“Correct. We need to know whether Leckie is the villain or the victim. These guys could have worked for Leckie, and Leckie could have sent them here to get us. Or al-Aqsaba’a could have found out Leckie was planning on helping us, and sent the guys to silence him.”
“What about the photos the guy was carrying? They’re only of you and Melissa. That’s pretty suspicious.”
“True. But you should never jump to conclusions. They already know what Leckie looks like, remember. They wouldn’t need a picture of him. And they might not know you were back off the sick list.”
“Well, OK. If you’re sure. And we’ve got some time while we wait for the cleaner. Why don’t I make some calls. See what I can dig up on the guy.”
“You do that. I need to duck out for a while.”
“Why?”
“I have some calls of my own to make.”
“Oh, I see. But where can I reach you if I find anything?”
“If?”
“OK. When I find something.”
“Just call me. I won’t be far away. But be discrete. And be quick. Melissa’s life might depend on it. And Leckie’s, if he’s not a crook. As well as any chance of finding the other batch of caesium. And getting a hook into al-Aqsaba’a.”
“Oh. So, no pressure, then.”
Chapter Thirty
I’m not normally in favour of field agents acting like they’re tied to their controller’s apron strings, but I figured a second attempt on my life since lunchtime was worthy of a mention. And on top of that, I had a couple of questions I wanted to ask. Questions that would best be asked without Jones being in earshot.
I made my call looking out over the Thames, and then headed for a little Italian cafe I knew on the ground floor of the main OXO Tower building, just across the way. There was no point heading back up to Melissa’s apartment, specially while the cleaner would be there. That would break the golden rule: be seen by as few people as possible. And in any case, I needed time to think. I was bothered by Melissa’s text about new information, followed so closely by her no-show. I guessed whatever she’d found related to Leckie in some way, but how? And where was she? Had she been snatched? Killed? Or was she lying low, waiting till it was safe to resurface?
I was half through my first cappuccino, thinking about the permutations of al-Aqsaba’a and the hospital and Leckie and MI5 and Melissa when a connection sent me reaching for my phone. I dialed Jones’s number, and he answered on the first ring.
“I’m still working on it,” he said. “It’s not easy getting hold of people today, for some reason. So far all I’ve got is some basics on Leckie. His date of birth - which is the same as my dad’s, coincidentally. His address - an ex old people’s home in Harpenden. Snobby place, a few stops up the railway line, and handy for Luton airport if he’s planning a quick getaway. His golf club. Two of them, actually. But not much about his professional life after he left Box.”
“Well, keep on it,” I said. “And there’s something else I want you to look at. I want to know if there’s a link between him and Stewart Sole.”
“The guy who arranged the fiddling of the transfer records, which allowed the caesium to be stolen?”
“Correct.”
“Should there be?”
“Not necessarily. But if there is, it’ll go a long way towards telling us which side of the fence Leckie’s really on.”
“I’m with you. OK. Leave it with me. I’ll see what I can find.”
“Good. And I mean any connection, however small or insignificant it might seem. If their grandparents ever had a drink together, I want to know about it.”
“Understood. Got to go now, though. The cleaner’s arrived. Oh, there are two of them. Anyway, I’ll dig up what I can. Catch you later.”
I put the phone down and returned my attention to my drink, forcing myself to concentrate first on the taste. Then on the smell. And finally the contrast of the pure white foam against the rich, dark liquid. Anything to take my mind away from thoughts of what might be happening at that moment, somewhere outside that room.
The ploy wasn’t very effective, but in the absence of anything better I was contemplating the need for a second cup when my phone rang. I was expecting it to be Jones, but my pulse quickened when I saw the name on the screen: MELISSA (MOBILE)
“Are you OK?” I said, snatching the handset off the table. “Can you talk?”
“I can, now,” she said. “It was just another false alarm. That’s the fourth this year.”
“False alarm? What are you talking about? Where are you?”
“I’m on Millbank. Heading towards Parliament. I was caught in another pointless lockdown. Why? You sound worried.”
“You’ve been in Thames House this whole time?”
“I haven’t set foot outside since you left to get the champagne. I was going to bail early, to meet you and Jones, but the bonehead environmental control system thought it had picked up another airborne contaminant. As usual, it came back negative. And while they were figuring that out, no one in the building could leave. Or send an email. Or even pick up a phone.”
I closed my eyes and took a moment to trace the implications of her words.
“David?” she said. “Are you still there?”
“Yes,” I said. “Still here.”
“Have you got any idea when you’ll be getting to my place, yet?”
“Melissa, there’s something you need to know about. Just hang on one moment,” I said, getting up and heading for the door.
“What?” she said. “What’s wrong?”
“OK, I’m outside now. I was in a café. I didn’t want anyone to overhear me. Now, I’m sorry to be the one to break the news, but there’s a problem with us meeting at your apartment.”
I told her about what had happened with the three guys, and when I’d finished she was completely silent at the other end of the line.
“I’m sorry, Melissa,” I said. “I wish there’d been a way to avoid it. Your place is really messed up. Jones is in there now, dealing with the cleaners. He was worried about you. One of us should tell him you’re OK.”
She still didn’t answer.
“Melissa, are you there?” I said. “Are you OK?”
“I am,” she said. “But what you’re telling me doesn’t make sense. I’m really worried, now, too.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t know you’d arrived yet. I hadn’t heard back from you when I texted about the change of time. So, as soon as I got out of the building I called Jones. He told me he hadn’t seen you. He said he’d gone to my building around five thirty, like I’d told him to, but no one was there. He said he waited twenty minutes, then left, assuming there’d been a change of plan.”
“You spoke to him? When?”
“Two minutes ago. Right before I called you.”
“But I spoke to him, it must have been a couple of minutes before that. I had another thing I wanted him to check on. He was still at your place. In fact, he told me the cleaners were just arriving at that moment.”
“Something’s wrong with this picture, clearly. OK. The one thing we know for sure is that he has his phone, since we both spoke to him on it. Stay where you are. I’m going to get a location on it, then I’ll be right back.”