when it came to the bio itself.
He tapped Stratton on the shoulder and handed him the other map.
Bill Lawton was at the window of his apartment looking down onto the street. It was quiet, the occasional car, but no pedestrians. He hadn’t been able to get rid of the frown on his face since Father Kinsella had left. How could a day that started so well turn into such a disaster so quickly? And it was only going to get worse.
The phone rang. He looked at it. Had it not been for Kinsella’s sudden and unannounced arrival he would have bet his life the caller was Aggy. There was no longer any joy or sudden expectation at the sound of its chirp. He wanted to let it ring but he could not. It might be Kinsella. If it was Aggy he would explain that they could not meet. He couldn’t tell her that meant never again, which was why he had delayed making the call himself.
He picked up the phone.
‘Get something to write with,’ Father Kinsella instructed. It had been too much to hope his prayers had been answered, that Kinsella had been struck by a bus. Bill found a pen and scribbled on the phone pad to check it worked. ‘Okay,’ he said.
‘You’ve got an hour to get to King’s Cross railway station, platform 9, and meet the train from King’s Lynn. Have you got that?’
‘Yes.’
‘You’re going to meet someone off the train. A woman. She will meet you outside the platform building. She’s a pretty woman, dark hair, well dressed, thirty years old. She’ll be carrying a hatbox. You will walk up to her and ask her if the Hoste Arms was crowded. Say it back to me.’
‘I’ve got it,’ Bill said tiredly.
‘I’m sure you have, Bill me lad. Say it back to me anyway and keep an old man happy.’
‘Was the Hoste Arms crowded?’ Bill said, tiredly.
‘You’ll then take the hatbox and escort her away. Now this is what I want you to tell her once you’re clear of the station. She’s to go directly to Heathrow airport, terminal four. In the arrivals terminal there is a meeting place designated by a sign that says just that. She’s to wait there and she will be met and given her next instructions. Is that all clear?’
‘Yes.’
‘As for you, Bill.You’ll go back home to your apartment and you will open the box and carefully place the contents into the briefcase I left with you. The glass container will fit neatly into the space in the sponge mould. I’m sure I don’t need to emphasise the word carefully, do I, lad?’
‘No,’ Bill said. There was a flutter in the pit of his stomach as the unthinkable began to take shape.
‘At around seven p.m., when it’s good and dark,’ Father Kinsella continued, ‘you will make your way to Millbank and MI5 headquarters.’
Bill’s jaw dropped visibly as he heard the destination of the virus. ‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ he said.
‘Do I sound like I’m in a jocular mood?’
‘But MI5—’
‘Listen to me,’ Father Kinsella growled. ‘You will enter the building with the briefcase. The detectors will not trip as I explained. Make sure you don’t carry anything metallic on your person.The rest, Bill, is up to you, as we discussed. As long as you crush the vial.’ Father Kinsella let those last words hang as he listened to Bill’s breathing. ‘Make sure you have your passport with you and nothing else,’ he went on. ‘You’ll be going into the building as you are. When you’re done you will go to Heathrow airport, terminal four arrivals and wait in the designated meeting area. Is that clear?’
‘Yes . . . Where am I headed?’ Bill asked.
‘Now you know better than to ask questions like that, Bill. Everything will be taken care of. I’m not going to wish you good luck because you’re not going to need any. Now get going.’
And with that final command the phone went dead.
Bill pushed the receiver pedals down, took a moment to collect his thoughts, and then dialled a number.
Aggy was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling. It was at times like these she liked to read a book, but she would have been unable to concentrate. She couldn’t decide whether to call Bill and cancel the evening or wait until she got a call from Stratton to tell her she was to move. There was the possibility Stratton wouldn’t call that night and she was toying with the idea of inviting Bill to come around and see her. He wouldn’t be able to stay the night, but they could talk. But then it would be difficult to explain why she couldn’t go out, and then why she had to if Stratton should call. The sensible thing to do was cancel but she couldn’t think of an excuse. Bill would be so disappointed. She would too, but not as much as him judging by his comments the day before; he was going to have her clothes off before he’d even shut his front door.That hadn’t sounded such a bad idea this morning, but strangely, since Stratton had called, it was no longer as attractive.
The phone lying beside her gave off an electronic ring and she picked it up. ‘Hello,’ she said.
All she could hear was a loud static hiss and rumble, then Stratton’s voice echoed in the background. ‘Aggy?’ he said. ‘Aggy, it’s Stratton.’
‘Yes,’ she said, sitting up.
‘You’re on your way to King’s Lynn railway station. King’s Lynn. You got that?’
‘King’s Lynn,’ she said.
‘I’ll meet you there, at the station,’ he shouted. She realised he was in a helicopter.
‘I’m leaving now,’ she said as she stood up and took her leather jacket off the back of her dresser chair.
‘Soon as you can,’ he said. ‘And Aggy?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’m looking forward to seeing you.’
‘Me too,’ she replied, without even thinking about it.The phone went dead.
It was odd how those few words had made her feel so good. She never expected to hear them from him. She dropped the phone on to the bed and pulled on her jacket.
As she opened her bedroom door to leave, the phone rang again. The first person she thought of was Bill. She hadn’t called him and was about to leave having completely forgotten to. But then it might be Stratton again. She picked it up.
‘Hello,’ Bill Lawton said.
‘Hi. I was just about to call you,’ she said, screwing up her eyes and hating herself for being such a lying coward.
‘Melissa. I’ve got to go somewhere,’ he said. ‘Would you believe my boss just flew into town. Remember I’d told him I’d come back to London because my mother was sick? He called and wants to see me, to go to dinner if I’ve got the time. I could hardly say no. I’m sorry.’
‘That’s okay,’ she said, relieved. She wouldn’t tell him she couldn’t make it either.
‘I’ve got to run,’ he said. ‘I’ll talk to you later.’
‘I might be out later,’ she said quickly in case he did call or come around to the house. ‘I’ll probably go and see some old friends.’ At least that wasn’t a lie.
‘Okay. I’ll call you tomorrow.’
‘Don’t forget I’m heading back to the obvious early tomorrow,’ she reminded him.
‘Oh, right. How could I forget that? I’ll call you when I can then.’
‘Okay. Bye.’ She was about to put down the phone when he called out her name quickly.
‘Yes,’ she said.
‘Melissa . . . I just want you to know . . . well, I want you to know that I’ve gone and fallen in love with you.’
Aggy couldn’t say anything, but she wished he hadn’t said it.
‘I don’t care if that scares you. Strangely enough it didn’t scare me to say it . . . I’ve gotta go. Have a great night.’
The phone went dead in her hand. She tossed it on to the bed.This was not the time to think about it. Fortunately she had enough to distract her for now. She had to get to King’s Lynn.
She double-checked she had money and ID. Then suddenly something occurred to her: what if Bill was on the same operation? There was something odd about the way he had cancelled the evening, something in his voice,
