[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
you weren t supposed to. You went along on the surveillance, you
ended up being the one to lose Latchkey, and you became suspi-
cious. In Partridge s mind, you became another problem.
Miles shook his head.
He was way off the mark, Billy. Yes, I was suspicious, but I
hadn t a clue what was going on, and I certainly wasn t getting
any closer to solving it.
I know that, Miles, but Partridge thought that you were.
That was what was so important.
Sounds to me, said Collins slowly, as though you were
set up, Mr. Flint. Set up by this bastard here and the Gray
character.
Miles nodded.
That s the way it looks to me, too. What do you say,
Billy?
Well, Miles . . . Billy had already lost what confidence he
had gained during the telling of his tale. It was Gray, you have
to understand that.
You were trying to flush Partridge out using me as bait?
Billy looked into his lap again, but saw little comfort there.
Something like that, he mumbled.
But why was Gray so interested in the first place?
Oh, good reasons. For one thing, and even you must see
this, Miles, it is in nobody s interest for someone like Partridge
to step into the old boy s shoes. The Americans have been ner-
vous of our setup here since the 1970s. They ve kept tabs on us.
And for another . . .
Well?
231
Ian Rankin
It doesn t matter.
Billy, it looks to me as though Mr. Collins is itching to do
you some violence.
A lot of violence, corrected Collins.
Billy sat back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. Then go
ahead and do it.
It was Miles s turn to lean forward in his seat. You were
going to tell me about Gray, I think. Well, you re not the only
one who can put two and three together and come up with a
conspiracy. What about this: Sizewell is on a committee inves-
tigating cooperation and the lack of it among the security ser-
vices, as well as other highly secret and confidential proposals.
The Americans would like to know what s being said, and would
simply love to have someone in there putting forward their own
views. Sizewell was the obvious candidate because of the Hayton
killing. They d had him tucked away in their files since then in
the hope that they could use him in just such a way at a later
date, and that date is now. So your friend Gray was attempting
to frighten a member of the British Parliament, to blackmail
him, and the only way to stop blackmail like that, as we both
know, is to root out the evidence. So Sizewell got in touch with
his old friend, and Partridge was given another reason for elimi-
nating the past. They must have thought the world was falling
down on top of them. Miles looked over to Collins, who had
started to sweat a little, though the central heating was temper-
ate at most. You re a wanted man, Will. You re the last one left
alive who can jeopardize this whole stinking thing.
Except that now you have it all on tape, said Collins.
Suppositions, theories. You re the only witness, the only
physical obstacle left.
Which is why this CIA bastard was looking for me, to pro-
tect me?
Yes. Where is Gray by the way, Billy?
Billy shrugged. France maybe. He s heavily involved over
there just now. Antiterrorism.
A real troubleshooter, eh? It s a pity. I m sure we d have
liked to meet him, wouldn t we, Will?
232
Watchman
Yes, Mr. Flint, we would.
So, Partridge had set it up so that Latchkey could escape.
Simple enough to do, I expect. An anonymous warning that he
was being followed. But one of our men had to be in on it. Miles
thought of splendor beetles and Sobranie cigarettes. Phillips?
Of course.
Yes, he of the lateral promotion. But hadn t Phillips been
in Mowbray s camp? What about Mowbray? His little setup
was surely more of a threat to Partridge than I was?
Not at all.
Not with Phillips in his camp, keeping Partridge informed
of all Richard s doings? Miles was thinking back to that night at
the Doric. But hadn t Felicity first approached him while Phil-
lips was parking the car? That would mean that her first sally
had been . . . coincidence.
What about Cynegetics? Where does it enter the scheme
of things?
Well, said Billy, shadowy as it is, we do know that Par-
tridge set up the group and staffed it with agents loyal to him
so that he could monitor anyone within the firm who might be
trying to dig up the dirt on him.
But he never guessed that it was you who was doing the
burrowing?
There were too many others for him to keep busy with.
Andrew Gray saw to that.
Others like me you mean?
Yes. But now I have a question to put to you. Billy was
rubbing at his face tiredly.
What?
Just what happened to you in Ireland?
Collins manufactured some rough and ready sandwiches, and
they ate them, washing each one down with mouthfuls of tea.
During which time Miles, as he thought only fair, told Billy his
own story.
Incredible, was Billy s response. Partridge didn t over-
233
Ian Rankin
estimate you. If anything he underestimated you. We all did,
Miles.
What s this fellow Partridge s first name anyway? Collins
asked, through a paste of cheese and tomato.
Nobody knows, said Billy, still in awe of the Irishman.
Somebody must know, said Collins, even if only his
mammy.
Let s come back to Gray, said Miles. He was obsessed now,
and was not about to be led away from his obsession. He had
turned the tape over, and now he switched the cassette recorder
on again.
Gray, he repeated, was using me as bait, was he?
Not especially, answered Billy lethargically. But you did
help discomfort Partridge, which was all to the good. Gray
wanted to create the maximum panic so that Sizewell would give
in. It wasn t just you. I think he kept dropping hints and clues
to Mauberley, too, knowing that Richard, no matter how stupid,
was bound to come up with something eventually. Then there
was a newspaper reporter called Stevens. Andrew did his anony-
mous phone call routine on him, sending him clues, so that Ste-
vens would go after Sizewell. He s probably still after him.
Stevens, you said?
Yes.
Miles looked at Collins.
That s the man Sheila said had been pestering her about
me.
Well, well, well, said Billy, he must be a better reporter
than we d thought if he s tracked you down.
But all this, persisted Miles, the reporter, me, the whole [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
you weren t supposed to. You went along on the surveillance, you
ended up being the one to lose Latchkey, and you became suspi-
cious. In Partridge s mind, you became another problem.
Miles shook his head.
He was way off the mark, Billy. Yes, I was suspicious, but I
hadn t a clue what was going on, and I certainly wasn t getting
any closer to solving it.
I know that, Miles, but Partridge thought that you were.
That was what was so important.
Sounds to me, said Collins slowly, as though you were
set up, Mr. Flint. Set up by this bastard here and the Gray
character.
Miles nodded.
That s the way it looks to me, too. What do you say,
Billy?
Well, Miles . . . Billy had already lost what confidence he
had gained during the telling of his tale. It was Gray, you have
to understand that.
You were trying to flush Partridge out using me as bait?
Billy looked into his lap again, but saw little comfort there.
Something like that, he mumbled.
But why was Gray so interested in the first place?
Oh, good reasons. For one thing, and even you must see
this, Miles, it is in nobody s interest for someone like Partridge
to step into the old boy s shoes. The Americans have been ner-
vous of our setup here since the 1970s. They ve kept tabs on us.
And for another . . .
Well?
231
Ian Rankin
It doesn t matter.
Billy, it looks to me as though Mr. Collins is itching to do
you some violence.
A lot of violence, corrected Collins.
Billy sat back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. Then go
ahead and do it.
It was Miles s turn to lean forward in his seat. You were
going to tell me about Gray, I think. Well, you re not the only
one who can put two and three together and come up with a
conspiracy. What about this: Sizewell is on a committee inves-
tigating cooperation and the lack of it among the security ser-
vices, as well as other highly secret and confidential proposals.
The Americans would like to know what s being said, and would
simply love to have someone in there putting forward their own
views. Sizewell was the obvious candidate because of the Hayton
killing. They d had him tucked away in their files since then in
the hope that they could use him in just such a way at a later
date, and that date is now. So your friend Gray was attempting
to frighten a member of the British Parliament, to blackmail
him, and the only way to stop blackmail like that, as we both
know, is to root out the evidence. So Sizewell got in touch with
his old friend, and Partridge was given another reason for elimi-
nating the past. They must have thought the world was falling
down on top of them. Miles looked over to Collins, who had
started to sweat a little, though the central heating was temper-
ate at most. You re a wanted man, Will. You re the last one left
alive who can jeopardize this whole stinking thing.
Except that now you have it all on tape, said Collins.
Suppositions, theories. You re the only witness, the only
physical obstacle left.
Which is why this CIA bastard was looking for me, to pro-
tect me?
Yes. Where is Gray by the way, Billy?
Billy shrugged. France maybe. He s heavily involved over
there just now. Antiterrorism.
A real troubleshooter, eh? It s a pity. I m sure we d have
liked to meet him, wouldn t we, Will?
232
Watchman
Yes, Mr. Flint, we would.
So, Partridge had set it up so that Latchkey could escape.
Simple enough to do, I expect. An anonymous warning that he
was being followed. But one of our men had to be in on it. Miles
thought of splendor beetles and Sobranie cigarettes. Phillips?
Of course.
Yes, he of the lateral promotion. But hadn t Phillips been
in Mowbray s camp? What about Mowbray? His little setup
was surely more of a threat to Partridge than I was?
Not at all.
Not with Phillips in his camp, keeping Partridge informed
of all Richard s doings? Miles was thinking back to that night at
the Doric. But hadn t Felicity first approached him while Phil-
lips was parking the car? That would mean that her first sally
had been . . . coincidence.
What about Cynegetics? Where does it enter the scheme
of things?
Well, said Billy, shadowy as it is, we do know that Par-
tridge set up the group and staffed it with agents loyal to him
so that he could monitor anyone within the firm who might be
trying to dig up the dirt on him.
But he never guessed that it was you who was doing the
burrowing?
There were too many others for him to keep busy with.
Andrew Gray saw to that.
Others like me you mean?
Yes. But now I have a question to put to you. Billy was
rubbing at his face tiredly.
What?
Just what happened to you in Ireland?
Collins manufactured some rough and ready sandwiches, and
they ate them, washing each one down with mouthfuls of tea.
During which time Miles, as he thought only fair, told Billy his
own story.
Incredible, was Billy s response. Partridge didn t over-
233
Ian Rankin
estimate you. If anything he underestimated you. We all did,
Miles.
What s this fellow Partridge s first name anyway? Collins
asked, through a paste of cheese and tomato.
Nobody knows, said Billy, still in awe of the Irishman.
Somebody must know, said Collins, even if only his
mammy.
Let s come back to Gray, said Miles. He was obsessed now,
and was not about to be led away from his obsession. He had
turned the tape over, and now he switched the cassette recorder
on again.
Gray, he repeated, was using me as bait, was he?
Not especially, answered Billy lethargically. But you did
help discomfort Partridge, which was all to the good. Gray
wanted to create the maximum panic so that Sizewell would give
in. It wasn t just you. I think he kept dropping hints and clues
to Mauberley, too, knowing that Richard, no matter how stupid,
was bound to come up with something eventually. Then there
was a newspaper reporter called Stevens. Andrew did his anony-
mous phone call routine on him, sending him clues, so that Ste-
vens would go after Sizewell. He s probably still after him.
Stevens, you said?
Yes.
Miles looked at Collins.
That s the man Sheila said had been pestering her about
me.
Well, well, well, said Billy, he must be a better reporter
than we d thought if he s tracked you down.
But all this, persisted Miles, the reporter, me, the whole [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]