A fingerprint scan was on its way, but she already knew whose the body was. It wasn’t Hassan Ahmed’s, so it had to be Alan Black’s. Her agent. Jackson Lamb and his crew were nowhere. Her earlier worst thoughts, about things going even more wrong, had come to pass. It was as well she’d set a back-up plan in motion.
Echoing that thought, the phone rang. Ingrid Tearney, her boss. They’d spoken earlier; Taverner had called her from the canal. She was somewhere over the Atlantic, nearer New York than London.
‘Ingrid,’ she said.
‘I’m hearing rumours. What’s going on, Diana?’
‘Like I said earlier. It’s Jackson Lamb.’
‘You’re sure?’
‘It looks like it.’ She leant forward; rested her forehead on her palm. Commit to the action, and the voice follows. ‘The body at Waterloo? It’s Alan Black’s. He used to be one of Lamb’s. Quit last year, but maybe he didn’t after all. It looks like Lamb’s been playing him all along.’
‘Jesus wept. This can
‘Best I can tell, Lamb was running the kidnapping to make a personal score. Or else, God knows, to make the Service look good. Either way, it’s shot to hell. His agent’s murdered, and the others are gone, Hassan Ahmed with them. And there’s no reason on earth they should stick to their deadline now.’
‘Christ, Diana, this is your watch—’
‘Mine? Slough House hardly falls under my jurisdiction, does it? Before we start the recriminations game, let’s get that on the record. And face facts. The body’s one of Lamb’s people. Lamb knew where to go, for Christ’s sake.’
Ingrid Tearney said, ‘He was there, then. At Waterloo.’
‘Yes. I don’t know where he is now. But we’ll trace him.’
‘In time?’
‘Ingrid, at this stage he knows as much about Hassan Ahmed’s whereabouts as we do. His op’s blown. We’re looking at damage limitation. I know you’re shocked. But he’s always been a loose cannon. And ever since the Partner business—’
‘Careful.’
‘I don’t officially know what happened then, but I’ve a shrewd idea. And anyone who can do what Lamb did probably thinks he’s above scrutiny. I’ve been worried about him for some time. That’s why I put Sid Baker in there.’
‘And what did she report?’
‘That Lamb runs the place like a mad hermit. Sits in his top-floor lair with the blinds drawn. It’s not a big surprise he’s tipped over the edge, Ingrid.’
She was using her name too often. She’d have to watch that.
‘What’s Baker said about tonight?’
‘She’s in no position to say anything. She was one of tonight’s casualties.’
‘Hell’s teeth. Did I miss the meeting where war was declared?’
‘We’re mopping up. I’ve one of Lamb’s people downstairs. It won’t take long to get cast-iron proof. All we need is something that puts Lamb with Black since Black quit the Service. Let’s face it, Jackson Lamb’s not the Friends Reunited type.’
‘You’re very keen on playing the judge.’
‘Well, it’s a fucking mess! We’ve got the body of a rogue agent, in a house where Hassan Ahmed was held. How’s that going to play with the boy’s uncle? We can swear we’ve clean hands till the cows come home, he’s still going to smell Service involvement. And this is a man HMG hopes is going to come down on the side of the moderates. We’ve got to clean it up.’
‘There’s a crew there now?’
‘Yes. But they’re not investigators, and they don’t do forensics. If anything’s marked clue, they’ll pick it up. But otherwise …’
‘But otherwise they might miss something that would help the cops find Hassan,’ Tearney finished.
Both fell silent. A blinking light on Taverner’s phone told her she had another call. She ignored it. The receiver felt hot, but she gripped it so tight her hand trembled.
‘Okay. Bring him in.’
‘Lamb?’
‘Lamb. Let’s see what he has to say for himself.’
‘What about Hassan Ahmed?’
‘I thought you’d covered that.’
London rules, she thought. London rules. ‘I’m going to need to hear you say it, Ingrid.’
Some decisions, she wanted other people’s fingerprints on from the start.
‘Oh, Christ. Having Mahmud Gul’s nephew killed on our soil is one thing. Having him killed with our connivance is another. Leave him to the cops, and pray they get to him in time. Either way, I don’t want Five appearing in their write-ups.’
‘Lamb’s not likely to come quietly.’
‘He’s not an idiot. Get Duffy on to it. And bring the rest of them in too.’
‘The rest of them?’
‘The Slough House crew. The slow horses. Get them off the streets and find out who knew what before any more damage is done. I don’t want mud sticking to Five over this. We get enough flak as it is.’
‘Consider it done. Safe flight.’
