Where Is She?

by Roger Rapel

  They travelled independently to HQ’s Jim arrived first and went to see Langton ‘come in Jim close the door.’ Jim could see the seriousness in his face. ‘For your ears only, Barney is coming over in a couple of days; he will be staying at the Savoy I think, if not there, at the Dorchester.’ ‘Fuck me; how the other half live guv; all on Uncle Sam no doubt?’ Langton nodded ‘Look Jim, Vicky’s okay, what I don’t need is you fucking off not yet, she’s only just wet behind the ears, she needs a couple more cases behind her.’ ‘Yes I agree, but she is competent don’t put her down, she’ll surprise you I’m sure.’ ‘Anyhow Barney should be calling you probably tomorrow okay?’ Jim nodded then said ‘I’ve got a feeling about this case, it ain’t right, something doesn’t fit somewhere along the line.’ ‘Like what?’ ‘Ain’t got a clue, but why would some computer geek be at a party miles away from where he lives then get stabbed for no apparent reason? It doesn’t add up, I must be missing something somewhere, surely I am?’ Langton nodded as the door was knocked he called out ‘come in.’ It was Vicky, ‘Come on in Vick, well done today, you’ll get used to it the more you see, I was just telling Jim how you are settling in well.’ ‘Thanks Guv, yes it’s all new to me, I’m normally at the lower end of enquiries on a big job like this.’ ‘Okay crack on will speak later.’

  Jim was not entirely happy that Langton was being entirely upfront with him, he was sure he knew more than he was saying.

  The fingerprints of the deceased were taken and run through the Scotland Yard index but turned up nothing.

  Jim requested he be allowed to travel to Essex to interview those in the house where Mc Cavity used to live and show the photo him. Langton shook his head, ‘no Jim, Essex police have already done that, it would just be duplication.’ Jim was now sure he was being treated like the mushroom again. On previous murder cases he would have been sent all over the country for less than this.

  The enquiries with the party goers were slowly petering out with all of them saying the same thing. Mc Cavity had latched on to them and gone to the party. It was as if there had been a ghost who stabbed him, then floated away. There was some kind of conspiracy going on, not only amongst the party goers, but also Langton. What the fuck was going on?

  The one thing that did come out of the interviews, this was a party of high end people; the house was shared by people from wealthy backgrounds, some post graduates, so not the type to be looking for a fight. The deceased would have fitted into this group, but what was he doing so far away from the City? This was now beginning to get to Jim so he went back to see Langton. ‘Look guv this isn’t stacking up, there is something not right, I think interviewing the staff where he worked, would be a good idea, to get some background information on him and interview his work colleagues, that may turn up something?’

  Langton just point blank refused it. Jim walked out thinking about other cases he had dealt with where Langton would have detectives sent all over the country on enquiries like this.

  Langton shouted ‘Jim, come back in please.’ Jim came back in and closed the door as Langton opened the bottom drawer and poured a couple of scotches. ‘Right Jim for your ears only, I knew you would be digging; this job has got really serious connotations attached that will reach far and wide.’ Jim looked at Langton as he took a big slug of his scotch as he poured another. Mc Cavity was an MI5 implant in the City. He was being used to infiltrate a company which was handling off-shore finances for the Russians and the Americans.’ Jim looked at Langton with a smirk on his face waiting for the punch line, but none was forthcoming. ‘He had been discovered, he had done a runner. He was up here visiting a friend then he got caught up in the party revellers; he was trying to hide from someone. He had been targeted and silenced by someone at the party.’ ‘Get out of here, what some assassination squad in suburbia leave it out guv?’ ‘That’s why Barney is rushing over and why I can’t allow you to go sniffing around and digging up things that could stir a hornets nest. Just do the preliminaries not to deep okay? Yvonne will be briefing you later today.’ Jim was still expecting the punch line, or a ‘gotcha’ although none was forthcoming. He finished his scotch and went out into the office.

  Vicky was looking at him expecting some words of wisdom; he just nodded and handed her an action, a mundane issue for her position. She looked at him with her eyebrows raised waiting for a comment, but there was none. She just collected her things and went out.

  Jim’s phone went he saw from the display it was Yvonne. ‘Yes Yvonne; Langton has half-filled me in on some of the issues.’ ‘Right Jim, I want you to meet me at the motorway services Watford-Gap northbound in 2 hours, you know my car?’ ‘Yes mam, but that’s pushing it?’ ‘In 2 hours please.’

  Jim grabbed his keys and was on his way, there was no way he would make it in 2 hours especially with the traffic. The backlog eventually began to clear and he made it some ten minutes late. He found Yvonne’s car after a bit of searching; he parked next to it and got in the rear. Yvonne told the driver to go for a coffee and bring a couple of take away cups back in about twenty minutes. The driver obviously used to this type of situation walked off with no complaining or look of surprise.

  ‘Jim your late, I don’t like lateness.’ This was said for the benefit of the driver, it was also a side of Yvonne he had never seen before.

  ‘Right Jim Barney is coming over because Mc Cavity was one of theirs a CIA agent recruited by agents out of Langley, we thought we had recruited him, but he was spying on the Russians and us for the CIA when we thought he was spying on the Russians for MI5.’ ‘What?’ ‘Yes Jim we all do the same. All modern powers do it, but the difference was, he was a double agent.’ ‘Who with?’ ‘The CIA and MI5.’ ‘What? He was your agent and the yanks turned him back on you?’ ‘Yes Jim exactly that; we recruited him, but we also think he was in the pocket of the Russians as well.’ ‘Oh leave it out mam; this is really James Bond now.’ ‘Yes Jim and you lot shouldn’t be involved, Mc Cavity was taken out, in the wrong place.’ ‘What do you mean wrong place?’ ‘Sorry ignore that, I can’t say Jim; I have told Langton the minimum investigation nothing more.’ ‘What about Barney?’ ‘Don’t worry he will be shown pictures that clearly identify Mc Cavity as a double agent with the Russians, he won’t want to reveal that he was spying on us. You know none of this, you understand?’ ‘Okay I get the drift.’ Jim was trying weigh up the pros and cons of what Yvonne was saying. ‘That’s it Jim, nothing else, so don’t go pushing too hard on the investigation side, you can live with Mc Cavity, a gate crasher got involved with an unknown party goer and upset him and got stabbed as a result of an argument. You can make an appeal, for anyone with any information to come forward; you know normal drill?’ ‘What about the coroner?’ ‘Leave that to me he will be given the nod so to speak.’

  Jim then said ‘what about Portugal?’ This hit a note in his head; what was Portugal to do with the yanks and more to the point with the spooks. Yvonne smiled. ‘Okay Jim the issue of Portugal was circulated within a tight circle, with undertones to make certain people react if they suspected what we had muted was true, and Mc Cavity was the person we suspected as being a double agent; he didn’t let us down he reacted as we thought he would, our suspicions were correct.’ ‘But why was he killed?’ ‘I can’t tell you Jim as it’s a national security secret.’ ‘Look Yvonne I’m not stupid, is this issue with Barney real or just another smoke screen?’ Yvonne smiled and just nodded ‘all will be revealed in good time Jim.’

  With that the driver returned as he handed the styrene cups to Yvonne and Jim. Yvonne shook Jim’s hand and said ‘be on time the next time we meet please.’ Jim took his cup and got into his car and drove home.

  What the fuck had just happened. Investigate a murder, but not too much; how often did this occur? The drive back was a blur it was full of questions. He bypassed HQ’s and drove home where he saw Jackie arriving at the same time. ‘Oh hi Jim, phew what a day, you fancy a takeaway?’ ‘Yeah I’m easy babes, whatever
you fancy.’ ‘How about a Pizza for a change I really fancy one?’ ‘Sounds good; plenty of pineapple on mine please.’ Jackie called the local Domino’s and ordered to their liking. It didn’t take long to arrive, but in the short time before it did, Jackie could see the frown on Jim’s face; she cocked her head to one side as she raised her eyebrows. Jim looked at her and said ‘sorry babe’s miles away, how was your day?’ ‘What’s wrong Jim you have that look again; that look of disbelief.’ ‘Don’t ask Jack I can’t discuss this one, sorry I can’t; I’m sorry, I just can’t.’ With that the intercom rang as Jim pressed the button and received the two Pizzas and settled the bill.

  They ate and drank wine as they chatted about Jackie’s day and the continual increase in child abuse cases she was dealing with, ‘You know Jim, one of these kids is going to die one day, then the press will have a field day, because no one cares, or seems to care. We are overloaded, but keep getting staff cuts so we are dealing with more with less time; social services are the same. When the balloon goes up everyone will be pointing fingers at the police. I’ve had enough, I feel like telling the press before it happens, I’m not going to be made a scape goat of; it ain’t going to be me or any of the others, I’ve made a list of times I have asked for more help and been declined. So when the investigation starts I will wave that under the noses of the investigators. I’m so bloody angry and tired Jim, so tired, those poor kids.’ ‘Let me see if my press colleague is interested in a story, don’t go making any noises, or they will be sure to blame you for the leak.’ Jackie nodded, ‘too late for that they all know my feelings on the matter.’ ‘Just keep quiet for the moment till I have spoken to my guy.’ The evening ended with them crashing and sleeping.

  The following day he received a call from Barney, ‘hey Jim I’m in London you fancy a beer tonight.’ Jim thought, Yanks they have no idea of distances in the UK. But he knew from his time in the USA, they thought nothing of a 50 mile drive for a meal. ‘Can I call a bit later; I have a lot on my plate; I will try my best?’ ‘Hey no worries I have two beds in my room at the Savoy crash there if you like.’ ‘Okay will be in touch soon.’

  Jim went to see Langton, who had just returned from seeing the Chief. ‘Come in Jim and close the door.’ Jim entered as Langton said ‘the Chief is not happy with the way we are being dictated to over the murder of Mc Cavity, in fact he is seething, as this will mean in effect an unsolved murder on the forces books which doesn’t look good on his stats, especially when asking for more financial assistance when next year’s budget is submitted.’ ‘But our hands are tied by the spooks.’ ‘He is fully aware of that and is going to speak to the Home Secretary about it.’ ‘I had a call from Barney this morning; he is in London and wants a meeting later. Are there any other issues not to mention?’ ‘No Jim, just go along with Yvonne’s brief.’

  ‘This is crazy guv, we have a spooks hit squad taking out a double agent, and we can’t properly investigate it in fear of stepping on toes.’ ‘I know Jim, that’s why you were brought into the spooks arena, so things can be said, that otherwise would be hidden from everyone’s view.’ ‘Big responsibility though guv.’ ‘That’s why you were chosen because you can keep your trap shut.’

  ‘On a different matter, I had a call from someone, from the press asking about the staff reductions on the sexual offences team. I made no comment, but when I mentioned it to Jackie she confirmed that there would be a massive investigation soon as her dept. was on the point of overload with only lip service being given to the kids and their suffering. I think someone should look at it just in case the balloon goes up.’ ‘Who was it?’ ‘No idea some freelance guy it sounded like, it was definitely someone from the press though. Who else would ask that kind of question, and why ask me, they must have a sniff of something?’ ‘Okay Jim, leave it with me I will speak with Ops and see if the department can be bolstered, but as you know cuts are being asked of every dept.’ ‘Ye guv, although it wouldn’t surprise me if someone in the Social Services who are under the same pressure has let something leak to the press.’

  Jim felt good, he didn’t want the press walking all over Jackie’s department with all sorts of innuendo’s being made; so a threat like this could tip the balance in her dept.’s favour.

  Jim drove to outer London then caught a tube to Charing Cross then cabbed it to the Savoy. Jim looked at the opulence of the interior with the hustle and bustle of the reception: he thought, where’s the recession? There were up their own ass customers demanding this and that, with concierges running around pandering to the rich in the hope of a great tip.

  Jim then caught sight of Barney, they met with man hugs and hand shaking; then got a beer and sat down. ‘Hey Jim great to see you, it’s really good; oh yeah and before I forget Carole-Anne says hello and wants you to call her.’ Jim nodded ‘good to see you too Barney, I will call her.’

  Barney looked around and said ‘this is a mess Jim a real mess?’ Jim didn’t know whether Barney was aware of what he had been told. ‘Not sure what you mean?’ ‘Have you been briefed by Yvonne yet?’ ‘Only to say you would be over, although she did intimate that it possibly had something to do with the murder case I’m dealing with?’ Jim knew that Barney would be looking for the signals to tell him Jim was lying; so he kept his eye movements and hand gestures to a minimum. ‘Look Jim, I need to brief you on this as a matter of urgency.’ ‘Go on?’ ‘Look Mc Cavity was a double agent, perhaps even a triple agent.’ ‘Get out of here, no way, was he?’ Jim was trying not to give an Oscar performance. ‘Look Jim, he had been recruited by MI5 to infiltrate Russian financial movements, but we had already recruited him, then the Russians had him honey trapped; as I said a real mess.’

  Jim looked at him as he shook his head ‘where does that leave us Barney, our relationship and our trust?’ ‘The same place it has always been Jim, nothing has changed at our level, I just need to straighten the fall-out from above; as there has been a lot of sabre rattling over Mc Cavity mainly by MI5 blaming the Russians, but they can’t do anything until the full handover of Hunter and Murphy is made, otherwise that would be a shot in the foot if they persisted in asking too many questions which prevented that from happening.’ Jim looked at Barney as the light started to brighten in his head. ‘Are you saying Mc Cavity was silenced by a Russian hit team who knew that MI5 couldn’t accuse them, because of the exchange of prisoners?’ Barney nodded, saying ‘that’s about the sum total of it, their timing was precise, and by the time the prisoners are exchanged the trail of the death squad will have gone.’ ‘Fuck me.’ Jim exasperated.

  ‘You fancy a meal Jim?’ ‘Love one, what you fancy?’ ‘What about a Greek restaurant?’ Barney responded ‘sounds good to me.’ Barney grabbed his bomber jacket then took the next cab in line hailed by the doorman. Jim asked the cab driver to take them to a good Greek restaurant. The driver, a cockney with all the gift of the gab, took them to the best one he knew; like most drivers he got a nice drink from the restaurateur for every customer driven there.

  The restaurant looked nice, very well decorated and clean. They were met by a staff member who showed them to table. The waiter spoke good broken English. They ordered Kebabs with all the side dishes as well. The food was good and plentiful as was the wine.

  The conversation skirted around Mc Cavity and the reason why Barney was here, only occasionally touching on it, then quickly moving on.

  Jim then quickly realised that the spooks, CIA and KGB played the same games with each other, as they did with other foreign powers. They were all involved in the same infiltration and spy games seeking out each-others secrets; perhaps not to the same level as with the Russians and Chinese, but still with a degree mistrust. Both countries leaders were staunch allies although the Russian secret service, spooks and CIA always quietly testing each-others systems.

  ‘How long are you here for Barney?’ ‘Not sure yet, maybe just a few days or even a week.’ ‘Perhaps we can meet up again sometime and do some sightseeing, alth
ough I expect Yvonne will sort that out with you?’ ‘Let me see how things pan out, as it is quite a delicate matter.’ Jim nodded. The meal finished Jim reached for his wallet. Barney wouldn’t hear of it, ‘No Jim this is on Uncle Sam.’ Barney handed his credit card to the waiter who returned with the receipt. Jim insisted on leaving a tip.

  Jim declined Barney’s offer of sharing his room and caught the late train from Charing Cross. To where he left his car then he eventually arrived home feeling exhausted and crashed next to Jackie.

  Jim had a meeting with Langton the following day where he expanded on the meeting with Barney, and what Barney had said about the Russian hit squad.

  Langton was not surprised although this also was now getting over his head as well; he shrugged his shoulders, as he pondered, then said ‘this was never going to be part of your remit, the murder of Mc Cavity, had opened Pandora’s box. I will need to speak with Yvonne, so I can reassess your commitment to the spooks.’ ‘That would be good guv, cause to be honest, some of the things I have been privy to is pretty deep, even James Bond would be struggling.’ Jim smiled as he looked at Langton, who just couldn’t let the opportunity go for another dig. ‘Are you giving Yvonne one? You are aren’t you?’ ‘Leave it out guv, leave it out, you won’t let it a rest will you.’ They both laughed as Jim left his office.

  His phone rang as he saw the display, it was Yvonne. ‘Hi Yvonne, you okay?’ ‘Yes thanks, I’m meeting with Barney soon, how was the meeting with him last night?’ ‘It went okay, he explained the situation, he also confirmed that at my level it was fine, it was just that the Mc Cavity situation had opened a can of worms.’ ‘Thanks Jim; must go I think Langton is calling me so will speak soon.’