The Devil's Landscape

Twenty

John Macmillan was still with the Home Secretary when Steven got to the Home Office so he decided to touch base with Neil Tyler. His call went to voicemail.

‘Neil, I’ve been through the police and fire reports. We should talk. Are you free for lunch today? Give me a call.’

Half an hour later, Tyler returned the call. ‘As luck would have it, I’ve just spent the morning with my legal retainers. Lunch would be a good idea.’

Steven suggested The Moorings, the same riverside pub he’d used for meetings with Barrowman and they agreed to meet at one o’clock. His liking for the place had little to do with the service or the food — which was fine — but simply because it afforded good views of the Thames and its bridges. Somehow, that was important.

‘You were right to draw attention to the fire deaths,’ said Steven.

‘I’m not sure I should be pleased to hear that,’ said Tyler.

Steven explained how he’d become suspicious after viewing the fire department photographs.

‘Why didn’t they pick up on that?’ Tyler murmured.

‘I didn’t at first, but I kept going back to them until it struck me that I was looking at two people who had died without any apparent attempt to fight the flames or escape the building and that didn’t seem right. The difference between me and the authorities was that I set out to look for something wrong and they didn’t.’

‘They saw what they expected to see,’ Tyler agreed, ‘They’d identified the cause of the fire — a gas leak — a tragic accident with no sign of foul play suspected... or looked for to any great degree.’

Steven told him of his earlier meeting with Jane Lincoln and her offer of help in tracing the last movements of Paul and Carrie.

‘That’s a bit of luck, I thought you were about to tell me you were going there, in which case I was about to suggest I come too,’ said Tyler.

‘Does that mean you got the sack from the lawyers this morning?’ asked Steven.

‘Far from it,’ said Tyler. ‘A few days ago, I submitted my report on the work found on Barrowman’s computer on the make-up of psychopathic criminals and they seemed very satisfied — or rather the people behind them are.’

‘No objections to the publication of these results?’

‘None at all.’

‘Dorothy will be pleased, but will they be happy to continue funding now that Barrowman’s out of the picture?’

‘Barrowman may be out of the picture, but they see him as having come up with the goods — a nice piece of work — and now they’re looking forward to seeing what the others in the group come up with.’

‘Happy bunnies all round,’ said Steven, ‘but where does this leave you? Will they still need you to ride shotgun on Dorothy’s group and keep an eye on what they’re up to?’

‘Apparently yes, they’d like me to continue with monthly reports on the group’s progress and to hear my assessment of where it’s going. It might have been Barrowman’s research on psychopaths that drew their attention to the Lindstrom group in the first place but obviously they’re interested in everything else that’s going on.’

‘Interesting,’ said Steven. ‘I get the impression that they don’t know anything about Moorlock Hall and Barrowman’s studies on Lawler?’

‘When you think about it, there was nothing to tell,’ said Tyler. ‘You and I both think he’s hiding something but the fact that Lawler doesn’t rate a mention in his results is not much to build a case on.’

‘True,’ Steven conceded. ‘He told a few people he thought Lawler was special, but never said why. He didn’t confide in Dorothy or his wife apart from telling Lucy he found him mesmerising or words to that effect. What do your employers know about Barrowman?’ he asked.

‘Just what Dorothy told them,’ Tyler replied. ‘They know of course that he had some sort of a breakdown recently, something being put down to long term exposure to the type of people he was associating with and they know he attacked his wife and had been referred by the police for psychiatric assessment.’

‘But they have no suspicion he was sitting on something important?’

‘I don’t think so; they were worried when they thought he might have destroyed his data because of his mental state and were relieved when that turned out not to be the case. They know about Moorlock Hall of course, because it was in the papers, but, like Dorothy, they took the view that one subject more or less was no big deal when there was enough data already to warrant publication.’

‘You look as if you’re trying to solve Fermat’s last theorem,’ said Tyler when Steven had stared unseeingly into space for at least thirty seconds.

‘Sorry, I’m just trying to put pieces on the board in the right order.’

‘And?’

‘Let’s go through it... we think that Barrowman has discovered something big but Dorothy doesn’t know about it.’

‘Agreed.’

‘The same goes for the anonymous people you work for, but both are happy with what Barrowman did come up with, something which Dorothy sees as part of an overall understanding of what makes people tick.’

‘Agreed.’

‘The UK security services tried to block funding for Dorothy’s group and were particularly interested in Barrowman and what he was doing to the extent that they kidnapped him from the police, possibly because they have people working on the same thing.’

‘If you say so.’

‘Dorothy’s group continues trying to unravel the mysteries of what controls our genes and how, but there’s also a background agenda to prove or disprove what their two dead colleagues came up with before they died.’

‘And who may have been murdered to prevent these findings being made public,’ Tyler added.

‘So where does that leave us?’

‘Puzzled.’

Steven raised an eyebrow.

‘Don’t get me wrong, epigenetics is an exciting field, but it’s in its infancy. It will be one thing establishing which genes are subject to switching but quite another figuring out the details of how it works and how we can influence and eventually control it. I’m sure Dorothy and her co-workers are going to come up with a lot of interesting findings along the way but it’s going to take a long time before the Americans’ findings are confirmed or not.’

‘Point taken,’ said Steven, ‘and maybe that suits Dorothy, but of course, lucky breaks sometimes happen... which brings us to Barrowman.’

It was Tyler’s turn to look surprised. ‘Do you think he knows how it all works?’ he exclaimed.

‘I think he learned something from Lawler that puts him way ahead of the field. Lawler was his lucky break, one that made his previous work almost irrelevant — he was happy to share all his other results, but went to enormous lengths to keep the Lawler discoveries to himself, presumably until such times as he could claim all the credit and go down in scientific history.’

‘I still can’t figure where your employers are coming from,’ said Steven. ‘They fund research anonymously and then sit back monitoring it. Why?’

‘After what you’ve told me,’ said Tyler cautiously, ‘suppose... just suppose... they are the same people who were behind the murder of the two Americans...’

‘Wow, talk about biting the hand that feeds you...’

‘You know the old saying, keep your friends close and your enemies even closer?’ said Tyler.

‘Go on.’

‘If Dorothy’s two post-docs were murdered to stop them making their findings public, maybe the murderers thought that the same findings might surface again albeit from a different angle.’

‘So, they fund them in order to keep an eye on things?’

‘And to put a stop to things if they feel the time is right.’

‘Well, Machiavelli has nothing on you, doctor,’ said Steven, ‘but funding an entire research group is not done with small change. We’re talking big bucks here.’

‘Which limits the field,’ said Tyler.

‘To whom?’

‘People with big bucks.’

‘If you keep this up, we’re going to get our own radio show,’ said Steven, ‘I’m thinking US intelligence. UK intelligence blocked initial funding for Dorothy, maybe US intelligence took a stronger line?’

‘A depressing thought.’

‘The intelligence world is a very depressing place,’ said Steven.

‘You sound like you know it well?’

‘Our paths have crossed.’

‘Do you think MI5 are hiding Barrowman?’ Tyler asked.

Steven shook his head and told him about Barrowman’s ‘little joke’ with the card.

Tyler was shocked. ‘Jesus,’ he murmured. ‘Is that why you’re carrying?’ He nodded towards Steven’s left shoulder, causing him to adjust his jacket. ‘Don’t worry, the weapon’s not visible. I take it you don’t do this often enough to warrant the attention of your tailor?’

‘Quite,’ said Steven. ‘John Macmillan is convinced Barrowman has been given shelter by person or persons unknown. I wasn’t so sure, but just when I was beginning to think he might have committed suicide, he phones a friend in Edinburgh, asking him to forward a packet he’d been keeping for him.’

‘Scary stuff... Tell me about this packet.’

‘There’s a good chance it contains the data on Barrowman’s work with Lawler.’

‘Where was it sent?’

‘Good question, John Macmillan was seeing the Home Secretary this morning with a view to finding that out.’ Steven told Tyler of the PO box number problem

It was agreed that Tyler would concentrate on trying to find out more about who was funding the Lindstrom group and Steven would let him know if and when Jane Lincoln had been back in touch.

Steven walked back to the Home Office feeling uncomfortable that U.S. intelligence could have been involved in the deaths of the two young scientists. This was not because he didn’t think intelligence services could resort to murder when there was plenty of evidence to the contrary — a CIA plan to murder the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro with an exploding cigar, A Bulgarian agent using the deadly poison, ricin via a scratch from the tip of an umbrella, Russian radio-active polonium being added to tea for a London assassination — but more the thought that intelligence services could be interfering in front-line scientific research. In his book, the search for truth should be above and beyond whatever else the human race got up to. Ivory towers should be sanctuaries for the gifted few capable of asking the right questions and seeking out truth to expand human knowledge. Dream on Dunbar. He took solace from the thought that the only reason for bringing up possible US intelligence involvement was the large amount of money required. There was absolutely no evidence that they were... for the moment.

‘The police have been trying to contact you,’ said Jean when Steven got back to the Home Office.

Steven took out his mobile and turned it back on. ‘I’ve been having lunch with Neil Tyler,’ he explained. ‘We were discussing the probable murder of Dorothy Lindstrom’s two American post-docs.’

‘Oh no,’ Jean whispered, ‘Not good... and the news from the police isn’t going to help.’

‘Do you want to tell me first?’

‘It’s Lucy Barrowman, she’s been attacked.’

Steven was shocked. ‘What? But she’s staying with her parents down in Eastbourne,’ he protested.

‘Apparently such things happen even in Eastbourne,’ Jean replied, ‘The house was subject to a break-in while they slept. Poor girl, after all she’s been through you’d think life would give her a break.’

Steven called the police to be given details of the sexual assault carried out on Lucy Barrowman while she slept in her parents’ home.

‘I take it she wasn’t under police protection?’

‘That was withdrawn when she left hospital and we thought Barrowman had gone to ground.’

‘Was it him?’

‘Mrs Barrowman says not.’

Steven didn’t ask for details, his mind was reeling from the awful news.

‘There was a second casualty,’ the policeman continued. ‘Her father woke up and disturbed the intruder. He was just pushed out the way but suffered a heart attack shortly afterwards. Both are in hospital. We’ll keep you informed.’

Steven put down the phone just as John Macmillan came in to the office.

‘Bad news?’ he asked after seeing Steven’s face.

‘Jean, who had heard the phone call, gave Macmillan details while Steven tried to think things through. He was struggling to accept the attack on Lucy had been some kind of horrible coincidence, but if Lucy had told the police it wasn’t Barrowman... what was he left with?’

‘Are you all right?’ asked Macmillan.

‘I knew life was a bitch, I just didn’t realise how big a one.’

‘I’m older, I knew.’

Steven asked, ‘What news?’

‘A convoluted tale,’ said Macmillan. ‘Many years ago, our intelligence services set up a Post Office box number system, which could be used in times of emergency to send material securely through the post.’

‘So far so good,’ said Steven.

‘It worked a bit like a Russian doll, one number led to another which led to another and so on.’

Steven frowned.

‘The package sent from Edinburgh was addressed to a box number in London. The box number would not mean anything to the receiving office and would be put aside as improperly addressed mail. Someone — presumably senior and who had signed the official secrets act — would see it and forward it to another PO box number where the same thing would happen. This would go on as many as four times until it reached a final destination where it would be collected by someone giving a password.’

‘So where was this final destination?’ Steven asked.

‘We don’t know.’

‘You are joking,’ exclaimed Steven, feeling as if some celestial being was having a laugh at his expense.

‘I’m afraid not. The Home Secretary was as angry as I was. She called in the heads of Royal Mail security and MI5 while I was there and demanded to know what the hell was going on. In a nutshell... they didn’t know either. She sent them away with a flea in their ear and ordered them to find out. Two hours later MI5 came back with an answer, thanks to someone with a historical interest in the service. The system was devised during the Second World War when there was a fear that we might be invaded. It was assumed, rightly or wrongly, that the mail service would still operate and so a plan using box numbers was devised, which would allow the resistance to use it without suspicion.

Although it was never used to any great extent, the box number system was never fully disabled. Trusted people who’d signed the act and been sworn to secrecy would still know what to do when one of these box numbers appeared in their sorting office. When they left or retired, a new trusted individual would be appointed and so it has gone on.’

Steven shook his head. ‘Are you saying that when someone is appointed to some senior role in a sorting office they are asked to sign the Official Secrets act, sworn to secrecy about an archaic box system and told never to divulge details to anyone?’

‘Apparently.’

‘Talk about a love of historic ritual,’ said Steven.

‘Have you seen the opening of parliament?’ said Jean.

‘But the bottom line must be that we can now find out where Barrowman’s package ended up?’ said Steven.

‘In theory,’ said Macmillan. ‘In practice, it’s going to involve questioning people who have been sworn to secrecy and who believe they’re doing their duty by denying all knowledge of what we want to know.’

‘Oh God,’ sighed Steven, feeling the will to live drain from him.

‘They’ll probably think they’re being tested,’ added Jean less than helpfully.

Macmillan said, ‘The Home Secretary has asked Special Branch to deal with it.’

‘Special Branch?’ exclaimed Steven, unable to hide his surprise.

‘MI5 thought they should do it and I objected, maintaining it should be left to Sci-Med as it was a medical science investigation. They didn’t want to admit that they were involved in the same thing so they maintained it was part of a murder inquiry — one of their own for good measure. In the end, the Home Secretary decided that Special Branch should carry out the PO box number business and inform both Five and Sci-Med so that we can both be present when the final box is opened.’

‘Could be a rather grand opening of an empty box,’ said Jean, voicing what they were all thinking.

‘It’s true we might be too late for the Scottish packet, but he may be using the box for other things and he might even be picking up stuff himself,’ said Macmillan.

‘I don’t think we should give up entirely on the Edinburgh packet not being in the box,’ said Steven.

‘Really? I thought the Scottish chap said that Barrowman was keen to have it back.’ said Macmillan.

‘He did, but it’s possible Barrowman just wanted it put in the post as soon as possible,’ said Steven. ‘Knowing what we know now about the box system, he may have been moving it to what he thought would be a safer place in case someone started snooping around in Scotland.’

‘Someone like you,’ said Macmillan.

‘Exactly, I missed it by a day, but once it was in the post it would be on its way to a post box in a secret place where it could lie for ever if necessary, away from prying eyes and, if he didn’t get the credit for his work, no one else ever would. He was hardly going to need it while he was on the run for murder.’

‘Good thinking,’ said Macmillan.

‘I’ll see your “good” and raise it to brilliant,’ added Jean.

‘Well, folks,’ said Steven getting to his feet. ‘It’s been a long day, time to go home.’

‘Did you learn anything from the American reports?’ Macmillan asked as he headed for the door.

‘Yep, it was murder.’