Remember Remember (41 page)

Alan looked at his friends and asked, “What do you think of me guys, what do you really think of me?”

“Oh fuck off Alan, you’ve only had four pints so don’t get all psychological and pissed with us.”

“I only asked what you thought of me Dave, don’t bite my head off.”

Dave looked at him, “Well, you’re OK aren’t you. You’ve got a good pension and a fabulous girlfriend, you’ve got mates like us and you’re going on a cruise; so what’s your problem?”

“No problem Dave, no problem.”

John took another gulp from his glass then spoke to Alan, “You’re worried about the relationship aren’t you, about commitment. You’ve fallen in love.”

“No I haven’t,” he replied, “guys like me don’t do that.”

John laughed, “Guys like me, what does that mean?”

“Nothing, nothing, let’s change the subject.”

“OK, let’s talk about Jacky’s beautiful arse.”

“Watch it John.”

“You see Dave,” John turned to his silent friend. “He’s got the hots for her but he won’t admit it.”

“The hots for her, what do you mean. I’ve had the hots for her for over two years.”

“Then it’s about time you made an honest woman of her,” laughed John.

“Maybe,” Alan nodded and called for Jacky, “Three more pints please darling.”

She pulled on the beer pumps, turned her head and smiled at him, “What are you after?”

“Nothing love, just the chance to have a good holiday together.”

She placed the pints down in front of the three, looked at Alan and responded, “A good holiday is what we’ll have darling especially when I’m on that side of the bar, so you’d better take extra spending money for the champagne.”

“Champagne,” gasped Dave, “that costs a fortune on a ship.”

“Then a fortune’s what he’d better bring,” she quipped.

John interrupted, “It seems that the hots are going to cost you Alan.”

“What hots,” she queried, looking at Alan, then John and Dave.

“Nothing love, it’s just blokes talking.”

“If you ask me blokes talk more drivel than women,” she responded and moved away to serve another customer.

Alan downed his pint, agreed to meet his two friends the same time the next day, turned to go and called to Jacky, “See you at six, love.”

July 24
th
, The Brown Cow, Hillgate, Stockport.

John downed the dregs of his second pint and called to Jacky for a third round. He turned to Alan and quipped, “Enjoy these pints, it’s the last good beer you’ll have for twenty days!”

Alan smiled, “Maybe even longer.”

“Why; aren’t you coming back?”

For a brief second his eyes widened; he looked around the bar to see if they had been overheard and satisfied with their privacy replied, “Well you never know John, I might get an offer I can’t refuse, or meet a beautiful lady and run off with her.”

“I thought you were taking the beautiful lady with you,” interrupted Dave.

“One should always keep one’s options open,” he replied smugly.

“If you ask me you’re a lucky bastard for having the option you’ve got; so I’d grab her while you can and marry her on the ship.”

“Yeah, you can do that, captains have that power,” interrupted John.

Jacky placed the three pints on the bar and enquired, “Captains have what power?”

“The power to marry people my love,” he replied.

“Marry people! What the hell are you talking about?”

“We suggested that Alan stops messing about and marries you on the ship, that’s all.” joked Dave.

She laughed out loud, “Marry me, who’s to say I’d have him, he’s getting old and knackered and drinks too much.”

“And I bet he farts in bed,” added John.

“Yes he does, the dirty sod,” she responded.

“Thanks you lot, it’s nice to know I have real friends and a woman who tells all at the bar about my little outbursts in bed,” interrupted Alan.

She patted his hand to appease him and quipped, “Don’t get all sulky love, you know they love you and I quite like you too.” She grabbed a cloth and began to clean the red formica surface, then continued, “And I don’t accept rings with less than three carats of diamonds set in platinum. I think platinum sets off well with the colour of my hands, it’s much better than gold.”

With that she splayed out both hands and waved her fingers in the air, then looked at Alan, smiled and winked.

He smiled back, but kept his counsel as he felt the dull ache of sadness in his chest.

As Jacky’s attention was taken by the arrival of three couples Alan turned to his two friends, looked at them both and said, “Can I be serious for a few minutes, fellas?”

“You are going to wed the lass aren’t you,” gasped John.

“No I’m not,” he hissed, “now please, bloody well listen for a minute,” his face sent the clear message to shut up which they did before he continued, “I want you both to remember this; this is me, this is Alan Johnson in this pub, drinking this beer with you my friends. I want you also to read the postcards I will send you and I want you to do exactly what it says on them.”

John looked at Dave and then back at Alan then replied, “Are you pissed?”

“No, I’m not pissed, now, if I buy the next two rounds will you agree to at least read the bloody post cards?”

“Yes Alan,” both John and Dave dipped their heads, raised their eyes and grinned sheepishly, “we promise.”

“Oh fuck off you two,” he growled.

“Yes, we promise,” to which they both laughed as Alan smiled and slowly shook his head.

He looked around the bar, was surprised to see no Plod, watched the three couples take their drinks and disappear into the pit and then called to Jacky, “Is Donald upstairs?”

“Yes,” came the reply from around the bar, “but I don’t think he’s speaking to you; as yet again you’re taking away his best barmaid.”

“Call him will you love and ask if I can have a word with him.”

“Minutes later she came around the bar and quipped, “He said you were to make love and travel but when I said you would be doing that tomorrow, he said you could go up.”

“Wow, allowed upstairs, that’s an honour,” teased Dave.

“Watch him,” smiled Jacky “when he asks me he’s usually in bed in the nude.”

“How the hell do you know that,” he hissed.

She raised her eyebrows and smiled but said nothing.

He climbed the stairs, walked along a corridor and entered the first small room he came to. The walls were cracked and in need of painting, the window needed replacing and the carpet looked Dickensian.

“Good God Donald, this place is a dump.”

“Save the surveyors report, this is where I live, and this is why I have to get all my girlfriends thoroughly pissed before I dare bring them here. Now tell me, apart from taking my best bar staff away again, what the hell do you want?”

“Quite simple,” he replied as he took from his pocket four small parcels and placed them on a table. “You know my cronies downstairs, John and Dave, well I would like you to give them each one of these when I send you all a postcard. A third one is stamped and addressed and I’d like you to post it when you give out the others; the fourth one I’ll tell you about on a postcard I’ll be sending you.”

“Why can’t you give them the fucking things now,” snarled Donald.

Because it’s a surprise, a joke about where I will have been when I send the postcards.”

“What is it, a pair of Jacky’s pants, because that’s where you’ll have been for most of the cruise,” he laughed at his own tasteless joke.

Alan smiled insincerely, “Thanks, but no, it’s just an in joke so can I please rely on you.” He pulled out a fiver and placed it on the table saying, “I’ll even buy you a couple of pints for your trouble.”

Donald grabbed the fiver and the four small parcels then said, “Give us the fucking things here, I’ll give them out as you asked, now bugger off and let me rest, I’m on from 5.30 to closing.”

July 24
th
, Alma Lodge Hotel, Stockport.

Major Steve Rock had listened to the introductions from his new colleagues. He now had eight team members who would track Johnson on the cruise; five men and three women. He had intelligence, diplomacy, tracking, electronics, communications and muscle at his disposal.

He had built a file for each team member and presented this in order that the whole team knew their target. He had informed them they would get total cooperation from the Costa ships crew and the authorities at all ports except Alexandria. He new the Egyptians would not allow the forceful arrest and removal of aliens on their territory without their involvement; therefore Alexandria would be the port where the team would be at its most disadvantaged. They had concluded the meeting with a question and answer session and he felt good as he shook their hands on departure.

His team comprised, Sergeant David Impey, SAS; Captain Robert Smart, SAS ; Staff Sergeant Alison Stevens and Mrs Sarah Jones, electronics and communication; Mr David Blond and Doctor Patel, intelligence and diplomacy; and Miss Sarah Bell, tracking. They would all be seconded into the security wing of Costa, giving them minimum exposure to passengers in general but maximum exposure to specific passengers.

He felt more confident than ever before, regarding this case and smiled to himself as he walked to his bedroom. This time he’d get the bastard.

August 8
th,
The Costa Atlantica, at Sea.

The cruise to date had been uneventful for all concerned. At every port Alan and Jacky had disembarked on a scheduled excursion and along with a few thousand other travellers seen the local sights, ruins and shops. On every occasion he had spent a great deal of time with her but had then found a bar and drunk alone, while she hit the local shops.

She had improved her wardrobe on nearly every shore visit and had written and mailed local postcards to friends at home. He had been observed adding a few sentences, which had been read and accepted as the normal thing to do.

He had seemed the ideal companion, spending virtually all his time with her but with the occasional private visit to bars both on shore and on the ship. To date he had met with no others.

Rock’s team were professional and committed and in his view had never compromised the surveillance operation, however the information gathered so far was that two people had gone on holiday to eat, drink, sightsee, dance and have sex on a regular basis. His reports back to Bagshaw were of a seemingly normal couple on holiday.

Alan Johnson’s thoughts were slightly different, he had believed he would be followed but had no confirmation at Manchester airport, on the transfer to Savona or when boarding the Costa Atlantica. He suspected they would not just allow him to go and therefore he must be electronically stamped and humanly shadowed. He had checked every single item of his luggage and his clothing, he had checked the cabin and asked for and been moved to another dining table. As yet he had found nothing to indicate surveillance which in itself worried him. “Surveillance people must be somewhere, as must electronics,” he questioned to himself.

On day three of the cruise, Jacky had booked a “wellbeing” experience in the Costa Atlantica’s Samsara Spa, to include Thalassotherapy, Rock Sauna, Thermal Bath and Tepidarium plus an Aromaspa Ocean Wrap. The whole experience concluded Alan, would take two or three hours giving him time to double check the cabin.

After seeing her into the “wellbeing” experience, he returned to the cabin and systematically set about sweeping the place for electronic devices. One hour later having checked the TV, the fridge, remote controls, all lights, the bed, the walls, tables, chairs, carpets, ceiling vents, the mirrors and even the safe he had not found a single thing.

He sat on the bed and dialled the reception. Two minutes later he replaced the receiver and gently stroked his chin. He had asked for an upgrade of cabin. His request had been denied on the grounds they were all taken but when he had asked for a similar cabin on a lower deck three cabins had been offered. He had then been asked if he would like to see and choose one immediately. He had declined the offer and now lay on the bed deep in thought. Minutes later he sat bolt upright and shook his head, his thoughts racing.

“You bloody fool, you’re the one who advocates keep it simple and you never thought about Jacky; they’ve bugged her stuff, not mine or the cabin. Shit,” he thought, “Jacky’s stuff.”

He lay back on the bed, began to breathe more slowly and then smiled. He started to search the things which rarely left her side and found one listening device in the handle of her favourite large handbag and one in a stud on the bottom of the bag. He made good his find, replaced the bag and lay back on the bed.

“We’ll leave everything the same until just before Alexandria and then change her wardrobe if we have to,” he mused.

He then concentrated on the people. “If we have listening devices in her possessions we must have local people.”

He leaned over, picked up the telephone and ordered a club sandwich with a beer. Just ten minutes later he answered the knock at the door and took possession of his sandwich and beer. He thanked the female waitress and closed the door as she left. Immediately he picked up a bundle of Euro bills, opened the door, took his key and raced after her.