Read Online Hunted: BookShots by James Patterson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: James Patterson
Ads: Link
two men looked sharply at him, so Tremain kept it simple. ‘It’s information from Kenneth Farmer. Sarah has become suspicious and she’s been talking to a third party.’
Curtis made a disgusted sound. ‘That idiot, Farmer. What kind of third party?’
‘She corresponds with a “Simon”, initials “SC”. It would seem likely that this is Simon Claridge, an MI5 operative. They had a relationship at Cambridge and have remained close ever since.’
‘You know this man Claridge?’
‘He’s in another section, different floor. I see him in the lift occasionally. He’s younger but older, if you know what I mean. He has a decent rank and a reputation as a good man. If he does suspect anything, then he’s too clever to go making a song and dance about it. What we need to know is if he can link Farmer to anyone else in the organisation. You two, for instance. Have you ever met Farmer?’
‘We did, once,’ admitted Curtis.
Tremain grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. ‘That was a little reckless, if I may say so.’
Curtis shrugged. ‘Kenneth Farmer is one of those who offers us favours, in order to supplement his fee. Occasionally we have to meet him to discuss this. Besides, you taught us well, Obi Wan. We made sure of using the CCTV dead zones.’
‘Well, if you’d been identified, your names would have come up on the grid and I’d have been alerted. So let’s assume, for the time being, that Claridge hasn’t made the connection. In that case, he’s a man with a suspicion, and not much else.’
‘He’ll start digging,’ whined Boyd. ‘This is just the start of the investigation. Farmer’s playing at the weekend. This man Claridge could follow him to the hunt. Look, this is all getting too hot for me. Oakleigh’s death, and now this. We should call it off.’
Curtis sighed. ‘We have over seventy million riding on this hunt – we’re not going to call it off. If there’s a leak, we plug it.’
‘You’re both right,’ said Tremain. ‘We need to neutralise the threat ahead of this weekend or we will have to cancel.’
‘We’re not cancelling,’ insisted Curtis. ‘It’s your job to sort it, so sort it.’
‘Yes. For fuck’s sake, Tremain,’ blurted Boyd, sweat glistening on his forehead, ‘do what you’re paid for. Kill Claridge. Make it look like an accident. We can’t afford any leaks.’
Tremain looked at the two of them, trying to keep the distaste off his face. ‘Look, don’t panic, either of you. We need to take Claridge out of the equation, but equally the last thing we want to do is to raise Sarah Farmer’s suspicions. The obvious course of action is to bring Claridge on board.’
Tremain did his best to calm the two bankers, but even so, he was beginning to form suspicions of his own. What he heard from the reformatory was ringing alarm bells. He’d be making some investigations of his own before confronting Claridge.
‘And if he doesn’t want to come on board?’ said Curtis. ‘You said he was a good man. What if he just wants to bring us down?’
Tremain smiled. ‘Claridge has a family. We’ll be sure to use the carrot and the stick.’
CHAPTER 19
SHELLEY STAVED OFF the boredom of his days at the reformatory school with exercise, Bruce Willis movies and paperback novels.
He was virtually alone. The guards he saw kept their distance, restricting contact to a cheery wave. Surveillance was conducted via CCTV cameras. Shelley occupied himself with trying to spot them all.
Forming the perimeter was a sturdy partition wall. From the outside it would look like just another long-germinating suburban development, and even if you managed to bypass the CCTV and security guards to get inside, you wouldn’t see much. Most of it was as Claire had described, a vision in rack and ruin. The walkways and service roads were cracked and strewn with weeds and litter; the buildings were run-down, almost every window smashed.
All, that was, apart from the area he
Curtis made a disgusted sound. ‘That idiot, Farmer. What kind of third party?’
‘She corresponds with a “Simon”, initials “SC”. It would seem likely that this is Simon Claridge, an MI5 operative. They had a relationship at Cambridge and have remained close ever since.’
‘You know this man Claridge?’
‘He’s in another section, different floor. I see him in the lift occasionally. He’s younger but older, if you know what I mean. He has a decent rank and a reputation as a good man. If he does suspect anything, then he’s too clever to go making a song and dance about it. What we need to know is if he can link Farmer to anyone else in the organisation. You two, for instance. Have you ever met Farmer?’
‘We did, once,’ admitted Curtis.
Tremain grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. ‘That was a little reckless, if I may say so.’
Curtis shrugged. ‘Kenneth Farmer is one of those who offers us favours, in order to supplement his fee. Occasionally we have to meet him to discuss this. Besides, you taught us well, Obi Wan. We made sure of using the CCTV dead zones.’
‘Well, if you’d been identified, your names would have come up on the grid and I’d have been alerted. So let’s assume, for the time being, that Claridge hasn’t made the connection. In that case, he’s a man with a suspicion, and not much else.’
‘He’ll start digging,’ whined Boyd. ‘This is just the start of the investigation. Farmer’s playing at the weekend. This man Claridge could follow him to the hunt. Look, this is all getting too hot for me. Oakleigh’s death, and now this. We should call it off.’
Curtis sighed. ‘We have over seventy million riding on this hunt – we’re not going to call it off. If there’s a leak, we plug it.’
‘You’re both right,’ said Tremain. ‘We need to neutralise the threat ahead of this weekend or we will have to cancel.’
‘We’re not cancelling,’ insisted Curtis. ‘It’s your job to sort it, so sort it.’
‘Yes. For fuck’s sake, Tremain,’ blurted Boyd, sweat glistening on his forehead, ‘do what you’re paid for. Kill Claridge. Make it look like an accident. We can’t afford any leaks.’
Tremain looked at the two of them, trying to keep the distaste off his face. ‘Look, don’t panic, either of you. We need to take Claridge out of the equation, but equally the last thing we want to do is to raise Sarah Farmer’s suspicions. The obvious course of action is to bring Claridge on board.’
Tremain did his best to calm the two bankers, but even so, he was beginning to form suspicions of his own. What he heard from the reformatory was ringing alarm bells. He’d be making some investigations of his own before confronting Claridge.
‘And if he doesn’t want to come on board?’ said Curtis. ‘You said he was a good man. What if he just wants to bring us down?’
Tremain smiled. ‘Claridge has a family. We’ll be sure to use the carrot and the stick.’
CHAPTER 19
SHELLEY STAVED OFF the boredom of his days at the reformatory school with exercise, Bruce Willis movies and paperback novels.
He was virtually alone. The guards he saw kept their distance, restricting contact to a cheery wave. Surveillance was conducted via CCTV cameras. Shelley occupied himself with trying to spot them all.
Forming the perimeter was a sturdy partition wall. From the outside it would look like just another long-germinating suburban development, and even if you managed to bypass the CCTV and security guards to get inside, you wouldn’t see much. Most of it was as Claire had described, a vision in rack and ruin. The walkways and service roads were cracked and strewn with weeds and litter; the buildings were run-down, almost every window smashed.
All, that was, apart from the area he
Similar Books
