‘You’re Geraldine Tate,’ he announced. It was clearly not a question
‘That’s correct…and you are?’
The man turned round and gazed at her, unfriendly blue eyes peering out from under white brows.
‘Jasper White, you bastard!’
‘Well it seems you remember me, then.’ He had not changed much since she had last seen him. Despite his age there was still the athletic build. His hair was slightly thinner and as well as the moustache he had a goatee beard.
‘It’s been a few years, White. Why are you in my room?’
‘Ok, I’ll level with you. I want to know the outcome of your meeting with Ali Hamsin. In fact I want you to report to me everything that happens with you and Mr Vincent Parker while you are in the States. Who you see, what they tell you.’ He waved the hand not holding the gun, palm up. ‘Anything at all, really.’
‘Why should I do that for you?’
‘I’m not too pleased that you’ve been released from prison, Tate. If you cooperate with me then perhaps I won’t work too hard to get you put away again.’
‘I didn’t kill Dean Furness. What I told you years ago in that pub; it was the truth.’
Bullshit! The evidence was overwhelming. It was good to see you put away for Dean’s murder and I wasn’t too happy when I learned that you’d been released. I was even less happy when I found out you’ve got yourself a get out of jail free card from your government.’
‘Leaving you’re happiness on one side, I actually have very little knowledge of what’s going on with your people. I just know I have to meet Ali Hamsin.’
‘Maybe, but if you play your part, do what I ask then who knows, maybe I’ll let you walk free.’
‘You bastard! If you come after me I’ll bury you where you’ll never be found.’
‘Well let’s hope that neither of us has to carry out our dire threats.’ He walked to the door and picked the Do Not Disturb Notice off the inside handle. ‘You forgot to put this on the outside of your door. I’ll do it for you.’ Then he walked out into the corridor.
Gerry stared at the door trying to order her thoughts, brooding over the same questions that had troubled her for years. Who had killed Dean Furness? Who had planned to have her incarcerated? What she really wanted was to find out the truth and take revenge. If it was Jasper White, she would be out to bury him. If it wasn’t him then maybe cooperating rather than exchanging threats might be to her advantage. But who was Jasper White working for now and should she trust him?
She yawned, but from years of bitter experience she knew she would never get back to sleep with all these thoughts buzzing around her head. She glanced at the bedside clock. It was only 10:17am local time but 3:17 pm in London. She changed into her bikini with a light sundress over and emerged blinking into the strong morning sunlight. She walked round the landscaped pool area looking for Vince. She stopped in the semi cover of some ornamental palm trees when she saw him sitting by an attractive woman. They each had a tall fruit cocktail in their hand and they were toasting each other with elaborate ceremony. Vince took a pull through the straws and said something amusing to which the woman responded with a chuckle and a smile. Gerry quickly retraced her steps, found a quiet corner to lie down in the sun by herself and turn over in her mind the events of the last few days in which she had been released from the dull grey chrysalis of prison life and emerged into the multi-coloured butterfly world of a Florida resort hotel. She had a strong sense of foreboding? Was it because it all seemed so sudden, so unreal?’
‘Excuse me.’
Gerry opened her eyes. A very attractive young woman with long blond hair was looking down at her with a friendly smile. ‘Are you Gerry Tate?’
‘Yes, you’ve found me.’
The woman held out her hand. ‘I’m Annie Maddon. I work for Felix Grainger,’ she waved vaguely towards the adjacent sun lounger. ‘May I join you?’
She laid out her towel and peeled off her tee shirt and shorts revealing an enviable figure clad in a bright blue patterned bikini.
‘Felix thought you and Vince might be bored so he sent us over to look after you.’ She looked past Gerry shading her eyes with one hand and with the other giving a quick wave and a broad smile that showed perfect teeth. Gerry looked past her shoulder. A handsome man clad in swimming shorts was walking along the other end of the pool. He was well built, with enough musculature to show fitness without looking like a body-building obsessive. He grinned and waved at them and then despite his large reflective sunglasses Gerry realised on the one hand that it was Ryan Carson, and on the other that she might have to start wearing spectacles soon.
‘Hey Gerry, I see the two of you have already met!’ he declared as he reached them and sat down on the end of Annie’s sunbed. He and Annie did not exchange any further greeting and Gerry’s creeping jealousy faded. ‘I was trying to find Vince, but he’s not in his room,’ said Ryan.
‘Oh, he’s over there,’ Gerry turned and pointed but then she realised that Vince and his companion had departed. ‘No, he’s gone.’
‘Never mind, it’s you Felix wants to see.’
‘What… now?
‘No, for lunch. Can we leave in an hour or so?’
‘Where are we going?’ Gerry asked as they drove out of the hotel car park.
‘There’s a restaurant a couple of miles away. Very nice place.’ Annie looked round and down at Gerry’s jeans, her expression hidden by dark sunglasses. ‘You’re not exactly dressed for it… still, too late now.’
‘Did you find Vince?’
‘Ryan tracked him down, but they’re not coming, I think they’re taking a boat out or going windsurfing or something.’
‘Oh, ok.’
Behind a discrete street side façade the inside of the restaurant was expensively decorated. Original oil paintings on oak panelling, white linen tablecloths, genuine silverware, shining crystal and delicate flowers.
This afternoon Felix Grainger was more formally attired in a well-cut suit. He stood up and shook hands with Gerry. ‘Delighted to see you again. Sorry to drag you away.’
‘No problem, Felix. I’m not over here on holiday,’ Gerry assured him.
‘Annie, thank you. Could you come back in an hour from now?’ He watched Annie walk out the entrance. ‘Lovely girl, and very bright, too; Politics and International Studies at Yale.’ He smiled a happy schoolboy grin. ‘Now, how are you enjoying the hotel? Please take a seat.’
‘It’s fine,’ said Gerry, ‘and I’ve been well looked after by Ryan and Annie.’
‘I’m glad you like them. Now how about lunch?’ He turned and signalled a waiter. ‘Could you bring me the lasagne, green salad and another diet coke?
‘And for you, madam?’ the waiter asked Gerry.
‘Caesar salad with shrimp and a bottle of Perrier water, please.’ She smiled at Grainger. ‘So Felix, you invited me, so what can I do for you?’
‘I just wanted to give you an intro to Guantanamo Bay, or Gitmo as it is colloquially known. You’ve not been there before. Most people still have this idea that it’s just a series of cages with the detainees locked up like animals, and of course the pressure groups like to maintain that idea in the public mind. I’ll admit that years back that pretty well described Camp X-ray but that was just temporary. Now everyone’s in Camp Delta. Their accommodation and facilities vary according to how er… accommodating the detainees have been in the matter of their interrogations.’
‘You mean how much they’ve told you,’ Gerry declared.
‘Well you could put it that way,’ admitted Grainger. ‘You’re going to meet with this guy Ali Hamsin, who has information that he will reveal only to you.’