within MI6. Amanda, who has been cleared of any complicity in the plot, is the obvious person to take on that role. Piers is here to . . .’ He glanced to his left.
‘To tell you,’ Frame continued, ‘that whatever you need from my department you will get. Any requests for assistance or information should be channelled directly to me, through Mrs Dennis.’
‘That’s fine by me,’ said Skinner. ‘Now let’s get down to it. Where are Sewell and Hassett being detained? In this building, or across the river?’
The director general gave a tiny shudder. ‘Good heavens, no. Even here, there would be whispers. They’re being kept in a safe-house we maintain out in Surrey.’
‘Have you picked up anyone else since last week?’
‘No.’
‘What pressure has been applied to them?’
‘You asked that we didn’t apply any.’
Skinner raised an eyebrow. ‘I know I did, Evelyn, but I don’t imagine you’ve been feeding them full English breakfasts, and chateaubriand and claret for dinner.’
Grey smiled drily. ‘No, they’ve been on rather shorter rations than that. They haven’t been sleeping much either; life in general hasn’t been much to their taste. For example, Rudy Sewell is a devotee of chamber music, and absolutely hates modern stuff. I gather they’ve been playing him Status Quo at full volume for the last week.’
‘That’s cruel and unusual punishment in itself. But you can assure me, can you, that there’s been nothing physical? Because if I find that there has, I will withdraw on the spot.’
‘From what I’ve heard of you,’ Frame chuckled, ‘I didn’t think you’d be so squeamish, Mr Skinner.’
‘In that case it sounds as if you’ve been talking to the wrong people. I’m only interested in information which I know to be correct beyond the reasonable doubt required by the courts. Information gained through torture, or even the threat of torture, is unreliable, simply because when you pass an electric current through someone’s genitals he’s liable to tell you whatever he thinks you’d like to hear. There’s nothing new about that either. Look at Galileo: he announced that the world revolved around the sun, not vice versa, those in power explained to him how the rack worked and what it did to you, and suddenly the sun started revolving again. They didn’t have to torture him: we know that because he was able to write his recantation himself.’
‘You have my word on it, Bob,’ said Grey. ‘Nobody’s laid a finger on either of them . . . or plugged them into the national grid.’
‘Good. When can we see them?’
‘As soon as you’re ready: Amanda will drive you there.’
‘Tell me one thing, Mr Skinner,’ asked Frame. ‘Since you’re dead against physical persuasion, what makes you think you’ll be able to get anything out of Sewell or Hassett?’
‘I’ll ask them, simple as that. They may not break down and tell me everything, but if this thing does go further than them, I’ll know. Save me some time here, both of you. I know that both your departments will have been going through both these men’s contacts and movements as carefully as you can. Do you suspect any more of your colleagues of involvement, and if so, who are they? If I can throw specific names at them, it’ll help.’
‘None on my side, Bob,’ Grey told him. ‘We’ve unearthed Sewell’s contacts with the dead military intelligence officer, and with Hassett, but there are no other threads.’
‘Are the three of them linked in any way? One of the things I have to establish is what brought them together to discuss and plan this conspiracy in the first place. Someone triggered it: someone voiced it, someone started the ball rolling.’
‘Northern Ireland: that’s all I can tell you. The military intelligence man and Sewell were together over there. Rudy was in charge of Five activity and he was SAS.’
‘And Hassett?’
‘He and Sewell are old Harrovians.’
‘Pardon?’ said Shannon.
‘They were both at Harrow School. Hassett is three years younger, but he had an older brother in Sewell’s year. They didn’t have any official contact, so we’re assuming that’s how they met.’
‘What do we know about the brother?’ asked Skinner.
‘He died of MS five years ago.’
‘Other family members of both men: what do we know of them?
‘Rudy is single: he has an older sister; she lives in Perth, Western Australia. His mother’s still alive, but she has Alzheimer’s.’ He glanced at Frame. ‘Piers?’
‘Hassett has no other siblings. He is homosexual, but currently unattached. His parents are both still alive. The mother’s a pharmacist, and the father . . . there’s a slight awkwardness there. He’s a Conservative MP.’
‘First name?’
‘Ormond.’
‘I’ve heard of him. Isn’t he on the Tory front bench?’
‘Yes, he’s an agriculture spokesman: the family business is grain merchanting. Ormond is the chairman, his brother Harold is managing director.’
‘And does Ormond MP have any idea of his son’s profession?’
‘To the best of my knowledge he does not. He believes that he is a Foreign Office civil servant currently on secondment to the Commonwealth secretariat in Pall Mall.’
‘Is he currently wondering why he hasn’t heard from his son for a week?’
‘The two are not close.’
‘Ormond doesn’t like having a gay son?’
‘Correct.’
‘Doesn’t his sexuality make him a risk?’ asked Shannon.
‘On the contrary, Inspector. In certain operational situations it can make him an asset.’
‘So Hassett’s a field officer,’ said Skinner.
‘Oh, yes. That’s why the Commonwealth cover story is such a good one. It deals handily with extended absences.’
‘I’d like a list of his most recent assignments.’
Frame’s mouth seemed to tighten. ‘There are some things, Mr Skinner,’ he murmured, ‘that must be off limits to you.’
The Scot turned to the director general. ‘Evelyn,’ he said, ‘my wife is getting ready to leave me and go back to America. My daughter has a stalker. We can still make the four o’clock flight back to Edinburgh, and I’ll be happy to do that, unless the ground rules are spelled out again for your colleague.’
‘No, that can’t be,’ Frame protested.
‘It must be, Piers,’ said Grey. ‘Number Ten has decreed it. I appreciate your concern and so, I am sure, does Mr Skinner, so let’s look for a way of keeping you as happy as possible. Would it be acceptable to you if Bob alone had access to that information, and that you showed it to him in Vauxhall Cross, without copies being made or handed over?’
The spy frowned. ‘I suppose so,’ he conceded.
‘Bob?’
‘I’ll live with that.’
‘Very good. That’s settled.’
Skinner looked at Frame once more. ‘I guess that Hassett’s absence is being explained away as an operation.’
‘Yes.’
‘And Sewell’s?’ he asked Grey.
‘He’s in Brussels, officially.’
‘Okay.’ The big Scot reached out and took an apple from the fruit bowl. ‘There will be other things I need to ask, but that’s fine for now. We should go down to Surrey.’
The director general rose from the table. ‘Yes,’ he agreed, ‘but first, a word in private. Excuse us, please, ladies, Piers.’
He led Skinner from the room and along the corridor until they reached another panelled door, with a key-pad. He hit four buttons in quick succession and turned the handle, then led the way into his office.
