the woman pushed herself up out of her chair and began screaming insults at someone in the audience, spittle flying from her mouth as she ranted and raved, her belly wobbling like a bowl of jelly. Two security men moved in to stop her diving into the audience, most of whom were now standing up and baying abuse at her. It was the first time in years that he had watched daytime television and Shepherd realised that he hadn’t missed much.
He picked up his remote and clicked through to Sky News. He was sitting on the sofa with his computer on his lap. He’d plugged in the thumb drive that Button had given him and was reading the briefing notes about the freight-forwarding company in Hammersmith and the personnel who were suspected of helping Crazy Boy choose his targets off the coast of Somalia. He wasn’t looking forward to going undercover in an office where the only danger he faced was the risk of a paper cut. As an undercover cop and later as a SOCA operative he’d taken on some of the biggest villains in the country, and in Northern Ireland he’d gone undercover to get close to terrorists, and while he understood the need to bring down a pirate warlord like Crazy Boy, he didn’t think that Button was making the best use of his talents. Still, on the plus side he’d be able to get home at weekends and there’d be no problems phoning Liam each evening.
He heard the phone ring and Katra answered it almost immediately. She came into the sitting room, holding the phone. ‘Caroline Stockmann,’ she said.
Shepherd muted the sound on the television. ‘My favourite psychologist,’ he said. ‘What can I do for you?’
‘I think you know,’ said Stockmann. ‘Charlie thought it might be a good idea if we got together, plus you’re overdue your biannual.’
‘The biannual psychological review was in my police contract and my SOCA contract but I don’t remember seeing it when I signed on with MI5.’
‘And your memory is good, isn’t it?’ said Stockmann.
‘Virtually photographic,’ agreed Shepherd. ‘Eidetic, they call it.’
‘The thing is, Charlie would very much like us to sit down for a while. And as you know, what Charlie wants, Charlie does tend to get. But whatever it may or may not have said in your contract, you do have to have a biannual.’
‘I’m in Hereford, Caroline.’
‘And isn’t that a coincidence.’ She laughed.
Shepherd didn’t say anything for several seconds. ‘Please don’t say you’re stalking me, Caroline.’
‘It’s more of a Muhammad coming to the mountain situation,’ she said.
‘It’s not the first time you’ve said that,’ said Shepherd. ‘It’s either that or you claim to be doing some work for the Regiment.’
‘What can I say? It’s as if you can read my mind.’
Shepherd sighed. ‘Where would you like to meet?’
‘How about the same place we met last time I was in your neck of the woods. Not a booth, because I know how much you hate sitting in booths, not being able to push them out of the way and all.’
‘When?’
‘Anytime this afternoon. You give me a time.’
‘Two o’clock.’
‘Two o’clock it is.’
Shepherd put down the phone. ‘Who was that?’ asked Liam.
‘My stalker.’
‘Your stalker?’ Liam gasped. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Joke,’ said Shepherd. ‘It’s someone from work.’
‘You said you were on holiday.’
‘I am, she just wants a chat. An hour or two at most.’
‘Is it your boss?’
Shepherd shook his head. ‘No, that’s Charlotte Button. This lady is someone else; she has to do a report on me to say that I’m doing my job OK.’
‘Like a school report?’
Shepherd nodded. ‘Yes, that’s pretty much what it is.’
‘I hope you pass.’
Shepherd laughed. ‘You and me both.’
Shepherd got to the pub early but Stockmann had beaten him to it and had installed herself at a circular table close to the booths that overlooked the car park. ‘The early bird,’ she said, raising a
He picked up his remote and clicked through to Sky News. He was sitting on the sofa with his computer on his lap. He’d plugged in the thumb drive that Button had given him and was reading the briefing notes about the freight-forwarding company in Hammersmith and the personnel who were suspected of helping Crazy Boy choose his targets off the coast of Somalia. He wasn’t looking forward to going undercover in an office where the only danger he faced was the risk of a paper cut. As an undercover cop and later as a SOCA operative he’d taken on some of the biggest villains in the country, and in Northern Ireland he’d gone undercover to get close to terrorists, and while he understood the need to bring down a pirate warlord like Crazy Boy, he didn’t think that Button was making the best use of his talents. Still, on the plus side he’d be able to get home at weekends and there’d be no problems phoning Liam each evening.
He heard the phone ring and Katra answered it almost immediately. She came into the sitting room, holding the phone. ‘Caroline Stockmann,’ she said.
Shepherd muted the sound on the television. ‘My favourite psychologist,’ he said. ‘What can I do for you?’
‘I think you know,’ said Stockmann. ‘Charlie thought it might be a good idea if we got together, plus you’re overdue your biannual.’
‘The biannual psychological review was in my police contract and my SOCA contract but I don’t remember seeing it when I signed on with MI5.’
‘And your memory is good, isn’t it?’ said Stockmann.
‘Virtually photographic,’ agreed Shepherd. ‘Eidetic, they call it.’
‘The thing is, Charlie would very much like us to sit down for a while. And as you know, what Charlie wants, Charlie does tend to get. But whatever it may or may not have said in your contract, you do have to have a biannual.’
‘I’m in Hereford, Caroline.’
‘And isn’t that a coincidence.’ She laughed.
Shepherd didn’t say anything for several seconds. ‘Please don’t say you’re stalking me, Caroline.’
‘It’s more of a Muhammad coming to the mountain situation,’ she said.
‘It’s not the first time you’ve said that,’ said Shepherd. ‘It’s either that or you claim to be doing some work for the Regiment.’
‘What can I say? It’s as if you can read my mind.’
Shepherd sighed. ‘Where would you like to meet?’
‘How about the same place we met last time I was in your neck of the woods. Not a booth, because I know how much you hate sitting in booths, not being able to push them out of the way and all.’
‘When?’
‘Anytime this afternoon. You give me a time.’
‘Two o’clock.’
‘Two o’clock it is.’
Shepherd put down the phone. ‘Who was that?’ asked Liam.
‘My stalker.’
‘Your stalker?’ Liam gasped. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Joke,’ said Shepherd. ‘It’s someone from work.’
‘You said you were on holiday.’
‘I am, she just wants a chat. An hour or two at most.’
‘Is it your boss?’
Shepherd shook his head. ‘No, that’s Charlotte Button. This lady is someone else; she has to do a report on me to say that I’m doing my job OK.’
‘Like a school report?’
Shepherd nodded. ‘Yes, that’s pretty much what it is.’
‘I hope you pass.’
Shepherd laughed. ‘You and me both.’
Shepherd got to the pub early but Stockmann had beaten him to it and had installed herself at a circular table close to the booths that overlooked the car park. ‘The early bird,’ she said, raising a
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