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Authors: Sally Spencer
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a feller from London called Forsyth, Colin?â she asked her inspector.
âForsyth?â Beresford mused. âSilver hair, plummy voice, Godâs gift to espionage?â
âThatâs the man,â Paniatowski agreed. âHeâs back with us again.â
âWell, bugger me,â Beresford said.
Heâd said the words as if Forsyth was no more than a mild irritant, like a wasp at a picnic, Paniatowski thought. But that was because Colin didnât know Forsyth as she did â had never had a real glimpse of the black depths of the man. And perhaps it was as well that he didnât know â that she should have to bear the true strain of Forsythâs presence alone.
She briefly outlined what the spy had told her.
âIf Sergeant Cousins is right, and we are dealing with the IRA here, then what Forsyth is doing is using us as human mine-detectors,â Paniatowski said, growing angrier by the minute. âWe find his target, get blown to hell so he knows where it is, then he moves in. Well, I wonât have it! I wonât put my team at risk like that!â
âWith respect, maâam, the only way you can avoid that situation is by doing no investigating at all,â Sergeant Cousins said. âAnd though I donât know you as well as the others do, I canât see you going for that option at all.â
He was right, of course, Paniatowski thought. She couldnât just walk away from an investigation. But if there had to be risk, she could at least make sure that it was as low a risk as possible.
âI want your lads confined to purely routine tasks that canât possibly get them into trouble,â she told Beresford. âAny serious investigating will be done by me.â
âBy us ,â Beresford said firmly.
âThatâs right,â Cousins agreed, âby us .â
âCount me in, too, maâam,â Crane said.
âI donât want you involved in the actual investigation, Jack,â Paniatowski told the detective constable.
Crane looked hurt. âThatâs not fair, maâam.â
âWhat I want you to do is to watch Forsyth,â Paniatowski explained.
âWatch him, maâam?â
âWe need to know what game heâs playing. We have to find out why he wonât tell us exactly what job Adair was doing for him. And that means watching him.â
âYou want me to watch a spy ?â Crane asked, incredulously. âYou want me to follow a man trained to spot the KGB?â
âHeâs not that kind of spy,â Paniatowski said. âI donât get the impression that heâs ever been one of the pieces on the chessboard of espionage.â
âThen what is he?â
âHeâs the bastard who moves the pieces around â and sacrifices them without a secondâs thought. He wouldnât spot a KGB agent if he had his rank tattooed on his forehead â and I doubt heâll spot a fresh-faced young detective constable, either.â
âSpying on the spy master,â Colin Beresford said reflectively. âIf it goes wrong, we could all get screwed to the wall.â
âMeaning we shouldnât do it?â Paniatowski asked.
âMeaning I donât think heâs left us much choice in the matter,â Beresford replied.
EIGHT
T he press briefing room was one of the âinnovationsâ introduced by the previous chief constable, a man more interested in the way crime was reported than why it was committed or how it was solved. The room itself was located just off the main foyer of police headquarters. It was oblong, and had two entrances â one at the back for the hacks, one at the front for the officer who would be giving the briefing. The officer in question gave the briefing from a raised podium, which the chief constable thought gave him increased authority, but had always made Charlie Woodend feel like a shameless politician running
âForsyth?â Beresford mused. âSilver hair, plummy voice, Godâs gift to espionage?â
âThatâs the man,â Paniatowski agreed. âHeâs back with us again.â
âWell, bugger me,â Beresford said.
Heâd said the words as if Forsyth was no more than a mild irritant, like a wasp at a picnic, Paniatowski thought. But that was because Colin didnât know Forsyth as she did â had never had a real glimpse of the black depths of the man. And perhaps it was as well that he didnât know â that she should have to bear the true strain of Forsythâs presence alone.
She briefly outlined what the spy had told her.
âIf Sergeant Cousins is right, and we are dealing with the IRA here, then what Forsyth is doing is using us as human mine-detectors,â Paniatowski said, growing angrier by the minute. âWe find his target, get blown to hell so he knows where it is, then he moves in. Well, I wonât have it! I wonât put my team at risk like that!â
âWith respect, maâam, the only way you can avoid that situation is by doing no investigating at all,â Sergeant Cousins said. âAnd though I donât know you as well as the others do, I canât see you going for that option at all.â
He was right, of course, Paniatowski thought. She couldnât just walk away from an investigation. But if there had to be risk, she could at least make sure that it was as low a risk as possible.
âI want your lads confined to purely routine tasks that canât possibly get them into trouble,â she told Beresford. âAny serious investigating will be done by me.â
âBy us ,â Beresford said firmly.
âThatâs right,â Cousins agreed, âby us .â
âCount me in, too, maâam,â Crane said.
âI donât want you involved in the actual investigation, Jack,â Paniatowski told the detective constable.
Crane looked hurt. âThatâs not fair, maâam.â
âWhat I want you to do is to watch Forsyth,â Paniatowski explained.
âWatch him, maâam?â
âWe need to know what game heâs playing. We have to find out why he wonât tell us exactly what job Adair was doing for him. And that means watching him.â
âYou want me to watch a spy ?â Crane asked, incredulously. âYou want me to follow a man trained to spot the KGB?â
âHeâs not that kind of spy,â Paniatowski said. âI donât get the impression that heâs ever been one of the pieces on the chessboard of espionage.â
âThen what is he?â
âHeâs the bastard who moves the pieces around â and sacrifices them without a secondâs thought. He wouldnât spot a KGB agent if he had his rank tattooed on his forehead â and I doubt heâll spot a fresh-faced young detective constable, either.â
âSpying on the spy master,â Colin Beresford said reflectively. âIf it goes wrong, we could all get screwed to the wall.â
âMeaning we shouldnât do it?â Paniatowski asked.
âMeaning I donât think heâs left us much choice in the matter,â Beresford replied.
EIGHT
T he press briefing room was one of the âinnovationsâ introduced by the previous chief constable, a man more interested in the way crime was reported than why it was committed or how it was solved. The room itself was located just off the main foyer of police headquarters. It was oblong, and had two entrances â one at the back for the hacks, one at the front for the officer who would be giving the briefing. The officer in question gave the briefing from a raised podium, which the chief constable thought gave him increased authority, but had always made Charlie Woodend feel like a shameless politician running
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