The Lethal Target(24)

Rona looked troubled.

‘So much happening,’ she said. ‘Uncle Dougie killed. Immigration looking for you. Are these books worth it?’

‘Oh yes,’ said Lauren firmly. ‘They really are.’





Chapter 14



A man and a woman were waiting in reception as Jake walked in through the main door of the guest house. They headed towards Jake as he made for the stairs.

‘Mr Jacob Wells?’ asked the man.

‘Yes,’ said Jake.

The man produced what looked like a warrant card.

‘Hector Manvers, Department of Immigration,’ he announced. ‘This is my colleague, Susan Webb.’

‘Nice to meet you,’ said Jake. He frowned. ‘Immigration? I can’t see how that affects me. I was born in the UK.’

‘We’re not here to see you, but your companion,’ said Webb. ‘The woman who calls herself Helen Cooper.’

Jake stared at them, doing his best to look incredulous.

‘Calls herself?’ he repeated, sounding bewildered. Then he laughed. ‘Yes, in the same way that you call yourself Susan Webb.’

‘Could you tell us where she is?’ asked Manvers.

‘Here, I hope,’ said Jake. ‘Upstairs, in our room.’

‘She isn’t,’ said Manvers.

Jake frowned.

‘That’s strange,’ he said. ‘She said she wanted to get back, so she left before I did. I wanted to stay and look at the view a little longer.’

‘Did she say why she wanted to come back before you did?’ asked Webb.

‘She said she wanted to write some postcards for friends back home,’ said Jake. ‘She’s from New Zealand.’

Manvers studied Jake, suspicion written all over his face.

‘Is that what she says?’ he asked.

‘That’s what she says, and that’s what her passport says,’ countered Jake.

‘Oh, you checked her passport, did you?’ asked Webb quickly.

Damn, thought Jake. Don’t give them too much information, he warned himself.

‘No,’ said Jake. ‘We showed each other our passports to have a laugh at our photographs. Have you ever seen a passport photograph that didn’t make anyone look a complete idiot?’ He studied the pair of them back. ‘Mind, in your job, I suppose you see a lot of passports.’

‘Where exactly did you leave the woman calling herself Helen Cooper?’ asked Webb.

‘Look, will you stop describing her as “the woman calling herself Helen Cooper”!’ snapped Jake irritably.

‘Where did you leave her?’ pressed Webb.

‘I didn’t leave her at all,’ said Jake. ‘I told you, she left first.’

‘Where from?’ demanded Manvers.

‘Out on the cliffs, near the loch,’ said Jake.

Manvers and Webb exchanged looks, then Manvers nodded and said, ‘We may need to talk to you again.’

‘Well, I’m not going anywhere,’ said Jake. ‘Anyway, what’s all this about? What do Immigration want with Helen?’

‘We’ll tell you that after we’ve discussed it with Miss Cooper,’ said Manvers.

‘Yes, well, right now I’m a bit worried about her,’ Jake told them. ‘She should have been back here by now.’ He headed for the main door. ‘I’m going to see if I can find out what’s happened to her.’

Manvers moved quickly, joining Jake as he reached the door.

‘It might be a good idea if I came with you,’ he said. ‘Just in case there’s been an accident.’

‘Yes.’ Jake nodded. ‘Good idea. What about your colleague?’

‘She’ll stay here, in case Miss Cooper returns while we’re away.’

‘Fine,’ said Jake. ‘Let’s go.’

Jake walked out of the guest house, followed by Manvers. He headed along the cliff path towards the dig, and the cottage where the Russians were staying, keeping away from the shore and the path down to the boat hut. After his slip about the passport, Jake decided his best course of action was to say nothing; just respond when Manvers asked a question. But Manvers turned out to be a dour and reticent type, giving nothing away. As a result, their walk along the cliff path was done in silence. Jake used the walk to scan around the area, pretending to be searching for any sign of Lauren. Manvers, for his part, kept his attention on Jake. He obviously didn’t believe that Lauren, or ‘Helen Cooper’, was going to be found anywhere on this walk.

He’s too clever by half, thought Jake warily.

As they neared the wire fence surrounding the dig, Jake gestured towards it.

‘I’m surprised you’re not taking a look at those Russians,’ said Jake. ‘I would have thought that was more valid than coming all this way just to check on Helen.’