The Death Messenger (Matthew Ryan Book 2)(85)

O’Neil tried unsuccessfully to keep her face straight and call the team to order. She couldn’t do it. Two phones rang, one after the other, ending the joviality. As Grace scrambled to her feet to answer the landline, O’Neil went for her pocket, her smile melting away as she checked the display. She held the device out to Ryan. ‘Operation Shadow,’ she said. And then for Caroline’s benefit. ‘That’s the code for Spielberg I gave to Control.’

Ryan pressed to answer. He was all ears.





47


The senior controller came on the line. It threw Ryan off balance to the point that he didn’t catch the first sentence. ‘. . . a priority greater than the call you were expecting,’ he explained. ‘He ordered me to abandon the call and put him through immediately.’

‘Rewind, Stan. Who did?’

‘Ford. He came through on the priority line. Our mapping technology doesn’t extend beyond the force area, so I couldn’t instantly verify his ID. I had to call the number we have for the Home Office and be put through. He’s legit and wouldn’t take no for an answer. When I argued, he threatened me with blue forms.’

Ryan raised his eyes to the ceiling. ‘Blue forms’ was a term used for disciplinary action within the force. ‘He conned you, mate. He hasn’t got the balls, never mind the authority, with or without an SW1 address.’

All heads turned in Ryan’s direction, including Grace’s. She could see something was going down and couldn’t wait to get off the phone and find out what it was. O’Neil was already second-guessing that Ford had something to do with it.

Seeing her interest, Ryan muted the mobile and filled her in.

‘Put the phone on speaker.’ She waited for him to do so and then spoke. ‘This is O’Neil. Are you out of your mind? Explain yourself.’

‘I had a call to make, ma’am. With respect, my job was on the line, not yours. “A matter of life and death” – those were Ford’s exact words.’

‘Is our caller holding?’

‘No, when I asked her to wait, she rang off.’

‘Damn it, Stan!’ O’Neil locked eyes with Ryan, worried that Spielberg might have been frightened off – for good. ‘Could you not have diverted her to another line?’

‘The trace was set up on your phone, guv.’

‘Then why the hell didn’t you put Ford through on the other phone?’

‘I tried, it’s engaged.’

O’Neil’s attention shot across the room. Grace was just hanging up. O’Neil swore under her breath and counted to ten. Stan was still trying to justify his actions . . .

‘I was about to try Ryan’s mobile. That’s when I lost your caller. The delay must’ve spooked her.’

‘OK . . . put Ford through . . . on the landline. DS Ryan will take over. We’re just going to have to hope she rings back.’

‘I’m sorry, ma’am. I did try.’

The line clicked.

‘Finally!’ Ford said. ‘Have you seen the news, Superintendent? The shit has well and truly hit the fan.’

‘It has now.’ Ryan was livid.

‘Where’s O’Neil?’ Ford barked.

O’Neil was shaking her head. She didn’t want to speak to him under any circumstances. The moron had probably thwarted the most important call of the case to date. The success of enquiries hinged on establishing connections with key witnesses and prime suspects. He’d blown their best chance.

Ryan lied: ‘My guv’nor is incommunicado at present.’

‘Where is she?’

‘I’m not at liberty to say.’

‘Switch on your TV then.’

Ryan did as he was asked. The BBC newscaster Huw Edwards appeared on screen, a breaking news story: ‘It would appear that Ambassador Dean’s murder in Copenhagen is linked to three in England and one in Scotland. This disturbing and highly confidential information we believe was leaked by someone operating within the British Embassy in Denmark . . .’

‘And we all know who it was, don’t we?’ Grace said.

Ryan held a finger to his lips.

Too late.

Ford had overheard. ‘I thought you said O’Neil wasn’t there—’

‘That was Grace Ellis. Don’t pretend you don’t know who she is, because I know for a fact you do.’

Ford hesitated for a split second.

O’Neil seemed torn between snatching the phone up and giving the jobsworth what he deserved and allowing Ryan to handle the grey man without her assistance.

‘We know who’ll be responsible for the breach,’ Ryan said. ‘It’ll be one of two security guards—’

‘Yes,’ Ford interrupted. ‘?lgaard told me. They’re being spoken to. That means sacked, in case you’re in any doubt. The fact that they failed us is inconsequential. There’s a media frenzy going on and you need to stamp on it or, believe me, heads will roll here too.’

‘Maybe if you’d been upfront with us from the outset we wouldn’t be in this mess. If anyone is joining the dole queue, it won’t be one of us. I’ve pulled some strokes in my time, but you, Mr Ford, have taken it to another level. The lack of communication from your lot in London is staggering. You’ve demonstrated nothing but incompetence. You’re worried about the press? You should be more concerned with saving your own neck.’