Stella Rimington - Breaking Cover

Miles grinned. ‘It would have been sensational if you’d discovered that a great British sporting icon was being run by the FSB. How Putin would have laughed!’

‘That’s a thought,’ said Liz. ‘I wonder if we’d have got more powers to investigate, when the fans found out.’

‘We’d have all got the sack as a useless waste of space,’ said Miles, laughing. ‘Except for you,’ he teased her. ‘You and your team would have been promoted. Speaking of which, what have you done with Peggy? Have you given her the weekend off?’

‘Certainly not,’ Liz said with mock-severity. ‘She’s solving the mystery of Mrs Patricov, I hope. But, Miles, I can’t thank you enough for sending Mischa our way. He gave us the lead that kick-started the whole investigation.’

‘Glad to help,’ he said casually, but Liz knew it wouldn’t have been that easy. Miles would have had to persuade his colleagues to give her access to such a valuable source. She knew Andy Bokus was directing CIA counter-intelligence in Europe, and couldn’t believe he would have been happy about the Brits seeing Mischa on their own.

‘I’m afraid it won’t be happening again in future,’ said Miles.

‘Oh?’ Had Bokus won a rearguard action against further Anglo-American cooperation?

‘Mischa’s gone back to Moscow. He’s told us he doesn’t want to help any more.’

Liz said, ‘Maybe his brother’s left the FSB.’

‘No, I don’t think so. It’s more to do with Mischa himself. He’s scared, I think. Now that he’s living directly under the Putin regime, he’s suddenly realised the risks he’s been running. I suppose the prospect of a firing squad does concentrate the mind.’

There was a knock on the door and Peggy came in looking cheerful. Miles leaped to his feet and Peggy smiled and blushed slightly.

‘Good morning, Miles,’ she said. ‘You look very relaxed.’

‘I can afford to,’ he replied. ‘You’ve been doing all the work. Have a seat.’ He offered her his chair. ‘I’ll prop up the desk.’

‘This office is ridiculously small,’ said Liz, ‘but I daren’t complain or I might lose it altogether. So what’s the news?’

‘Exactly what we thought,’ said Peggy. ‘It’s her all right. Mrs Patricov and Tim’s email friend Marina are one and the same.’

‘Tim recognised the photograph then?’

‘Yes. He was quite sure.’

‘Just a minute,’ Miles broke in. ‘Before you two get all carried away, can you explain what you’re talking about? Who is Tim again?’

Liz explained. ‘Mrs Patricov, or Marina as she also called herself, chatted up someone named Tim at a lecture Jasminder gave at King’s College, London.’

‘Oh yes, I remember that from our meeting. The woman was called Marina.’

‘Right. She gave him that phone, which you heard Charlie Simmons talking about at the meeting. When Mrs Patricov was caught yesterday with Hansen – Karpis – it got us wondering whether she might be the mysterious Marina. And thanks to Tim, we now know she is.’

Miles nodded. ‘So you’ve uncovered the Illegals partnership that Mischa was talking about, right? The pincer operation. Karpis and Mrs Patricov are its two jaws.’

‘Yes, I’m confident they are. It seems to have been originally designed to infiltrate the civil liberties movement but then they got an unexpected bonus – Jasminder was recruited by Six and Tim turned out to live with an MI5 officer. So their focus changed, though fairly soon I think they decided to drop Tim since he didn’t tell them anything and concentrate on Jasminder, who was both wonderfully positioned and more vulnerable. Hansen seems to have been very clever about the way he manipulated her. No doubt we’ll hear all about how it was done when Geoffrey reports back on his interview with her.’

‘Poor thing,’ said Peggy. ‘It must be so dreadful for her. Will it be all right for me to get in touch?’

‘You should wait till we hear from Geoffrey. I expect Six have put her somewhere safe until they decide what to do next.’

They sat in silence for a moment, thinking about the full implications of what had happened.

‘Will Ms Kapoor have to face charges?’ asked Miles.

‘I doubt it,’ replied Liz. ‘I don’t suppose she gave them anything of much value. From what Bruno said after he’d taken her out, she seemed to be thrashing around in a very unfocused way. But obviously she’ll have to go.’

‘I wonder what she’ll do next.’

‘Hard to say,’ said Liz. ‘If she wanted to, I’m sure she could go back into a civil liberties job. No one in the outside world will know why she resigned; I imagine the press will blame MI6 – say that C’s campaign for openness was just a sham, as evidenced by Jasminder’s quick departure. Six may have to put up with that – it’s better than having the real story get out, since then the press would take the opposite line, and ask in outraged tones how the Service could hire someone so obviously untrustworthy.’ She shook her head wearily. ‘But anyway, Jasminder will know why she left, and she’ll know that we know. I imagine it’s going to be difficult for her – emotionally, if not professionally.’

‘Case closed then,’ said Miles, getting up from the corner of the desk. He turned to Peggy. ‘Congratulations on a job well done. Could we have a drink some time to celebrate?’

‘I’d like that,’ she said, smiling.

‘I’m due back at the Embassy now; the Ambassador’s having a do for the staff. But I’ll be in touch soon.’

After he’d gone Liz looked at Peggy, and they both smiled. ‘He’s really sweet,’ said Peggy.

‘Sweet on you, I think you mean,’ teased Liz, pleased to see her blush. It was clear to Liz that Peggy’s life with Tim was over. She had already told him she wanted to move out of their flat to be closer to work, and from her account of the conversation it seemed clear that he’d understood this meant moving without him. It was sad in many ways, but he’d done too much damage to make their relationship recoverable. He was contrite, but that did not alter the fact that he’d done it.

Still, there was Miles Brookhaven to take Peggy’s mind off Tim. Liz found herself wondering what it would be like to have that kind of prospect in her own life. After Martin’s death she had thought she would never want to be close to anyone again – she would concentrate on her work and have her memories and that would be enough. She didn’t know if that had changed – or if it ever would. But now that Martin had gone, for the first time for years she had no one to share her relief that the case was over – no one to relax with. There was a cold empty void in her life, one that used to be filled with the warmth of their close mutual attachment. It was a gap that one day – she had no idea when – she would like to fill.

Miles had been gone for ten minutes and Peggy had just come back with much-needed coffee for them both when Liz’s phone rang.

She picked it up and a familiar voice said, ‘Fane here.’

‘Hello, Geoffrey. I was about to ring you. We’ve just been having a wash-up with Miles. Tim, the lecturer from King’s, has definitely identified Marina as Mrs Patricov. I’ve also heard from Chief Constable Pearson in Manchester. Apparently Hansen–Karpis hasn’t said a word, but Pearson thinks Mrs Patricov will sing like a bird when Bruno and I question her. But any news of Jasminder?’ She hadn’t yet heard the details of Fane’s interview with her.

There was a long pause at the other end of the line. Finally he said, ‘There is actually. I’m afraid it’s bad.’

‘What’s happened?’

‘I’m very sorry to tell you that Jasminder’s dead.’