Judd said, “No, I don’t think so.” He looked around, decided on the sofa, lowered himself onto it and leaned back, stretching his legs.
Lamb, waiting, adopted an interested expression.
He’d made himself at home, but hadn’t removed his coat or shoes, both of which looked like distant early warning signs of requests for small change. The only light he’d turned on—unless it had been switched on already—was the standard lamp by the side of his chair, and he was swamped in the glow it shed, like an illustration from a storybook. The kind which had not suitable for children stickered on its cover.
Judd said, “There’s an alarm pad by the door looking as dead as the PM’s voter approval rating. It’s been deactivated. She doesn’t know you’re here, does she?”
“I’d forgotten that about you,” said Lamb, amiably. “Everyone always goes on about what a corrupt fat lying prick you are. They never mention you can be quite sharp when the mood takes you.”
“I suppose that puts us on a level footing. Though I’m impressed by your security bypass. I’d have thought the house codes were changed daily.”
“Weekly,” said Lamb. He shrugged. “Or whatever. Not actually sure.”
“But you know a man who is.”
Lamb rummaged for something in his coat pocket, but only a cigarette. “Don’t worry, I’m not gunna light it. Wouldn’t want to sully the delicate air.”
“I think that ship’s sailed.”
The cigarette went behind Lamb’s ear. “There’s a kill code,” he said, “which can be triggered remotely. It shuts off the alarms and opens the locks. In case of a sausage situation arising.”
“A . . . what?”
“Did I say sausage? I meant hostage,” said Lamb. “Common error.”
“And that’s not changed weekly,” Judd guessed.
“No, that one remains constant.”
“And Devon Welles used to be Taverner’s home security expert. Well well well.” His gaze flickered round the room, then returned to Lamb. “There’s a contract I’ll be looking at quite closely. Before I sue someone’s fucking arse off.”
“Oh, don’t be too hard on him. I might have suggested you had no business being on his Christmas list. I mean, even less than for the obvious reasons.”
“What are you on about?”
“That the fat corrupt lying prick bit’s public knowledge.” Lamb’s fingers strayed to his ear. “But I told him you were paying the tab of those mercenary fuckers who murdered Emma Flyte.”
Judd stiffened. “You
“I told him—”
“That business in Wales? Bloody cheek! I was the one let Diana know there was a team of hostiles on the loose! I wasn’t the one who loosed them.”
“Speaking for myself, I was raised to find it rude to interrupt. But I appreciate that you public schoolboys have your own code of behaviour, like wearing red trousers and fucking the country up. But yes, to address your complaint, I was lying. Like you just said, that puts us on a level footing. Lucky me.” He reached into his other pocket and this time produced a quarter bottle of scotch. He unscrewed the top. “I’d offer you a drink,” he said again. “But, you know.” He shrugged, and took a swallow.
“So you blackened my name to gain access here—”
“To be fair, blackening your name’s not as easy as you make it sound. Given the bar you’ve set.”
“Now who’s interrupting? You blackened my name to gain access, and for what? What kind of . . .
“No, she’s observing an op—a gun sale. Well, I say sale. I doubt they’re offering discounts.”
“You have a pair of eyes inside the Park?”
Lamb nodded. “A pair of legs, not so much. But you take what you can get.”
He rescrewed the top on his bottle, and slid it back into his pocket.
Judd said, “I’m leaving now.”
“Yeah, that would be disappointing. You’re supposed to be the saveloy one when it comes to deal making.”
“. . . Saveloy? Are we back on the sausage thing?”
“Savvy. Where’s Standish when I need her? Why we’re doing this without Taverner is, she’s who we’re here to discuss. You because she tried to knock you off your perch last night. And me, well. Trust me. I have reasons.”
“Trust you? Now there’s a big ask.”
“Oh, come on. You know what they say, a friend’s just an enemy you haven’t pissed off yet.”
“I somehow doubt we’re going to be friends, Lamb. And even if we were, you wouldn’t be the kind I’d trust.” He stood. “I’ll find some other way to smooth things out with Diana. Letting her know about Welles’s little side hustle’ll make a good start.”
“Yeah, that kill switch. I should have mentioned, one of the other things hitting it does is, it opens her safe.” Lamb made a clicking noise with his tongue, and mimed a door swinging open. “I mean, I wasn’t there when it happened, but it must have been something like that.”
“I’m not seeing a safe anywhere.”
“Upstairs.”
“And you’ve robbed her?”
“Now, there you’re judging me by your standards. No, I haven’t robbed her. Maybe borrowed something, but don’t worry. I’ll put it back.”
“What are you talking about?”
Again, Lamb’s hand dipped into his overcoat pocket, and this time when he withdrew it, it was holding a gun.
