“Miss St John will show you to your desk. Mr Emerson is responsible for the Red Hawk supply programme. He is being assisted by Mr Douglas at present. You will work with Mr Douglas on this exercise. Miss St John, introduce Corporal Hill to Mr Emerson.” He then picked up his pen, lowered his head and continued writing the memorandum. It was clear to Andy that he was seen by Griffiths and his secretary as an intrusion. As they left the office and walked into the general area, Andy noticed a name bar on the secretary’s desk. It read ‘P. N. St John’. He wondered what the initials stood for.
“Mr Emerson is out at a meeting at present, Corporal. Mr Douglas can introduce you when Mr Emerson returns.” John Douglas stood up when Corporal Hill was introduced, gave a pleasant smile and reached across his desk to shake hands.
“Welcome and good to meet you,” he said. “My name’s John. What’s yours?”
Andy gripped the proffered hand and shook it warmly. “Call me Andy,” he said with a return smile.
Miss St John pointed to an empty desk behind John Douglas’s and said, “That’s your desk while you are here. I’ll leave you two to it.” She then abruptly turned on her heel and almost stalked off.
“There’s a very serious pecking order in here — usual public service stuff. You’ll get used to it,” said John Douglas.
Andy grimaced. “Well, I only have five days here so I should survive. Let’s get into why I’m here.”
John Douglas gave Andy a curious look as Andy made the last remark but just nodded in agreement and saying, “I’m in this section temporarily while the usual person is off sick for the next few weeks. Then I return to my usual department. Let’s get started.” Andy drew up a chair and got his file out of his briefcase and they started work.
The two men worked steadily through the lists of parts, looking at the defect analysis compilations by the RAF personnel from the factory trials. They started with the radar unit, which appeared to have the highest rate of breakdowns in the system. Morning teatime came with a lady pushing a trolley into the room and bringing her presence to everyone’s attention. The tea was served from an urn into white cups with the ‘Air Ministry’ label. “Makes a change from pint-pots,” remarked Andy as they walked back to their desk and continued working. About 11.00 hours, Emerson returned from his meeting and noted the presence of Corporal Hill at John Douglas’s desk.
As he reached his own desk, set facing the other two, he called out, “Douglas, bring the corporal over.” John and Andy looked at each other and got up and walked over to Emerson’s desk. Andy guessed that the man would be in his forties. He wore the pinstripe suit and dark tie that seemed to be public service uniform and behind the desk was a coat stand with a rolled umbrella and bowler hat on it. Emerson was slim with thinning hair and streaks of grey. From what Andy could see, here was a career public servant. John Douglas introduced Corporal Hill to Emerson. Andy took his orders from his tunic pocket and handed them to Emerson. After a brief look they were handed back. “I don’t know why you have been sent down here, Corporal, since we have adequate experience at this sort of thing.”
“I believe that they want to test out the new defect analysis system as it relates to a missile system, Mr Emerson,” replied the corporal. “It is part of the overall trials programme, as I understand it.”
“I would have expected someone more senior than yourself, if that’s the case, Corporal,” responded Emerson.
“With due respect, Mr Emerson, I don’t make the orders,” replied Corporal Hill, “and it is clear that my CO believes me to be competent to carry out the work.” At that reply, Emerson appeared to bristle but he said nothing and waved both the men back to their desks.
John Douglas had the information compiled from the progress reports from the factories and these were compared with the figures that Andy had. It appeared that the progress reports had gaps in the necessary information and the two men compiled new lists derived from both sources of information. At 12.30 hours they broke for lunch and John Douglas invited Andy to go out with him for lunch. They left the building and walked to the Embankment, bought rolls and coffee from a stall and sat on the wall with the River Thames behind them. Suddenly John Douglas said, “What goes up must come down.”
Andy responded with, “And what goes in must come out.”
John Douglas looked at Andy and said, “Well, that’s a relief.” The two men had given a recognition signal that both had received from different sources.
“Where are we at?” asked Andy. “I understand that there are three suspects.”
“That’s correct,” replied John. “They are Griffiths, Emerson and St John. Griffiths has a track record of Communist sympathies from his student days although he is known to support the Labour Party these days. Emerson served in Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War and spent time in Yugoslavia but there is nothing to indicate leanings in that direction. The woman, St John, appears to fit the description of a woman who appeared to make a drop the night one our men was shot and killed. He was last known to be following the ‘pick-up’. We are pretty certain that the leaks are coming out of this office.” Andy nodded and asked about relationships in the office. “St John appears to be loyal to Griffiths. She acts as though on equal terms with Emerson but, as a secretary, she isn’t. The others in the office don’t count, according to those
