Friends In Spy Places

by Diane Henders

  Oh, shit, he had found out about the shaggin’ wagon.

  Dermott was blustering on. “…and she’s supposed to be recruiting him back to the Department…”

  My sigh of relief escaped before I could stop it. He was talking about John, not Arnie.

  “…so it’s a clear conflict of interest. Inappropriate conduct and dereliction of duty!” Dermott finished.

  General Briggs frowned. “When you talk about Agent Kelly’s boyfriend, do you mean John Kane?”

  “Yes. And she’s on record saying that she’s screwing him.” Dermott gave me a smug look. “It’s in her psych records.”

  General Briggs rested an elbow on the table and massaged his forehead. Then he straightened again and met my gaze. “Agent Kelly, I apologize on behalf of the Department for this invasion of your privacy.”

  He turned to face Dermott. “Dermott…” He paused as if holding his temper in check. “…the whole point of a recruitment mission is to build a relationship with the subject. Even if Agent Kelly’s relationship with John Kane weren’t already a matter of record, it would be an acceptable technique for her to cultivate that level of intimacy. It’s not a conflict of interest, it’s a mission strategy.” He looked as though he wanted to say more, but pressed his lips together instead. “Next allegation.”

  “Dereliction of duty and insubordination,” Dermott growled. “She obviously hasn’t been trying to recruit Kane. He just gave up the lease on his office in Silverside and bought a house in Calgary.” He eyed me, his lips curling in a sneer. “Guess you’re not very good in bed, honey.”

  “Dermott!” General Briggs’s voice snapped out like a whip. “That was inappropriate. Consider this an official reprimand which will be added to your record.”

  Dermott’s face went scarlet. “But it’s true! He’s leaving town and she hasn’t done a damn thing to stop him!”

  Briggs stiffened. “Agent Kelly,” he said without taking his gaze off Dermott. “When were you assigned the mission to recruit John Kane?”

  “Um…” God, it felt like a year ago. “…Sunday.”

  “And at that time, were you aware that he was considering a permanent move to Calgary?”

  “No. I, um… we don’t really see each other that often. He’s not really my boyfriend; just a… good friend.” I hesitated. “That’s in my psych records, too. We’re not in a committed relationship.”

  “So you’re not involved in his daily decisions.”

  “No.”

  “Dermott…” Briggs drew a breath as though holding his patience in check. “People decide more than three days in advance to buy a house. Kane had probably made the decision before Kelly was even assigned. And recruitment missions like these typically take months, or longer.”

  Holt rose quietly and slipped out of the room.

  Smart man. Dermott wouldn’t be kindly disposed toward anyone who had witnessed his humiliation.

  Briggs went on, “Not getting results in three days isn’t dereliction of duty or insubordination; it’s just a fact of the job. If this is all your accusations against Agent Kelly-”

  “Oh, don’t worry, it’s not,” Dermott interrupted. “It’s just the beginning. She also gave unauthorized commands to subordinates.”

  General Briggs eyed him in silence. After a moment, he said, “These unauthorized commands had better involve illegal actions or nuclear launch codes.”

  Dermott frowned. “No, she usurped my authority. She told an analyst she was putting him on stress leave when she had no authority to-”

  “Next,” Briggs snapped.

  “But-”

  “Next!” The look in Briggs’s eye would have quelled a much braver man.

  “Fine,” Dermott said. “The main dereliction of duty charge is from her so-called investigation of her mother.” He infused the word with contempt. “Kelly was supposed to be getting close and building a rapport. Instead she was constantly rude to her mother, when she wasn’t ignoring her and walking out on her. And before you ask, yes, I have surveillance logs as evidence.” He shot me an ugly glare. “Then she let her mother be attacked, and ignored her in the hospital. So her mother gave up and left the country; and no surprise. Now we’ll never know whether she’s involved in espionage, because Kelly did everything she could to drive her away. The whole mission was botched from the start.”

  The door opened and Holt slipped through again carrying the lie detector.

  Nausea twisted my guts. He hadn’t been avoiding Dermott’s humiliation; he had been preparing to orchestrate mine.

  Because no matter whether General Briggs was on my side or not, I had no defense against the accusations Dermott had just levelled. Over and over I had let my emotional involvement influence my words and actions with Nora, and now she was gone forever.

  And I would have to admit all of it under the lie detector.

  Chapter 54

  With despair turning my guts to lead, I watched Holt hurry over to General Briggs and whisper in his ear. Briggs frowned, then nodded.

  As Holt turned in my direction, Briggs addressed the assembly. “There is a new development which is pertinent to this meeting…”

  Holt was coming toward me. I was doomed.

  He walked past.

  Afraid to hope, I stared at his back while he went to the door and opened it.

  Nora walked in, followed by Ian Rand.

  The shock folded my hunger-weakened knees and I staggered. The sudden rattle of my chains drew everyone’s eyes to me.

  “Aydan! Heavens, Dani-dear, what have they done to you?” Nora rushed to my side. “My poor baby…” Her chin came up in that familiar imperious gesture as she glared at the assembly. “Bring her a chair! Can’t you see she’s going to faint?”

  A chair appeared behind me and somebody lowered me into it. Maybe Holt; I wasn’t sure. I was too busy gaping open-mouthed at Nora.

  “Wha…? I thought you were flying out at two,” I stammered.

  “Change in plans,” Ian said crisply. “Nora, would you please take a seat?”

  “Yes, of course. Bring me a chair.” She shot a contemptuous glance around the room. “I’ll sit with my daughter.”

  Ian placed another chair beside me and Nora sat, taking my hand.

  “Holt? If you please?” Ian said.

  Holt nodded and brought over a third chair, placing the lie detector case on it. It took every ounce of my strength to hold my head up while he opened the case and unfurled the headdress of electrodes.

  This was it.

  I’d have to speak the truth. Nora would know all my guesses and suspicions, and her brilliant mind would have an alibi concocted before they’d even finished questioning me.

  As Holt advanced with the headdress I stared at the floor, unable bear the sight of Holt the Magnificent in the depths of my failure.

  “What?” Nora’s startled exclamation jerked my gaze up again.

  Holt was putting the headdress on her.

  Frozen, I stared.

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Nora snapped. “Take this foolish device off me. I made it clear last week that I cannot answer any questions due to MI5 security protocols, and in any case my diplomatic status gives me immunity from questioning.”

  “That’s right,” Ian seconded, and Nora gave him a satisfied nod. “However…” Ian went on, “…although the receiving country may not hold you or question you, you are still subject to all the laws of the sending country that granted your immunity in the first place. And…” He exchanged a wry look with Holt. “We don’t have a lie detector as good as this one. So you can answer my questions right here and now.”

  Nora blanched white. “What…” Her colour came back in a flood. “You lied to me! You said Aydan had been terribly hurt and she needed me immediately!”

  Ian’s beautiful deceitful lips curved up as he met my gaze. “Yes, well, that’s technically true. She was hurt. By you. And she does need you urgently; or your testimony, at least.” His
smile widened. “It’s really all about the game, you see.”

  “Holt!” Dermott barked. “What kind of bullshit is this?”

  “You told me to relieve Kelly of duty and take over the mission,” Holt said. “So I did. As soon as we had proof that Nora had bribed Grandin to kidnap Kelly, I called Rand and filled him in; and I told him he was welcome to use our lie detector if he wanted.” Holt’s steely gaze pinned Nora to her chair. “I guess he wanted.”

  “And now we know that she murdered the former Weapons Director and an MI5 chemist, too,” Ian said conversationally. “Isn’t that right, Nora?”

  “No!”

  The damning red light flashed.

  Nora went redder. “No!” she repeated. “I wasn’t answering the question, I was just…”

  “Actually, you were answering the question, weren’t you?” Ian purred.

  “No!”

  Red light again.

  “Oh, Nora. You’re a very bad girl.” Ian wagged a playful finger at her. “And you bribed a CIA agent to kidnap your own daughter. Such a pity he didn’t manage to kill me in the process, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it certainly is.” She glared at him, the green light underscoring her sincerity. “You’re an odious man, and you’re also wrong. I didn’t bribe anybody. I received a ransom note-”

  “Cut the crap,” Holt snapped. “We know you’re lying; Nielsen spilled the whole story this morning and Grandin confessed.”

  “They’re lying!” Nora’s face was crimson. “They’re trying to frame me!”

  “Right then,” Ian said briskly. “We can clear this up very easily. All you need to do is answer yes or no. Did you set up Grandin to kidnap Aydan?”

  “No.”

  The green light flashed, and my heart froze in my chest.

  How could that be true?

  How could I have been so wrong?

  Ian frowned, and Nora gave him a look of pure triumph.

  A slow smile eased Ian’s lips. “Oh, nicely done. Let’s try another one. Did you get someone in the U.S. government to set up Grandin to kidnap Aydan?”

  Nora glared up at him in silence.

  His smile widened. “Now, now; that’s not very convincing,” he admonished. “Come on, give it a go. Did you get someone in the U.S. government to set up Grandin to kidnap Aydan?”

  “Why did you even bother?” I blurted. “You didn’t need me as long as you had Rebecca.”

  Her eyes widened. “Dani-dear, I told you; Rebecca could never replace you. She’s a lovely girl, but I only have one daughter. You.”

  “I wasn’t talking about blood relationships,” I snapped. “I was talking about somebody to do your dirty work in the internet. When you figured out what Rebecca was, you headed out of here on the next damn plane. The only reason you came back here in the first place was to recruit me, and the only reason you’re here now is because you found out Rebecca’s dead and you still need me.”

  “No!”

  The green light flashed.

  Truth.

  My jaw dropped as all my theories evaporated.

  “Rebecca’s not dead!” Nora protested.

  My heart plummeted. For a moment there, I had actually thought she’d meant she loved me.

  What an idiot.

  “Yes, Rebecca’s dead,” I said quietly. “She died last night. You didn’t get the news because you were in the hospital; and in transit this morning.”

  “No!” Nora’s eyes brimmed. “Oh, no…” She hid her face in her hands.

  I almost felt sorry for her.

  But not quite.

  “So the only reason you came back was to recruit me,” I snapped.

  She lowered her hands and gazed at me through her tears, her lips trembling.

  “No.”

  Her choked denial was so quiet I had to strain to hear it, but the lie detector flashed instantly.

  Green.

  I stared.

  “You see, Dani-dear,” Nora said softly. “I love you. I truly do. I always have. Always will. I’ve been telling you the truth all along. About Sam, about what happened with your father all those years ago, about how I left to protect you. It’s all true.”

  “Is… that all true?” I croaked. “All of what you just said about my past? Answer yes or no.”

  “Yes.”

  The green light flashed again and my heart twisted painfully.

  “You’re lying,” Holt snapped.

  “Your infallible machine begs to differ,” Nora said sweetly.

  “Not about loving her,” Holt growled. “I believe you about that. But it’s not the only reason you came back, is it?”

  “No, of course not,” Nora said, and the green light corroborated her statement. “I wanted to reconnect with old friends; I wanted to consult a lawyer regarding the ownership of Sirius Canada-”

  “And one of your reasons was to recruit Aydan. Yes or no?”

  She said nothing.

  “You might as well give it up,” Ian said. “We’ve already got you on two murder charges, bribery, conspiring to murder two agents, misappropriating classified technology and a host of other lovelies. Go ahead and answer.”

  She crossed her arms, her lips trembling and cheeks still flushed angry red. “I have nothing to say.”

  Ian shrugged. “It’s enough. Nora Taylor, you’re under arrest…”

  Nora swayed, her face going slack.

  “…for the murder of Howard Coleman and-”

  She toppled out of the chair.

  Her body hit the floor with boneless finality.

  Chapter 55

  I sat.

  The wail of sirens and crackle of emergency radios still echoed in my memory.

  The waking nightmare replayed in my mind over and over. The futile efforts of the paramedics performing CPR; the horrible laxity of Nora’s pale hand flopping over the edge of the stretcher as they carried her body out.

  I sat.

  The chains still on my body; my mind floating in that numb grey place that precedes pain.

  Somebody sat down beside me.

  Where my mother had sat only half an hour ago.

  Where she would never sit again.

  “Here.” A firm hand took mine and folded it around a warm paper cup. “Drink.”

  I sipped mechanically, hot sweet chocolate jolting me back to reality.

  “I put a lid on it so you wouldn’t spill,” Holt said. “The way your hands are shaking, I figured you’d end up wearing it otherwise.”

  “Thanks.” I sipped again. Then again. Each mouthful drew me back to myself. Back to pain.

  Ian strode over and lowered himself into the chair across from me. “Terribly sorry about all this, Storm.”

  “Liar.” I didn’t even try to stop the accusing word.

  He looked taken aback for a moment, but his flirtatious smile quickly reappeared. “Yes, well, you’re right. I’m not sorry about all this; I’m actually quite pleased that we solved the case. But I did want to apologize for that little scene in my hospital room last night. You caught me on the line with my superiors, and I needed to make a good show. I didn’t mean any of it, of course.” He gave me one of his debonair shrugs. “You know how it goes.”

  I just stared at him.

  He hesitated. “Also, it seems you were right in your suspicions. Nora tried to deter the nurse who put in her eye drops this morning, so I rang Nora’s doctor in London and discovered that she didn’t have glaucoma.” He gestured at the place on the floor where Nora’s body had lain. “I expect it was Substance X in her eye drop bottle. I called our chemists, and they said the effect would have been slowed because she absorbed it through her eyes instead of swallowing it. And when her blood pressure skyrocketed under questioning and the bad news about Rebecca…”

  He didn’t need to finish the sentence. The result was still far too clear in my mind.

  I had killed my own mother by telling her Rebecca was dead.

  Innocent Rebecca, whom
I’d also killed with my incompetence.

  Ian was still talking. “Do let me know as soon as your lab finishes its analysis on the eye drops.” He eyed me inquisitively. “Who was this Rebecca, by the way? What did you mean when you said Nora found out ‘what she was’?”

  Holt rose. “Time for you to go, Rand. We need to finish our meeting here, and get Kelly out of these fucking chains.”

  “Of course.” Ian laid a gentle hand on mine, his beautiful green eyes going solemn. “I am terribly sorry you were hurt, and I’m sorry for your loss. Please accept my deepest sympathies.”

  I turned to study his handsome face, his utter sincerity.

  “Sure,” I said.

  “Au revoir, Storm. I hope we meet again soon.”

  I managed a twitch of my lips, and he left.

  General Briggs called the meeting to order immediately. “Agent Kelly, we offer you our condolences. We realize this has been very traumatic for you, and we’ll wrap it up as quickly as possible. The chain of command is convinced that there has been no wrongdoing on your part-”

  “That’s bullshit!” Dermott interrupted. “She botched the whole mission, and the only reason she’s getting off the hook is because Holt pulled it out of the fire for her!”

  “That’s what team members do,” Briggs snapped. “And Holt only had to take over because you relieved Agent Kelly of duty and imprisoned her so that she couldn’t complete the mission herself. Now, as I was saying-”

  Dermott shot me a hate-filled look and interrupted, “She’s going to botch the mission with Kane, too! And you’re just going to keep on making excuses for her, aren’t you, because she’s so goddamn fucking special-”

  “One more word, and you’ll be the one in chains,” Briggs said quietly.

  Dermott turned purple, but didn’t retort. Even he had finally figured out that it was over.

  Except that it wasn’t.

  He was never going to let it go now.

  And the chain of command still expected me to deliver Kane.

  A bleak future stretched ahead in my imagination. Me, pretending with less and less conviction to be recruiting Kane. Dermott sowing vicious lies and damaging truths in Command’s minds; gradually convincing them that I had never intended to carry out the mission.