“Right, let's get going.”
◆◆◆
To Roper’s enormous surprise everyone they met said hello and asked how he was. The last time he’d been at HQ he’d been used to people largely ignoring him. Something he preferred, since being the centre of attention was always stressful. Hooley explained his new-found attraction was partly because he hadn’t been around, and partly because going to GCHQ had given him a certain status.
“You’re a sort of Spook now,” he said, then wished he hadn’t. At one point in the ensuing discussion he found himself trying to explain why someone could be seen as a Spook but not actually be a Spook. At the end of that he wasn’t entirely sure himself. “Let’s leave it that people are quite pleased to see you back and looking so well.”
Roper responded by stabbing at the keyboard as he sat down at his old desk. His name didn’t come up automatically because so many others had signed on since he had last been here. He put in his old user name and got a prompt for his password. It failed. Twenty minutes later he was looking comically grumpy when a young guy from the IT department turned up to fix the problem.
Moments later Roper was back in and surfing away. He’d been so preoccupied he had ignored his lunch but now his two bacon and avocado sandwiches, and three blueberry muffins, were lined up and he was steadily demolishing them as he worked down the food line. Hooley was carefully unwrapping his solitary sandwich. Suffering a bout of health consciousness, he had asked for salad with his tuna mayonnaise, telling himself it would make a useful contribution to his five a day, but now, at the moment of truth, he was carefully picking it out. He was going to have his sandwich plain, the way he always did.
Chapter 42
Twenty minutes before the scheduled meeting Mayweather arrived, greeted them both warmly, and rushed off to her own office, pleading an urgent phone call. She told them they would be joined by DI Cleverly. Hooley had picked the man out as a star in the making and was delighted he had been filling in while he was away at GCHQ.
With five minutes to go he coughed loudly until he drew Roper’s attention, who looked up, clearly irritated at being interrupted. Hooley held out his hand in apology. “I know you’ve been getting stuck in to something but you need to put whatever it is to one side for now because we are seeing the boss in a few minutes.”
This appeal got through as Roper’s face cleared. “Good idea. I suppose now is as good a time as any to stop. What I’ve seen so far is more like a reminder of what I can’t access. Although in a funny way that is quite helpful.”
Hooley decided he didn’t want to get involved in that one so jumped up and led the way over to Mayweather’s office. When he walked in she gestured at the table on one side of the office. With four of them it wasn’t going to be practical to sit in front of her desk. He and Roper were making themselves comfortable when a smiling Cleverly appeared, holding a jug of water and some plastic cups, which he set down in the middle.
Mayweather didn’t waste any time, taking her place at the head of the table and bringing everyone to attention by the simple tactic of looking at them. Happy that she had their undivided attention she started talking.
“If I had a pound for every time that Brian Hooley has said to me he doesn’t like coincidences, I’d have a lot of pound coins.”
Hooley grinned. It was a cliché, and one that had been around a long time, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t valid. Sometimes people overlooked how useful a cliché was. It got everyone thinking about things in the same sort of way, and that could be invaluable.
“Norman will talk you through the highlights of what we have been working on in just a moment; but I want to start by telling you about what made me wonder if there were links between what we are investigating and what you are looking into at GCHQ.”
Hooley glanced at Roper and saw he was staring unblinkingly at Mayweather, those intelligent eyes of his looking bright and alert as he waited for her to go on.
“Putting the details to one side, the thing that jumps out at me is the way that advanced electronic eavesdropping has cropped up in both lines of inquiry. And we are under the clear impression that two of our victims were actively working for the Ministry of Defense and quite possibly the intelligence services.
“I’ve been speaking to the head of MI5, Jennifer Cameron, and she agreed to give me some insights into what we may be dealing with. But - and it’s an important but - we can only discuss this between ourselves and certain senior MI5 officials.
“What prompted me to go and talk to her was the fact that you both had your homes broken in to, both times apparently bypassing your home security systems. I was especially surprised that Brian’s system had failed to record video footage of the intruders; that suggested it may have been compromised in some way.”
Hooley nodded at this; it was really annoying him that his cameras had picked up nothing. “Why do I get the feeling that you are just about to tell us something amazing?”
“Your instincts are spot on, as usual. And yes, I do have some top-secret information to share with you. I’m not going to try and explain the technical details, but Jennifer Cameron has been incredibly helpful in explaining things in a simple way. Now, none of you here is going to like the sound of this, but they are working on something that sounds a lot like one of those computerised assistants. As Cameron herself put it. ‘It’s a Siri for burglars.’
“The MI5 version packs such a punch it can force most security systems to override their own programming.”
All three men started talking at once, demanding more information about the technology that had been developed.
Mayweather held her hands up. “Bear in mind that this has me very much out of my comfort zone. But, as it was explained to me, this involves some sort of Artificial Intelligence. This kit can talk to security systems and play havoc with their protocols. Wiping a surveillance tape would be a prime example.”
She glanced at Roper. “You will be receiving a detailed appraisal shortly. Not the full details - that is still restricted - but a bit more than I have given you. Something about machine learning? But the key point here is that no one is supposed to know about it and it certainly shouldn’t be being used in routine burglaries.”
She stopped and glanced round at the three men. Each was waiting patiently to hear what she had to say next.
She carried on. “The second thing for us to consider is that we discovered similarly advanced surveillance equipment had been used against two of our victims. Again, top-secret and only available to a highly restricted group of people. Or that was what they thought.
“This stuff is so advanced, no one likes to admit it exists. Now it is clear some of it has gone missing. That’s causing a huge row and an even bigger panic.
“MI5 are wetting themselves. They were supposed to be overseeing this but had no idea what had happened until we started investigating brutal murders.”
Mayweather took a small drink of water. “The third element for us to consider is that everything we are doing points towards GCHQ. Up to now we have been talking about MI5, but intelligence gathering is at the heart of what they do, and that’s what goes on at Cheltenham.”
Roper interrupted. “That might be more important than you think. GCHQ is already known to be using some pretty smart software to lift information from mobile calls and emails. Another application of AI is that it can be used to find and filter key messages from the billions that are out there.
“People tend to think of AI as being something that will appear as this big change but actually it is already here. You mentioned machine-learning a moment ago, well that is all part of it. You mentioned Siri. Well the version today is smarter than the original and getting smarter all the time. If GCHQ has reached a stage of being able to use a powerful AI program in intelligence gathering, they will be desperate to keep that quiet, and everyone else will want to get their hands on it.”
Mayweather said: “That is incredibly useful to know, J
onathan. I think it explains why the stakes are so high. I also think we need to fill you and Brian in on our case so far. It’s been brutal in places. Norman and I both agree that there is an element to the violence that is unlike anything we’ve come across before. I’ll pass this briefing over to him now, but be prepared for some unpleasant details.”
Chapter 43
It took DI Cleverly the best part of an hour to run through the police investigation. Hooley found it gruesomely compelling, although the video of Tom Bennett’s face being removed proved tough going. It had never occurred to him that anyone would do such a thing; especially disturbing was the skill being shown by the man wielding the knife.
While the film was playing he had also kept half an eye on Roper but reckoned he was taking it pretty well. He was probably dealing with it better than the DCI who was regretting having eaten that fish sandwich not long before. Halfway through the clip and his meal was starting to repeat on him, his stomach tight and full of wind.
Not wanting to draw attention he casually helped himself to a glass of water and gulped it down. He thought it might help but it had little effect on countering his indigestion. Trying to be discreet, he swallowed repeatedly in the hope it would stop him belching out loud. It really didn’t help that the other three, while looking grim faced, were clearly not struggling as much as he was.
The clip ended and Mayweather commented. “That’s the fourth time I’ve watched that and I can assure you, it doesn’t get any easier.”
They were all silent for a moment, then Hooley, who had made a heroic effort to recover, said. “So, it looks like we are trying to find a spy, probably a highly trained one, with a fondness for slicing people up and wearing their faces.” He shuddered. He would never be able to understand why people wanted to mutilate a corpse.
Cleverly spoke up. “I’m very much in agreement with you, but I’d like to hear why you think this is someone who is highly trained?”
“To be honest, while I was listening to your briefing I couldn’t imagine it being anybody other than a spy. It’s almost got a touch of the James Bond about it, with our man a sort of anti-hero type villain. It would be hard to think of someone much worse. Yet everything says to me that he is very controlled. He doesn’t hesitate when he uses that knife and I would say he has sent you the clip as a statement - a sort of ‘look at me. I’m in control here.’
“I would also argue that the fact that he knew to send the email to you, proves two things. He is reinforcing his ‘I’m in charge’ message, but he is also letting you know that he has some sort of inside track. Only an insider could have known you and Julie were on this case at that stage of the investigation.”
“What about the other killings? The ones where he hasn’t tried to remove the faces?” Mayweather asked.
“Good question. I must admit there’s something about them doesn't quite fit. The first two victims were taken and killed quickly, yet the second pair were kept alive, for a while at least. He even gave them food and water. Why were they treated differently?”
“Maybe there are two killers,” Roper’s sudden intervention made the other three start. Even though he was right there with them at the table; he had been so still that they had almost forgotten he was there.
Mayweather was the first to respond. Her troubled expression underlying the complexity of this brutal case. “We asked that same question, but can find no evidence of a second person. We don’t have any finger prints at all, which is problematical.”
Hooley butted in “It also suggests that out killer was wearing gloves, which is what a professional would do.” He thought, then added. “Or anyone who watches TV crime shows.”
Mayweather acknowledged the intervention. “If I’m quite honest, the fact that it may be just one person who is causing all of this is quite troubling. To my mind that certainly supports your view that we are dealing with a professional. It’s especially troublesome if that person has got access to both the police and intelligence worlds.”
She looked at Roper. “Is there anything else you would like to add Jonathan?”
Roper blinked a couple of times. “I asked if it was two people, but I think it probably is just one. I suspect he is trying, quite literally, to get inside the heads of his victims.
“By wearing their faces, he is saying he can be just like them and know everything about them. I can’t think there could be any other reason. But he is also saying that he is better than them; that by killing them he has beaten them.
Mayweather took a breath. “From a layman’s perspective, it is quite hard to argue with your view that it is about some form of control. It certainly fits with what the profiler told us. This is a trophy collecting exercise. He takes the faces away with him after the murders so must be keeping them somewhere safe and probably likes to inspect them.
“Worryingly, the profiler also reminded us that this is classic serial killer behaviour. He’s already gone way beyond the norm so we can expect him to do something similar again. I suppose that means he will be targeting more people with intelligence links.”
Hooley jumped in. “We’ve already said he couldn’t be doing that without detailed knowledge of both worlds. Does that suggest we are looking at someone with a grudge? Maybe they were fired from MI5 and now they are out for revenge. Or maybe it is someone who had some sort of liaison role? There are a lot of jobs like that which have opened up in recent years with all the anti-terror initiatives. It may sound melodramatic, but you know what I mean.”
“Not at all,” said Cleverly. “It is something we were about to consider and now you have raised it as well I think we should make it a priority to find out if there is someone who fits that profile.” He glanced at Mayweather who nodded her agreement.
She stood up. “Let’s get that rolling, Norman, and say meet here again in an hour’s time? Then Jonathan and Brian can run us through what they have been doing.”
Roper dashed out of the door. Hooley wasn’t surprised he was heading for the toilets. He’d drunk most of the jug of water. He seemed to get extra thirsty when he was thinking hard.
Chapter 44
Hooley volunteered to get the coffee. He didn’t just need the caffeine; he wanted to go for a walk. What they had seen and listened to was right up there in the list of terrible things human beings can do. It was always tempting to look for reasons why crimes were committed. If you could find a reason then maybe you could stop something happening again. This felt like one of those awful cases which couldn’t be explained because there was no reason.
This case was different again. The violence was almost cinematic. The killer always had the intention of murdering the victims and removing their faces. That was never good. It was like some people were happy to flaunt their cruelty, entirely unconstrained by any need to follow the rules. People like that were always the ones to be truly frightened of.
He wandered aimlessly for twenty minutes, taking comfort from seeing so many people going about their day, blissfully unaware of the problems he was now confronting, too busy with their own lives to imagine these horrors could be possible. He was glad that not everyone had to worry about such dark issues.
He made his way to the coffee shop, ordering a couple of drinks, and was about to leave when he decided Jonathan was bound to be hungry again. He added a couple of blueberry muffins to the two Americanos. When he walked back into the office, the look of delight on Roper’s face told him he had made the right call. The day Roper turned down food would be the day to get worried.
He glanced at his watch. It was almost time to get back to the session. He rapped on his desk to attract Roper's attention. “I’ve been thinking about the best way to brief Julie and Norman. What we’ve been doing is a bit hard to explain. What do you think about this for a plan? If I take us through the background, from the moment you were seconded up to the present. That will give them the outline. Then you can talk about how you have been interpreting it and explain why you now believe
it is you specifically who is the target.”
When Roper didn’t protest he took that as yes.
Mayweather had already taken her place, clearly eager to get things moving again. They watched as DI Cleverly bustled in. Hooley took his cue from Mayweather who was already holding a pen to take notes. He launched in without preamble. With questions, he was in the spotlight for fifty minutes then handed over to Roper.
Until now the younger man had sat impassively. At one-point Mayweather had studied him and noted he had barely moved a muscle, just an occasional slow blink. On previous occasions she had noted he was in almost perpetual motion, shuffling in his seat as though he was unable to get comfortable. This stillness was quite different; she hoped it was a sign that he was fully engaged.
He started speaking and within minutes she felt that familiar sense of fascination as she heard him describing things from his perspective. It wasn’t so much that he was incredibly intelligent, although that was the case, but it was the way he noticed the tiniest details and could then accurately recall them.
He rattled through his original thoughts about the information he had been sent, followed by his subsequent difficulties. He described the arrival of Brian Hooley and his hope that this would get him back on track. But nothing seemed to work.
While he had been talking he had kept both hands flat on the surface of the table. Now he folded them into his lap and stared down at the floor for a brief moment.
He said. “It turned out I was totally wrong and it was because I didn’t factor in that someone could turn the Rainbow Spectrum against me.”
Hooley was anxious to prevent him taking too much responsibility. “You can’t take the blame for this Jonathan. As you explained it to me, you now understand that you were being actively targeted for a disinformation campaign.
(Jonathan Roper Investigates Boxset Page 39