Besides, what could Mercure do with the stolen laptop? Go to the press and expose the Home Secretary’s poor security? Who would be interested in such a story? Furthermore, Mercure would end up implicating herself in the theft. Clearly, the woman was desperate, and Eve had plenty of experience in dealing with desperate women. She felt confident as she stepped out of the car and walked up to the front door.
‘Welcome to my home,’ Mercure said when she eventually opened the door. ‘Are you alone?’
‘Why wouldn’t I be?’ Eve smirked. ‘The real police are only a phone call away if I need them.’
Mercure ignored the jibe, but made a mental note to use it later if needed. She declined to offer her guest a drink, determined to remain in control of the day’s conversation. She led Eve through to the conservatory and invited her to sit down. Eve perched on the end of the wicker chair, leaving her coat on. The temperature in the room was frosty at best, although Mercure seemed quite content in her well-worn sand-coloured cardigan.
‘I have to admit that I was surprised to receive your call this morning,’ Eve continued in a confident tone. ‘It really was a shame how all that business turned out for you.’
Mercure knew the politician was trying to bait her and actually bit her tongue to avoid the temptation to bite back.
‘So are you going to tell me why you wanted to see me today?’ Eve said. ‘I had to cancel a call with the Prime Minister to be here,’ she lied. The truth was she’d had to cancel a tour of H.M.P Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight. She’d actually been quite keen to pull the plug as those visits typically ended with a questions and answers session with inmates, most of whom wanted personal hearings about their parole status. Houseman’s new bill would revolutionise the prison service in the UK.
Mercure stood up promptly and left the room, returning a moment later with a large shopping bag. ‘This was passed to me yesterday afternoon,’ she said, handing it over. ‘I believe it is yours.’
Eve opened the bag and saw her laptop inside. ‘You didn’t need to call me over to collect this. I could have sent someone to get it.’
‘I didn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands,’ Mercure said, returning to the hard-backed chair across from Partridge. ‘God only knows what kind of secrets it must be hiding.’
‘Secrets?’
‘Government policies, security protocols, things like that. You hear stories in the press all the time about computers being left on trains and the like, and suddenly the contents are leaked to the public. I wanted to make sure nothing like that happened here.’
‘You said this was passed to you, by who?’
‘It was passed to a friend of mine who passed it to me. I thought you’d want it back as soon as possible.’
‘This laptop wasn’t left on a train; it was stolen from my office yesterday afternoon by a homeless girl.’
‘Stolen?’ Mercure gasped. ‘Oh gosh, well thank heavens I was able to get it back for you. I dread to think where it might have ended up.’
Eve watched her carefully. She was certain Mercure was acting, but she couldn’t understand why. ‘Well thank you for doing your duty,’ she said, standing quickly and placing the bag in her right hand. ‘I’ll have to nominate you for a community service award or something. You never know, you might even get your picture in the Echo.’ She turned to leave the cold conservatory, but noticed Mercure had yet to move.
‘There was another thing,’ Mercure said. ‘The person who passed me the laptop gave me these as well.’
Eve stopped still, suddenly panicked about what Mercure had been holding back all this time. She urged herself to turn around. Mercure was holding a stack of pages in her hand. Eve was certain only the laptop had been taken, so was curious to know what Mercure thought she had. She continued to stare at Mercure, waiting for her to continue.
‘Here take them,’ Mercure said thrusting the pages forward.
‘What are they? What makes you think they’re mine?’
‘Well I’m pretty sure they’re yours. It’s just…the person who gave them to me, he said he’d accessed the computer’s hard drive and…to cut a long story short he printed these off. I thought you should have them back. He assures me he only printed one copy of each, and I’m inclined to believe him.’
‘What are they?’
‘Oh they’re various documents, email communications, some bank statements I think. To be honest he said they were quite a challenge to find as they’d been deleted from their original location, but he tells me that nothing ever really gets deleted from a computer’s hard drive. I never knew that, did you? But yes, apparently files can be retrieved even after a hard drive has been wiped. It’s incredible isn’t it? Anyway, he said these were the only fragments he could find, but they do make quite interesting reading. I mean, if I were a suspicious sort of person I’d go so far as to say you’ve been quite a naughty girl.’
Eve’s eyes narrowed, as her mind tried to recall what files had been on the laptop before she had reformatted the hard drive. She also wondered how much of what Mercure was saying was bluff. There was only one way to find out. She lowered the bag to the floor and returned to the wicker chair, accepting the pile of pages from Mercure. Her worst fears were confirmed.
‘The thing is, Eve, do you mind if I call you Eve? The thing is, Eve, I was never totally convinced that Paul Burns was smart enough to mastermind the events on that day in May. I mean you seemed to buy the story straight away, but there was always a voice in the back of my head telling me that something wasn’t quite right. Not that I had the opportunity to look any further into it; the disciplinary commission saw to that.’
Mercure paused to allow her words to sink in. Partridge was still looking at the pages in her hands, her face growing paler every time she turned over a new page.
‘I know, Eve…I know about your involvement in the Parvon Trading Company; I know about the cocaine distribution network you have set up with Jock McManus and Victor Stratovsky; I know that you manipulated yourself into overseeing Operation Fortress to steer eyes away from what you are doing; I know that you are part of an organisation that calls itself The Cadre; I know it all.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Eve said quickly, but her confident tone was gone.
‘Oh, I think you do Home Secretary. In fact I think you know a lot more than you’re letting on. I think you’re up to your neck in all this, and the sooner you start talking to me, the sooner we can bring an end to all of this.’
‘All of this? All of what? What do you think you have here?’ Eve demanded. ‘Some emails? Some bank statements? This proves nothing.’ Eve began to laugh. ‘Is this why you invited me here today? You thought if you showed me some private documents that I’d deleted, I’d crack and spill the beans? Did you really think that would work? You certainly can’t use these pages in any kind of trial. They’ll be inadmissible. But then you know that, so let me guess…you’re recording our conversation, right? You thought I’d break and start confessing to all this…this…nonsense? Shame on you!’
‘No, Home Secretary, shame on you! How could you do it? Why did you do it? Do you realise the number of innocent people your actions have impacted? And for what? Money? Fame? What did they promise you to betray your country?’
Eve erupted out of her chair, flinging the papers at Mercure. ‘Betray my country? How dare you! Everything I’ve done has been for the good of my country! You think you know what’s going on? You think that what we’ve been doing has been for anything but the good of this country? You have no idea what’s going on!’
Mercure bolted to her feet, so the women were less than an inch apart. ‘I know that The Cadre were responsible for the murder of former Prime Minister Edward Dreyfus! How was that for the good of this country?’
‘Dreyfus was weak! This country needed a leader who wouldn’t be afraid to fight the war on terror. Tom Houseman is that leader!’
‘Is Houseman involved too? Is he part of your group?’<
br />
Eve was about to shout out confirmation when she caught herself. ‘I don’t have time for your crazy conspiracy, Mercure. There’s a reason you were removed from your post, and, unless I’m very much mistaken, you have yet to be reinstated, so I question why you’re even leading an investigation. Impersonating an officer is still a crime in this country. I wonder what D.C.I. Naomi Payne would have to say.’
‘Why don’t we ask her? Why don’t we call those real police of yours and find out exactly what they have to say about your clandestine meetings with McManus?’
‘Jock McManus is a legitimate businessman and philanthropist. You have nothing on him.’
‘Would you stake your future on it?’
‘You can’t threaten me, Mercure. If you had any tangible evidence you’d have taken it higher already and I’d already be in cuffs. You’ll never stop them.’
‘Oh, I can assure you that I will bring this conspiracy to a conclusion. The question is: which side of the table are you going to be on when the shit hits the fan? I am giving you the opportunity to save your own skin here. Help me to stop them. Tell me what you know and I can protect you.’
‘Ha! How can you protect anyone? What are you suggesting? Hiding me in your loft? There’s nowhere I can go where they won’t find me. The world is changing Mercure. I’ve chosen which side I’m going to be on.’
‘You’re wrong, Home Secretary. Believe it or not, there are still some good people out there who cannot be bought. You were right, I am recording our conversation. Regardless of whether it’s admissible in court, I’m sure the tabloids would have a field day with it. Added to the documents recovered from your hard drive, The Cadre’s secrecy is about to evaporate. Imagine what the group will do to you when they find out you’re the source. You think they’ll protect you?’ Mercure shook her head and tutted. ‘They didn’t hesitate to execute Dreyfuss, do you honestly believe they’d think twice before eliminating you?’
Eve paused as she began to realise her predicament. Pragmatic as ever, her mind raced with ways she could talk herself out of the mess, but she reached the same conclusion each time. She slumped back into the wicker chair and covered her face with her hands.
‘I’ll put the kettle on,’ Mercure said, unable to hide the smile on her face.
43
‘Would you boys like another cup of tea?’ Mrs Jenson asked, pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose.
‘That’d be champion,’ White replied cheerily, lifting his cup.
‘I’ll get you some more biscuits too,’ she said, collecting the plate of crumbs from the edge of the table.
‘I can’t believe you’re taking advantage of pensioners now too,’ Kyle said, after Mrs Jensen had left the small room.
‘Is it my fault if she wants to be maternal, man?’
‘Mercure said we were to collect the laptop and park down the road. She didn’t say we should make ourselves at home in her neighbour’s back room.’
‘Ah, give over, man! Are you telling me you’d rather be freezing your knackers off in the car? It’s warm and comfortable in here and we have our own personal hostess bringing us refreshments. If only all surveillance operations were this good, eh?’
‘You didn’t have to ask her for biscuits, Guv. I can’t believe you finished off the last plate. Did you miss breakfast or something?’
‘Breakfast? This is elevenses, man!’
Mrs Jensen shuffled back into the room, her slippers scraping along the worn carpet like she was using them as ice skates. She placed the plate of bourbons back on the edge of the table and shuffled back towards the kitchen.
‘Bourbons this time; you’re really spoiling us now, Mrs Jenson,’ White shouted after her.
‘There’s no need for sarcasm, Guv.’
‘Who’s being sarcastic, man? I love me a good bourbon biscuit!’
‘Hey, listen up,’ Kyle said. ‘It sounds like Mercure’s back in the room now.’
White put his headset back on and began to listen intently. Kyle picked up his pen and began to scribble notes once more. This was the second beverage break that the two women had taken. After the first breather, Partridge had said she would only speak if she was guaranteed immunity from prosecution. Mercure had reminded her that she was no longer empowered to prosecute any misbehaviour, nor to make any deals. The Home Secretary hadn’t let it go, though. Eventually, Mercure had promised that Partridge would be given protection, and would be omitted from any potential prosecution. Partridge had seemed reluctant to speak at first, but by the time Mercure began asking specific questions about The Chairman, the politician was in full flow.
‘I think he’s suffering from a Napoleon complex,’ Eve said. ‘I truly believe he sees himself as the world’s new leader!’
‘And the rest of the group are content with that outcome?’ Mercure asked.
Eve smirked. ‘I wouldn’t say that. The Chairman brought us all together and so far his plans have worked near perfectly. Secretly, every member of the inner sanctum imagines toppling The Chairman when the time is right. They’re happy for him to lead the charge for now, but once the new war ends and Britain emerges as the keystone of the New World Order, that’s when they’ll battle it out for top spot. Dillinger, the Head of the Security Services, is the one he should watch out for.’
‘Do you think he suspects?’
Eve frowned. ‘He’s not a stupid man, despite his poor education. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s keeping dossiers on each member, ready to scupper their plans.’
‘You make him sound like J. Edgar Hoover.’
‘That’s a pretty good comparison,’ Eve nodded. ‘He’s incredibly paranoid, and he’s a real Machiavellian character. I’m convinced there’s more going on behind those eyes than he lets on.’
‘How many times have you met him?’
‘Probably half a dozen times.’
‘When was the first time?’
‘November last year. I was still recovering from that incident in Cannes. I was at a function in London when he approached me and invited me to dinner. I didn’t know who he was at first, so I politely declined his offer. He turned up at my office in Southampton a week later, by which time I’d learned a little about his background. He spoke quite candidly about his passion for politics and how he wanted to extend a hand of support to my next electoral campaign. What could I say? He was a rich and powerful man. He told me he could see a bright future for me and, do you know what, I was flattered that somebody was finally speaking positively about me and my career.’
‘Did he tell you of his plans from the outset?’
‘No, no, not in so many words. We met again a couple of months later and it went from there. He introduced me to Santiago Hernandez; he’s the head of a major Columbian cartel. Hernandez introduced me to McManus, and the rest you already know.’
‘We’ll come back to that part later on. First I want to know what The Cadre are planning next. We know they are behind the explosion in Newham yesterday afternoon. What I don’t understand is why.’
‘Everything happens for a reason, Mercure. I must admit I’m not aware of every last detail of what is planned. Don’t forget, I’m not part of the inner sanctum. That’s reserved for the major players.’
‘Houseman?’
Eve nodded. ‘Yes, I report to him, and he reports to The Chairman.’
‘So does Houseman know what is planned?’
‘I doubt it,’ Eve said sipping from her mug. ‘I think the only person who knows everything is The Chairman himself. It’s safer that way.’
‘You must know something that we can look into.’
‘I told you before: I won’t go on the record until you provide me with a signed immunity agreement. I will give you background information now, but that’s all.’
‘So give me some information!’
‘All I know is that The Chairman believes the world is over-populated. He plans to reduce the global population before the New W
orld Order arrives.’
‘Reduce it how?’
‘How do you think? He’s invested millions in D.N.A research, with a view to developing weapons that target specific gene pools and ethnic groups. The Ebola outbreak in West Africa earlier this year; you think that was an accident? The Centre for Disease Control in New York City had an unreported break-in at the start of the year. What they have failed to advise the public is what was stolen from their supposedly secure facility. That’s just the start!’
‘Oh, please, you must think I was born yesterday!’
‘You don’t believe me?’
‘Let’s just say I’m treating this with the wise cynicism of an experienced detective.’
‘I’m not lying to you. I told you before: this thing is bigger than you and me.’
Kyle felt his mobile vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the message. It was from Kate, asking him to call her urgently. ‘I need to make a call, Guv. Are you okay taking over the note-taking for a minute?’
White nodded. Kyle removed his headset and stepped out of the back room, and into the rear garden. He dialled Kate. ‘Hey, what’s up? I can’t really talk now as I’m working.’
‘Listen very carefully Detective Sergeant Davies,’ Kate replied.
‘Hey, what’s going on?’ he interrupted, surprised by her sharp tone.
‘Shut up and listen! I am sending you a video. I want you to watch it and phone me straight back.’
The line went dead and a moment later a video message began to download. Kyle opened the image and was stunned to see two naked individuals cavorting on a bed. He knew who they were even before the moment when his own face came into camera shot. The ten second clip ended with the words ‘Call me’ flashing on the screen. He took several quick breaths as he tried to stem the urge to throw up on Mrs Jenson’s herb garden. He wanted to throw the phone to the floor and stamp on it until it was nothing but scrap. He knew that phoning Kate back would only make matters worse, but not phoning could have even more serious repercussions. He hit redial.
Double Cross: A gripping political thriller (The Cadre Book 3) Page 28