Read Online David Trevellyan 03 -More Harm Than Good by Andrew Grant - Free Book Online Page A

move, but she showed no sign
of responding. And I couldn’t help thinking that if she gave them much more rope, it wouldn’t be themselves they’d be trying to hang.
            The guy who’d been
standing on the bench moved around behind the agent’s chair and pushed down on
her shoulders, pinning her in place. Then the taller one stepped across in
front of her and began to unzip what remained of his jeans. The agent’s eyes
registered nothing until she realised I was moving.
The yob noticed me coming towards him a moment later.
He glanced at the wall behind me, then took a large
step to his left. I adjusted my course to follow him, but as I drew close he
didn’t make an attempt to defend himself. Or even to argue with me. He just
threw himself backwards, going down like he’d been shot and almost burying the
side of his head into the ground.

 
 
 
    Chapter Seven

 
    The two yobs that were still on their feet
converged on their friend, then together they hauled the idiot up off the
ground. The three of them stood still for a moment, arms around each other like
exhausted runners at the end of a marathon. Then the tallest one broke free and
started for the exit at the far end of the garden. Little pieces of gravel were
still sticking out of his scalp and blood was oozing over the folds of his neck
onto his T-shirt. The others followed him without a word. I watched until the
door closed behind them, then became aware of the agent maneuvering her chair
past me as she wheeled towards the nearest bench.
            I walked across and sat next
to her, expecting her to say something, but she seemed content to wait in
silence.
            “What was that all
about?” I said, eventually.
            “A couple of things,”
she said.
            “The guy just threw
himself on the floor.”
            “I know. He was playing
to the camera. But don’t worry. It won’t do him any good.”
            “What do you mean,
‘playing to the camera?’”
            “You saw where it was
mounted on the wall, right? Over there, behind the bench you were sitting on?”
            “I saw it.”
            “And you saw how he
lined himself up, with you between it and him? He was trying to make it look
like you assaulted him. Probably looking for compensation, from somewhere. But
he won’t get any.”
            “Of course he won’t. I
didn’t touch him.”
            “Ha. That’s not the
reason. It’s because the camera’s not working. I had cause to check it, very
recently.”
            “I thought those cameras
were to protect innocent people.”
            “They are.”
            “But now the criminals
are using them to their advantage? That’s crazy.”
            The agent shrugged.
            “Criminals have rights,
too,” she said.
            “You know what they call
us, in the States?” I said. “One nation, under CCTV. I used to think they were
joking. Now I can see why.”
            “They do a lot of good,
too,” she said, after a moment. “The cameras. When they’re working. Did the
boots arrive yet, by the way?” I told them to put a rush on the delivery.”
            “So you are M,” I said.
“I thought so.”
            “You were right. I am.”
            “Is that the whole of
your name?”
            “No. It’s Melissa.
Melissa Wainwright.”
            “Pleased to meet you,
Melissa. I’m David Trevellyan . But you already knew
that. You knew a lot about me, in fact. Including my shoe size, it seems.
Unless that was a lucky guess.”
            “I saw the notes that
Jackson had made after your meeting. Our pencil-pushing friend is very
thorough. He’d written down the size. The brand. The colour .
Everything.”
            “Well, thanks for
sending them. That was another surprise you sprang on me. A nice one, this
time,