Кен Макклюр: Miasma

‘Presumably someone paid them this time if vaccination is available?’ said Steven.

‘I just hope the World Bank will have come to some agreement under the terms of the new Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility.’

‘Are the countries surrounding the DRC getting the same attention?’ Steven asked.

‘They’re hoping the virus won’t reach them.’

‘It crossed borders last time,’ said Steven. ‘I remember Simone being in the thick of it in Sierra Leone’

‘Yes,’ agreed Tally. ‘Sierra Leone was badly affected, thousands died.’

‘You’re becoming an Ebola expert,’ said Steven.

‘It’s like watching a horror movie, you want to look away, but you just can’t.’

‘Do you have any clearer view about the possibility of it coming here?’

‘That would be the scariest movie of all, if it did,’ said Tally. ‘We have to do everything we can to stop that happening. We really do.’

‘Not too well prepared after all then?’

The look on Tally’s face served as her reply. Steven was left in no doubt as to the strength of her conviction.

‘How was your day?’ she asked.

‘Our UK murder investigation developed into a multi-million-dollar international affair possibly involving world powers.’

‘Tell me you’re joking.’

‘Nope.’

Tally had developed the habit of going over to the window last thing at night to look up at the sky and give her prediction about the weather for the following day.

‘Well, what’s it going to be?’ Steven asked.

Tally paused as something else caught her attention. ‘They’ve not made you a government minister by any chance, have they?’ she said.

‘What?’

‘There’s a black ministerial Jag parked across the road.’

Steven got up to join her but had to pause when his phone rang. Glancing at the screen, he said, ‘It’s John.’

Tally made a face and looked at the clock. It was nearly midnight.

‘A car has been sent for you,’ said Macmillan. ‘We need you here.’

‘Who’s “we” and where’s “here”?’ Steven asked, channelling Tally’s obvious displeasure.

‘Downing Street,’ snapped Macmillan, answering both questions and ending the conversation.

‘Wow,’ said Tally. ‘Is there something you’ve not been telling me?’

‘That’s going to be my first question,’ said Steven, putting on his shoes and giving Tally a farewell peck on the cheek.

The door to number ten opened as he neared and Steven found John Macmillan waiting there.

‘Sorry about the drama,’ said Macmillan. ‘Ready?’

‘Sure,’ Steven replied — not entirely sure what he was supposed to be ready for. Macmillan led the way to where the PM was waiting.

‘We have a problem, Dr Dunbar,’ said the PM. ‘And we think it might well be a big one.’

Steven waited to be told more, but the ensuing silence compelled him to ask.

‘That is our problem, doctor,’ replied the PM, ‘we don’t know what it is, but we do know it’s there.’

‘A bit like dark matter, Prime Minister,’ said Steven, attracting a black look from Macmillan.

The PM chose to ignore the comment and continued, ‘Millions of dollars are changing hands, Russian expats here in London are most likely involved, torture and murder are being committed, not only here in the UK, but across the globe, and there’s a possibility that the Chinese are up to their necks in it.’ The PM stopped referring to her notes and looked Steven directly in the eye. ‘Any ideas?’

Steven employed a respectful pause before saying, ‘I’m afraid not, Prime minister... I rather thought that the presence of the police, MI5 and MI6 at our earlier meeting suggested that you and the government had it well-covered.’

‘These people all have a role to play, doctor, and they are all very good at what they do... in fact, they may even find out quickly what these dreadful people are up to, but I have to consider the possibility that they may not and the longer we are exposed to not knowing, the more danger we may be in.’

‘Yes, Prime Mister.’

‘I want you involved in finding out what all this is about.’

Steven suddenly felt very lonely and didn’t quite know what to say.

John Macmillan helped him out. ‘I think the Prime Minister is very aware of why Sci-Med was set up in the first place, Steven,’ he said. ‘These other bodies have great expertise, but it may be the wrong kind in this instance when considering that two of the dead people were major figures in medical science.’

‘I see,’ said Steven.

‘Sir John tells me you are the best there is when it comes to understanding what clever scientific people might get up to when they go off the rails and I know that to be a fact. We have had cause to be very grateful to you in the past. What I would like this time is for you to investigate this business independently in your own way without any reference to chain of command. The only person you will report back to, outside of Sci-Med... is me.’

Steven immediately saw problems, but the PM read his mind. ‘You will, of course, have access to the findings of the other bodies involved, which I will share with Sir John, but you will not be obliged to share anything with them that you don’t want to.

‘I see.’

‘Sir John has told me about the code-red status system Sci-Med uses and I personally will see to it that it be supplemented in any way you think necessary... provided of course, you agree to take this on.’

The Sci-Med code-red sounded more dramatic than it actually was. When a preliminary inquiry was upgraded to full investigation status, the investigator was given code-red status. This implied that he or she would receive special support — financial through being given no-limit credit cards, having the right to ask for local police support and getting it without question on showing a Sci-Med ID card, having access to a special telephone line manned 24/7 for the supply of advice, equipment and help, and, if deemed necessary, the right to bear arms.

‘Well?’ asked the PM. ‘Will you help us find out what this is all about?’

‘Of course, Prime Minister.’

Steven took off his shoes and tiptoed through the flat, trying not to wake Tally whom he knew had an early start. He poured himself a whisky and sat down to ponder what he had let himself in for.

‘Well, what did they want?’ asked Tally behind him.

Steven started to apologise for having woken her but Tally stopped him. ‘No, I couldn’t sleep for worrying about what they were going to ask you to do.’

Steven told her.

‘A separate investigation?’ Tally exclaimed. ‘When they already have the police and both UK intelligence services lined up?’

‘That was my first thought too,’ Steven agreed, ‘but the PM reminded John why he had been given permission to set up Sci-Med in the first place — to supply the expertise the others don’t have.’

‘Clever,’ said Tally.

‘She also took pains to point out that the huge sums of money being handed out suggests that something really big is involved and it might be very much in the UK’s interest to find out what that is.’

Tally rubbed her forehead and said, ‘So, your contribution is to be... intellectual rather than practical? The police and the spooks will hunt down the villains and you’ll tell the PM what it’s all about?’

‘More or less.’

‘Have you actually any idea what they have been up to?’

‘No.’

‘Not exactly a flying start then.’

‘I can only do my best,’ said Steven.

‘Why am I thinking of Rodin’s, The Thinker , laughed Tally, resting her chin on her fist.

‘Go back to bed.’