‘But, even if we do find him, how are we going to deal with him? What are we going to do?’
‘We won’t be doing anything.’ Charlie didn’t want to push her advantage yet, but she sensed Suzanne was starting to weaken in her resolve not to take the job in Brazil. ‘You’ll be there working for Damien, remember? I’ll be there as your personal assistant, or whatever other title you want to give me. You’ll be tied up looking around the Sunshine Supplements factory. I’ll have time on my hands to sniff around and find out what I can.’ She chuckled and rubbed her hands together. ‘It will be just like the good old days in Zambia.’
Suzanne looked shocked and shuddered; and Charlie knew she’d gone too far, said the wrong thing. After all, it wasn’t she who had been kidnapped and held prisoner in a hut in the jungle. She wasn’t there when factory owner Kabwe confessed his involvement in a counterfeiting ring, before jumping to his death from her hotel balcony. Zambia had been far less pleasant for her sister than it had for her. In fact, Charlie suspected it was her experience in Zambia that made Suzanne much less willing to pursue Michael Hawkins than she herself was.
The two women decided to let the topic rest for the moment. Suzanne agreed to sleep on it and they could talk again in the morning. As Charlie said goodnight and headed to the bus-stop for the short journey to Elephant and Castle, she dared to hope her sister was coming around to her view.
The next day, Charlie was already at her desk when her sister arrived at nine o’clock. Suzanne insisted they went to work properly every weekday, even when there was nothing for them to do.
‘A routine is important,’ she’d insisted when they first talked about her leaving the European Medicines Agency and setting up the consultancy a year ago. ‘If we’re not working, we can be searching for work, pitching for projects or just keeping up to date with what’s happening in the industry.’
‘I couldn’t sleep,’ Charlie told Suzanne now. ‘I never can when Annie’s away. We’ve had a couple of emails, by the way.’ Her sister’s face had such a hopeful look, Charlie could almost hear her thoughts. If they could get some new projects, it would save them having to think again about the offer of work in Brazil. ‘The project in Canada has gone to the American consortium, I’m afraid.’
‘Well that was inevitable really.’
‘But the other one is better news. We’ve got the project in Armenia. Apparently, the team’s experience in the Former Soviet Union countries was just what they are looking for. But—’
‘Well that’s great news. That’s only a short one at the moment, but it’s the sort of project that can grow into a much bigger one. Look at the Belgian contract: a single day’s audit turned into a lucrative ten-month job for several people.’
‘Yes, and to think you almost turned that one down! But going back to Armenia, there’s going to be a bit of a delay. They’re waiting for the local project office to be set up and that’s going to take several weeks, I’m afraid. They’re asking if you can go out there for the kick-off meeting at the beginning of April.’
‘April? But that’s nearly three months away!’
‘Precisely. Which means you have no excuse for not accepting the Brazilian trip, doesn’t it?’
‘Hmm, I thought we’d get back to that sooner or later.’
‘Look, Suzanne.’ Charlie thought she would have one final go at persuading her sister to accept the offer; ‘at the very best, you visit this factory; find out it’s all above board and put our client’s mind at rest. Or you find out there’s something dodgy going on and leave him to take it from there. Meanwhile I find Michael Hawkins, get the proof that he’s Sir Fredrick Michaels—and we come home to England as heroes.’
‘And the worst case scenario?’
‘Well, it might all be a waste of time. You might not be able to get anywhere near Sunshine Supplements or Nigel Atkinson. I might not be able to track down Michael Hawkins. Or I might track him down and find out he’s a short-sighted, retired dentist from Halifax who just happened to be on a plane to Rio de Janeiro on the night Sir Fredrick Michaels disappeared. In which case we’ll have had an all-expenses-paid trip to Latin America during their autumn, which is a lovely time of year. And we’ll return home rested and slightly tanned, ready for you to head off to Armenia while I stay here and run the office.’ By now, Suzanne was grinning and Charlie knew she’d won!
‘I guess I’d better go and sort out my bikini, then, hadn’t I?’ said Suzanne.
Charlie let out a whoop.
‘And I’ll ring Damien and give him the good news,’ she said.
‘Make sure you ask him to push his friend for the results of the sample analysis. The more we know about this product, the better.’
‘Will do.’ Charlie picked up the receiver, then paused before dialling Damien’s number. ‘And you know the great thing about having a client with lots of money who doesn’t mind spending it? Decent seats on the plane! Suzanne, I reckon this is going to be a memorable trip!’
CHAPTER 4
The sisters arrived at Heathrow Terminal 4 with plenty of time to spare on the Thursday evening. Suzanne’s fear of getting stuck in traffic and missing a plane was so strong, she always allowed twice the necessary time for airport runs and although Charlie was normally mocking of what she called her sister’s ‘M25 syndrome’, on this occasion, she raised no complaints.
As Charlie had predicted after their first meeting, their client had no quibbles about the cost of this trip—in fact he’d insisted they fly business class—and hadn’t even complained much when they asked for seats on British Airways, rather than American Airlines.
Charlie seemed delighted at the opportunity to explore the facilities on offer in the lounge: lots of free food—and even a drinks cabinet. Suzanne smiled indulgently; she was much less surprised by all the goodies on offer than her sister, but it was certainly nice to be back in the place she’d lost touch with when she moved from the industry to the regulators, to become a ‘poacher turned gamekeeper’ as Charlie called it.
After a pleasant couple of hours sampling all the goodies, the word ‘boarding’ started flashing next to their flight number on the screens, and the pair headed for the departure gate. Once they were installed in their sleeper seats, Charlie started exploring once more.
‘Look, Suzanne, it goes up and down at the touch of a button.’
‘Yes, Charlie.’
‘Wow, look at the films on offer! This is great, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, Charlie.’
‘And as for this menu—oh boy, I’m going to enjoy this flight!’
‘I’d never have guessed, Charlie.’ But Suzanne was secretly delighted at her sister’s pleasure and as the plane took off and turned westward towards the Atlantic, she settled down with a book, thinking she too was going to enjoy this bit of luxury, even if the project at the end of it was a little outside her comfort zone.
When they came into the arrivals hall at Guarulhos International Airport, Damien was waiting for them. They almost missed him, so intent were they on spotting ‘the man with the buzzer’. Someone had warned them that the supposedly random way in which the green light over the exit gate turned red, signalling the need for a search of baggage by customs officials, was far from random. It was managed by one man with a control button who could change the colour at will.
‘It will be the seemingly innocent-looking one with his hands behind his back,’ Charlie had pronounced. But despite close examination of every official they passed, they were unable to spot a likely candidate, and the light stayed resolutely green as they passed under the archway.
‘Although you were acting so suspiciously,’ said Suzanne, ‘I’m really surprised you didn’t get a red light.’ The two were giggling so much, they walked right past their client, who strolled up behind them and took each one by the elbow.
‘Can I offer you a lift, ladies?’ he drawled.
‘Damien!’ shrieked Charlie, thro
wing her arms around his neck and hugging him. Suzanne suspected the effects of one too many glasses of wine and a sleepless night watching movies might be catching up with her sister, but Damien didn’t seem to mind, although he was a little pink around the gills as he turned to smile at her.
‘Hello, Damien,’ she said, offering him her hand. ‘You’ll have to excuse my sister—she’s a little over-excited. Too many E numbers on the plane.’
Damien directed them to the front of the airport and then waved across to the line of hotel limos waiting for passengers.
‘You really didn’t have to meet us,’ Suzanne said. ‘We could have found the limo on our own.’
‘Yes, I know,’ he said, ‘but it’s a long flight, I thought you might be tired, and an airport arrivals hall can be such an unfriendly place without a familiar face.’
‘Well, I’m delighted to see you,’ said Charlie, settling back into the plush leather seating. ‘And so is Suzanne, although my sister’s too much of a reserved English Rose to admit it.’
Suzanne looked daggers at Charlie, then turned to Damien with a smile.
‘Okay, boss,’ she said, ‘where do we start? Do you have a plan for getting me together with Nigel Atkinson?’
‘No,’ he said slowly, ‘I think you’re going to have to work on that yourselves.’ She looked at him in alarm but he patted her arm before continuing. ‘It’s okay, I’m not going to desert you completely. But don’t forget I’ve been talking about this company for a while, trying to get someone to believe my concerns. I think I’m probably on their undesirables list. Being seen with me is definitely not going to do your cause any good.’
‘But, I can’t just phone them out of the blue...’
‘No, I’m not expecting you to do that, but we need to find a way you can meet up with our Nigel without raising his suspicions.’
‘Well,’ said Charlie, ‘that sounds to me like a social occasion, rather than a business setting. Catch him off-duty, and off-guard, so to speak.’
Damien was nodding vigorously.
‘My thought precisely. The marathon itself isn’t until Sunday, but tomorrow there’s a fun run and an afternoon of races for the kiddies. And in the evening, there’s a reception—a sort of Meet the Sponsors session in the VIP marquee!’
‘And by any chance...?’
‘Yup, Sunshine Supplements is one of the sponsors. Nigel and his entourage will definitely be there.’
‘And can you get us in?’ Suzanne asked hopefully. Damien grinned and put his hand in his pocket. ‘Well, it so happens, I have two passes for the VIP marquee right here. All the international competitors get the chance to apply for one—and it was easy to find someone over here on their own willing to sell me his. Oh, and here’s some background reading on the race and the sponsors.’
As he handed the tickets and a thick glossy folder to Charlie, the car turned into a flower-lined drive and pulled up outside the hotel. Porters opened the doors, opened the boot, and whisked away their luggage, while a smiling doorman ushered them inside to check in. Charlie gazed up at the smoked-glass atrium, stretching through thirty or more floors; took in the piles of expensive-looking suitcases, and elegantly dressed guests; and gave a whistle.
‘I’m guessing not all your opponents are staying in places like this,’ she asked.
Damien nodded his head.
‘You’re right. The race starts and finishes at the university and most of the runners are staying nearer to the campus,’ he said. ‘In fact, although I’ve got a room here, I’m staying there some nights myself, with a few of the other Americans. Much better for morale and team spirit that way.’ He stretched and gave a yawn. ‘So, if you ladies will excuse me, I’m going to head back there. I had an early morning training session and there’s another one booked for this evening. So I’m going to take a nap while I have the chance.’
He shook their hands, but before turning away, he paused. ‘Remember, Suzanne, you’re not going to be alone over here. If you’re at all concerned at any point, just send me a signal—or text me if you don’t know where I am. I may be hidden, but I’ll be around most of the time.’ Then with a wave, he strode off across the foyer and out into the sunshine.
‘Oh dear,’ said Suzanne staring after the disappearing figure, ‘I’m not sure he’s exactly what I would look for in a crisis.’
‘What do you mean? Don’t you trust him?’
‘Oh, no, nothing like that. I think he’s completely trustworthy and,’ glancing around their luxurious surroundings, ‘the sort of client I could definitely get used to. But let’s face it; he’s little more than skin and bone under those smart clothes of his. I’m not sure I’d want to rely on him if I was in trouble.’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ came the reply from a smiling Charlie. ‘It never does to judge a book by its cover. I suspect there’s a little more to Mr Damien Bradley Smithson II than meets the eye.’
She opened the folder and was casually flicking through the glossy marketing literature. Then she froze and gave a gasp.
‘What is it, Charlie?’ Suzanne asked. Her sister held out a sheet for her to see. It was the reprint of a newspaper article.
‘It’s a piece about the race and some of the big name competitors,’ she said.
‘Yes? And..?’
‘Look at the name below this photograph.’ She pointed to the picture of a striking-looking woman in running gear. ‘Her name’s Mercy Gove Hawkins.’
‘Hawkins? It can’t be the same one. It’s not a good photo, but she looks black to me.’
‘But it’s a start, isn’t it, Suzanne? It’s better than nothing.’ Charlie rubbed her hands together. ‘As Sherlock would say, the game’s afoot.’
CHAPTER 5
‘Well, well; Michael Hawkins and brawling runners all within the space of fifteen minutes! Who’d have thought it?’ Charlie’s words, against a background of children’s races and a tannoy call for Fun Run entrants to go to the registration tent, broke into Suzanne’s thoughts and dragged her back to the present. ‘I could do with a drink. Do you reckon they’ve opened the champagne in the VIP lounge yet?’
‘Oh, I doubt it,’ said Suzanne glancing at her watch, ‘it’s only just gone eleven! But I wouldn’t say no to a coffee if there’s any going.’
‘Come on, this is Brazil; of course there’ll be coffee! But I’m still going to look for something a little stronger. I’ll see you in a bit,’ and Charlie went off in search of the refreshments tent while Suzanne headed for the sponsors’ marquee.
It’s highly unlikely Nigel Atkinson will be here this early, she thought, as she strolled across the grass, but if Sunshine Supplements has any sort of marketing department, some of the minions should be setting up the displays, ready for when the punters arrive.
It was a large marquee, covered with brightly-coloured adverts for each of the championship’s major sponsors. And there, right in the middle was the huge yellow logo of Sunshine Supplements. This looked like a good place to start.
Suzanne walked inside, helped herself to a coffee from the automatic machine and then casually glanced around to see what was going on. Along three sides of the tent, apart from where there were open flaps, long tables had been set up and teams of bright young things were putting up promotional displays, chattering all the time in a variety of languages, although Suzanne guessed Portuguese was the prominent one. She began strolling, sipping from her cup and glancing at each display in feigned interest. But as she approached the end of the tent and the one display she was really interested in, she got a surprise.
‘Oh buggeration, now what am I going to do?’ The words came from the mouth of a stunningly beautiful young woman with a head of red hair that would have done justice to any Pre-Raphaelite heroine. It was a surprise to hear the words spoken in English but even more so to hear them in a thick Belfast. Suzanne took a deep breath and stopped right by the table.
‘You sound like you’ve g
ot a problem. Can I do anything to help?’
The woman looked around, apparently startled by Suzanne’s question. Then she smiled and shook her head,
‘That’s kind of you, but unless you travel with Scotch tape in your bag, I don’t think so.’ She pulled a face and put her hands on her hips before groaning loudly. ‘I brought all the marketing stuff for the display but didn’t bring anything to fix it up. And the office is halfway across the city. It would take ages to get there. I’m going to have to go and find me a shop somewhere, I guess.’
‘This might help,’ said Suzanne, fishing into her bag and pulling out an unopened pack of Blu Tack.’ The woman looked at her in amazement and Suzanne felt compelled to explain. ‘I saw it in the shop in Heathrow and thought it might be useful. It’s got me out of all sorts of difficulties in the past.’
‘You’re a life-saver,’ grinned the woman, taking the proffered pack and then holding out her hand. ‘I’m Megan, by the way, PA to Nigel Atkinson. He’s CEO of Sunshine Supplements. And you are?’
‘Suzanne. Suzanne Jones.’ The minute the words were out of her mouth, she realised her mistake. She’d agreed her cover story with Damien and Charlie the evening before and decided she would use a false name. Well, it was too late now; but at least she remembered the rest of the story. ‘I’m a freelance sports journalist. I’m researching a story on athletes and nutrition. It’s been commissioned by one of the red tops back home; but I’m hoping we can get it syndicated too.’
‘Well, you’ve come to the right place,’ said Megan. ‘And my boss is going to want to talk to you. He really wants to make a splash over our new product.’ She opened the packet and started pulling off tiny balls of Blu Tack. ‘Look, let me get this display finished then we can go and get some lunch and you can tell me more about the story. Nigel’s going to get here around five, so I’ll introduce you to him later on.’
Deception! Page 3
