
‘Hello Jago. Terrible situation isn’t it? I see you’ve brought an old member of our office team with you today.’
Charles Bonner was his usual urbane self. Dressed in maroon slacks, immaculate white shirt under a fawn linen jacket, he looked every bit the distinguished senior diplomat, a position he’d held in three different countries. As they shook hands, Jago realised the OCD had returned. Despite his attempt to quell the various habits that it created, he still couldn’t stop himself as he counted whether the number of buttons on Bonner’s shirt added up to an odd or even number. He diverted his gaze away from the shirt to watch with anticipation as Bonner bent down to welcome the dog. She in turn stared up at him in a noncommittal way.
‘I have indeed, Charles. How has Tom’s wife taken it?’
‘She’s beside herself with grief, poor girl. The kids as well. Frank told us he planned to tell you about his hobby as a womanizer. Did he?’
‘Yes. He came to my place just before he was attacked. He said he had a PI check him out not long ago but Five weren’t informed.’
‘That’s right. Security came first. Frank felt that as few people as possible should know about our side operations here. I contacted the PM when I heard about the attempt on Frank’s life from Hugh here. The PM called in the DG, Howard Frobisher, to Number Ten. He’s now been added to the very small group of people that knows about our external activities within the intelligence community. He got one of his top people to check out this woman. Didn’t tell her why, just that Frank was indirectly involved in your fracas with Chetwynd,’ said Bonner.
‘Fracas? They tried to kill me in Hong Kong then Japan, two deaths here, Sammy, Bryan and now Yamada and his daughter, plus an attempt on Frank’s life. All CUP people. Even without the personal side of the contract that was out on me it’s more than a fracas, Charles. Come on now, someone else in the Service must have put two and two together.’
‘All hell broke loose in Downing Street, sure. Frank told them that the story should be that CUP had got caught up in a Chinese commercial deal in Africa that went wrong. That’s what they told the Cobra committee,’ said Colvin.
‘Whether Frobisher can keep this under wraps now he’s also been briefed we don’t know. We have too much at stake if he can’t. If our people around the world are compromised, that’s the end of this organisation,’ Bonner added.
‘That’s what I wanted to ask about. Frank told me when I came back from Japan that only the head of Six knew about you guys, yet you’ve just told me that Frobisher is also in on the secret?’ Jago said.
‘At that point it was correct. He didn’t know. He was put in the picture when Frank learned about Tom’s other life,’ Colvin said, with a glance at Bonner that Jago didn’t follow up on. He just noted it.
‘How many others?’
‘That’s all, Jago,’ Bonner said. ‘We have to keep the need-to-know group strictly controlled. You must realise that.’
‘I do. It’s why I wasn’t let in on the secret for years, after all. Okay. Let’s leave that alone for now. Back to Chetwynd. What have you done about Hordiyenko?’
‘Very little yet. We rather thought you’d want to be involved. With Frank comatose and Tom dead, we’re now somewhat understaffed. Frank wanted you to join us Jago, you know that. Will you?’
Jago’s response was delayed by a knock on the door as the receptionist stepped in.
‘I’m sorry Mr Colvin. I know you didn’t want to be disturbed but I have the hospital on the line. They need to talk to you urgently.’
‘Put them through here please Suzanne,’ said Colvin. They looked at each other. Each suspected the worst as he took the call in silence. ‘Thank you.’ It was all he said before he replaced the handset.
‘He’s passed away. Looks like he had a coronary. They couldn’t save him.’ He looked down at the table in front of him as his fingers drummed a melody known only to himself, like indecipherable Morse.
‘Damnation.’ Jago broke the silence. ‘He was a good man that I didn’t spend enough time with. In fact, I didn’t get to know him at all.’ He sat back in his chair.
‘Maybe that was partly his fault as well, Jago. Don’t beat yourself up.’ Bonner was now on his feet, one hand to his forehead, the other in his pocket as he strode around the small space. He sounded as if he was the senior man in the room, which Jago realised he probably was. ‘Look. We need to make some decisions that are overdue. We need you to join us now. We can’t pull in anyone from the outside at this stage of the business. You know about the trade as well, from both sides of the counter.’
‘At other times I might argue that with you Charles, but now I have to say I think you’re right. I can’t let the murders of the three people that meant the most to me go unpunished.’
‘Thank you, Jago,’ said Bonner. ‘From our point of view, with Tom gone, we need another experienced hand in here. Frank wanted you to become CEO anyway.’
‘That’s also troubled me, Charles. Bryan must have been pissed off when he heard that. Was he?’ He looked at Colvin, who seemed a little uncomfortable.
‘Well, he said not although I felt that all wasn’t right quite a while ago. Frank called him and me into his office a few months ago. Told us he wanted you in here. Tom didn’t say anything for a minute or so, then replied that he agreed. I knew him better than Frank so I wasn’t sure he was so enthusiastic about the idea,’ Colvin said.
‘Knew him better? What do you mean?’ Jago asked.
Colvin glanced sideways again at Bonner. ‘Well…’
‘I’ll answer that,’ said Bonner from the other end of the room. ’Jago, Hugh came to me a while ago when he first found out about Tom’s extramarital exploits. He knew Frank had a soft spot for Bryan so he felt uncomfortable raising the subject with him. Now he’s not with us it can be brought out into the open.’
‘What did you do?’
‘We both agreed that Frank’s judgement might have been affected by the loss of Francesca. The work on Chetwynd was too important to ignore the problem or keep it under wraps, so I’m sorry to say I went behind Frank’s back to speak to the PM myself. It was the only time I ever I did that, as it’s my responsibility to look at the bigger picture because I’m the only NED in CUP. I told the PM we needed to advise Frobisher so he could get Five to check out Bryan on the quiet. I regret now that Frank didn’t know about it but at the time I felt we had no choice. We had to find out whether Tom had been blown, or worse, was playing for the other team.’
‘Shit. What made you think that?’
‘He’d been acting erratically,’ said Colvin. ‘He’d also started drinking again after five years on the wagon. He thought I didn’t know but it was hard not to see the signs. I had a word with Janet and she confirmed my fears. When he heard I’d spoken to her, he went berserk. Told me I had no right to talk to his wife behind his back. Called me names I’d never heard before.’
‘So you see, Jago. The situation wasn’t easy for Hugh to handle on his own. He was absolutely right to contact me.’
‘I see. Okay then. If I’m to play a part in CUP from now on, what do you have in mind?’ asked Jago.
‘We’ve both discussed this already. With Frank gone now as well, in a way it makes the story more credible. We’ll announce that, as the last family member, you’ll join Chiltern as joint CEO with Hugh. He’ll run the operational side while you, as the major shareholder, will still operate as an investigative journalist as well.’
‘I’m not sure that will go down so well with my friends in the media. Anyway what do you mean, major shareholder? I’ve just got Frankie’s shares. That’s thirty per cent.’
‘Frank willed his shares to you as well, Jago,’ said Bonner. ‘He did this quite a while ago. That’s another forty per cent which now gives you seventy per cent of the business. He told me he didn’t want them to go to anyone else.’
‘That was kind of him. I didn’t know that. He did hint at it the last two times we met though, now I think back. Said he was past it. I didn’t believe he was of course. Still, that’s quite a responsibility for me. I’ve never run or even worked for a company this size.’
‘That’s why Hugh will be the COO as well as joint CEO. He has experience of both sides of the business. We also have a very fine team in the company that knows nothing of our covert side. This is still a profitable book business, you know. The clandestine side doesn’t bring in any dosh… well, I must qualify that, it does. From the government. However, let’s discuss that another time.’
‘Who are the rest of the shareholders?’ Jago said.
‘Tom and Hugh had ten per cent each, I have five, the other five is in share options for employees. Under the terms of the shareholder agreement, Tom’s shares will now be purchased by the company at a more then generous price with the proceeds going to his wife, then they’ll go into the options bank. Before you ask, Janet Bryan and her kids will be well looked after apart from the money from the shares, so don’t worry about that.’
‘That’s good to hear. Whatever he got up to, it wasn’t their fault.’
‘We’ll get the lawyers on it straightaway, then we want to put out a press release as soon as possible, Jago. You okay with that?’ Colvin said.
