Read Online STANDPOINT a gripping thriller full of suspense by Derek Thompson - Free Book Online
Authors: Derek Thompson
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hide his shock. He looked straight at Christine, who seemed similarly surprised. “I’ll wait to hear from you, then.”
“Absolutely,” Peterson opened the door, as if he was making a point. “Don’t go too far; I want the whole team in at 9.30.”
Thomas returned to his desk with a face like thunder. Christ, he’d really made a mess of that; nearly played his hand too soon. He went over to Karl. “Fancy a walk? I need some air.”
“Be right with you Tommo, just closing down. Don’t forget to lock your laptop.”
Something else he hadn’t done properly.
* * *
Karl ushered him to a café five minutes away. They both ordered a full breakfast. “I take it that your tête à tête wasn’t all you hoped for?”
“I made a complete dick of myself,” he shook his head slowly. “I accused him of sleeping with Christine before we’d officially split.”
“Don’t be expecting a good appraisal then!”
Two preposterously large mugs of tea arrived. Karl waited until the waitress had turned her back then made pretend swimming strokes over his tea.
Thomas just sighed; he’d lost his sense of humour.
“You know, Tommo, I loved and lost this girl, once. We were both stationed in Germany and we got together quickly. It was all brilliant and then I had to go back to Blighty on some urgent family business.”
Thomas stopped drinking tea and paid closer attention.
“Anyway, she bumps into this officer on base, while I’m gone — turned out that she’d had a bit of a thing with him, over in Cyprus.” Karl rotated his finger to show the passing of time. “So I get back to barracks and there’s another fish in my kettle, so to speak.”
Thomas had already decided that Karl made these phrases up. “How long were you away, Karl?”
“Long enough, evidently. I wasn’t very mature about it all. And unfortunately for me he was a nastier fighter,” Karl lifted his sweatshirt to reveal a series of white scars.
Thomas gasped.
“Listen now, I was no angel either. We wrecked the bar, apparently. I was certainly pretty wrecked at the time!” He winked then calmly took a sip of tea before he continued. “Anyway, not to be outdone, I tried a different tack and sent some photos of them together to his wife. Did I mention he had a wife?”
Thomas remembered that Bob Peterson was married, too. “And?”
“His wife divorced him. And later on, so I heard, the ‘Officer and Bastard’ married my lovely Jennifer.” Once he’d stopped talking, the waitress returned; Karl’s face lit up like a beacon. “Beatrice, you’re a sight for sore eyes. Your husband is a very lucky man!” He was rewarded with a demure smile and the all-day breakfast — so named because it could take a slow eater all day to finish it.
Further conversation was parked as they made their way through a meal fit for a king — a king who enjoyed mushrooms, eggs, tomatoes, sausages, bacon, toast and beans.
Thomas clapped his hands appreciatively. “That hit the spot.”
“You can always rely on your uncle Karl to make things better! Come on now or we’ll miss the party.”
* * *
The team filed into Christine’s office, all clutching pen and paper. Karl had brought along his Homer Simpson pad and novelty snake pen.
Bob Peterson introduced himself and shook everyone’s hand warmly. It was the usual ‘we’re in this together’ speech, with a potted history of where he’d been working before and the assurance that he wasn’t going to bring in change for change’s sake — which always meant the exact opposite.
Christine chipped in here and there, as if they were a double-act already, and managed to not look in Thomas’s direction. At one point Peterson made a joke about Sir Peter Carroll and asked Thomas not to repeat it the next time he saw the ‘old man upstairs,’ a blunt reference to Thomas having been interviewed by Sir Peter himself. Thomas swallowed his pride and smiled on cue.
Later, Ann Crossley asked about an
“Absolutely,” Peterson opened the door, as if he was making a point. “Don’t go too far; I want the whole team in at 9.30.”
Thomas returned to his desk with a face like thunder. Christ, he’d really made a mess of that; nearly played his hand too soon. He went over to Karl. “Fancy a walk? I need some air.”
“Be right with you Tommo, just closing down. Don’t forget to lock your laptop.”
Something else he hadn’t done properly.
* * *
Karl ushered him to a café five minutes away. They both ordered a full breakfast. “I take it that your tête à tête wasn’t all you hoped for?”
“I made a complete dick of myself,” he shook his head slowly. “I accused him of sleeping with Christine before we’d officially split.”
“Don’t be expecting a good appraisal then!”
Two preposterously large mugs of tea arrived. Karl waited until the waitress had turned her back then made pretend swimming strokes over his tea.
Thomas just sighed; he’d lost his sense of humour.
“You know, Tommo, I loved and lost this girl, once. We were both stationed in Germany and we got together quickly. It was all brilliant and then I had to go back to Blighty on some urgent family business.”
Thomas stopped drinking tea and paid closer attention.
“Anyway, she bumps into this officer on base, while I’m gone — turned out that she’d had a bit of a thing with him, over in Cyprus.” Karl rotated his finger to show the passing of time. “So I get back to barracks and there’s another fish in my kettle, so to speak.”
Thomas had already decided that Karl made these phrases up. “How long were you away, Karl?”
“Long enough, evidently. I wasn’t very mature about it all. And unfortunately for me he was a nastier fighter,” Karl lifted his sweatshirt to reveal a series of white scars.
Thomas gasped.
“Listen now, I was no angel either. We wrecked the bar, apparently. I was certainly pretty wrecked at the time!” He winked then calmly took a sip of tea before he continued. “Anyway, not to be outdone, I tried a different tack and sent some photos of them together to his wife. Did I mention he had a wife?”
Thomas remembered that Bob Peterson was married, too. “And?”
“His wife divorced him. And later on, so I heard, the ‘Officer and Bastard’ married my lovely Jennifer.” Once he’d stopped talking, the waitress returned; Karl’s face lit up like a beacon. “Beatrice, you’re a sight for sore eyes. Your husband is a very lucky man!” He was rewarded with a demure smile and the all-day breakfast — so named because it could take a slow eater all day to finish it.
Further conversation was parked as they made their way through a meal fit for a king — a king who enjoyed mushrooms, eggs, tomatoes, sausages, bacon, toast and beans.
Thomas clapped his hands appreciatively. “That hit the spot.”
“You can always rely on your uncle Karl to make things better! Come on now or we’ll miss the party.”
* * *
The team filed into Christine’s office, all clutching pen and paper. Karl had brought along his Homer Simpson pad and novelty snake pen.
Bob Peterson introduced himself and shook everyone’s hand warmly. It was the usual ‘we’re in this together’ speech, with a potted history of where he’d been working before and the assurance that he wasn’t going to bring in change for change’s sake — which always meant the exact opposite.
Christine chipped in here and there, as if they were a double-act already, and managed to not look in Thomas’s direction. At one point Peterson made a joke about Sir Peter Carroll and asked Thomas not to repeat it the next time he saw the ‘old man upstairs,’ a blunt reference to Thomas having been interviewed by Sir Peter himself. Thomas swallowed his pride and smiled on cue.
Later, Ann Crossley asked about an
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