A Real Job (16 page)

‘Sounds good to me.’

‘I’ll let Ben know we’re getting the tube train now so he can relay to his team to get ready and do their bit at Victoria.’

*     *     *

‘Did your tail disappear this morning as planned?’ Ben asked David who was in a taxi with Debbie on their way to Thames House.

‘Like a dream. That stunt with the suitcase opening was brilliant. He really went arse over tit. There was a bit of shouting. Your team let me know what happened and told me that when they helped him up and tried to brush him down he got even more irate. Thanks for that,’ David said.

‘Brilliant. Once you finished at Thames House contact me.’

*     *     *

Greeted warmly by Jenny Richmond, one of the head’s of intelligence at MI5, as they entered her office at Thames House, Debbie noticed a look of thunder on Jenny’s face and said, ‘Something’s bothering you. I recognise that look.’

‘It’s got nothing to do with you two. Come in and sit down, I’ve ordered us some tea and coffee. I’ve just had one almighty row with your boss David and I’m mightily pissed off.’

‘Which boss?’ David asked.

‘Detective Superintendent Paul Edge. How the hell did he get to that rank? What was Bernard Gamble thinking of making him the head of the ISB in Manchester?’

David grinned and asked, ‘What’s he been up to this time?’

‘He informed me that you’re one of his officers and not to be used at our beck and call. He added that if I want to use any of his staff on investigations in the London area, I should contact him directly and he will decide whether or not they can be spared. Then he had the effrontery to tell me that terrorist activity in the provinces is equally as important as terrorist activity in the capital. As if I don’t know! He went off on this tirade and I couldn’t get a word in. Then he told me that I should not bypass him and use an “old boys” network adding that he had better officers to assist me than you and that it was his role in deciding who should come down to London to assist us. Well that was it. When he allowed me to speak, I asked him who the hell he thought he was talking to and that in any counter-terrorist investigation we think nationally not provincially like he does. I told him that he’ll do as he’s jolly well told. I wasn’t going to enter into an argument with him and I added that he should learn the procedures we deploy in joint operations when policing national security. I terminated the conversation there and then. Once I put the phone down, I contacted the Home Secretary straight away and got her to get the policing minister to contact him directly to put the jumped up little prick in his place. How the hell do you work with people like him?’

With great difficulty, but don’t take it personally. He hates most people he has to work with, but he really hates me.’

‘It must have been bad, I’ve hardly ever heard you swear,’ Debbie said

‘I just hate dealing with jobs worth buffoons like him,’ she replied.

‘What did the policing minister say?’ David asked.

‘He was in total agreement with me and said he would speak to Edge personally and then speak to your chief constable. Do you know Bernie?’ Jenny said.

‘I’ve only met him a couple of times on official business, but he did come to visit me in hospital after the Chechen job. If you call him Bernie, it sounds like you know him quite well.’ David said.

Jenny gave a knowing smile and said, ‘Actually I know him rather intimately. When he was a DI in Special Branch, our paths crossed on a few occasions when we worked on the same operations. We got on so well, the enquiries we made eventually led to the bedroom. Why David, you’re blushing,’ Jenny said seeing his apparent discomfort that she could talk so openly.

‘He blushes a lot when you get onto the subject of women, romance and definitely when you talk about sex,’ Debbie said.

‘Bernie’s a lovely man, but it never worked out. We’re still friends. In fact, I might give him a ring later and put him in the picture regarding that Paul Edge. I’ll apologise for causing the policing minister to ring himand start the downfall of that stupid little man while raising your profile David. I’ll tell him what an excellent ambassador you are for GMP’s ISB, he likes that kind of bullshit,’ Jenny said.

‘Thanks, so telling him that I’m a good officer’s just bullshit then?’ David said grinning.

Jenny smiled. ‘No,’ she said turning to Debbie, ‘When I look at you two, it reminds me of Bernie and I, and how special that time was. Provided you don’t go off and become a chief officer, I think you two should stay the course. You don’t want to be promoted do you David?’ Jenny asked.

Blushing again, David said, ‘No, I’m already at the highest rank I’ll ever achieve in the police.’

There was a knock on Jenny’s office door and after telling the caller to enter the room she said, ‘Here’s Simon with the tea and coffee.’ Jenny made some space on her desk and instructed Simon to place the tray on her desk. After thanking him, she passed out the drinks saying, ‘now to business. Are you looking forward to the Atrium Club in New Square by Lincoln’s Inn Fields tonight?’

‘Yes,’ Debbie replied, ‘Alan Trevelyan, us two, Chloe as well as David’s brother, Peter and his wife will be there.’

‘I thought I would try and get as many of those who Sean McCrossan hates together under the one roof and Alan Trevelyan’s club seemed as good a place as any. Seeing how he was so eager to have a shot at you and Steve, it’s a good chance he might show up,’ Jenny said. Looking directly at David she said, ‘You’ll have to be on your best behaviour. Just follow Debbie as to which knife and fork to use and how you wear your napkin at the dining table.’

David sighed and said, ‘I’m not falling for it. If this was our first meeting, I would’ve told you in no uncertain terms where to stick your knife and fork, and it would hurt too.’

Jenny laughed, ‘Good, because you’re going to need that thick skin at the Atrium. I’m afraid it’s full of lawyers and judges for whom the right postcode, accent, university etcetera is very important. So bite your lip and play the game. Debbie will be by your side as will the sharp witted and equally sharp tongued Chloe Byrne.’

‘Why have you arranged for us all to go out tonight? It sounds a dangerous game you’re planning?’ David asked.

‘It might seem like that, but I’ll have the whole place covered. I went through Debbie’s analysis of the intelligence and your latest report on McCrossan and his cronies. Now we know one of McCrossan’s main targets is Alan Trevelyan. It would be quite a coup for the Real IRA to assassinate a Supreme Court judge be he retired or not. It’s certainly headline grabbing, as well as showing a defect in our ability to provide security for prominent and important figures on the British mainland. The Real IRA could do with raising their profile. Admittedly the incidents in Lurgan and Omagh, as well as bombing MI5’s offices in Belfast and the shopping centre in Londonderry over the last year or two have let us know they’re still active, but that would be nothing in comparison to showing the world they have the ability to assassinate a Supreme Court judge here on the mainland,’ Jenny said, ‘From the reccies carried out, we think we’ve identified possible locations close to the club for McCrossan to use. We’ve arranged for press releases to be given that Trevelyan’s celebrating his retirement tonight at the Atrium whose members are holding a dinner in his honour. We know the Evening Standard and the Metro newspapers are running the story as have the local radio stations. We hope this’ll entice him and flush out McCrossan.

‘MI5 officers, supported by SO15 will be stationed inside and outside the club. Their main priority is the safety of Alan Trevelyan and Chloe. Ben Solaru’s team along with Steve Adams will be outside the club at locations that give a good view of the entrance to the club and the locations we think McCrossan may use as he watches for any activity. You two will be armed because, if they get really close to Trevelyan, you may have to take a bullet for him. With luck, it shouldn’t come to that.

‘That leads me onto a second point. If nothing happens tonight, I want you two to return to Manchester tomorrow where, along with Steve Adams you will be assigned new tasks. Steve’s to go to Liverpool and assist Merseyside while you’re going to Cheshire’s ISB investigating Declan Murphy, O’Byrne and McElvaney. I’ve sent a message to Cheshire’s ISB to this effect, so they know that you’re with us at the moment and will arrive once events here are concluded after tonight. I also want some digging carried out on this Mark Dunn who has helped the IRA in the past. Our main concern is they may be targeting civilians as well as the judiciary, the security services and potentially politicians. Just like the old days when the IRA showed us they’re not fussy as to where and who they attack, we must expect the same. If they thought Bridge Street in a small town like Warrington was a legitimate target, then it could be anywhere. I know that doesn’t help you to pinpoint your enquiries, but with Murphy and Dunn based up north and possibly bank rolling the Real IRA in Britain, I’ve got the North-West Counter-Terrorist Unit working on this one. So far, the intelligence we have leans to the fact the Real IRA will to try an attack in the north of England. In fact it could be on your own door step. There’s an exhibition and conference at the G.Mex centre in Manchester taking place next week. It’s going to be opened by the Prime Minister a week on Friday.

‘Looking at Murphy in particular as he is the wealthiest of the two, I was thinking if my businesses and my main warehouses are based in the Cheshire and Manchester areas I could accommodate the Real IRA. If I was in their shoes, after assassinating a retired Supreme Court judge, blowing up the Prime Minister would be something I’d go for. That could be the senior political figure your informant told you of David. They’re more likely to be confident of success if they think our attention is diverted watching Al Qaeda and other jihadist extremists. What do you think?’

‘That makes good sense to me. Do you want me to go to Liverpool with David and Steve?’Debbie asked.

‘No, I want you stay in Manchester and flit between there and Bradford with that Al Qaeda job you’re looking at as the G-Mex exhibition may also be an Al Qaeda target. That way you can liaise between West Yorkshire’s ISB, George Byrne and David. I don’t want you having anything to do with Edge. I’ve already got the wheels in motion to have that little prick sidelined on this one. David, you will update me directly on what you do, where you go and on anything you find,’ Jenny said.

‘Any plan that involves me not having to deal with Edge is fine by me. What plans have you got for him then?’ David asked.

Jenny laughed and said, ‘I’m afraid that’s on a need to know basis and you don’t need to know at this stage.’

David said, ‘And what do you want us to do for the rest of the day?’

Jenny looked at the two of them. ‘You two will be busy enough this evening, so I suggest you both leave and spend some time together. Before I forget, here are your rail tickets for the train back to Manchester tomorrow,’ she said handing them an envelope.

Chapter Thirteen
The Atrium Club,
London,
19.20 hours, Wednesday, 4
th
July
 

‘Are you sure I look alright?’ David asked Debbie who was adjusting his tie outside the entrance to the Atrium Club.

Before Debbie could answer, Steve Adams’ voice came through in their earpieces, ‘Davey, you look gorgeous. I’d fancy you myself if I wasn’t such a god send to women. You’re the lucky one. You’re getting a nice meal while we’re out here watching your back.’

‘No winding me up while I’m hob-nobbing,’ David said over the radio.

‘We’ve got everything covered, so go and enjoy yourself. David, don’t forget that you use the soup spoon away from you and you work from the outside in with the cutlery. Debbie, make sure he drinks from the cup and not the saucer,’ Steve said

David turned to Debbie and said, ‘Ignore him.’ Taking a deep breath he said, ‘Come on let’s go in.’ Entering the club, David’s attention was caught by the ornate ceiling. Admiring the craftsmanship that had gone into creating such a beautiful piece of work, his eyes were drawn down to the highly polished wood panelled walls along with the equally impressive paintings of Atrium members past and present, most of whom had been painted wearing their judges’ robes. Staring at them, he said to Debbie, ‘Just look at the detail in those paintings. Now that’s what I call art, they’re as good as a photograph.’

As he spoke, a voice behind him said, ‘They are rather splendid aren’t they. How can I help you sir?’

‘Oh, I’m sorry mate. I’m David Hurst and this is Debbie Heron. We’re Lord Trevelyan’s guests for the evening.’

The smartly dressed concierge studied the diary page for that evening, running his index finger down the left hand column containing the names of the guests members had invited. As he did so, he kept mumbling, ‘Hurst’. On finding their names he said, ‘Ah yes sir, you’re both expected. Madam would you like me to take your coat?’ As he spoke one of the assistant’s took Debbie’s coat while the concierge said to David, ‘If you and the lady would go through to the room immediately on the right, Lord Trevelyan is waiting for you.’

David ushered Debbie into the room. Once again David was equally impressed with the ornate fittings in the large lounge area that had an equally impressive bar in the far corner of the room. On seeing them enter the room, Alan Trevelyan rose from his seat next to Chloe and walked towards them. As they shook hands, Trevelyan said, ‘It’s been a long time David. I hope that son-in-law of mine’s looking after you at work?’

‘He is, thank you sir.’

‘Please, it’s Alan,’ Trevelyan said as he looked at Debbie.

David nervously said, ‘Alan, may I introduce you to my partner Debbie Heron.’

‘It’s a delight to meet you Debbie,’ Trevelyan said gently shaking her hand. ‘You’re far lovelier than Chloe described you. David, when you say partner, do you mean a life partner or a work partner?’

‘I’m sorry sir, erm, I mean . . .’ Being in an environment containing powerful and senior pillars of society, feelings of social inadequacy and intimidation came across David causing him to be tongue tied.