‘I’m not seeing any great reason to trust you yet George.’
‘I guess not. But believe me, I didn’t want that to happen. I need the stick and to be honest, it’s a fucking shame you’ve got caught up in this. You seem like a decent enough lad but this whole thing has got way, way out of control.’
‘Thanks a lot,’ Campbell replied, unable to check his sarcasm.
‘Bottom line is, I just need the stick to get Angie back. That’s all I give a shit about now.’
‘This chap you were working for, he sent someone after me, right?
‘Yes.’
‘He still after me? I mean is he planning to send someone else?’
A pause before he spoke. ‘I think you can assume he won’t be happy to hear that you’re still around.’
‘If I let you have this memory stick George, can you call him off?’
Silence.
‘George?’
‘Yes. Yes sure.’
It was a lie and Campbell knew it immediately.
‘I’ll call you back.’
49
Monday. 4pm.
Sitting at the table with the two ministers from the DfID Geoffrey Asquith was finding it increasingly hard to concentrate on the task at hand.
As they examined the dossiers and tender documents from the various companies vying for the construction contracts, it was becoming ever more clear just how much weaker the ones he had been instructed to choose were than the others.
Having had so little time to really chew over the proposition that had been put to him he was trying to continue his work as if nothing were wrong. But every time one of the other men highlighted a particular feature or benefit of one of the stronger tenders it felt as if they were just rubbing it in. He wanted to shout; Yes, I get it! I understand!
‘Are you OK Minister?’ one of them asked. He must look distracted.
‘Sorry? Oh, yes. Fine. Lots on, you know.’
‘I hope you don’t mind me saying but you don’t look at all well.’
Asquith was a little taken aback hearing this from the younger man. He looked at the other whose expression told him he agreed.
‘Can I get you a glass of water?’ said the first man helpfully.
‘No, no. That’s…’ He was about to say it was quite alright but stopped and then excused himself. In the bathroom he stood at the sink and gazed in the mirror. They had been quite correct; he looked dreadful. His skin was pallid and his eyes dark and a thin sheen of sweat glistened along his hairline and lip.
That telephone call had hit him harder than he thought.
Shortly he was back in his office alone again. His effusive apologies had been waved away by the junior men as they left, insistent that it was no problem and they just hoped he felt better soon. He was a busy man and shouldn’t overdo it. His secretary had dutifully, if a little reluctantly, cleared his diary for the afternoon and he had told her that he would be leaving shortly because he was feeling unwell and should she wish to leave early she was welcome to do so.
When he was sitting in traffic on his way out of town he made a brief call and then told the cab driver to make a detour and pick someone up. They both got out at Asquith’s home in Hampstead and began to walk the quiet streets near the Heath.
‘Has something happened?’ said Horner. The effort of remaining silent throughout the entire journey seemed to have taken its toll on him.
‘You might say that. You have put me in an extremely awkward position Michael. Extremely awkward.’
‘I’m sorry Geoffrey, I never wanted to involve you.’
‘Well you have! I had a call this afternoon. It’s an insider-trading scam, Michael. Whoever they are, they are trying to set up an insider-trading scam.’
‘What? That’s insane.’
‘Not really. I am currently in charge of a Hydroelectric Dam project that our overseas aid department is part-funding. As is usual, these contracts will probably go to British contractors to build the thing. I’m sure you’re familiar with this type of deal.’
‘Well construction is not my area and nor is Asia but I have an idea.’
‘Yes, well they have kindly informed me exactly which firms they want the contracts to be awarded to.’
‘Incredible!’ Horner looked surprised. ‘How can they ever imagine they’ll get away with it?’
‘Michael please. That seems plain enough.’
‘Well perhaps it’s the firms themselves. I mean, maybe they all have ties to one another? Organised crime, front-companies, that sort of thing?’
‘I’m not really interested Michael to be perfectly honest with you. I don’t really give a shit,’ Asquith hissed, momentarily losing his cool. ‘The point is it’s extremely corrupt and illegal and will probably mean my job, my reputation and my livelihood.’
Horner sighed. ‘God, I’m so sorry Geoffrey. I wish there were something I could do, put myself in the firing line.’
‘What would you do Michael? In my shoes?’ Asquith sounded genuinely interested in the answer.
‘I’m not in your shoes Geoffrey, thank God. This is ludicrous. I’ve never heard anything like it. Is there no way round this? Call their bluff? Have them arrested?’
‘If we gamble and lose we’re both ruined. Completely. Prison for you probably and for me too possibly. Not to mention the political ramifications. We’re looking at a General Election in a little under a year.’
‘So we play their game?’
‘If we do, they say they’ll hand over the data they took from Griffin and disappear. Simple as that.’
‘You believe them?’
‘On the strength of one phone call? No. But they do have us backed into a corner somewhat. I don’t suppose they expect me to play along without some proof but that’s a moot point really. Andrew Griffin told me exactly what data had been accessed and copied and filled in a few blanks. It’s pretty obvious that the data is incriminating Michael, even if you hadn’t confessed it yourself.’
Horner was staring at the ground as they walked, not meeting Asquith’s accusing eyes.
‘Do you have no idea who it might be Michael? For God’s sake, how do they know this? What sort of people do you associate with?’
‘That was in the past Geoffrey, I learned my lesson the hard way. When you move in the circles I do you cross paths with an assorted cast of characters. A few of them not nice. That’s inevitable really. Maybe someone heard about it from the guys I was in with back then. Maybe it’s one of them, I don’t know. Our links were pretty loose and easily terminated, of necessity. We didn’t have a lot of contact really. Lots of middlemen, lots of smoke. Tried to cut those ties long ago. It isn’t like we have diamond smugglers reunions.’
Asquith slowed his pace and stared at the younger man at his side, astonished to find how little he’d known him, at how cheaply cast aside was his trust and hard work when they had been partners. Horner glanced up again and then back at the floor.
‘So that’s it then. We’re fucked.’ The word sounded strange coming from such a refined and well-spoken man, somehow the ruder because of it.
‘I can’t change the past Geoffrey.’
‘So we play ball?’
Michael Horner just kept on staring at the ground.
50
Monday 6pm
Sarah turned and closed the door behind her and locked it, dropping her bag to the floor and her jacket from her shoulders. Campbell watched her back, not sure what to say and wanting to look her in the eyes before he opened his mouth.
She looked shattered.
‘Hi. How was your day?’ she said.
Campbell shrugged. ‘You first.’
Sarah wandered past him into the living room and flopped onto the sofa, stretching out and kicking off her shoes.
‘I thought I was going to get attacked or kidnapped or sacked or arrested about a hundred times today. Before lunch.’
Campbell stood looking down at her trying to look sympathetic.