by Andrea Hicks
‘No, I don’t think so. Why?’
‘Because it will hopefully make my job easier if it isn’t.’
‘Where are you going to look?’
‘Everywhere.’
‘So what now?’ asks Tom, after I’ve told him and Leo what Rochelle told me.
‘I need to find out what happened to my father.’
‘How will you do that?’
I shrug, the weight of the seemingly impossible task sitting heavily on my shoulders. ‘I don’t know.’
‘Maybe you should work backwards,’ says Leo.
‘What d’you mean?’
‘Start from now, and work back through everything that’s happened to you and everything you know. By the sound of it your aunt has told you more than you’ve ever known about your father.’
‘I thought we had the same name. I didn’t know what he did for a living. Things were quiet at home. Mum always said Dad was working on something important. He was always working on something important.’
We go quiet. It occurs to me that I should confront Edward Spencer, but if I do I might show my hand too soon.
‘I should go.’ I get up and head towards the corridor outside.
‘Go where?’ says Leo.
‘Away from here. Somewhere where I can think about the next step. I must find out what happened to my dad, and then perhaps I’ll find him. I’ve always had this feeling inside that he’s still alive. If he is I have some questions for him.’
Leo and Tom look at each other. ‘We’d like to help,’ says Leo.
‘Why? Do you really want to get involved in all this. You could get killed. Don’t forget they shot at me in a busy street. They don’t care. They’re thugs and they look the part.’
‘I know what they look like, Nina. I come into contact with men like that every day. It’s part of my job.’
‘Well, what about you, Tom. I know you’re part of the team here, but you work on the tech side, don’t you?’
‘Yeah, and I can use it to help you. Let us help you.’ I say nothing. ‘You won’t do it on your own. I know where to look.’
I take a breath. I want to trust them. I have a real need to trust someone. ‘Why would you put yourself in the firing line. You could lose your jobs.’
Leo nods. ‘We know that, but I have a feeling this is kind of important.’
‘Can I trust you not to turn me in? I’ve not found too much help from anyone lately.’
‘You can trust us,’ says Tom. ‘We won’t let you down. Don’t forget, we’ve got nothing to gain by turning you in. I know there’s a reward, but honestly,’ he shrugs, ‘it means nothing to us. It’s just money. This sounds far more interesting.’
I can’t help but grin. I nod my acceptance, and unfamiliar feeling of relief washes over my skin. ‘Okay.’
Chapter 18
Leo says I should go back to the kitchen and bite the bullet until Tom can come up with something. This wasn’t what I’d planned, not least because of the way I spoke to the woman in charge of catering, but because I’m not sure how I’m going to going to get in. I tell Leo my fears.
‘Hang on,’ he says, taking the stairs two at a time. ‘I’ll get my electronic pass, then you can slide in as if nothing’s happened.’
‘What about Cecily?’ I ask him as we walk swiftly through the garden to the French doors of number ten.’
‘I’ve been thinking about that,’ he answers as he sweeps the card past the electronic lock. ‘I think you should let her see you.’
I frown at him. This is the last thing I want to do. I’ve spent the last week running away from her. ‘Why would I do that?’
‘Don’t you want to know what she’s after?’
‘What makes you think she’s after something?’
‘Because you’re not dead.’
I step into the corridor. ‘What?’
‘Look, she could have taken you out at any time. You went to see her in her apartment. She didn’t arrest you. You say you were shot at, yet here you are. They’re trained marksmen, not the kind that miss. Honestly, I think you need to ask some questions about her role in this.’
‘Her role? You don’t think she’s out to kill me like Cain said?’
Leo shook his head. ‘I don’t know, Nina. It’s worth testing it, don’t you think?’
‘Not if she puts a bullet in me.’
‘She won’t. Go to the kitchen and just do what you have to do. I’ll get changed and I’ll come down to the basement.’
‘I’ll have to clear after breakfast. Cecily and her girlfriend will be there.’
‘So will I.’
Dimitri scratches his head as I go back into the kitchen looking perplexed.
‘Are you here or are you not? If not I’ll have to get one of the others in.’
‘I’m here,’ I say, trying to look nonchalant as if nothing has happened. ‘What’s to be done?’
‘They’ve gone into the dining room for breakfast. They’ll finish in about twenty minutes, then we need to clear the room. Ava isn’t happy.’
‘Who the hell’s Ava?’
‘The woman you swore at. She says she’s going to speak to the PM about the way you spoke to her. Everyone knows he hired you and it’s kind of not gone down too well. She usually does the hiring and she feels he’s usurped her position.’
I shrug and glance at him as I begin to stack some of the crockery. ‘Usurped, eh. I don’t care.’
He raises is eyebrows. ‘You should care if you want to keep your job.’
‘Well there’s the rub, Dimitri. I don’t.’
He pulls a face and follows me with his eyes as I stack the dishwasher. ‘Huh. What are you doing here then?’
I sigh and close my eyes, letting my chin fall to my chest. I’m exhausted. All I want is to lie down somewhere and sleep. I slept last night but it wasn’t enough. ‘I’m a temp, okay. That’s all, just a temp. No one has to worry about their job. I’m not going to be here long.’ I raise my eyes and look at him and he shakes his head. ‘With a bit of luck,’ I say under my breath.
‘I don’t understand,’ he says, shaking his head as though he things I’m utterly mad. ‘Anyone would kill to work here.’
I chuckle to myself thinking how easily people use that word. ‘Is that right?’
Leo comes into the kitchen and smiles at Dimitri.
‘Hello, mate. Got anything spare?’
Dimitri laughs. ‘You’re always so bloody hungry, Baxter. What’s wrong with you? You got worms?’
‘I’m a growing lad. Need to keep up the calories. Anyway, what’s happening now? The PM finished yet?’
‘They’re in the dining room.’ Dimitri looks at his phone. ‘We will go now and begin to clear. Come on, Louise.’ Leo raises his eyebrows and follows us out of the kitchen as we make our way to the lift, pushing trollies. Dimitri frowns when he sees Leo behind us. ‘You coming too, Baxter? Why’s that?’
‘Special detail.’ He stares Dimitri down and doesn’t blink once.
‘Oh. Okay. If you say so. Bit strange. You’ve never done it before.’
‘First time for everything, Dimitri.’
Before we get to the dining room, Leo pulls me to one side.
‘Tom’s found something.’
‘Already.’
‘That trial you told us about, the one for trying to find a vaccine against cystic fibrosis. There’s a list of all the scientists who worked on it. Trouble is it’s classified, but Tom’s working on it. If anyone can crack it, he can. That’s why he works for the government. He’s shit-hot. Like I said, we need to work backwards. When you’ve finished today, write down everything that’s happened to you since you were taken to Plan Bee. Then we’ll look at it together to see if anything jumps out.’
I lean my head to one side as I look up at him. He’s tall, big, but such a gentle guy. Feelings of safety have begun to creep in when I’m with him, and it feels so good.
‘Do you mind me asking?’
‘What?’
‘Why are you and Tom helping me? No one wants to be on my side. It’s like I’ve got the plague instead of potentially being able to help people.’ I shake my head and sigh, the warm fuzzy feelings rapidly disappearing. I don’t understand why you and Tom are so eager to help?’
‘We saw the news, heard what they said about you, and now we’ve met you. What they said was utter bullshit. It pisses me off because this happens time and time again on the media. It happens to the PM too, fabricated crap that ruins peoples lives. He gets paid to take the flak, but you don’t. We don’t think you’ve done anything wrong except possibly being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You didn’t even know your blood was potentially a lifesaver.’
‘Or a life taker. They see me as a threat to the population. And what with the bee population decreasing and pollination reducing they’re worried there won’t be enough food to go around.’
‘Louise.’ Dimitri comes to the door and calls me into the dining room. ‘We have work to do. Ava is waiting for you.’
I glance up at Leo. ‘Oh, shit. My biggest fan.’
Chapter 19
As I walk into the dining room I feel like Daniel walking into the den of lions. Cecily Cunningham is sitting at the table talking to the Prime Minister. She is sideways on, her napkin across her lap and her elbow is on the back on the chair. She’s leaning her head against her hand, and everything looks very cosy. Simone Deveraux is next to her. She is picking at her food and doesn’t look pleased, probably because Cecily has her back to her, almost ignoring her.
Simone glances up as I walk into the room. She is attractive, almost feline in appearance. Her eyes are almond shaped, narrowed and flinty now, and she is watching me like a cat eyeing a mouse. I can see what Dimitri means about her dressing like a porn star. She wears a suit, but not like Cecily. Hers is bright red, cinched in at the waist with a shiny black belt, and the skirt is thigh skimming, not the kind of thing you would expect someone to wear to a meeting with a prime minister. A pair of red killer heels completes the picture. Dimitri is quietly removing the empty plates while Ava offers more food to the guests. When she sees me she slithers up to me like a snake.
‘Go to the opposite side of the table and do what Dimitri is doing,’ she says. ‘Except you must also offer more food. If they require it, serve them from the trolley.’ She inclines her head to a huge stainless-steel food warmer. ‘And make sure you get no complaints,’ she hisses.
The opposite side of the table is where Edward Spencer, Cecily Cunningham and Simone Deveraux are sitting. Oh, great. I wonder if Simone has recognised me, or if Edward Spencer has discussed me with them. I doubt it. I glance across to Leo who is standing at the entrance to the room. He shrugs and widens his eyes. Well, it was his idea for them to see me. So here I am, ladies.
I watch Dimitri, then copy what he does. When I get to Simone I lean forward on her right to remove her plate but she grabs my wrist. Her fingernails are a deep red and like talons.
‘I haven’t finished.’
‘I’m so sorry. Would you like something from the trolley.’
She looks up at me. ‘You look familiar.’
‘Oh. Do I?’ I shake my head and pull an up-side down crescent mouth to show I don’t know her.
‘Cecily. The waitress, she looks familiar, doesn’t she?’
Cecily turns on her seat, a wide smile on her face as she laughs at something Edward Spencer has said. She looks up at me. The smile drops from her face and there is a glimmer of recognition. She purses her lips and shakes her head. ‘No, no I don’t think so. How would we know her?’ I stand rooted to the spot. She recognised me, I know she did. ‘No,’ she repeats. ‘Not familiar to me.’ She turns back to Edward Spencer while Simone gives me the evil eye. I’m stunned. I know I look different, but surely...
‘Louise, what are you doing?’ Ava has appeared by my side looking cross.
I turn to her, sick of her already. ‘My job,’ I answer, and move along, past Cecily and the Prime Minister, and smile sweetly at the next guest to be served.
When everyone has left and there are just a few pieces of crockery left on the table to be removed, Ava calls me to her.
‘Louise, I need to speak with you.’
I gear myself up for a fight, when all I want to do is go to 12 Downing Street and discuss what happened with Leo and Tom. I know Cecily recognised me, but why the hell didn’t she arrest me?
‘What was that about?’ Ava sits at one of the small tables placed around the room. She’s smoking a Russian cigarette which surprises me. I got the impression she would have been a stickler for the rules. You can’t smoke anywhere these days, not even outside in public. Only in your own back yard.
‘Should you be smoking in here?’
‘Mind your own business and answer the bloody question.’
‘What was what about?’
‘You and Ms Deveraux. She spoke to you.’
I stand in front of her like a naughty schoolgirl, tapping my foot. This has got nothing to do with her and I’m eager to get away. ‘She thought she knew me. She didn’t. Neither did Ms Cunningham.’
‘You sure about that?’
I don’t understand the question and I frown. ‘I...I’m sorry, I don’t...’
‘Cecily recognised you, didn’t she?’
‘Wouldn’t she have said so if she did? Anyway what’s this about?’
‘I know you, Nina. You’re calling yourself Louise, but that’s not your name. Your real name is Nina Gourriel.’
I hold my breath. Shit. How did she recognise me? ‘Who are you?’
‘I’m no one, but I recognised you from the news. I studied art and design at university. There’s something about the shape of your face, your eyebrows are very distinct. As soon as I saw you I knew there was something about you I recognised, so I replayed some of the news reports. It is you, isn’t it? Nina Gourriel?’
I shrug. ‘There’s not much point in denying it, is there? I suppose you’ll turn me in. There’s a reward which I’m sure you know about. If you hurry, you’ll catch them. Cunningham and Deveraux.’
She smiles enigmatically and removes a little piece of tobacco from her mouth and wipes it on the tablecloth. ‘No, I’m not going to do that.’
‘Why?’
‘They said you’re a threat to national security. You don’t look much of a threat to me.’
‘That’s because I’m not. I’ve done nothing wrong.’
She nods, pinching her lip, her eyes not leaving me. She inhales then indicates for me to sit down. ‘Tell me.’
I stare at her. ‘What? Tell you what? Why?’
‘I’m interested.’
‘Why?’
‘I might be able to help you.’
‘Why would you do that?’
‘Because what is happening to you now happened to my sister a year ago. She was hounded when she was wrongly accused of being a threat to national security. Like you she had done nothing wrong, except be terribly ill. She was a student in Scotland, studying the history of art.’
‘What was wrong with her?’
‘She had cystic fibrosis.’
I’m astonished ‘Had?’
She nods. ‘She killed herself. Couldn’t take the pressure.’
‘She didn’t die of the condition.’
Her eyes fill with tears and one trickles slowly down her cheek as she looks into the distance. ‘No, she didn’t die of the condition. We all thought she would live into her teens, maybe her twenties if she was lucky, or perhaps a heart and lung transplant, which is offered now if one can be found, would extend her life by some years.’
She goes quiet, and I don’t know what to say. Tears are streaming down her cheeks at the memory of her lost sister and I feel bad about the way I spoke to her. Sometimes people are so full of grief they turn against everyone around them. I understand it. I was like it once.
‘I’m sorry I told you to fuck yourself.’
She laughs in spite of the tears and she looks at me with glazed eyes. ‘I deserved it. I’ve been a badass since we lost her. Can’t see any good in anything or anyone. I miss her so much. She was my best friend.’
‘But why did they say she was a threat to national security?’
‘When she was at university she was short of money. She was offered the chance to go for a trial of a new vaccine that reduced the chances of the CF condition. She went to a place called the Plan Bee laboratory.’
‘There’s one in Scotland?’
‘Yep, just outside of Edinburgh. She was relatively healthy at the time and desperate for money, so agreed to go in for tests.’
‘Then what?’
‘She had the tests, everything was fine, and then she was called back in. They said they needed to test her again. They took her blood, then told her she needed to be in quarantine. When she asked why, they wouldn’t tell her, at least, they said they couldn’t tell her, because it was classified.’
‘How did she get away.’
‘Someone helped her, but before that happened they took her into an office and told her, her blood had changed, and not in the way they’d intended.’
‘In what way?’
‘Her blood had become unique, that it was capable of curing every disease that was known, and perhaps even some that weren’t.’
‘And did they threaten her?’
‘Not exactly, but she felt it was inferred. She was scared, very scared. They intimidated her, told her she was to keep the information to herself because if people found out she would be in danger.’
‘Who would she be in danger from?’
‘They told her pharmaceutical companies would kill to get their hands on her and she would be safer staying in the facility, but the guy who got her out of there told her if she stayed she would be dead within weeks.’
‘Do you know who it was, the guy who released her from the facility?’