to be impenetrable. The same goes for the banquet and the overnight accommodation.’
Elle took over. It was clear to Purkiss this discussion was one they’d had before. ‘We’re not going to work out how the attempt’s going to be made, not with the information we’ve got at present. We’d be better served focusing on the lead we do now have, Fallon, and finding him before the event.’
Rossiter had come closer and stood looking down at Purkiss, hands folded before him as if he were anchoring them down. ‘We work together on this. I’m not asking you to accept my command, but anything either you or we learn is shared. Are we agreed?’
Purkiss rocked his head from side to side. ‘Possibly. Depends if I think it’s worth sharing.’
Rossiter watched him, lips thinned whitely. ‘If you’re trying to get a rise out of me, Mr Purkiss, it’s not going to work. I know you think you have the upper hand because you’ve given us the Fallon connection. Yes, it’s an essential piece of intelligence. But we have the resources, the local connections, that you need. So be nice.’
It lasted barely a second, the quiver of tension between them. Then Purkiss said, ‘Tell me how you got on to Seppo, how you found his flat.’
TWELVE
‘You need to speak to this woman, find out what she’s not telling us.’
The Jacobin’s voice was steady, grip on the handset loose.
‘I have spoken to her already. She’s hiding nothing.’
‘This man she was sleeping with, this Fallon. Purkiss is desperate to find him and won’t say why. He’s got to be important in some way. We have to find out what the woman told him.’
‘She told him nothing. She’s rock solid, loyal beyond question.’ Kuznetsov sounded offended.
‘Kuznetsov, I don’t think you really appreciate the seriousness of this. This man worked his way into the affections of clearly the weakest link in your outfit, then disappeared. Until we find him, we have to assume he has knowledge that could compromise us.’
‘You speak to me like this, you impugn the character of one of my people. Yet you yourself keep this man Purkiss alive. You allow him access to your circle.’
‘For your information, he’s the best chance we have at the moment of finding this Fallon. I’m working on him, trying to persuade him to tell me why Fallon’s of importance to him.’ There was a tap at the door and the Jacobin opened it and held up a hand – one minute – and closed it again. ‘We’re going to have to bring the woman in. You need to make her aware of this, prepare her for interrogation.’
‘No torture.’
‘Of course.’
They spoke for another minute before ringing off. The Jacobin stood gazing through the window at the night, then went to find the others.
*
Purkiss had argued that there wasn’t time to rest, but he’d been trying to persuade himself as much as them. In the end he lost the battle. Teague gave him the once over, applying antiseptic to the laceration from the garrotte. They had worked out a plan for the following morning, and it was agreed that Purkiss would crash out at the flat which Klavan and Teague shared. Rossiter was apparently staying behind at the base. Apart from individual offices off the central open-plan area, all of which were soundproofed, Purkiss noticed, there was a tiny bedroom and bathroom as well as a kitchenette.
In the car on the way back out of the Old Town Purkiss sat in the back again, with Klavan driving and Teague in the front passenger seat this time.
Purkiss said: ‘Am I going to have a problem with your boss?’
‘Rossiter?’ Teague lifted a shoulder. ‘No. He doesn’t like you, mainly because he doesn’t trust you. To him you’re a rogue agent just like Fallon, even if your motives are more sympathetic. You have to admit, he has a point.’
Purkiss had told them Seppo was an old friend and colleague of his who’d sent him the photo of Fallon but then hadn’t been contactable when
Elle took over. It was clear to Purkiss this discussion was one they’d had before. ‘We’re not going to work out how the attempt’s going to be made, not with the information we’ve got at present. We’d be better served focusing on the lead we do now have, Fallon, and finding him before the event.’
Rossiter had come closer and stood looking down at Purkiss, hands folded before him as if he were anchoring them down. ‘We work together on this. I’m not asking you to accept my command, but anything either you or we learn is shared. Are we agreed?’
Purkiss rocked his head from side to side. ‘Possibly. Depends if I think it’s worth sharing.’
Rossiter watched him, lips thinned whitely. ‘If you’re trying to get a rise out of me, Mr Purkiss, it’s not going to work. I know you think you have the upper hand because you’ve given us the Fallon connection. Yes, it’s an essential piece of intelligence. But we have the resources, the local connections, that you need. So be nice.’
It lasted barely a second, the quiver of tension between them. Then Purkiss said, ‘Tell me how you got on to Seppo, how you found his flat.’
TWELVE
‘You need to speak to this woman, find out what she’s not telling us.’
The Jacobin’s voice was steady, grip on the handset loose.
‘I have spoken to her already. She’s hiding nothing.’
‘This man she was sleeping with, this Fallon. Purkiss is desperate to find him and won’t say why. He’s got to be important in some way. We have to find out what the woman told him.’
‘She told him nothing. She’s rock solid, loyal beyond question.’ Kuznetsov sounded offended.
‘Kuznetsov, I don’t think you really appreciate the seriousness of this. This man worked his way into the affections of clearly the weakest link in your outfit, then disappeared. Until we find him, we have to assume he has knowledge that could compromise us.’
‘You speak to me like this, you impugn the character of one of my people. Yet you yourself keep this man Purkiss alive. You allow him access to your circle.’
‘For your information, he’s the best chance we have at the moment of finding this Fallon. I’m working on him, trying to persuade him to tell me why Fallon’s of importance to him.’ There was a tap at the door and the Jacobin opened it and held up a hand – one minute – and closed it again. ‘We’re going to have to bring the woman in. You need to make her aware of this, prepare her for interrogation.’
‘No torture.’
‘Of course.’
They spoke for another minute before ringing off. The Jacobin stood gazing through the window at the night, then went to find the others.
*
Purkiss had argued that there wasn’t time to rest, but he’d been trying to persuade himself as much as them. In the end he lost the battle. Teague gave him the once over, applying antiseptic to the laceration from the garrotte. They had worked out a plan for the following morning, and it was agreed that Purkiss would crash out at the flat which Klavan and Teague shared. Rossiter was apparently staying behind at the base. Apart from individual offices off the central open-plan area, all of which were soundproofed, Purkiss noticed, there was a tiny bedroom and bathroom as well as a kitchenette.
In the car on the way back out of the Old Town Purkiss sat in the back again, with Klavan driving and Teague in the front passenger seat this time.
Purkiss said: ‘Am I going to have a problem with your boss?’
‘Rossiter?’ Teague lifted a shoulder. ‘No. He doesn’t like you, mainly because he doesn’t trust you. To him you’re a rogue agent just like Fallon, even if your motives are more sympathetic. You have to admit, he has a point.’
Purkiss had told them Seppo was an old friend and colleague of his who’d sent him the photo of Fallon but then hadn’t been contactable when
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