‘That’s the main weakness in the theory. We think he could live with not knowing their secrets, because you don’t miss what you never had. But he couldn’t live with the Serbians getting them instead. Which emotion comes out on top? The behavioural psychology subcommittee is debating it now.’
‘The what?’
‘The behavioural psychology subcommittee.’
‘Anything else?’
‘The conventional in-house wisdom says we know there’s a safe house somewhere, and the problem is solved the minute we find it. London is full of cameras and recognition software, and we have a mass of real-time traffic data, and we’ve got the programmers working hard, and the analysts harder still.’
‘Who are all smart people, right?’
‘Very smart.’
‘Which is why you’re better than the NSA, right?’
‘And cheaper.’
I sat back.
I said, ‘I’m wondering why you brought us here. You could have just told us. You could have said, Joey has a house and nothing happens there.’
‘We’re sharing the data.’
‘You’re overcomplicating the data. Or blowing smoke.’
‘How so?’
‘To tell you that I would have to believe what you say.’
‘Why wouldn’t you?’
‘It’s a simple chain of logic, but I have to trust each component.’
‘Why wouldn’t you?’ he said again.
‘Those things you told us earlier. You have a no-humansinvolved protocol, with different procedures. You’re hacking our phones right now, as individuals. You’re hacking CIA communications generally. You could listen to the hot line into the Oval Office, if you wanted to, but you don’t, simply because of good manners. If all of that is true, then all of it has to be classified. You talk about it, you get sent to the Tower of London. You get your head cut off. Or whatever the modern equivalent is. A life sentence for treason.’
‘I’m not going to jail.’
‘Because?’
‘I wasn’t telling you anything I got from inside the building.’
‘What building?’
‘Any building.’
‘So what are you telling us?’
‘You know how it is. There are a million stories and a million rumours. Most of them are bullshit. But there are always three or four that could be true. But they’re all contradictory. So you use your hard-won skill and insider judgement and you decide which one to believe in.’
‘Why should you believe in any of them?’
‘Because one of them is bound to be true.’
‘Hacking our phones is neither a story nor a rumour. It’s a fact.’
‘It’s a small fact. And the small facts we know can be indicative of the bigger facts we don’t know. All part of the reasoning process. If we attack low-level American assets, why wouldn’t we attack high-level American assets? It’s all the same electricity in the same wires. And if we attack high-level assets, why wouldn’t we listen to the Oval Office?’
‘Therefore the things you told us were merely theories you believe in.’
‘I can’t prove them.’
‘But?’
‘I know they’re true.’
‘Because?’
‘Human nature,’ he said. ‘You know how it is. Whatever your intentions, if you have the ability to do something, then you will do it, sooner or later. The temptation is always there, and it can’t be resisted for ever. Don’t tell me you think any different.’
‘What about the other things you told us?’
‘Like what?’
‘You think Kott and Carson are definitely in London.’
‘Hundred per cent certain.’
‘Based on your skill and insider judgement?’
‘Everything I know says they’re here.’
‘And they’re being guarded, and fed, and entertained by the Romford Boys.’
‘It’s how things are done. The courtesies are very elaborate.’
‘Hundred per cent certain?’
He said, ‘More than.’
‘And the guards and the food and the entertainment would be quarterbacked by Joey himself.’
‘No question about that. Hundred per cent.’
‘But no one is dashing back and forth between Joey’s house and wherever.’
‘And that’s not just my belief. That’s a fact.’
I said, ‘Ms Nice and I had a conversation. The whole British government is getting nowhere. So how likely is it a rookie analyst and a retired military cop are going to provide the vital breakthrough?’
Bennett said nothing.
‘But I guess you want it to look that way. You want it to be one of us who comes out and says it. So you can act all surprised. To ease your conscience a little.’