“So you hope he can clear up some cold cases?”
“You know how it works. It’s all extra pieces fitting in the jigsaw.”
“Do you think they acted alone?” Simpson asked. “I mean, as you said, they aren’t the brightest duo. How did they know where to find her for a start?”
“Don’t laugh but Murphy says they found out on her website. There’s a diary for her visit and under Saturday evening it says, Christmas shopping trip to Harrods.”
Simpson looked appalled. “How long was it on the web site?”
“Not sure but Murphy says Maguire told him Saturday afternoon they were doing a job. Didn’t say who or what it was.”
“Would probably only have cost them a few quid to check with someone working at Harrods what time she was expected.”
“We are interviewing all the staff and checking the CCTV in case they were ever inside the store,” Miller confirmed. “We might get lucky.” Miller didn’t sound like he believed that.
“So why are you buying me this exquisite meal?”
“Murphy also says that just prior to Maguire telling him about the job he’d been out to meet someone. Doesn’t have a clue who it was but thinks it was someone important.”
“So someone else is pulling the strings,” Simpson mused.
“Looks that way. As you said, they’re not the brightest duo so I think it’s probably safe to say this other person planned the operation. He obviously has enough brains to want to keep in the background but relying on them two makes you question just how smart he really is.”
“Any other leads?” Simpson asked.
“Not yet. Can your mob shed any light?”
“No but the boss is obviously pushing all the buttons... Do you think this third man could be running another team or teams?”
“That’s the worry. Murphy doesn’t seem to know.”
“You know this isn’t really my area anymore,” Simpson explained. “Hasn’t been for quite some time.”
“I know but most of those sharp youngsters you work with, wouldn’t be able to tell you the difference between a Catholic and a Protestant. They probably were still in nappies when we were in the thick of it.”
“True,” Simpson agreed.
“I thought Tony you might be able to keep your ear to the ground and act as an unofficial liaison between our two organisations. We need to cooperate better on this than we usually do.” Miller regularly became exasperated with the infighting between the different departments fighting terrorism. “I’ll also meet with your boss and suggest it formally but I thought I would run the idea by you first.”
Simpson raised his glass in a toast. “Happy to help where I can. Officially or otherwise.”
“Thanks Tony. You getting on any better with him?”
“Don’t ask. I still can’t abide the man. Coldest fish I’ve ever known and I’m used to swimming in the artic.”
Miller had listened during their last lunch to Simpson’s tirade against his new boss. Simpson had even mentioned, he was considering taking early retirement, in order to travel the world, sampling the culinary delights everywhere he went.
“Perhaps you could set up a meeting for me,” Miller asked. “We can play, give away as little as possible without being accused of being uncooperative. I always enjoy that game.”
Simpson laughed. “I’m afraid my money’s on him to win that one. I’ll call you and arrange something for the next couple of days. Now let’s enjoy lunch.”
Connor had heard back from the Chief. Make it look like an accident if possible. If not, get the bastard anyway you can. A fucking accident, Connor thought. He’s taking the piss. Anyway, the message confirmed what he wanted to hear. The weapon and approach he had in mind was sanctioned. He had little chance of hitting Murphy on the drive to or from court. He would be out of sight, in the back of a speeding van, and he was only going to get one shot.
His best chance to get at Murphy would be as he actually arrived or left the court building, when he would no doubt have to slow down and a man with the right weapon could target him and his vehicle, without too much collateral damage. Even then it would be difficult and the security would be very tight. Connor was a positive person by nature but he wasn’t confident he was going to pull this job off and he had decided a long time ago, he was no martyr to the cause. He wanted to have a better than even chance of pulling it off or he wouldn’t attempt it.
The second part of the Chief’s message had been interesting. Murphy’s sister was in England and her father was worried she might try something against the man who had foiled the kidnap attempt. The Chief owed Murphy and didn’t hold what his son had done against him. Neither did he want to see the woes of the father compounded by losing both his son and daughter. She was also a valuable asset to the organization. The Chief wanted Connor to look out for her. If that meant disposing of Ashdown, that was okay. Just get Sam Murphy safely out of harm’s way and back to her father.
It was this that had prompted Connor to make the trip to Brighton. He had been writing out a dog bet when he spotted the girl enter the shop. His suspicions were quickly aroused, as he noticed how she continually focused on the man behind the counter, who he knew was Ashdown. After a while, Ashdown offered her coffee and Connor was close enough to detect the Belfast accent when she replied. She wasn’t an exact match for the description he’d been given but she was the right age and shape. Hair colour was easily changed.
He didn’t expect her to do anything stupid in the shop, so returned to his car to wait for her to leave. When she did, he noticed she had a smirk on her face. Not a bad looking lass, he thought to himself, as he watched her
