Page 53 of End Game
‘I was calling about something far more important, sir.’
‘Fire away,’ said William.
‘I’m sorry to bother you when you’re so busy,’ said Robert, before hesitating for a moment, ‘but as I may not be seeing you for some time, I’ll cut to the chase. I’m planning on proposing to Artemisia and I wanted to ask for your permission …’
For a moment, William was stunned into silence, despite a broad grin appearing on his face, a piece of good news that wiped away any thought of bad news, if only for a moment. ‘How wonderfully old-fashioned of you to ask,’ he said. ‘But then, why should I be surprised when your family can be traced back to William the Conqueror?’
‘Ethelred the Unready,’ said Robert, ‘but to be fair, that’s on my mother’s side.’
Both men laughed.
‘Well, I suppose if you want to marry my daughter, young man,’ said William, hoping he sounded suitably authoritative, ‘it’s nothing less than my duty to ask you about your prospects.’
‘Not that promising, sir,’ admitted Robert. ‘Special advisers don’t earn a great deal, but I’m hopeful that I’ll work my way up the greasy pole and end up in Parliament, given time. Even then, I wouldn’t be paid a great deal more.’
‘Well, at least you’ll be following in the footsteps of your distinguished grandfather.’
‘But not my father,’ Robert reminded him, ‘because after university, Dad drove straight past Westminster and didn’t stop until he reached the City.’
‘Where he now chairs one of our leading merchant banks, and if the newspapers are to be believed, has restored the family fortune.’ William smiled to himself. ‘Unfortunately,’ he continued, ‘I think Artemisia’s prospects are not unlike yours. There are almost as many unemployed journalists as former Members of Parliament.’
Robert laughed. ‘I have more faith in her future than mine. She’s a natural scribbler and has a sense of justice that you’d be proud of, which is one of the many reasons I adore her,’ he paused, ‘and want to spend the rest of my life with her.’
‘Well,’ said William, ‘I appreciate you calling, and I’m delighted you want to marry my daughter, but I think we both know that my permission isn’t what’s needed, which begs the more important question, Robert. Do you think she’ll say yes?’
‘I’ll let you know,’ was all Robert had to say.
A few minutes later, William returned to his other world as the next call was from Professor Meredith.
‘You have to understand, Commander, that what I’m about to suggest cannot be described as proof, however compelling you might find it.’
William waited for the professor to get to the point.
‘A man turned up at the Russian Embassy half an hour ago carrying what looked like the shoebox.’
‘Size?’ said William.
‘About fourteen inches by eight.’
‘Colour? Branding?’
‘Blue, no visible branding.’
That seemed like a big coincidence, and William didn’tbelieve in coincidences. ‘Were you able to identify the man?’ he asked.
‘He’s been known to our people for some time,’ Meredith replied. ‘His name is Sergei Petrov. He has the grand title of “undersecretary”, but you only have to read his file to know what his real job is. I’ll send you full details.’
‘But were you able to discover what was in the box?’
‘I thought you might ask me that question,’ said Meredith, ‘but unfortunately that’s something even the most sophisticated camera can’t tell us. However, if Faulkner went all the way to Helsinki to pick it up, I imagine it’s something rather more dangerous than a pair of shoes.’
‘Why don’t you just expel Petrov as a spy?’
‘I wish it were that easy,’ said Meredith, ‘but sadly that process can take days, sometimes weeks, and always results in what we call “tit-for-tat” expulsions, with one of our boys being sent back from Moscow. No, we’re in a far stronger position now we know not only that the Russians were behind the opening ceremony blackout, but the person we’ve identified is clearly in charge of their operation.’
‘Any idea what his next move might be?’
After he and Meredith had discussed a dozen possible scenarios, covering everything from drugs to a terrorist attack, William put the phone down with a sigh. Shortly afterwards, a full profile of Petrov, along with photos, appeared on his screen. He immediately sent copies to the whole team.
