Michael Walters - The Shadow Walker

Still musing on the implications of this, Nergui finally reached the anonymous concrete block that housed the Ministry of Security. The building was almost in darkness at that time of the night, lights showing in only a few windows. The front doors were locked, but Nergui had a key. He unlocked the door, struggling slightly with his gloved hands, and then stepped inside, snapping the lock closed behind him.

After the icy chill of the night, the warmth of the building struck him immediately. A profligate use of the Ministry’s resources, he thought. He made his way slowly up the stairs toward the Minister’s office on the second floor.

Most of the offices here, including Nergui’s own, were bleakly functional-bare tiled floors, gray painted walls, metal desks and filing cabinets, chairs built for sturdiness rather than comfort. The Minister’s office, inevitably, was different. Nergui was unsure where the Minister had obtained his furnishings, since they surpassed even those used by the senior apparatchiks in the old days.

There was a light shining under the Minister’s door. Nergui knocked and waited, knowing from experience that the Minister liked to keep visitors waiting, if only for a few moments.

There was the expected pause, then he heard the Minister’s voice. “Come.”

He pushed open the door slowly, and stepped inside. To his surprise, the Minister was not alone. A gray-haired man sat facing him, his back to Nergui.

He turned in his chair as Nergui entered.

Nergui raised his eyebrows. “Professor Wilson,” he said. “This is a surprise.”

Wilson nodded. “I was very sorry to hear about Chief Inspector McLeish,” he said. “There is no more news?”

Nergui glanced briefly at the Minister. He had no idea why Wilson was here. He had understood that Wilson was not in the country in any kind of official capacity, but was merely accompanying his wife’s research. Perhaps he was here to complain again about the lack of progress the police were making, particularly given Drew’s disappearance. But it seemed unlikely he would be making an official complaint in the small hours of the morning.

There was no helpful signal in the Minister’s expression. “Nothing we can make public, yet. There are some leads, but it’s too early to say.”

“Are you assuming that Chief Inspector McLeish is-?” Wilson left the sentence hanging.

“We’re assuming nothing,” Nergui said. “I remain optimistic for the moment.”

Wilson nodded, clearly skeptical, but made no rejoinder.

Nergui looked across at the Minister, wondering if he was going to offer any kind of explanation for Wilson’s presence.

“You asked me to see you, sir?” Nergui was beginning to find the situation irritating. There was no way of questioning the Minister’s authority, but Nergui couldn’t see why he was wasting time here when he needed to be getting on with the search for Badzar.

“You still don’t seem to be making much progress, Nergui,” the Minister said in English.

“We have some leads, sir,” Nergui said. “I appreciate the urgency. In fact, you took me away from a potential investigation to bring me here.” He presumed that the Minister had not just brought him over here to receive a public dressing down.

“An investigation? What sort of investigation?”

Nergui glanced at Wilson. He had no intention of saying any more until he was at least clear why Wilson was here. “We’re tracking down someone who we believe may be able to help us with our inquiries.”

The Minister nodded. “That is why I called you over, Nergui. Professor Wilson may also be able to, as you put it, help you with your inquiries.”

Without being asked-not always a wise action in the Minister’s presence-Nergui sat down beside Wilson. “Really? In what way?”

Wilson coughed. “I’m afraid I was not entirely straight with you last night,” he said. “My visit here is on a somewhat more formal basis than I indicated.”

Nergui shot a glance at the Minister, who responded with a barely perceptible shrug.

“I understood that you were here to accompany your wife?”

“I allowed you to understand that. My wife’s research is quite genuine, but it is not the primary reason I am here.”

Nergui was growing tired of the game playing. “I am sorry,” he said. “It’s been a long night already and I have much more to do. I don’t particularly enjoy being lied to. I would be grateful if you could get to the point.”

The Minister looked for a moment as if he was about to intervene, then he sat back. Wilson went on: “I told you that I worked for the British government. That much at least was true. I am here in that capacity.”

“In what capacity, exactly?” Nergui could feel anger rising. He was unsure where this conversation was going but he did not like the feel of it.

Wilson sighed slightly. “As you may be aware, the UK government is one of the parties with an-” He paused as if seeking the appropriate word. “An interest, I suppose, in the development of the gold fields in the south.”

Nergui looked from Wilson to the Minister, who was wearing his most accomplished blank expression. “I wasn’t aware that the UK government had any interest in the gold fields,” he said. “My understanding was that a range of commercial businesses were involved.”

“That is correct. Our involvement is an indirect one.”

“I’m afraid,” Nergui said, “I really don’t understand what that means.”

Wilson nodded. “I’m trying to express this as delicately as I can. My position is a difficult one.”

“I think so,” Nergui said, “if you are in the country under false pretenses.”

“Well-” Wilson hesitated, and for the first time looked slightly unsure of his ground. “We will return to that, I’m sure. But let me try to explain my position. There is a substantial investment in the gold field development from a consortium of UK companies-”

“Along with substantial investment from a range of other international companies, I understand,” Nergui said.

“Quite so. This is an entirely commercial transaction. The British government’s role-my role, that is-has simply been to ensure that British interests are being protected.”

“Which explains why you’re here. It doesn’t explain why your presence is so covert.”

“We have had concerns about this project for some time,”

Wilson said. “In particular there has been some evidence of… well, tension between the partner organizations.”

Nergui had been aware from his own professional interest that the project in question had not been proceeding entirely smoothly. The identification and potential extraction of the gold reserves had been more problematic than had initially been envisaged. Increased investment had been required, and while the size of the potential returns was still unquestioned, the timescale for realizing them had become increasingly uncertain. Further investment had been sought particularly from the Russians, and Nergui understood that relationships between the parties had become strained.

“I’m aware of some of that,” Nergui said.

“Were you aware that Mr. Ransom was also involved in this project?”

Nergui sat forward in his chair. “My understanding-” He glanced across at the Minister. “Our understanding was that Ransom was working for one of the companies prospecting in the north.”

Wilson nodded. “That is correct. But he was a freelancer. He’d recently been recruited-covertly, to use your word-to provide some advice to the consortium in the Gobi. Primarily, as I understand it, to validate some apparently suspect data being produced by one of the partner companies.”

“Were we aware of this?” Nergui asked the Minister.