A Spy by Nature - Charles Cumming [148]
I move forward in my seat.
‘Fortner was seen in Colville Gardens last night packing up his car. Chris Sinclair tailed him to Heathrow. He was alone. We saw him check on to an American Airlines flight to Dallas, connecting on to Norfolk Beach. The long route to Virginia, in other words. He usually flies United to Richmond via Washington. So it was unscheduled. According to Frears, Fortner hadn’t planned to be going away at such short notice. Chris says he had four large suitcases with him, as well as a holdall for the cabin. Paid over two hundred pounds in excess baggage. You know anything about that?’
‘Nothing. He and I haven’t spoken in over a week.’
‘And Katharine?’
‘Ditto.’
‘Sounds like a hasty exit to me.’
And to me, too, but I reply: ‘Not necessarily. He may just have had to make an unscheduled visit to Langley.’
‘Let’s hope so.’
Caccia takes another long sip of his drink, setting it down on a copy of the Spectator.
‘We think it would be a good idea for you to telephone Katharine as soon as possible. Try to find out what’s going on.’
‘I can’t mention 5F371. That would be too obvious.’
‘Of course.’
‘But I can ask her about Fortner. See what he’s up to.’
‘Good.’
This appears to satisfy him. Caccia nods, clears his throat, and stares at a painting on the wall. There appears to be nothing left to say. In the silence, I feel suddenly awkward and oddly embarrassed, as if I should somehow elaborate on my plan. Then, out of nowhere, Caccia asks if I have voted in the election.
The question takes me by surprise.
‘Er, I don’t intend to,’ I tell him. ‘I take Billy Connolly’s advice.’
‘Oh? And what’s that?’ he asks with an amused grin.
‘Don’t vote. It just encourages them.’
Caccia grunts out a laugh.
‘Think Blair’s got it sewn up, anyway,’ he says, standing up. I take this as my cue to leave. ‘Find out what you can, eh?’
‘I’m sure it’s nothing, David. Just a coincidence.’
‘Well, let’s hope so,’ he says. ‘Let’s hope so.’
And the meeting is over.
34
Think
Of course, a day has not gone by when I did not fear that all of this would come to an end. And contained in Caccia’s warning is an intimation that the game is up, that somehow the Americans have discovered my true intentions and pulled the plug on JUSTIFY. Every instinct tells me that this is the case, yet some grudging stubbornness in me will not accept the situation. It could still be a wild coincidence that Andromeda’s people pulled out of Baku just hours before Fortner left for the States with his London life packed into four large suitcases and a cabin bag. There is still that tiny possibility.
There is a message on my answering machine when I get home:
Hi man, it’s Saul. Listen, hope you’re OK. I just got your message from last week. I was in Scotland. Ring me if you still need to talk about whatever it was… Ring me anyway, will you? Do you fancy going down to Cornwall this weekend? I need to talk to you about that. I want to bring someone, try and maybe leave tomorrow night. So… give me a ring.
I call him back on his mobile.
‘Alec. How you doing? Everything all right?’
He sounds concerned.
‘Everything’s fine.’
‘I was worried. You sounded in bad shape. What happened?’
‘It was just a scare. Nothing.’
‘What kind of scare?’
Let’s try this.
‘Just Mum. We thought she might have a skin cancer, but it turned out to be benign.’
‘Shit. I’m glad. Send her my best.’
‘What’s this about Cornwall?’
He stalls momentarily.
‘I’ve met someone.’
‘And?’
‘And I wanted to invite her down to Padstow this weekend.’
‘Why are you asking me? You want my permission?’
He does not laugh.
‘No. It’s not that. I wanted you to come with us.’
‘Sounds very gooseberry.’
‘It won’t be. She has friends down there already. We’re going to hook up.’
In all probability events at Abnex will prevent me from going.
‘Can I let you know at the last minute?’
‘Sure,’ he says. ‘No problem. Look, I’ve got another call coming through. We’ll speak first thing tomorrow.’
I take a lasagne out of the freezer and microwave