The Lethal Target(54)

‘Justice in a way,’ murmured Lauren. ‘He died the same way he killed Dougie MacClain.’

‘Not quite,’ said Stewart. ‘Muir killed Dougie and then threw his body off the cliff.’ He looked at Jake quizzically in the rear-view mirror. ‘Unless you’re telling me that you killed Muir, Mr Wells?’

‘Absolutely not!’ said Jake firmly. ‘It was an accident. We fought, and he tripped and fell over the cliff.’

‘Of course he did,’ said Stewart with a hint of sarcasm. ‘I guess accidents happen a lot around you spooks.’

‘We’re not spooks!’ Jake repeated impatiently.

‘Of course you’re not,’ said Stewart. He slowed the car as they approached the small police station. ‘And now you can talk to the man who’s not your secret boss.’



Jake and Lauren sat side by side on hard wooden chairs in the office at the back of the police station. On the desk in front of them was an open laptop, and on the screen the face of Gareth Findlay-Weston beamed at them. Smiling, as always, thought Jake. That same smile he’d be wearing whether he was about to praise someone or execute them.

‘I hear you two have had quite an eventful time on Mull,’ said Gareth. ‘But then I always find the Hebrides very invigorating. The air in particular is very bracing.’

‘I have the document you signed,’ said Jake.

‘Which document would that be?’ asked Gareth.

‘The one you sent to Pam Gordon, giving permission for Lauren to return to the UK, and me to get my job back.’

Gareth frowned.

‘Sounds like a forgery to me,’ he said. ‘I can hardly imagine anyone in my position would authorise such a document, unless under extreme pressure, possibly blackmail. And, as I’m sure you know, any document obtained under blackmail is not valid in a court of law.’

‘Now look!’ exploded Jake angrily, and he shook his bandaged fists at the webcam.

‘Calm down, Jake,’ said Gareth. ‘You might do further damage to those poor hands of yours.’ Then he smiled. ‘Anyway, you can rest assured, that document will be honoured.’

Jake’s expression changed from fury, to stunned astonishment.

‘It will?’ he asked.

‘Of course,’ said Gareth. ‘I value you highly as a worker, Jake, as you know. Also, to be frank, keeping a close watch on the pair of you is an expense this department can do without, especially in these difficult economic times. It will be far cheaper to have you both where we can keep an eye on you. So, yes, Ms Graham; you may remain in this country. And Jake, I expect you to return to work once your injuries have healed.’

Jake wanted to yell out in joy, give an exultant cry of ‘Yess!’, but he did his best to contain himself. Instead, he looked at Lauren and gave her the broadest smile possible, and she smiled back, her eyes sparkling.

But that was for later. Right now, there were still many questions that Jake wanted answers to.

‘Why did you send in the SAS?’ he asked. ‘Considering what Pam Gordon had said about the Russians and diplomatic immunity.’

A look of displeasure crossed Gareth’s face.

‘I do wish you wouldn’t throw people’s names around in a public conversation,’ he rebuked Jake.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Jake. ‘I thought this was a private conversation.’

‘Don’t be silly, Jake. There are no such things as private conversations any more, not where modern technology is concerned. Anyway, to answer your question. First, the SAS were not sent in.’

Jake frowned, puzzled.

‘If they weren’t the SAS, who were they?’ he asked. ‘They acted like them.’

‘Let us just say they were experts in their job,’ said Gareth. ‘Which is dealing with dangerous hostage situations.’

‘Which is what the SAS do,’ insisted Jake.

Again, Gareth gave them a look of irritation.

‘At the moment I am feeling benevolent towards you,’ he said. ‘My attitude may change if you continue to annoy me.’

Lauren gave Jake a sharp and painful nudge in the thigh with her finger that meant: Shut up. We’ve got what we want. If you upset him, he might take it back.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Jake. ‘I won’t interrupt any more.’

‘Good,’ said Gareth. ‘As it turns out, the professor was not acting in any official capacity. The so-called archaeological dig was his own enterprise.’

Lies, thought Jake. No one could carry out an undertaking like Professor Lemski’s dig without some sort of official government backing. However, his thigh still hurt from where Lauren had just jabbed him. Keep your mouth shut, he told himself. Don’t make waves.