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.‘There’s no access here.You can’t come through here.’‘Then I’d like to speak with your public-relations officer.’‘We don’t have one.’‘Well, whoever deals with your general enquiries, then,’ he said, smiling and waiting with more patience than he could usually manage.‘We don’t have general enquiries at the weekend.’‘I thought you did.My grandson works here, you see.’‘Then maybe you should call your grandson and get him to let you in.’Bryant knew of a few certainties in life.One was that you should never rub your eyes after chopping chilli peppers, another was that you should be wary of using red telephone boxes after drunks had been in them, and now to this list he could add the fact that the guard on the door was never, ever going to admit him to this building.‘I’m an old-age pensioner,’ he said forlornly, looking up at the guard with pathetic, watery blue eyes.‘I’ve come from miles away to organize this walk.I thought my grandson would be here, but he’s not.Please, is there at least someone I can call?’‘You could try the general switchboard.’ The guard sounded more sympathetic, but none too hopeful.Bryant dug out his mobile, flicked several Licorice Allsorts from its casing and began to punch out a number.‘Hey, you can’t do that from here,’ warned the guard.‘Why not?’‘You’ve got a camera on that.This is a secure area.Official Ministry of Defence property.’‘Really?’‘Yeah.Everyone who works here has to sign the Official Secrets Act.Even the cleaners.’‘But it’s not as if they’re making bombs or chemical weapons inside, is it? This is a built-up area.There are railway stations.’‘No, but they make plans here.For terrorist attacks and stuff like that.’‘Well, in that case, I shall tell our ramblers that they can’t have access.We musn’t interfere with the government’s plans to protect us.Thank you – ’ Bryant squinted at the guard’s name tag, ‘ – Mandume.You’ve been very helpful.’It was obvious, now that he thought about it.There could never have been any other explanation.They were provided with cover stories because they were working for the Ministry of Defence, thought Bryant as he raised his umbrella and walked back into the rain.40* * *RECOLLECTION‘I say, how do we get access to Ministry of Defence files?’Bryant asked the question casually as he caught up with a distraught Dan Banbury in the corridor of the PCU.The unit’s computers had been removed and packed up in boxes that all but blocked the main passage.Most of the rooms had already been emptied of files and personal belongings.Banbury released a snort of incredulous laughter.‘We don’t,’ he said.‘When it comes to the MoD, the same restrictions apply to us as to everyone else.By the way, there’s a strange man in the evidence room putting everything in black plastic bin-bags.There’s another one in the kitchen measuring things.He’s taken our kettle.I can’t find anything.’‘Yes, but what if it involves possible breaches in the law of the land? Surely we have the power to act in the public interest if ordinary citizens are at risk? I’m afraid I’m a bit of a neophyte when it comes to the workings of the government.How do we stand on that sort of thing legally?’Banbury turned to look at him.‘Who do you think has a bigger say in the running of this country, Mr Bryant? The police or the National Defence Department?’‘Ah, I take your point.Then I’m not sure what to do.We’ve never had a situation like this before.Where we started at the beginning of the week isn’t where we seem to be heading now.’‘With all due respect, where we’re heading now is outside on to the pavement,’ said Banbury.‘In case you haven’t noticed, they’re kicking us out of the building.How are we supposed to work?’‘I don’t know.I haven’t had time to think about it.Have a word with the others about accessing secure information, would you? I suppose we’ll have to get everyone to regroup at my place for a while.Alma won’t be pleased, but John’s poky little flat isn’t large enough to hold us all.Nobody’s told us to actually stop work, it’s just a matter of relocation as far as I’m concerned.’‘Are we going to be going right through the weekend then? Only it wasn’t on the roster.’Bryant gave a theatrical sigh.‘Yes, Dan, we are going to carry on until we get to the truth.Is there a problem?’‘Only that I’m looking after my nipper for a couple of days.He’s at the age where he’s a right handful, but I’ll have to bring him with me.’‘Where’s your wife?’‘With her new fella, a boiler-fitter from Stevenage she met at one of her sister’s wine-tasting nights.She’s leaving me.I suppose she didn’t want me to feel left out.’‘About what?’‘Being the only person at the PCU in a satisfying relationship, sir.Thought I’d fit in better as an embittered workaholic loner.’‘Sarcasm will be the ruin of you, lad.Go and fetch the others.’‘Mr Bryant wants everyone to meet him at his house in Chalk Farm,’ said Longbright, leaning her formidable chest against the door-jamb.‘Are you coming, Raymond?’‘How would it look if I did that?’ said Land.Whenever he was faced with conflicting emotions, he became static with indecision.‘I can’t be seen to take sides, Janice.’‘If we can get a conclusion on this over the weekend – ’‘The case has already been closed, and I cannot reopen it without official approval.How are you going to continue investigating something that doesn’t officially exist?’‘You’re technically in charge of the unit.Surely you can do it.’He didn’t like the way she said technically, or how she used his first name while according Bryant the dignity of a surname.‘I can’t without producing quantifiable evidence for doing so.’‘So you’re just going to walk away from us?’‘Haven’t you seen? They’re impounding our files, sealing everything for later examination.I can’t go along with you, Janice.Take whatever you need and leave, get out of here before they try to stop you.If anyone asks me, I didn’t see anything.’‘Well thanks a lot, Raymond, you really know how to put yourself on the line for us.’ Longbright slammed the door behind her, only to reopen it.‘And don’t forget to collect Crippen’s bowl and litter tray before you go.It’s your turn to take him home with you.’Alma Sorrowbridge was not thrilled with the idea of nine members of the PCU putting their boots all over her freshly vacuumed rugs.She made them tea and left warm yellow cornbread on the sideboard where they could help themselves, then beat a hasty retreat to the Evangelical church on Haverstock Hill.As everyone arrived and settled in, John May laid down the files that the group deemed relevant to the proceedings by mutual consensus.Soon they had covered the floor of the lounge.May rocked back on his thighs and glanced across the labelled autopsy photographs, the CVs, the personal data files, the murder-location photographs and toxicology reports.‘Well, we know that Pellew never worked with his victims,’ he announced, ‘because he was in the secure wing of the Twelve Elms Cross hospital during the period that our ladies worked at Theseus.’‘The company has a website of sorts,’ said April, turning her laptop around to show them, ‘but as you’d expect it’s not very forthcoming about their activities
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