even to those. Who knows when it comes to an illegal one mixed with God knows what?"
"But I would never have agreed to take it." Tom sighed. "That was why I agreed to meet you for dinner. I was hoping you might have seen who I was talking to. If I could identify them, I might be able to find out more about that night."
"I'm sorry. I wish I could help more."
"And I'm sorry I wasted your time."
Kate smiled. "I try to take the view that few things are actually a waste of time. When you look back, unexpected opportunities often come from them."
THIRTY
CROFT SAT IN THE UTILITARIAN annex to Stephanie Reems' office, flicking through his report on a tablet computer. He had been waiting several hours, so by now he could largely quote it from memory. Reems was always busy, but today it almost seemed as if she was avoiding him.
Finally the receptionist cleared his throat and nodded that Croft should go through.
Stephanie Reems maintained several offices, but this was her primary centre of operations. Two floors below ground, there were no windows - just stone walls and heavy electronic shielding. Reems sat behind her steel desk, reading. She only half looked up. "Sorry to keep you waiting, George. Hell of a day." She indicated a seat in front of her.
"You've read my report?"
She shook her head. "I presumed you'd summarise it for me."
He forced a smiled. "Of course. As agreed, I looked into the circumstances surrounding Richard Armstrong's death. I inserted myself into the police team and analysed the scene first-hand, including conducting a number of interviews. I also undertook my own analysis of his recent comms usage."
"And what was your conclusion?"
"That this was not an accident." He paused to see if she would react. She did not. "We found three old phone SIM cards cut up in his rubbish. Pay as you go accounts. It suggests he was taking precautions to avoid having his calls monitored. As for who he called, there was only one unusual number: another pay as you go. We're looking into it."
"Perhaps he was having an affair."
Croft shook his head. "He wasn't married. Lived on his own with his dog. No reason to keep it a secret."
"Maybe the other person involved had a reason."
He shrugged. "We found the remains of a further mobile phone with the SIM card still in it. It was badly damaged, but the police believe it could have been a detonator."
"Or perhaps it was just a phone."
Croft shrugged. "The dog was also a point of interest. According to neighbours, Armstrong never let it sleep outside, yet the dog was found in the garden, unharmed. I took a blood sample and there were traces of tranquilliser."
"Perhaps it had been to the vet?"
"No record of that."
Reems puffed out her cheeks. "So what are you saying?"
"My task wasn't to solve the case, merely to consider whether there is one. I have a plausible and reasonable suspicion that this was foul play and that there should be a full investigation." He paused. "Which should start with CERUS."
Reems leaned back in her chair. "This is good work. Now I want you to archive the report. "
"What? Why?"
"Your conclusions are well researched and nobody could criticise you for reaching them, but they are based on incomplete data. Do you know why Armstrong was on the watch list?"
Croft swallowed. "My clearance isn't sufficient to access that information."
"And unfortunately I cannot change that." She gave a kindly smile. "But if you had the full context, as I do, you'd know that this is the appropriate outcome. I can tell you that the watch list is outdated: more than two decades old. If there were an issue, it would have been routed by me. It wasn't, which means there is no issue."
Croft stood up. "I understand. Thanks for your time." He turned towards the door, then paused. "I'm not the only one who thought this smelt funny, though. There were a number of reporters hovering around."
"CERUS is always newsworthy. I doubt they'll find anything you
"But I would never have agreed to take it." Tom sighed. "That was why I agreed to meet you for dinner. I was hoping you might have seen who I was talking to. If I could identify them, I might be able to find out more about that night."
"I'm sorry. I wish I could help more."
"And I'm sorry I wasted your time."
Kate smiled. "I try to take the view that few things are actually a waste of time. When you look back, unexpected opportunities often come from them."
THIRTY
CROFT SAT IN THE UTILITARIAN annex to Stephanie Reems' office, flicking through his report on a tablet computer. He had been waiting several hours, so by now he could largely quote it from memory. Reems was always busy, but today it almost seemed as if she was avoiding him.
Finally the receptionist cleared his throat and nodded that Croft should go through.
Stephanie Reems maintained several offices, but this was her primary centre of operations. Two floors below ground, there were no windows - just stone walls and heavy electronic shielding. Reems sat behind her steel desk, reading. She only half looked up. "Sorry to keep you waiting, George. Hell of a day." She indicated a seat in front of her.
"You've read my report?"
She shook her head. "I presumed you'd summarise it for me."
He forced a smiled. "Of course. As agreed, I looked into the circumstances surrounding Richard Armstrong's death. I inserted myself into the police team and analysed the scene first-hand, including conducting a number of interviews. I also undertook my own analysis of his recent comms usage."
"And what was your conclusion?"
"That this was not an accident." He paused to see if she would react. She did not. "We found three old phone SIM cards cut up in his rubbish. Pay as you go accounts. It suggests he was taking precautions to avoid having his calls monitored. As for who he called, there was only one unusual number: another pay as you go. We're looking into it."
"Perhaps he was having an affair."
Croft shook his head. "He wasn't married. Lived on his own with his dog. No reason to keep it a secret."
"Maybe the other person involved had a reason."
He shrugged. "We found the remains of a further mobile phone with the SIM card still in it. It was badly damaged, but the police believe it could have been a detonator."
"Or perhaps it was just a phone."
Croft shrugged. "The dog was also a point of interest. According to neighbours, Armstrong never let it sleep outside, yet the dog was found in the garden, unharmed. I took a blood sample and there were traces of tranquilliser."
"Perhaps it had been to the vet?"
"No record of that."
Reems puffed out her cheeks. "So what are you saying?"
"My task wasn't to solve the case, merely to consider whether there is one. I have a plausible and reasonable suspicion that this was foul play and that there should be a full investigation." He paused. "Which should start with CERUS."
Reems leaned back in her chair. "This is good work. Now I want you to archive the report. "
"What? Why?"
"Your conclusions are well researched and nobody could criticise you for reaching them, but they are based on incomplete data. Do you know why Armstrong was on the watch list?"
Croft swallowed. "My clearance isn't sufficient to access that information."
"And unfortunately I cannot change that." She gave a kindly smile. "But if you had the full context, as I do, you'd know that this is the appropriate outcome. I can tell you that the watch list is outdated: more than two decades old. If there were an issue, it would have been routed by me. It wasn't, which means there is no issue."
Croft stood up. "I understand. Thanks for your time." He turned towards the door, then paused. "I'm not the only one who thought this smelt funny, though. There were a number of reporters hovering around."
"CERUS is always newsworthy. I doubt they'll find anything you
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