At nine the following morning, I headed toward the same quiet table in the corner of the canteen where I’d met up with Nell Mahoney. I still hadn’t decided whether to mention to Toni about Kevin’s recent renewed interest in the Al Anfal document. Given what had happened, it now seemed less relevant.
Toni was one step ahead of me. As I walked in and passed the rows of similar tables, I could see she was already waiting and was on her telephone. First thing I noticed were the lines across her furrowed brow. There was no smile, no greeting as I sat down.
I noticed a small box she was cradling on her lap. ‘Is that for me?’ I asked, as the call ended.
Finally, she smiled. ‘All in good time, Finlay. I’ve made some checks regarding Mr Shabat’s claims. Like I suggested, it looks like ancient history. I’m as sure as I can be that Shabat’s handler is Howard Green, so that would be consistent with the threat having been lifted. I think, if I were you, I really wouldn’t be inclined to worry about it.’
Toni was doing her best to sound reassuring, I could sense that from her voice. But the question remained: exactly when had Shabat been approached?
‘Do you still want me to find out from him when he was asked?’ I said.
‘If it helps put your mind at rest, yes,’ she replied.
‘Is that the only reason you wanted to see me?’
‘No … I’m afraid that’s just a part of the reason. There’s been a very unusual development regarding Kevin Jones.’
‘What, even more than getting arrested for killing his girlfriend during a sex game?’
‘Sorry,’ she continued. ‘Sensitive subject, I know.’
‘So, what is it?’
She paused, as if struggling to find the right words.
‘Well, I hope it’s good news.’ I did my best to force a smile.
She took a deep breath. ‘No … it isn’t. Quite the opposite, in fact. It’s about the gun that was found in the boot of Kevin’s car.’
‘Don’t tell me. His prints were on it?’
‘No, actually they weren’t. And it’s still the subject of DNA testing so no tie-up from that. No, what I’m referring to is the ballistics results from the lab.’
‘So far as I know, Kevin never had access to a Glock. I told Mellor
that.’
‘Mellor from CIB?’ Toni asked.
‘That’s him.’
‘Commander Grahamslaw told me about him. And from what I’m told, he dismissed the point. To be honest, I can’t really blame him. As we both know, Kevin would probably have been killed last year if it hadn’t been for an illicitly held weapon, so let’s not pretend he couldn’t have had access to another pistol.’
She was right, and it was a fair point. The IRA man who’d tried to murder Kevin had only been overcome thanks to the Browning Kevin had kept hidden.
‘What I’m talking about is far worse than that,’ she continued. ‘Do you recall the case of Maggie Price, the literary agent that’s gone missing?’
‘Of course,’ I answered. ‘Chas Collins’ agent. It was only in the papers a few weeks ago. From what I hear, the author is missing as well.’
‘Yes … yes, that’s right. And did you read that on the same night there was a shooting a couple of miles away from the Price home?’
‘Yes, I read that. That journalist, Max Tranter, was trying to link a drug-dealer killing to the Price disappearance.’
‘That’s the one. Well, Kevin had a copy of the book Maggie Price’s author brought out last year at his house,’ Toni said. ‘Mellor’s team found a circled reference to Maggie Price inside it.’
‘He bought a copy to check if it compromised any of our friends from the Afghan operation Chas Collins wrote about.’
‘Well, Mellor’s team have made the connection so they’re having ballistic tests done to see if it’s the murder weapon.’
‘So, Kevin is in the frame for that as well?’ I asked.
‘It’s taken things into a whole different sphere. The Service is also involved in the hunt for Maggie Price.’
‘Do you think she’s dead?’
‘We’ve no doubt. Since the day she disappeared there’s been no indication of life whatsoever.’
‘And you think Collins is involved?’
‘Or a victim as well. The trail for him went cold several months ago. Kevin has never come up on our radar as a suspect.’
‘He wouldn’t, would he … no way is he involved,’ I said, adamantly. ‘There’s the obvious answer, of course.’
‘Which is?’ Toni asked.
‘Howard Green and the need to keep Collins quiet about the Al Anfal organisation. Maybe Price was collateral damage?’
‘Maybe … and maybe your friend Kevin is actually a hired gun?’
‘For God’s sake, Toni. There’s not a chance,’ I exclaimed.
But I’d now realised I was going to have to take Toni into my confidence over what Kevin had told me about the copy of the Al Anfal document McNeil had brought to him. I turned and checked around the canteen. Although many of the tables were occupied, those nearest to us remained empty. It was safe to speak. I took a deep breath, leaned forwards to speak quietly and, having secured her attention, I began. She listened attentively as I summarised what I knew. It didn’t take long, there wasn’t much to tell.
‘So, Kevin and Brian McNeil have been making arrangements to have it translated in the same way you did?’ she asked.
‘That’s about the sum of it,’ I said, slightly taken aback by the lack of surprise in her response.
‘That confirms it, then?’
‘Confirms what?’
‘Kevin called Nell some while ago asking if she could help him with finding an Arab translator. He told her it was just a letter he needed help with. Do we know where this new copy of the document is now?’
‘I think they’ve given it to Dr Armstrong.’
‘We’ll need to find out. You never told Kevin about Howard Green and the mop-up of the Increment men then?’ As she spoke, her gaze switched nervously between me and checking over my shoulder.
‘Just as we agreed. Some things are best left untold. Do you think the odd circumstances of the arrest and this gun appearing are connected to that?’
‘I have no idea, Finlay.’ She focussed on me, her voice now sounding angry and impatient. ‘What I do know is that we need to speak to him, and urgently.’
‘To what end, exactly?’
‘To answer some questions. And when I say we, I mean you. I can’t get involved at this point.’ Her hand moved from her lap and placed the small, brown box on the table in front of me. ‘Kind of makes this all the more relevant.’
‘What is it?’ I asked.
‘A mobile phone. Bill Grahamslaw told me what happened to your work phone. CIB will return it and when they do I want you to take it to Nell to give it a once-over.’
‘Why exactly?’
‘To see if they’ve chipped it,’ Toni answered. ‘Which they most likely will have. You’re probably not aware of it yet but the Met has been trialling a tracking system called “Stingray”. When Commander Grahamslaw queried why they wanted your phone, it occurred to me that might be what they were up to. Stingray inserts software onto the phone that will send details of your calls, texts and location to whoever is monitoring you.’
‘A bug in my pocket?’ I said. ‘Kind of reminds me of the device Kevin found at his home.’
‘Which still remains something of a mystery, I’m afraid. Nell hasn’t been able to find who might have planted it.’
I pulled the small box towards me and opened it. ‘Is it an ordinary phone?’ I asked. ‘Or does it mean you can listen in to me as well.’
‘It’s called a burner phone. It operates via a South African network on an unregistered SIM card. Expensive to run on pay-as-you-go but almost impossible to trace. I’ve programmed it with my numbers and your home number. I suggest you only use it when you really need to do so. Hopefully the first occasion will be when you call to tell me what Kevin has to say.’
‘You expect me to go and see him?’
Toni passed me a small slip of paper across the table. ‘I’d be surprised if you didn’t,’ she said.
I looked down to see that the note contained a long series of numbers.
‘Memorise them,’ she continued. ‘It’s your new phone number. And make sure you give the number to Kevin. But, whatever you do, destroy that note and tell him not to record it either.’
‘Understood.’
‘And one other thing.’ Her eyes again flicked upwards towards the far end of the canteen. ‘It has a help facility. Dial treble eight and it will transmit a “come find me” signal via GCHQ.’
‘A locator beacon?’
‘You’re familiar with them?’
‘I had one in Northern Ireland, fitted to the car we used. Came in handy once.’
Toni’s facial expression suddenly changed. She smiled, warmly. ‘Looks like there’s some news,’ she exclaimed, as she focussed on someone behind me.
A moment later, Nina Brasov sat down with us. She looked worried and was slightly out of breath, as if she’d been running. ‘I’ve been trying to find you everywhere, Finlay,’ she said as she nodded a very brief acknowledgement towards Toni. ‘It’s Kevin. He’s being produced at court this afternoon where they’re going to be asking for a warrant of further detention to keep him in for additional questioning. I thought you’d want to know.’