‘And where did the money go?’
‘The goods were largely paid for already, separately. We acted as the carrier. The company was paid on arrival at the first stop. A sub-contractor took it on from there. After that the final legs of the journey were funded privately. Myself and others involved in the physical movement of the goods were remunerated separately. Entirely off the books.’
They stopped at the wall and looked out across the river, County Hall sprawled out across the bank down to their right and a cold wind whipped up off the water and stung their eyes as they gazed up at the majestic sight of the London Eye.
‘This could destroy us both Michael. What worries me is why we haven’t heard anything yet. I mean what are they waiting for? What do they want?’
‘I imagine we’ll find out soon enough. Whoever is in possession of this data assuredly has some agenda or other and clearly it relates to the two of us.’
Asquith nodded. ‘More to the point, who is behind this?’
‘We are both wealthy and successful men. You don’t get that way without making a few enemies, making a few people jealous. It could be anybody.’
37
Thursday. 3.30pm.
Daniel Campbell leaned back in the chair and stared at Sarah Knowles who had her hands over her face and her elbows on the table. In front of them the laptop computer hummed quietly.
‘I just can’t get my head around this,’ she said.
Campbell had spent the past hour showing her the information on the memory stick and then showing her the different sources of information with which he had filled in the blanks. Some of it he accessed through different websites which were either publicly accessible or to which he had subscribed through necessity at work. He also had a wad of documents that further backed up his story. It was all there, as fragmentary as it was, and the stick itself only gave a hint at the wider picture.
‘I know. It took me a while. Then I got a pretty good demonstration as to its significance.’
‘But why? I mean, why steal this? What good is it?’
‘If I could find out what I have found out with just a little application and initiative then you can bet there are a few people who can do the same, or don’t need to because they already know.’
She said nothing but looked up at him from the table.
‘Maybe they want to blackmail your boss? Perhaps simply discredit the company so some competitor can win a few more contracts, run you out of business. Maybe they are going after Asquith or Horner. I mean you know who Geoffrey Asquith is right?’
She shook her head. ‘An MP or something isn’t he?’
‘Exactly. A member of the Cabinet no less. That’s where my money is at a good guess — I mean, that seems the most obvious right? But I don’t know how or why. Or even who.’
‘Surely you know who. You met them.’
Campbell shook his head. ‘I think they were just muscle. Something about them just didn’t seem right in light of this. Its way out of their league I think. These guys were heavies you know — stolen goods and extortion and such. Maybe drugs. This is far too sophisticated for their type. There’s someone behind the scenes who knows exactly what they are doing.’
‘Or did. I don’t suppose they planned on losing the memory stick.’
‘No I suppose not.’
‘You said that you thought my boss might be involved too?’
‘Possibly. I mean everything about this is very murky so who knows who is involved and who isn’t? Maybe they had ties before he bought them out. Maybe he knows all about what went on and is looking to blackmail them.’
‘Have you gone to the police with this?’
He shook his head emphatically.
‘If people like Asquith and Horner are involved then why should I trust the authorities?’ he said ‘These are powerful men. If they want to keep this quiet they will and that doesn’t bode well for me. Maybe your boss is involved too, maybe there is more to him than meets the eye. Maybe I have some mysterious accident when I walk out of the police station.’
‘I think you’re overreacting.’
‘Am I? Really?’ he said and hoisted up his sweater to reveal a rainbow of colour spreading out across his ribs.
She gasped at the sight of it and instinctively reached out to touch the huge bruise. Campbell pulled away.
‘OK, maybe you’re right. But if you’re in trouble so am I,’ she said suddenly indignant.
Campbell shook his head. ‘Nobody knows who you are. They know about me but not you. So far as anybody else is concerned you are on holiday visiting your parents for a few days. You briefly met some small-time journalist called Owen Michaels the other night. But you have never heard of or laid eyes on Daniel Campbell before.’
She was quiet for a moment. ‘I guess you’re right. But then why me? Why did you come to me?’
‘Because there’s no-one else. Because you can help me. Because you’re on the inside.’
‘How Daniel? Help you do what?’
She stared at him, waiting for an answer that didn’t come, staring at the angry red swelling that almost closed his eye over. At the dark bruise that ringed it and spread down across his cheek to join with another, darker one, at the swollen, cut lip. She did not repeat the question.
38
Thursday. 6.30pm.
When Sarah shut the door behind her Campbell awoke suddenly and found himself with his head on the table in front of the laptop which was still on. There was a small patch of drool pooled around his cheek and for a moment he felt disoriented and alarmed.
‘Fall asleep?’ she said as she moved through into the kitchen with a bag of groceries.
Campbell felt as if he were barely even awake and rubbed at his eyes and wiped his cheek. He didn’t say anything.
Sarah walked back through to the living room where Campbell sat and looked closely at him. ‘You look shattered. No surprise really after everything…’
Campbell raised his eyebrows and nodded.
‘I got some food for you and stuff. Toothpaste, teabags,’ she went on, tilting her head toward the kitchen. ‘You can stay here tonight. If you want. I mean, I don’t think you have anywhere else to go do you?’
He shook his head.
‘Then it makes sense doesn’t it? I mean you look terrible too. You must really need some sleep.’
He nodded and looked a little taken aback by the reference to his appearance and began patting his hair down, conscious that it looked a mess.
‘I, uh, I got quite a bit of food,’ Sarah said, walking back toward the kitchen and calling over her shoulder. She seemed edgy somehow, more uncomfortable than when she had been with him earlier in the day.
‘Thanks,’ Campbell replied.
Had something happened whilst she was out? Had she decided to call someone after all? He imagined Sarah being told to come back, to keep him there while they sent someone. Certainly she had been pretty shaken by the things he’d told her and had mentioned going to the police. But this seemed like a distinct change in the way she was acting.
Campbell yawned and stretched in the chair and rolled his head back on his shoulders, feeling his neck click. His head was throbbing and the awkward position that he had fallen asleep in had doubled the pain in his ribs. Campbell stood up slowly and rubbed his hands lightly over his sides. He noticed that the bandages that he had wrapped around his wrists were starting to show red patches underneath where they had begun to weep and bleed.
He started through to the kitchen where Sarah had begun to unpack the shopping. She straightened quickly and looked tense.
‘Plenty of food,’ he said.
Sarah blushed slightly and turned away. Campbell frowned and started to wonder if he was just being paranoid.
‘Hope you’re hungry.’
‘I hope so too. Wouldn’t want this to go to waste.’
Sarah turned and looked at him again. She opened her mouth and then closed it. Campbell looked at her for a moment and decided that he wasn’t being paranoid. Before he could speak she did.