Alex Palmer - The Tattooed Man

‘You were there when they tested it,’ Grace said.

‘I was, and I took on this second task because I thought that having seen them do that, I had to get the evidence that would allow us to shut them down. They’re not running a government-sponsored program. What they produce is for sale to the highest bidder. It could easily be a government, of course, but it could be anybody else as well. Either way, it’s a crime against humanity. But I shouldn’t have taken on this second task. I don’t have the physical stamina for it.’

‘Who’s your colleague?’

‘I can’t tell you that. In fact, if that person even knew I was here talking to you, they’d be very angry. I’ll tell you why I want to go to LPS. I’m not going to last much longer after today. I’ve reached the end of my endurance. But I do have comprehensive access to the LPS building. I’m the only one after Elena who does, including access to her office. I’m very certain that Elena has the contracts covering Jerome’s last venture. They’re in her office, just sitting innocently in a drawer. I want to get hold of them and send them back to our handlers. Those contracts will provide a proof of ownership of the biotechnology. I’ll be able to demonstrate once and for all who’s behind this program. Even if no one goes to gaol, at least it will bring the whole process to a stop.’

‘Why aren’t you asking your colleague to drive you?’

‘Once I’ve done this, I’ve blown my cover with Elena. There’s no CCTV in her office, but the building cameras will still show me going in and out. She has to put it together. My colleague doesn’t think we’re finished. You see, those contracts aren’t going anywhere until Elena safe-hands them to her father the next time she goes to London. That won’t be for another three weeks. My colleague wants to keep our options open until then.’

‘Why?’

‘They believe Elena was behind the murders at Pittwater and they want to prove it. You saw the net. In their opinion, that photograph was sent out as a warning to anyone who wants to mess with Abaris. This will happen to you if you push too hard. My colleague has no intention of taking that lying down. They want whoever killed those people and that boy.’

‘Why not leave it to the police?’

‘They have no faith in the police force, let me tell you that now. I’m different, I’d be happy to. But my colleague is more professional than me. They can make hard decisions I can’t. If I keep on with this undercover, I’m going to let them down so badly they could end up dead. I don’t want that to happen.’

‘Does anyone know the two of you are here?’ Grace asked.

‘No. It’s a breach of protocol, but the organisation we work for often works like that.’

‘Tell me its name.’

‘I can’t do that,’ Brinsmead said.

‘Then I’m not going to drive you,’ Grace replied.

‘What could the name possibly mean to you? You won’t have heard of it.’

‘Just tell me.’

‘Falcon.’

Grace had heard of them and their methods. They operated as Brinsmead had described: undercover, dangerously, and usually past the edge of legality. Their modus operandi fitted with Sam’s traits: always on the edge and aggressive.

Brinsmead was still talking. ‘What I’m doing is calling our operation to a halt. If I can get possession of those contracts, then I think we’ll have achieved a good outcome. But I’m not just bailing out. What I’m really doing is blowing the whole rotten business sky high. This is a nasty business, Grace, where innocent bystanders can end up dead. That’s why I posted that video on the net. It can go with everything else that’s already out there, including the material Edwards put out. People can make their own judgements. All I want to achieve is to get hold of those contracts and protect the identity of my colleague. Then that’ll be the end of it.’

‘Why should I believe anything you’ve said?’ she asked.

‘There’s no reason whatsoever, Grace. You can get out of the car and walk away now.’

The video was powerful in Grace’s mind. She was thinking of the dead, of some kind of redress. A hope that the people who were responsible might be found out and stopped, even if they were never prosecuted.

‘I’ll drive you out there and then back to the city,’ she said, ‘but only if you answer some questions for me about who you are.’

‘Before you do, I have to ring Elena. If she’s going to be out there today, then I can’t do this.’

‘Why didn’t you make sure of that beforehand?’

‘What Elena does from day to day is up to her. There was no point in asking her if I wasn’t going to be able to get there.’

He called and held the phone where Grace could hear what was being said. It was answered.

‘Elena. It’s Daniel. Yes, I know it’s early. Sorry. I can’t get out to Campbelltown today. I’m not well enough. Are you going to be there? If you are, could you check with my staff? Their latest test results should be through this morning.’

‘No, I won’t be out there today. I’m too busy here,’ she replied. ‘I won’t be able to help with that, I’m sorry. Goodbye.’

‘She was very formal,’ Grace said.

‘She always is with me now. She’s changed these last few years. She’s closed up like her father. Go via the M5. Once we get to Campbelltown, I’ll direct you.’

At this time on a Saturday morning, most people were still in bed. The traffic was light. Brinsmead leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. ‘A bit of pain,’ he said. He wasn’t acting; it was all too obviously real. They drove in silence until they reached the motorway. The air conditioning in the car was set to high. Finally he opened his eyes.

‘What do you want to know?’ he asked.

‘You’re an agent for Falcon. You were with Beck and du Plessis on an undercover operation. They were your targets.’

‘That’s right. Falcon was interested in DP because they had evidence he was involved in a diamond-smuggling racket. That business was financing arms trading to various radical insurgent groups in Africa. DP led them to Beck. They wanted to know what that connection involved. I was drafted in because I had the scientific skills they needed. My brief was to get close enough to Jerome to find out what he was up to. What I told you before was true. I’d gamble with him. That’s how I got my invitation to Africa. I kept losing. I said I needed money, I didn’t care how I got it. He told me he knew a way I could make some very easy money and a lot of it. Then one night, just days before we were leaving, I had to take him out of a casino before he got thrown out. He was drunk as usual. I took him home, he was so angry. He started to rant. Didn’t they know who he was? He was Jean Calvo’s son. Calvo was the man and he was his son, somebody important, while everybody else at that casino was shit. He didn’t just work for some cheap nobody. He was working for Calvo right now. He knew things about Calvo no one else did. He went on and on. The interesting thing is, I reported all that back to Falcon. But when I was looking over Edwards’ dossier on the net this morning, I found that the particular report with that information in it was gone. It’d been pulled from the file, probably shredded. I wish I knew who did that and why.’

‘Don’t you trust your agency?’ Grace asked.

‘I trust Falcon. I don’t necessarily trust the politicians it answers to. Jean Calvo has a lot of clout in government circles. But I wasn’t the best agent Falcon could have had either. For one thing, I was involved with Elena. I shouldn’t have been, but at the time I really cared for her.’

‘Your minders should have known that,’ Grace said after a pause. ‘They should have pulled you out.’