‘I’m afraid everything becomes our business in a case of murder.’
She stared. ‘You surely aren’t thinking that Freddie had anything to do with it?’
‘We have to consider all possibilities.’
‘Well, I can tell you at once,’ she said with determination, ‘that your suggestion is as wrong as it is offensive. Freddie is much misunderstood and the media are unkind to him, but I know him well enough to be able to tell you categorically that he would never dream of such a thing. And now I think I must ask you to leave.’
She stood up, and Swilley did likewise. ‘One last thing,’ she said. ‘When you spoke about Mr Stonax being forced to resign, and the photographs being faked, you kept saying “they”. ‘As in “they had to make him leave”, and so on. Can you tell me who “they” are?’
She looked faintly puzzled for an instant, and then her face grew both hard and expressionless. ‘I really cannot tell you. Ed told me as little about the business as possible, for my own safety. I have no idea who was behind it all.’
Swilley went away, thinking what a bleedin’ liar she is, Mrs Fancypants Scottwotsit.
Swilley was reporting back to Slider when his telephone rang, and he signalled to her to wait while he answered it.
It was Bates.
‘Did you find the mobile I left for you?’ he asked.
‘Yes, I did,’ Slider said, and he made the signal to Norma that means ‘get a trace on this call’ and mouthed ‘Bates’ to her. Her eyes widened and she dashed from the room.
‘I knew you’d follow it up as soon as it was used,’ Bates said. ‘Where was it?’
‘A schoolboy found it and was using it to chat to a friend,’ Slider said. He had to keep Bates talking. ‘Where did you hope it would be?’
‘I thought it would be fun to let you chase your tail for a while. I didn’t mind where it went, as long as it was found and used. I left it near a school. I was sure no kid could resist a free phone call or two, and it seems I was right. Again. Sometimes perfection is almost wearying.’
‘I’m sure it must be,’ said Slider. ‘Every time you brush shoulders with the law, the law comes off worse. Wouldn’t you like to try getting caught, just for variety?’
Bates laughed. ‘Are you trying to make friends with me, Mr Plod? I don’t recommend it. Remember that I have a large grudge against you, and I intend to pay it back. I’m in the process of setting up a few little surprises for you. Do you like surprises?’
‘Not especially,’ Slider said, watching the door for Norma. She was using the telephone at her own desk which was just out of sight round the corner. ‘But tell me, why in particular do you have a grudge against me? I wasn’t the only person involved in your capture – temporary capture, I should say. In fact, I was quite a minor player. Why are you singling me out?’
‘How do you know I’m singling you out?’
‘I can’t imagine even
‘I think you will find that out sooner or later, so I don’t mind telling you that you have enemies in high places – quite a distinction for such a lowly bungler, wouldn’t you say? Yes, you’ve made enemies along the way, and those enemies have resources that make even mine look puny. They are encouraging me to put you at the top of the list. Are you pleased? Don’t you think that’s an honour?’
‘Not really. I rather like being obscure. So, who are these mighty enemies – or are they figments of your imagination? I expect being on the run is rather stressful, and stress can bring on delusions.’
Bates laughed again, but there was an edge to it that had not been there before. ‘You’ll find out how delusional all this is. I shall make sure of that. And now, since you have had ample time to trace this call, I shall say goodbye and let you get on with amusing yourself. Say hello to Mick Hutton for me, by the way. I won’t say I taught him all I know, but we’ve had some interesting conversations in our time.’
And he was gone.
Slider slammed down the receiver and went through to the CID room. Swilley was talking on the phone. She looked at him and said, ‘Wait, he’s here. D’you want to tell him yourself?’
Slider took the phone from her. ‘Any luck?’
‘No, sir,’ Hutton said. ‘It was a landline, but it’s been routed via several satellites round the globe. We were on the third when he hung up, but even if you’d kept him talking I doubt we’d have been able to pin him down. He’ll have gone in through a computer, radioed another remote computer and that will have initiated the call. Then the satellites bounce it back and forth across the world. If we could find the remote computer, we could probably trace the home computer, but it could be anywhere – New York, Tokyo, anywhere.’
‘Clever stuff,’ Slider said.
‘Well, if you’ve got the equipment and the know-how, it isn’t technically that difficult. Communications satellites are easy enough to get into – that’s their purpose in life. And he’s certainly got the know-how. Whether he’s now got the equipment I can’t say.’
‘He seemed to know you. Sent you his regards.’
Hutton made a disgusted sound. ‘I met him a few times at trade fairs and so on. I didn’t know then he was anything but honest. He put up a good front – and he was working for the American trade delegation. Well, you know what that means.’
‘Yes,’ said Slider. It was the accepted cover for the intelligence agencies.
‘It occurs to me,’ Hutton said, ‘that he’d have had plenty of opportunities to set up remotes in America during his trips over there. He’d have had access to the satellites and as much kit as he could ever want. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a little place or two tucked away over there, an office in Washington, New York, maybe Seattle for the west coast. It wouldn’t need to be big – a single room with a computer and a telephone and a good lock on the door. He could have rented any number of them. If you could find them, or any one of them . . .’
‘Yes,’ said Slider. ‘Probably easier to find him.’
Swilley was sitting on Slider’s windowsill with her notes. He told her the rest of what Hutton had said, and she frowned. ‘But, boss, why would he mullock about with that mobile when he’d set up the safe landline?’
‘Just to amuse himself,’ Slider said. ‘He said he wanted us to chase our own tails for a bit.’
‘Do you think he could be back in his house? He’d got the kit in there, and those massive aerials. He could do all that stuff from there, easy.’
‘It’s sealed and guarded.’
‘But suppose he had a way to sneak in—’
‘A secret passage, you mean?’ said Atherton from the door. ‘Gosh, little Anne, fancy you thinking of something as clever as that. You’re nearly as brainy as Uncle Quentin.’
Swilley defended herself. ‘It’d be the last place we’d look for him, wouldn’t it?’
‘With reason,’ Atherton said. ‘Anyway, his kit was taken out, according to Notting Hill. So he’d have nothing to Famous Five himself back in there for.’
Norma gave him a look and flounced out.
‘This Bates business is making everyone scratchy,’ Slider said. ‘You’d better go and do some paid work to put you in a better mood. You can interview Freddie Bell.’
‘You know how I like hanging out with the rich and shameless,’ Atherton said.
When Slider was alone again, the phone rang, and it was Joanna. At the sound of her calm voice, something in him unknotted. At least she had got there safely.
‘I did what you said,’ she reported, ‘changed lanes and watched the rear view, but I didn’t see anything suspicious – not that I’m entirely sure what something suspicious looks like, but nobody obviously followed me. I even,’ she added with pride, ‘went up an exit ramp and straight back down the other side on to the motorway.’
‘Very inventive of you.’
‘That’s what I thought. Anyway, nobody who followed me off followed me back on. So I think I’m clean.’
‘I think you are too,’ he said. ‘But still be careful.’
‘Always. But you be careful too. I hate to put it this way, but on the evidence it’s you he’s after.’
‘On the evidence, he wants to frighten me. If he wanted to kill me he could have done it by now.’
‘Doesn’t mean he won’t try to kill you
